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The Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i is an up to date model of the speaker that goals to be particularly versatile. It may be operated by Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant or an non-compulsory distant management. It handles AirPlay 2, Spotify Join, Tidal Join and Roon Prepared, and might be paired with different audio system for home-wide sound.
The model places it this manner: “The Pulse Mini 2i powered speaker takes a long time of hifi audio legacy and squeezes it right into a single field. Delivering wealthy and detailed sound, the Pulse Mini 2i can simply match into small residing areas, all of the whereas offering an impressive high-res music streaming expertise.”
We put the Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i by means of our rigorous DXOMARK Audio check suite to measure its efficiency at taking part in again audio. On this overview, we are going to break down the way it fared in a wide range of checks and a number of other frequent use circumstances.
Key specs embody:
- Wi-fi protocols : AirPlay2, others
- Wired connectivity : Jack
- Top: 17.2 cm. Width: 33.5 cm. Depth: 15.5 cm (6.8 in x 13.2 in. x 6.1 in)
- Weight : 3.6 kg (7.9 kilos)
- Audio system: Two 4 in. (102mm) woofers; two 3/4 in. (19mm) tweeters
Check circumstances:
- Examined with iPhone SE (2020)
- Communication protocol used: AirPlay
About DXOMARK Wi-fi Speaker checks: For scoring and evaluation in our wi-fi speaker opinions, DXOMARK engineers carry out a wide range of goal checks and undertake greater than 20 hours of perceptual analysis beneath managed lab circumstances. This text highlights crucial outcomes of our testing. Notice that we consider playback utilizing solely the system’s built-in {hardware}. (For extra particulars about our Speaker protocol,
click on right here.)
The Bluesound PULSE MINI 2i falls into the Superior class of units within the DXOMARK Speaker rankings.
Professionals
- Impartial and constant tonal stability amongst all completely different volumes
- Very snappy assault
- Good wideness
- Wonderful Quantity efficiency
- Principally artifacts free
Cons
- Tonal stability suffers from an absence of bass and high-midrange
- Not very punchy
- On Android, with Bluetooth, urgent Play/Pause induces loud clicks
Check abstract
Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i
124
speaker
124
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
Greatest: Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge (152)
108
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
Greatest: Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge (137)
91
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
Greatest: Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge (111)
141
Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i
86
Sonos 5
Greatest: Sonos 5 (133)
With an general rating of 124, the Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i lands just a few spots exterior the highest 10 in our Superior class of house audio system, simply between the Huawei Sound X at 126 and the Sony SRS-XB43 at 122.
The Bluesound system’s primary shortcoming is an absence of bass in contrast with different equally priced audio system. That lack of bass impacts the MINI 2i’s rendition of punch within the dynamics attribute. On the plus aspect, the MINI 2i gives very giant wideness and wonderful efficiency within the quantity attribute.
Sub-scores defined
The DXOMARK Speaker general rating of 124 for the Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i is derived from a spread of sub-scores. On this part, we are going to take a better take a look at these audio high quality sub-scores and clarify what they imply for the consumer, and we are going to present some comparability information from two of the system’s opponents, the Denon Residence 250 and the Huawei Sound X.
Timbre
Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i
124
152
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
Greatest: Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge (152)
DXOMARK timbre checks measure how effectively a speaker reproduces sound throughout the audible tonal vary and takes into consideration bass, midrange, treble, tonal stability, and quantity dependency.
Playback timbre comparability
The Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i delivers a impartial general sound. Characterised by good midrange in addition to exact and wealthy treble, the tonal stability can also be marked by the dearth of bass and low-end extension. This ends in a coldness that doesn’t enhance at excessive quantity, when the speaker sounds boxy and struggles to maintain bass constant.
Midrange is nice however considerably darkish, on account of a shortfall of high-midrange that reduces readability. It sounds pretty pure at loud and nominal quantity, however at gentle quantity the tonal stability might actually profit from extra high-midrange, particularly for voice-based content material like podcasts.
