Soundfun Mirai soundbar review: a diminutive dialogue booster
Soundfun Mirai soundbar: Two-minute review
The Soundfun Mirai may seem like another soundbar that’s cluttering the home theater market. But, this soundbar has a very specific use case, which is making movie and TV dialogue easier to hear.
For those who want Dolby Atmos, virtual (or real) surround sound, and a bunch of ports, this is not going to be the right option. But, for those who don’t care about all that and want something that makes even the dialogue in Christopher Nolan movies audible without having to turn everything else up, this is going to be one of the best soundbars on the market.
Of course, it’s very stripped down and still a bit pricey for a soundbar with such a limited appeal.
Taking a closer look at the Soundfun Mirai’s aesthetics, it’s about as fun-looking as a soundbar can get with its wavy front grill. Its one control, aside from power, comes courtesy of a big dial centered between the wavy portions of the grille. Next to the dial is a display showing the volume level.
As this soundbar sports just two speakers, powered by dual 15-watt amplifiers, it doesn’t take up much space. In fact, it measures just 21.3 x 3.4 x 6.2 inches (541 x 86.4 x 157.5 mm). Since space saving has always been a selling point for soundbars (along with a simpler setup), the Soundfun Mirai’s diminutive stature is surely a plus, especially if you’re not working with a lot of space.
Overall, it’s very straightforward. Even the remote it comes with has just three buttons: power, volume up, and volume down. It’s as basic a soundbar as I’ve seen (Mirai calls it a ‘TV Speaker’). The ports are as stripped down as there’s just an optical and aux port. Soundfun does include both cables so you don’t need to invest any further if you don’t have optical or Aux.
The bright side to the Soundfun Mirai’s minimalist design is that setup is very, very easy. Just plug in the power and connect the optical or aux cable to the TV and you’re basically done. Just be aware that if you use the optical port, you need to change the sound settings on your TV so you don’t end up with a duplicate signal from the TV’s built-in speakers. Of course, this is always the case with optical. However, you don’t have to deal with this on TVs that have an HDMI port, which the Soundfun Mirai does not have.
While the Soundfun Mirai is fairly petite, it has quite a bit of power thanks to those dual 15-watt amplifiers. Since it is on the smaller side however, you’re not going to get thunderous bass out of it. In fact, with a rated frequency response of 150Hz - 20kHz, plenty of bass is pretty clearly missing. Most audio devices strive to get as close to a 20Hz to 20kHz range for comparison’s sake.
However, this soundbar was not created for home theater. It’s meant for those who want to hear dialogue better when watching TV. For that intended purpose, the Soundfun Mirai does quite well.
When I tested the Soundfun Mirai with my TV, the mid-range frequencies where vocals sit was boosted and, obviously, the low-end was not that prominent. The high-end was a bit pulled back as well. In terms of soundstage width, you’re not getting anything special here. However, with all that in mind plus the fact that there aren’t any special features like Dolby Atmos or Bluetooth wireless streaming, it’s clear that none of that matters to Soundfun.
If you find yourself having trouble hearing dialogue when watching TV, then this might be a good addition for you, especially in a bedroom setting where you don’t care about having a home theater system, but just want to clearly hear what the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City have to say.
Soundfun Mirai soundbar: Price and release date
Price: $299
Released November 2023
Considering that the Soundfun Mirai soundbar is about as basic as it gets, with really just one specific goal, its $299 price tag is a bit hard to swallow. After all, other soundbars have dialog modes that boost the frequencies at which voices sit. So, while there’s a bit more emphasis there with the Soundfun Mirai, it’s still a high price for something without even an HDMI passthrough.
For instance, the Roku Streambar costs just $149.99 (around £140 / £115 or AU$250 / AU$200) and comes with a full Roku streamer, and HDMI port with ARC support, and even multiple EQ settings including a dialogue-boosting mode.
That said, the Soundfun Mirai was created for a specific group of people, those that have a hard time hearing dialogue generally when watching TV, and this soundbar fulfills that mission and also keeps things simple.
The Soundfun Mirai is currently only available in the US.
Should you buy the Soundfun Mirai soundbar?
Buy it if...
You want to hear dialogue better
The Soundfun Mirai has one reason for being and that’s to make dialogue more audible without having to blast the TV. When it comes to that intended purpose, the Mirai does it very well.
You want easy
The Mirai is about as easy as it gets, for better or worse. If you don’t want to worry about a complicated setup, then this is your soundbar.
You want something small
At less than two feet wide, this soundbar is perfect for setups where there isn’t a lot of space.
Don't buy it if...
You want home theater audio
Soundbars have increasingly become a home theater option with surround sound, subwoofers, and more, but the Soundfun Mirai is not one of those.
You’re on a budget
Although $299 isn’t going to break the bank, it’s still not cheap. If you’re on a budget, you can find soundbars for less that will also improve the audio quality of your TV.
Soundfun Mirai soundbar review: Also consider
How I tested the Soundfun Mirai soundbar
I used the Soundfun Mirai soundbar for one week
Tested with both TV, movies, and music
I used the Soundfun Mirai soundbar regularly for a week with TV, movies, and music. I compared it to just my TV’s speakers to see what kind of improvement it offers and found that it, as I’ve stated in the review, is good at what it’s meant for. It just happens to also be a bit of a one-trick pony.
If you’re hard of hearing or just want something to make dialogue pop a little while watching TV in your bedroom, this is a good if somewhat pricey option to invest in.
I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.
First reviewed February 2024
