The Minirig 4 is a high-end portable speaker geared towards audio enthusiasts who want the flexibility to go wireless or wired. You can place it vertically or on its side, hang it from a lanyard around your neck, or add a Minirig subwoofer or Minirig speakers. Despite its small size, most of the aluminum and ABS casing is dedicated to fitting around the 70 mm driver without any unnecessary bulk.
The Minirig 4 is alright for listening to music. It's a single speaker, so it downmixes stereo content to mono. You can wirelessly connect or pair it with other Minirig speakers via the AUX cable to create a stereo pair and even add one of the brand's subs. Still, by itself, it doesn't get especially loud and compresses lower frequencies quite a bit at max volume. You get bass and treble sliders to alter the sound in an otherwise straightforward app. It also sounds more or less the same across different listening angles, adding flexibility. Most of the speaker's benefits are unlocked when you mate it to one or more Minirig speakers, which is no small added cost.
Bass and treble sliders in-app.
Flexible wired and wireless connectivity.
Solid battery performance and features.
Many features need a second speaker to appreciate.
App is pretty basic.
Downmixes stereo to mono.
The Minirig 4 is not bad for watching videos and movies. On the plus side, it exhibits low latency over Bluetooth and wired connections, so you're unlikely to experience lip-sync mismatches. It's no replacement for a soundbar, and while you can create a stereo pair with a second Minirig, as is, it downmixes your audio to mono. For dialogue-heavy viewing, this is fine, but it's not immersive or capable of reproducing the deep bass necessary for most blockbuster films.
Bass and treble sliders in-app.
Flexible wired and wireless connectivity.
Low latency audio.
Many features need a second speaker to appreciate.
App is pretty basic.
Downmixes stereo to mono.
The Minirig 4 is great for listening to podcasts. Voices are reproduced with clarity, and the speaker's directivity means you can place it in the room while you move about the space and expect it to sound the same. You can also pair a second device to it, so if you want to switch audio sources, it's seamless. That said, it doesn't necessarily get loud enough to reach your ears from several rooms away, but it's small enough to take it to the other side of the house or on your patio.
Very portable.
Solid battery performance and features.
App is pretty basic.
The Minirig 4's microphone is for calls only and doesn't support voice assistants.
The Minirig 4 is decent for outdoor use. Its small size makes it easy to take with you, and its battery life is long enough for an outing, depending on the volume level. Plus, you can charge your phone using the speaker's battery. That said, its IPX4 rating is splash-resistant, and if you're heading to the beach or poolside, it's not totally impervious to the elements. Due to its size, it's also not capable of reproducing a full-sounding low-end either, and at max volume, there's some compression in the bass, which is a downside in wide-open spaces.
Very portable.
Flexible wired and wireless connectivity.
Solid battery performance and features.
Many features need a second speaker to appreciate.
App is pretty basic.
Lacks dust-proofing and impact resistance ratings.
The Minirig 4 is available in a few eye-catching jewel tones to visibly stand out from the crowd, or blend in with neutral and stealth mode shades. Our unit is 'Brushed Ion' (here's its label), and we expect it to perform about the same as the 'Electric Blue,' 'Ultra Black,' 'Green Wave,' 'Purple Ray,' and 'Laser Red' variants. There's also a hand-painted variant by Mr Cenz.
If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
The Minirig 4 is the upsized sibling of the Minirig Mini 2 and boasts a larger driver with a longer expected battery life. Alongside the Minirig Subwoofer 3, meant to fill out the bass frequencies, these speakers are unique in that they're pint-sized Bluetooth speakers aimed at the audiophile market. In contrast, there are speakers like the Sonos Roam 2, which has extra smart features not available to the Minirig 4. In exchange, the Minirig boasts wired connectivity, the possibility of adding the brand's subwoofer, and an attractive metal build, striking a different note than the similar-sized JBL Clip 5, which is purpose-built for duties like muddy hiking trips that the Minirig can't handle without a greater degree of care.
For more comparisons, check out the best small Bluetooth speakers, the best portable Bluetooth speakers, and the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers.
Whether the JBL Flip 6 or the Minirig 4 is better for you depends on your primary usage. The JBL's IP67 rating makes it a more durable speaker for rough elements. Its interface offers more immediate access to playback controls than the Minirig, though it lacks wired connectivity of any kind besides a port for recharging. That said, the Minirig supports both wired and Bluetooth pairing, and its soundstage is less susceptible to listening to angles which makes it a bit more flexible in these regards. Its battery lasts longer and can be used as a power bank to charge other devices in a pinch. Still, it's only IPX4-rated by comparison, so it's only protected against water splashes.