Treble sounds wealthy and exact throughout use circumstances, however turns into considerably darkish at loud volumes, the place the system is overly midrange targeted.
Value noting right here: We conduct all our checks with the system in its manufacturing facility settings. We suggest setting the 2i’s huge mode to “wider” and the “Deep Bass” function to “on” with Bass at -1 for optimum efficiency.
Dynamics
Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i
108
137
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
Greatest: Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge (137)
Our dynamics checks measure how effectively a tool reproduces the power stage of a sound supply, bearing in mind assault, bass precision, and punch.
Playback dynamics comparability
The Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i delivers a median dynamics efficiency. Throughout all use circumstances, assault is sharp, even at most quantity regardless of some compression.
Lackluster maintain, ensuing from the receded low-end, hinders bass precision. Due to compressed dynamics in addition to an absence of low-midrange power, the Pulse Mini 2i doesn’t have numerous punch, particularly at excessive quantity.
Spatial
Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i
91
111
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge
Greatest: Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge (111)
Our spatial checks measure a speaker’s capacity to breed stereo sound in all instructions, bearing in mind localizability, stability, wideness, distance, and directivity. Please word that wideness is 0 on mono audio system and on audio system that can’t ship a big stereo impact.
Playback spatial comparability
Spatial efficiency is a vibrant spot for the Bluesound speaker. Regardless of its small measurement, the system produces good wideness (with what seems to be a profitable utility of section processing).
Regardless of that wideness, localizability and distance had been the weak factors on this attribute. Whereas nonetheless first rate, the scores had been decrease due to imprecise localizability across the middle of the stereo scene, and blurry supply positioning in each localizability and distance notion.
Our quantity checks measure each the utmost loudness a speaker is ready to produce and the way easily quantity will increase and reduces based mostly on consumer enter.
Playback quantity comparability
Playback quantity consistency comparability
Right here the Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i excels. That is among the many loudest audio system at most quantity that we’ve examined, and the amount consistency was excellent.
The consistency was additionally excellent from gentle to loud volumes. Playback efficiency is general very constant as effectively throughout all the amount steps.
Listed below are just a few sound strain ranges (SPL) we measured when taking part in our pattern recordings of hip-hop and classical music at most quantity:
| Correlated Pink Noise | Uncorrelated Pink Noise | Hip-Hop | Classical | Latin | Asian Pop | |
| Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i | 92 dBA | 95 dBA | 88.7 dBA | 82 dBA | 91.5 dBA | 83.9 dBA |
| Denon Residence 250 | 89.2 dBA | 84.8 dBA | 86.1 dBA | 81.6 dBA | 85 dBA | 81.1 dBA |
| Huawei Sound X | 83.7 dBA | 82.1 dBA | 81.6 dBA | 76.4 dBA | 82.8 dBA | 75.6 dBA |
Artifacts
Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i
86
133
Sonos 5
Greatest: Sonos 5 (133)
Our artifacts checks measure how a lot supply audio is distorted when performed again, together with such different sound artifacts as noise, pumping results, and clipping. Distortion and different artifacts can happen each due to sound processing and due to the standard of the audio system.
Playback artifacts comparability
The Pulse Mini 2i carried out effectively within the artifacts attribute. It was artifact-free for essentially the most half throughout our use circumstances. The one noticeable artifacts seem at increased volumes, when loud, percussive devices, corresponding to bass drums, induce clipping. When pushed to most quantity, efficiency suffers from pumping and bass distortion.
Playback whole harmonic distortion
Conclusion
The Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i is a good performer all-around, however at this worth level, it ought to be stronger, particularly within the timbre attribute. The shortage of bass and low-end affected its timbre and dynamics. That stated, the system is a robust performer in quantity, artifacts, and spatial attributes. It is going to be fascinating to see how this household of units evolves and builds on the promise of this speaker.
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