Image credit: Future/TechRadar
This soundbar excels at its only trick.
You would think the Soundfun Mirai is just another soundbar in the sea of home theater options. But there’s a very specific function for this soundbar, and that’s to make TV and movie dialogue easier to hear.
Dolby Atmos, virtual or actual surround sound, and a plethora of ports are not going to be your cup of tea with this. This is one of the greatest soundbars available, though, for individuals who aren’t concerned with such details and want a device that will let them hear every word in Christopher Nolan’s films without cranking up the volume.
It’s not extremely feature-rich and still expensive for a soundbar with such a niche market.
Design
Looking more closely at the Soundfun Mirai’s design, its wavy front grill makes it look about as entertaining as a soundbar can get. Between the wavy parts of the grille is a large dial that serves as its only other control in addition to power. The volume level is shown on the display that is adjacent to the dial.
Thanks to its compact design and two speakers driven by two 15-watt amplifiers, this soundbar won’t take up much room. Just 21.3 x 3.4 x 6.2 inches (541 x 86.4 x 157.5 mm) is its actual measurement. The compact stature of the Soundfun Mirai is undeniably an advantage, particularly in cases where there isn’t a lot of room because space saving has traditionally been an attractive feature of soundbars, combined with an easier setup.
As a whole, it’s quite simple. Power, volume up, and volume down are the only buttons on the included remote. From what Mirai describes it, it is the most simplistic soundbar I have ever seen. With only an optical and an auxiliary connector, the ports are barebones. If you don’t have optical or Aux, you won’t need to buy anything else because Soundfun includes both cables.
One advantage of the Soundfun Mirai’s simple design is how easy it is to set up. The only other things you need to do are connect it to the power source and the TV via an optical or auxiliary wire. Please note that in order to avoid receiving a signal that is identical to the one coming from the TV’s internal speakers, it is necessary to adjust the TV’s sound settings before connecting an optical cable. This is, of course, a constant in visuals. But this isn’t an issue on TVs with HDMI ports, which the Soundfun Mirai lacks.
Thanks to its two 15-watt amplifiers, the Soundfun Mirai packs a mighty punch despite its diminutive size.
However, you shouldn’t expect tremendous bass from it due to its small size. Quite a bit of low-end is obviously absent from the 150Hz–20kHz rated frequency response. For comparison, the majority of audio instruments aim to stay between the 20Hz to 20kHz range. Home theater was not the intended use for this soundbar. It’s designed for individuals who prefer to hear TV speech more clearly. The Soundfun Mirai is perfect for its intended use.
I noticed that the Soundfun Mirai sounded best when tested with my TV’s mid-range frequencies, which are where voices are located, and that the low-end was noticeably muted. There was also a muted high-end. Nothing exceptional is being offered in terms of the width of the soundstage. Considering all of that, along with the absence of features such as Dolby Atmos or Bluetooth wireless streaming, it’s evident that Soundfun doesn’t care about any of that.
A bedroom isn’t the place to worry about a home theater system if all you want to do is listen to the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City without distortion, so this could be a great addition for you if you have problems hearing the conversation on TV.
Price and Release Date
✔ Coming out in November 2023
✔ Selling for $299
The Soundfun Mirai soundbar is really simple and serves a single purpose, which makes its $299 price tag tough to swallow. Besides, you can find various soundbars with dialog settings that amplify the frequencies associated with human speech. Although the Soundfun Mirai does place a little more focus on this area, it is still quite expensive for a product that does not even include an HDMI passthrough.
For example, the Roku Streambar has a full Roku streamer. This HDMI connector supports ARC and even various equalization settings, including a mode to increase conversation, all for about $149.99 (around £140 / £115 or AU$250 / 200).
However, the Soundfun Mirai serves a specific purpose and keeps things simple; it was designed for individuals who normally have trouble hearing TV conversations.
At this time, the Soundfun Mirai is exclusive to the United States.
The Final Verdict
With its streamlined design, lack of further capabilities (except a remote control), and exclusive purpose—to enhance the comprehension of movie and TV dialogue—the Soundfun Mirai occupies a specialized market. It does its intended function admirably. It’s a bit steep for the value you get.
Soundfun Mirai Soundbar are ON SALE now on Amazon! Hurry up- Grab yours and enjoy. 🚀
As an affiliate I get a small fee from Amazon.