Although the Sony SRS-XB100 and the Minirig 4 are both small cylindrical Bluetooth speakers, they've different strengths and belong to different tiers. The Sony's upsides are its long battery life, dedicated physical controls, and an IP67 rating. You can add a second speaker of the same model for a stereo pair. However, you can't change its frequency response in its basic app. In contrast, the Minirig is made from premium materials, though its IP rating is lower. You can also link it to other speakers via a wired or Bluetooth connection with up to four speakers. It compresses less at max volume with a more balanced frequency response, and there are bass and treble sliders in the app.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve II and the Minirig 4 are both upscale portable speakers meant to stand upright and not meant to go on especially rugged terrain. The Bose has a more comprehensive control scheme and a higher IP55 rating. Most likely due to being slightly larger, it has greater low-end extension. The Bose also lets you use a voice assistant. Unfortunately, it lacks an EQ and uses micro USB to charge. In contrast, the smaller Minirig holds its own by getting a bit louder with better dynamics and offers bass and treble sliders to alter the sound. While its battery life is shorter, you can fast charge it (if you have a 20W USB-C PD adapter) and use it as a power bank for your devices, too. Like the Bose, you can pair it with other compatible speakers. On the downside, its controls aren't as intuitive, and its IPX4 rating isn't as tough.
The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 is more versatile than the Minirig 4, though less customizable. The Ultimate Ears speaker's battery lasts longer with a tougher IP67 rating, meaning it's suited for adventures. It sounds nearly the same at every listening angle with better dynamics performance at max volume, too. Its controls are clearly laid out and you can pair a second compatible speaker over Bluetooth. However, the Minirig offers both wired and Bluetooth connections with an app that lets you adjust the bass and treble. Despite being smaller, it also gets a bit louder. You can also use it as a power bank to recharge other devices. However, its IPX4 rating won't ward off damage beyond a few raindrops.
The cylindrical Bluetooth speaker is designed to point upwards or be set on its side if you hang it from the lanyard, for instance. Its single 70 mm neodymium magnet driver takes up most of the speaker's real estate with a tough metal grill. It's clad in a smooth, brushed aluminum enclosure with ABS plastic trim and the logo embossed around the top. It sits atop a slab of silicone to stay put and soften the transfer of vibrations. You can be visually loud with colors like 'Electric Blue,' 'Laser Red,' 'Purple Ray,' and 'Green Wave,' or subtle with choices like 'Ultra Black' and 'Brushed Ion.' There are also unique, limited edition hand-painted versions like this one by Mr Cenz.
The Minirig 4 lives up to the 'mini' name, and it's remarkably portable. It doesn't take up too much space, and you can easily tote it around single-handedly. Although it's weightier than similarly small speakers like the JBL Clip 5, considering the Minirig 4 has a metal build, it's about double the heft of the JBL. It also comes with a recycled fabric zip case and a loop for clipping on the included carabiner and lanyard
The Minirig 4 is well-built, but it's not meant to follow you dirt biking. Its construction consists of an aluminum enclosure and a tough metal grill over the driver. It's fitted with an ABS ring to protect the edges and a silicone base to stay put. The buttons and jacks have good tolerances and don't wiggle.
The speaker has an IPX4 rating against light water splashes, which is absolutely sufficient for a casual hang-out at the park or to soundtrack your latest kitchen creation. However, it's not waterproof or dust-proof, so keep it away from flour (if you're a baker) and beach sand. It doesn't float and lacks an impact resistance rating, meaning it's not designed to be your poolside companion, unless you place it far away from the pool's edge.
Three small round buttons address the controls on the top of the speaker; you can check out its comprehensive guide to learn the functions. Most of the controls handle volume, answering a call, and linking speakers. Surprisingly, you can't skip a track or even hit play/pause from the speaker's interface, so you'll need your connected device nearby. If you only have one speaker, you won't have any use for the linking controls.
Despite the simplicity of the three-button layout, there are several secondary functions, and an array of LED indicators for information like battery status. The multi-function button also lights up to indicate Bluetooth, volume, and playback modes (if you have one or more Minirigs connected). The speaker emits unique tones for power, Bluetooth pairing, and listening modes, though they're easily overpowered by your audio content if the volume is set higher. Certain functions like Bluetooth linking other speakers aren't mirrored in the app, so you'll need to remember the functions alongside the meaning of the color-coded lights. Shaking the speaker prompts the speaker to display the battery level (with one to four white LEDs lit up), which is novel.
You can pair a second Minirig speaker via Bluetooth and create a stereo pair, use the AUX cable for a wired pair, or add one of the brand's subwoofers. If you have a second Minirig paired, pressing the volume buttons simultaneously cycles through stereo and mono playback or swaps L/R channels. The 'Group Pairing' function allows three to four Minirig 4 speakers to be connected, and 'Automatic Linkup' lets you control them simultaneously.
