FAQs

Ordering

Q. When will my order be delivered?
A. Standard UK shipping is usually Royal Mail 48 Tracked and Signed which typically takes 2-3 days.
For UK orders there is an option to upgrade to an express service with DPD for £7.99 or DHL for £9.98 both of which are usually delivered on the next working day delivery.
Please note that weekends are not counted as working days so orders on Friday with next-day shipping will be delivered on Monday. The cut-off time for next-day orders is 2pm.
International delivery times can vary but we will use a tracked or signed service for speakers when possible.

Q. Do I need to order any extra accessories with the Minirig or Subwoofer?
A. No, both the Minirig and Subwoofer come with a charger cable, audio cable and nylon case.

Q. Do you ship outside of the UK?
A. Yes! We ship worldwide, simply put in your delivery address and it will automatically work out the correct postage costs for you at the checkout. Please note this does not include any import taxes that may be due in your country.

Q. I can't find my country in the shipping options?
A. Whilst we ship to most countries around the world there are a few exceptions mainly due to cost. We can provide a quote for you, please send a message with the details and we will do our best!

Q. If I order a bundle deal do all items have to be the same colour?
A. You are welcome to select different colours of Minirigs/Subwoofer in the package deal. Simply select each item individually in the desired colour and you'll be given the bundle price at checkout.

Q. Do you still sell charger cables for the V1 Minirigs?
A. The new style charger cables for the Bluetooth Minirig are also suitable for use with the V1 Minirig and Subwoofer so it is fine to order one of those as the old style ones are no longer available.

Q. I don’t have a PayPal account, can I still order a Minirig?
A. Yes! You can pay on the website without a PayPal account as it will allow you to checkout as a "guest". Unfortunately we do not have the facility to process a card payment over the telephone but if you are having problems placing an order please email support@minirigs.co.uk and we’ll be able to help you

Charging

(Only Applies to Minirig 3, Minirig Mini 2, Subwoofer 3)

Q. Can I charge the Minirig using the mains USB adapter that came with my phone?
A. You must check the charging current requirement on your Minirig product against the current rating of your USB power supply. However, most modern phone chargers are more than adequate for all Minirig products.

Q. Will a Minirig 3 work with a Minirig 2 speaker?
A. Yes, they will pair in wireless stereo and via aux cables. However, for the best stereo sound we recommend using two of the same products. Also, the Minirig 3 in high gain mode is 6db louder than all other Minirig products so there will be a volume level difference. In low gain, the volume levels are all the same.

Q. Can I charge my Minirig while still playing music through Bluetooth or Aux connection?
A. It is fine to use the Minirig while it is on charge however we do not recommend leaving it permanently connected to a power supply. (Please see below)

Q. Can I leave the Minirig constantly connected to a power supply?
A: You could leave the speaker permanently on charge but its not recommended, unless it's absolutely necessary such as an installation when there Minirig is fixed in place and not easily accessible. Leaving your Minirig on charge 24/7 will shorten the battery life but only over the course of years. Its much better for the battery if you charge it overnight when its low, this will also save your electricity bill and the planet. Keeping a USB charging adapter on 24/7 wastes power.

Q. Can I replace the battery in my Minirig?
A. The battery is not user-replaceable. Given normal use, it should last years and years. There are many Minirigs out there 5+ years old which are still going strong. We can replace the battery in a Minirig Mini, Minirig 3 or Subwoofer 3 for a standard out-of-warranty repair charge. Sadly we no longer stock batteries for the oldest legacy products. Please contact our support team for more information. 

Q. How many mAh is the battery in the Minirig?
A. The Minirig 3 and Sub 3 both have a 28.86Wh battery - this is equivalent to a "single cell" battery of 7600mAh, which is often how battery packs are rated. The Minirig Mini 2 has a 7.4Wh battery - equivalent to 2000mAh.

To fully charge a Minirig 3 or Sub 3 from a power bank we would recommend using one rated to at least 9500mAh

Q. Why does the Minirig have a round charger port instead of a standard micro USB?
A. There are several reasons:

  1. Micro USB is the standard right now, but every few years the standard changes and the old connectors become obsolete. Mini USB was replaced by Micro USB and now reversible USB micro C will be replacing the micro connector soon.
  2. We use a 5.5/2.1mm barrel socket.
  3. It's round form and size perfectly matches the Minirig audio sockets and look of the product.
  4. Small USB connectors are difficult to plug in, especially as you have to get them the right way round. The big round barrel socket is much easier to use and plug in.
  5. It's airtight whereas micro-USB is not - this is vital as it forms part of the acoustic enclosure
  6. It's much more adaptable. For example, we can use it to take power out and put power in with a variety of voltages and currents.
  7. It's much more robust, reliable and longer lasting than micro USB as the connector pins are larger and less delicate

