After disrupting the smartphone space, Xiaomi is crushing with the consumer electronics segment in India with their Smart TV lineup. Adding to that, the brand just announced two new Smart TV’s that run on Android TV OS with Patchwall on top. Complementing the TV’s, the brand also announced their Mi Soundbar.
As with other Xiaomi products, the Mi Soundbar is built to undercut the competition by a margin. Priced at INR 4,999, the product is the cheapest Soundbar currently in the market coming from a reputable brand. We have been using the Soundbar for a couple of days now and here’s our review.
Key Specifications
- Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity
- Eight driver units in total
- 50 Hz to 25,000 Hz Frequency range
- Weight – 1.92 Kgs
Box Contents
A complete list of items you get inside the box:
- Mi Soundbar
- Power adapter
- S/PDIF cable
- Wall mounting screws
- User instruction manual
Design
Xiaomi is known for their classy looking products and the Mi Soundbar is no exception. The soundbar has an elongated pill shape with a layer of cloth mesh in front. The overall construction is done of high quality and the weight is surprisingly kept to a minimum. The Soundbar is available in just a single color (White) as of now which blends perfectly with the décor.
If you’ve owned a Google Home or seen one for that matter, you will instantly relate the fabric design with it. The mesh covers the 8 driver units running the show. There are two 20m dome speakers, two 2.5-inch woofers and four passive radiators. Moving from the front, you will find a row of buttons on top, that includes the volume buttons along with buttons to control the inputs accompanied with individual LED’s on them.
The input ports are placed on the back with inputs ranging from AUX-in to optical. Along with the inputs, there is a power-in port and a switch to power on/off the soundbar itself. The Soundbar can be either wall mounted or placed on a surface and there are rubber grips underneath to prevent the soundbar from skidding.
Connectivity
There are a bunch of connectivity options placed on the back of the soundbar. The speaker comes with support for Bluetooth, AUX-in, line-in, S/PDIF and optical port. Along with this, you also get a power port and a physical switch all placed in a linear manner. The port we feel should have been included here are HDMI and USB, but you cannot demand all of it at this price point.
There is no remote-control support which can frustration at times, perhaps we could see one added in the next iterations. Other than this, the soundbar contains almost all the necessary port to get it working.
Sound Quality
After using a full-blown high-end Soundbar, coming to the Mi Soundbar was a bit uneasy at first but the product quickly grew over us. Xiaomi claims that the Soundbar provides a thrilling cinematic experience and they are definitely not wrong in saying that. The two dome drivers upfront provide a spatial effect that takes the overall experience up a notch. During our test, we found that the soundbar is a little more bass heavy and is very much ideal for watching movies or TV series.
The soundbar gets loud enough to fill a mid-sized room completely. The mids and lows are decent, coupled with bass make it ideal for most Indian users. The soundstage isn’t that much balanced and at times the bass just overpowers. We did try playing some music on it and the vocals weren’t that clear, making it not the perfect choice if music is high on your list.
Pricing
- Xiaomi Mi Soundbar – INR 4,999
Pros
- Solid Design & Build
- Multiple Input modes
- Ease of use
- Powerful bass
Cons
- No remote control
- Not tuned for music
Verdict – Should you go for it?
Priced at just INR 4,999, the Mi soundbar hands down is the best product in its category. The build and design are top notch and easily goes with the décor. Availability of multiple connectivity options is just cherry on top. Not all is well with the product though, we would have liked the addition of an HDMI and USB port. The soundstage too could have been a little more balanced but maybe the intent of the brand was to push you to enjoy your binge-watching sessions a bit more.
If you are in the market looking for a TV or a soundbar to crank up your movie experience we highly recommend the new Mi Soundbar.