The default frequency response of the speaker is somewhat warm with more mid-range and high-bass emphasis than bright treble, which works well considering its size limits how much low-bass it can output. Speech sounds natural and not at all shrill, with slightly dulled details. Lead instruments, such as melodic keys, sound balanced, while bass guitars are fairly punchy but lack full-bodied weight due to the low-bass roll-off. You can always play around with the bass and treble in the app, too. If you want a deeper bass, the brand also advertises a subwoofer meant to add more low frequencies, though we've not tested it.
If you set the speaker on its side using the 'Tilt EQ' available in the app, it sounds less boomy in the bass and boasts a brighter treble response.
Here's the raw frequency response for the speaker on its side with the 'Tilt EQ.'
The speaker's soundstage performance is very good. It downmixes stereo audio to mono, but you can pair additional speakers via the AUX port or add a second Minirig speaker over Bluetooth for stereo playback. When placed upright, the speaker sounds very similar across listening angles. If you set it on its side, its soundstage is much more narrowly focused, so your audio sounds quite different if you're not facing it.
The speaker's dynamics performance is acceptable. If you consider its size and sound profile, most of the compression at max volume occurs in the lower bass regions, which it barely plays back anyway. Still, sounds like the boom of kick drums compress noticeably at max volume. Interestingly, if you place the speaker on its side, the speaker gets louder, but its dynamics are worse.
The Minirig 4 has a very good battery performance. In our standardized testing, it lasted 10 hours on a single charge. Its advertised battery life is highly dependent on playback volume, with five hours at max volume and 100 hours at 'low volume'; 30 hours is what the manufacturer estimates for 'average use.' Considering our standard test has output set to 80 dB/SPL, 10 hours of battery life more or less lines up well with these estimates. In testing, it recharged via a standard USB-C connection in 5 hours and 24 minutes, and according to the manufacturer, if you use a 20W USB-C PD charger, you can cut that time down to two hours.
You can also use the speaker's battery as a 28 Wh power bank if your phone has a low battery, which is handy. Plus, if you leave the speaker idle for 30 minutes, it powers off to conserve the battery.
Despite having a mic built-in, it doesn't support voice assistants. That said, you can use it as a speakerphone for calls.
The Minirig app is fairly rudimentary, but it addresses most people's essentials (as you can see in this video), so long as you're not interested in 'smart' features. Since many functions don't require the app, such as Bluetooth linking two Minirig speakers, you're not reliant on the app for listening in a stereo pair, for example. The app provides bass and treble sliders, and you can save the settings. You can also use the 'Tilt EQ' designed to offset the changes to the frequency response when you wear the speaker around your neck on a lanyard or place it on its side. You can adjust the LED brightness and manage the basics of playback, like track skipping, pause/play, and volume. Besides that, updates are available through the app.
One nice feature is that if you connect the speaker to a computer, you can use the web-based version of the app to control the speaker, so you're not limited to iOS and Android devices.
The Minirig 4 includes an AUX input for analog wired audio sources. It also has an AUX out port, so you can link other Minirig speakers or a Minirig subwoofer to add more low-end. You can even use the AUX out for wired headphones. Latency is very low, as expected, with analog audio connections.
The Minirig 4's Bluetooth performance is remarkable. It has very low latency across iOS and Android devices, though this can differ depending on variables like connection strength, you can expect your audio to match up with video. It supports the AAC codec and multi-device pairing, too. You can also pair multiple compatible Minirig speakers over Bluetooth, though we weren't able to test this.
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This is a test! Bravo! The Minirig 4 is quiet, without bass or speakers. Thanks! Thank you for explaining to me and telling me in detail that I have two such pieces of shit! I didn’t expect this.
Well, as you know it is very loud and sounds best if you point the speaker towards you. Hopefully, they will test it again in this way.
This is a test! Bravo! The Minirig 4 is quiet, without bass or speakers. Thanks! Thank you for explaining to me and telling me in detail that I have two such pieces of shit! I didn’t expect this.
The full review has been posted here. Let us know what you think!
The Minirig also has a portable subwoofer that works wonderfully with the speaker. The Minirig sub 4 is forthcoming and will be completely portable via Bluetooth. It is the smallest portable subwoofer in the world. I hope that, upon its release, Rtings will have the opportunity to test it with the Minirig 4.
We actually started testing the unit we purchased 17 hours ago! So we will definitely be putting up a review at some point in the future!
The Minirig also has a portable subwoofer that works wonderfully with the speaker. The Minirig sub 4 is forthcoming and will be completely portable via Bluetooth. It is the smallest portable subwoofer in the world. I hope that, upon its release, Rtings will have the opportunity to test it with the Minirig 4.
Our testers have started testing this product; is there anything specific you’re looking to see? Let us know in this thread.