Q: Can I use my Minirig charger in a foreign country, or do I need a voltage adapter?
A: You can use your Minirig charger in a foreign country without the need for a voltage adapter. As long as you are using a 5V charging cable, it will work fine.

connectivity

(Only Applies to Minirig 3, Minirig Mini 2, Subwoofer 3)

Q. Can I pair v1 and v2 bluetooth Minirigs
A. The new MRBT-2 Minirig comes with the latest Bluetooth 4.2 software with improved stability. Unfortunately, this means the MRBT-2 will not pair with the original Bluetooth Minirig (pre-March 2017) in wireless stereo. If this is relevant to you, visit our support section for more information. They are still 100% compatible via aux (cable) mode and will work together as a wired stereo 2.1 system with the Minirig subwoofer.

Q. Can I pair a Minirig Mini with a Minirig v2 or v3
A. Yes either via bluetooth or aux (cable) mode and as a stereo 2.1 system with the Minirig subwoofer. Just bear in mind that the Minirig can go louder than the Minirig Mini so you may notice a difference in volume.

Q. Will a Minirig 3 work with a Minirig 2 speaker?
A. Yes, they will pair in wireless stereo and can be connected via aux cables. However, for the best sound we recommend using two of the same products. Also, the Minirig 3 in high gain mode is 6db louder than all other Minirig products so there will be a volume level difference in high gain mode. In low gain, the volume levels are all the same.

Q. How is the 3.5mm audio jack input wired?
A. All Minirig products come with two 3.5mm audio jack sockets. These sockets are 4-pole TRRS (tip, ring1, ring2, sleeve) type and wired as follows:

  • TIP - Audio left
  • RING1 - Audio right
  • RING2 - Switch
  • SLEEVE - Ground

Audio left - This is the audio signal for the left audio channel
Audio right - This is the audio signal for the right audio channel

Both these audio inputs accept a "single-ended" audio signal with reference to ground. This is a line-level signal up to 0dbV (1Vrms). Any signal over 0dbV may cause distortion and input clipping. The input impedance is usual 10k-40k ohm.

Inside the speaker, the left and right audio signals are usually summed (added together) to produce a mono audio signal. For this reason, do not apply a balanced signal to these inputs (for example, left = signal+, right=signal-). This will result in no audio.

Switch pin
The switch pin is used to detect when an audio cable has been inserted. This pin has a weak 3.3V pull-up. To detect a cable insertion, this pin much be connected to ground. This can be used to remotely turn the speaker on and off in aux mode.

Ground pin
This is the ground reference pin and is connected to 0V ground inside the product.

In all our products, the TIP, RING1 and SLEEVE of the two audio inputs are wired together.

Audio out
In Bluetooth mode, several of our products output audio. On the Minirig 3 and Minirig Mini 1/2 the audio is output on  RING1 (audio right signal). This signal is usually a mono sum of the left and right audio. The maximum output signal is 0dbV (1Vrms) and referenced to ground.

Subwoofer

Q. Can I use the Subwoofer by itself or does it need a Minirig speaker?
A. The subwoofer is not a standalone product so needs to be used with another speaker to improve the bass response. It is designed to work in perfect harmony with Minirigs for the best possible sound.

Q. Can I connect to the Subwoofer via Bluetooth?
A: The subwoofer is not Bluetooth enabled at the moment as the sub always needs to be used alongside another speaker. You can connect via Bluetooth to the Minirig and then link out with an audio cable to the subwoofer. Full details of how to achieve this set-up are available on our support pages or in the User Guide.

Q. Do the Minirig 3 and Minirig Mini work with the subwoofer?
A.The Minirig 3 and Minirig Mini work really well with the Minirig Sub. These newer products do not reduce bass when you plug in the sub, instead, they work together complementing each other. This way you get the right amount of bass at all volume levels.

Sound

Q. How loud in the Minirig 3?
A. A common question and difficult one to answer simply - a bit like asking how "fast" a car is.
 
One way to measure a speaker is by using a decibel meter and measuring the SPL (sound pressure level). However, it is hard to compare this figure with other speakers. Do we play noise or music? How far away is the microphone? What frequencies do we care about? Where is the speaker being measured? What angle and position? There are many variables you see. 
 
Another way is to calculate and measure the loudspeaker sensitivity. This again varies but using the very exciting "standard" IEC60268-5, the speaker in the Minirig 3 has a sensitivity (1W/1M) of 86-87db - very high! If we then apply the amplifier gain you get an output of up to 102db at 1M. So this tells you how loud it is in theory.... but not how it sounds in real life. 
 
