Summary
The Magnifi Mini performs fantastically for such a small soundbar, offering a large and immersive soundstage even in fairly large rooms. Sound quality is good and the included sub-woofer gives it a weight way beyond what you might expect for such a small speaker.
Design
The big selling point of the Magnifi Mini is the small size of the main unit. Measuring only 34cm (w) x 8cm (h) x 11cm (d) it will easily fit on almost any TV stand without taking up much space. The compact size means it might be a little deeper than some models and it’s not suitable for mounting on a wall, but it’s closer to the size of a PC monitor soundbar rather than a TV model.
It’s a good looking unit with speaker fabric stretched over the majority of the speaker, with buttons along the top and a frame on the front.
The included sub-woofer isn’t quite so small measuring 19cm x 36cm x 36cm and is of a fairly basic plastic design – although this goes some way to not sticking out in a living room which from our perspective is a good thing.
Magnifi Mini sound quality
Sound quality is very impressive for its size although it doesn’t quite match some larger and more expensive models in the mid-range. The size of the soundstage expands way beyond the width of the soundbar and it does a very good job of filling a decent sized room.
If there’s an area where the Magnifi Mini struggles a bit it is in the mid-range, with the most challenging busy scenes becoming a little muddled. It’s still a huge improvement on any TV’s included speakers, but there are other soundbars that deal with this challenge better.
Bass from the separate sub-woofer is substantial and means you really don’t miss the oomph you might get with a bigger model. Despite their relative sizes we also didn’t find that it overpowered the main unit.
The Magnifi Mini handles voices well with Voice Adjust setting adding clarity to voices and it does a very good job at keeping dialogue understandable even at low volumes. There are specific sound modes for Movie, Sports and Music that adjust the settings to make the most of each type of content, as well as a Night mode that drops the bass and focuses on Voice Adjust.
The bar is made up of 2 tweeters and 4 mid-range drivers with power output measured at 150W.
Setup and ports
Setup is very simple, just plug in the soundbar and wireless speaker to the mains and then connect the soundbar to the TV either through the HDMI, optical or 3.5mm jack. You will need to make sure the sound through the TV speakers is turned down if you’re using the optical or 3.5mm inputs to prevent any echoes and you may need to adjust your TV settings with HDMI but that’s it you’ll be ready to go.
The remote keeps things simple (which as there is no text readout on the soundbar itself is a blessing) with controls for adjusting the volume, bass and voice; the levels are indicated using 3 LED lights on the front of the soundbar. The buttons are responsive enough but it doesn’t exactly feel like a premium bit of kit.
Features
Also included with the Magnifi Mini is Google Cast support, allowing you to stream music from other devices wirelessly. This is a nice addition and means it is more compatible with other devices you may have already, rather than having to invest in new products to get full use of the speaker.
Price
For the original price of around £350 it isn’t overly expensive but it does start to get close to the mid-range of soundbars and it struggles to stand out at this price. Thankfully it can be picked up for as little as £250 which makes it a very good buy.
Verdict
If you’ve only got a bit of space on your TV stand to play with but a decent sized room to fill with sound the Magnifi Mini is a great choice. It’s not quite cheap enough to be called a cheap soundbar, but the performance and design you great for the price are also significantly better than the lower end of the market.