There we stood in the hallway. I held my old iPhone. My daughter stood there rehashing her exciting day at school. We were in the hallway, which is about the worst spot to test audio in our house. Yes, this is a test. No, it’s not for a grade, and it won’t be on the final. We were testing the new BOYA Mini 2 and its AI noise cancellation feature. More importantly, could the BOYA mini 2 clean up the very obvious hairdryer noise from the other room? I realized we looked ridiculous and waited for my wife’s question: “What are you two doing?”

The BOYA mini 2 is an absolutely tiny microphone and receiver system built around its intelligent AI-powered noise cancellation. We wanted to test whether the BOYA Mini 2 could cancel out the hairdryer noise from another room. The quick answer – it mostly did, which is really impressive. I tested the BOYA system on my iPhone while using the Blackmagic Camera App and the BOYA Central App.

Weighing just 5 grams, the BOYA mini 2 is among the smallest and lightest microphones on the market. The small size helps the BOYA mini 2 from being super obvious on video. Side note – the more influencers wear a microphone on their hat, an angel loses its wings – so I’ve been told.

The kit includes both Thunderbolt and USB-C connections, so it’ll work with new phones and older smartphones. The Bluetooth connector is almost plug-and-play. The only extra step is to select the mic in your phone’s settings to ensure you’re using that audio input. It took me less than ten seconds to connect and start recording. One thing to note, you cannot charge through the Bluetooth adapter like other systems. Since this one is on the less expensive side of the market, I don’t see a problem without a charge-through option.

I have tested a few new microphone systems like the BOYA Mini 2, and what I really like about the Mini 2 is that the whole kit is small – just a small pouch for your mics, Bluetooth receivers, charging case, and charging cord. All of the kit fits in a blue jean pocket, making it more likely to carry the BOYA Mini 2 with you when out on the town. Other than the AI noise reduction, the BOYA Mini 2’s strength is its small size.

BOYA Mini 2 AI Noise Cancellation

Let’s talk about the AI noise cancellation features. Recently, BOYA debuted its proprietary BOYA Intelligence Deep Neural Algorithm Network — an AI-driven noise cancellation system trained on more than 700,000 real-world noise samples and over 20,000 hours of data. This adaptive algorithm dynamically responds to different environments, delivering clear, consistent audio whether recording in controlled studio settings or in unpredictable outdoor conditions.

It’s unbelievable how well these AI-driven noise-cancellation systems clean up unwanted background noise. However, too much processing can make the audio sound a little wet. I preferred less AI noise cancellation as it sounds better and more real, without cleaning the entire ambiance.

The only downside I saw in my tests was using the BOYA Mini 2 inside; it works well when the transmitter and receiver are in the same room. Once either goes around a corner, a wall blocks the path, and the connection degrades pretty quickly. So the Bluetooth connection is not as strong as Apple’s AirPods, for example. Outside, on a flat surface, the BOYA Mini 2 performed much better over longer distances. There is no onboard audio recording option for the BOYA Mini 2, so once you lose the signal, you lose the audio altogether.

For a $30 smartphone wireless microphone system, you get a darn good deal with the BOYA Mini 2. The kit is small and easy to toss in one’s pocket or purse. The AI Noise Cancellation is good as long as you steer away from heavy noise cancellation, which is true in almost all cases and systems. For those smartphone videomakers, this is a good option for wireless audio.

BOYA Mini 2 Tech Details.

• The Mini 2 records at 48 kHz / 24-bit
• It covers a full 20 Hz–20 kHz frequency response• Smart and powerful noise reduction via AI.
• You get two noise-cancelling modes:
  • Strong Mode — up to about -40 dB noise reduction
  • Light Mode — around -15 dB reduction, which keeps some of the ambiance from the scene.
• The mic also includes a low-cut filter.
• In the BOYA Central App, you can choose between Mono, Stereo, and “Safety Track” output modes. The Safety Track is especially useful: it records a backup track at –12 dB.
• Also in the app, you can adjust gain, change EQ, adjust noise-cancellation level, and update firmware.