For this... hearing really is believing so believe us when we tell you that it sounds loud and amazing!

Q. I hear a slight pop at the start of a track when the bass kicks in with my Minirig 1/2. Is this normal? 
A. Yes. The Minirig 1 and 2 use a unique analog adaptable eq which has a cleaner sound and zero latency compared with digital DSP in aux mode. The downside of this is that when it adapts to the music (reduces bass at higher volumes) it will "switch" to a different eq setting which can be audible as a quiet "pop". It is not normally noticeable but in high gain and with very dynamic music, it can become apparent.

To reduce the effects, use the Minirig in LOW gain. Also, plugging an aux lead into one of the outputs when in Bluetooth mode will simulate a subwoofer and "fix" the eq.

The Minirig 3 and the Minirig Mini is a fully digital DSP so the bass enhancement changes smoothly and dynamically. 

Q. My Minirig stops playing music after around 30 minutes but the LED stays on, is this normal?
A. There is a power saving feature on the Bluetooth Minirig which will put the Minirig into standby mode if it does not detect a signal for a certain amount of time. This can be triggered by listening to music at a low volume while in the HIGH gain setting. For low volume listening, we would recommend the LOW gain setting. We would also recommend LOW gain for use with most PCs and laptops. The HIGH gain is designed for listening to music at louder volumes and for linking up Minirigs. You can toggle between the gain setting in Bluetooth mode by pressing the LED once.

Q: What is the latency (delay) of the Minirig products?
A. There are two parts to this answer, aux connection and Bluetooth connection.
  1. AUX connection
    For the Minirig Mini and Minirig 3 we use a DSP (digital signal processor) to apply EQ and limiters to the sound. There is a latency (delay) associated with this as audio does an analog-to-digital-to-analog conversion.  It is VERY short, however - less than 1000th of a second (<1ms).
    It's the same as moving the speaker about 30cm away from you.... so really, how close you are to the speaker will probably have a greater effect. Anything below 15ms is generally not noticeable so it is fine for DJing, microphone, instruments, watching videos etc.
    With our other products, Minirig wired, Minirig Bluetooth, Minirig 2 and the Minirig subwoofer there is no DSP and the EQ/limiter is entirely analog. This means there is no delay. 
  2. Bluetooth connection
    With Bluetooth, the delay is around 150mS (0.15 seconds) for 1 speaker) or 500ms (0.5 seconds) for 2 speakers in stereo which is standard across most Bluetooth devices. You will notice this delay when watching a video with the 150mS delay being just about acceptable. Some video players allow you to delay the video to synchronise the sound.

 

General

Q. I have some sand/dust in the top of my Minirig, can I unscrew the top to clean it?
A. We would advise NEVER to unscrew the top of the Minirig to avoid damaging the speaker inside. If there is a little bit of sand inside the best thing to do is to make sure it is completely dried out and then CAREFULLY hoover it up with the small nozzle on the vacuum cleaner. It shouldn't affect the sound.

Q. How many Minirigs can I link together?
A. Obviously there is practical limits but we have had some great parties with over 80 Minirigs linked up in a chain without any problems! We would love to hear about your Minirig link ups too.

With the Minirig 3 you can link up as many as you like wirelessly! See the user guide or app guide to find out how to start a wireless link up. 

Q. I have an old wired Minirig, can I get it serviced? Should I upgrade? 
A. The Minirig design and sound has improved a lot since its first release in 2011, so our latest products will have more features and sound much better. However, our older products still sound great and are built to last, so we like to keep them running as long as possible through repair and servicing. Contact support and we will discuss whether your older Minirig can be serviced, updated, or recycled. 

Q. Is it safe to take a Minirig on an airplane? Can I send one via courier? 
A. There are regulations controlling how products containing lithium ion batteries can be safely transported by air. All Minirig products meet the criteria of being safe for air travel because 1) The batteries have been tested to UN standards 2) The total battery capacity is <100Wh 3) The individual cell capacity is <20Wh. When sending a Minirig via airmail/courier, the package may need to be labeled with the "lithium ion battery" sticker. When taking a Minirig on an airplane, it is recommended by airlines to take them in your carry on luggage. Be sure to turn off the BLE standby feature when flying (applied to Minirig Mini, Minirig 2 and Minirig 3). 

Q. How can I find out more about Minirigs?
A. To be the first to hear about what’s going on in the world on Minirig, be it new products, competitions or mixtapes please sign up to our email newsletter and follow us on social media.

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