Excellent review! I agree on everything you said. I have had mine for a year now as a 2.2 setup. I started with 2.0. In my opinion the cost and quirks are quite a price to pay, but the sound is just unmatched. There is nothing like these in a good stereo setup and the portability and scalability is INSANELY underrated. I use them in my work environment (2.0 setup). To the beach/park (1.0 setup). For any party with 10+ people (2.1 or 2.2 setup). On my TV when we have a movie night (2.1 setup). They fit in my backpack and are so much easier to transport than my JBL Boombox for example. Some things that can save frustration: - Make sure you 'lock' a pair in the app and also rename the 'main' minirig in your bluetooth settings so it is easily recognisable. The switching between the L/R minirig is what is causing a lot of issues. Also mark the 'main' minirig in some way (I have a sticker) so you always know which one to connect to in any situation. After doing that, each time, without fail I can now turn them on and they will connect and serve me for weeks until I recharge. :) - When using bluetooth they MUST be able to see each other (in a way without obstacles). If you are running them on a party place them high above a crowd or visible to each other in general. Same with the device that is sending. This is old-fashioned and I wish it was better but it's just the way it is. Short range works fine. - For house parties: hook those badboys up with wires. There is NO delay. :D This is also the ONLY portable speaker which has zero input delay. Every JBL I've had had issues with this due to their sound processing. For me this was a MUST and this alone justified the purchase as I use these for my portable DJ setup. As a hardware/software developer myself I wish they would get the wireless connection a bit more right. But also I understand what a bitch synchronous output can be and it takes a LOT to get that right. Based on how the app looks/works they are more focused on the sound engineering part and could use some work in the software division. Hopefully all can be fixed in the future with some update as the used bluetooth chips are highend enough for good range. All in all, I wish I discovered these way earlier. They replaced every sound system in my house and every bluetooth speaker as well. It took a while to get to know them but everyday I learn to love them more and more. Absolute beast of a system imho.

I Have owned Mini rigs since they came out in early 2000's. They are amazing, But when they 1st came out they were like tech from the future, noting else even came close to them. unbelievable. This review without any doubt it the best Minirig review I have ever seen. Most reviewers seem to think recording a mini rig with a phone mic gives an accurate representation of loudness and quality. I liked that you used a DB meter (and explained logarithmic scale) and a freq response graph. Good video production too. Great work really enjoyed this vid.

WOW You are the type reviewer that we miss on youtube, very serious and detailed straight to the important points, this is when i really need to subscribe and done

Exactly the review I was looking for. Thanks.

been rocking this for more than 2yrs now and until mow still amaze me no regrets at all. i have 2.2.

Phenomenal review! I recently picked up a 2.2 setup and you absolutely validated my purchase! Also ordered two stands as I have been looking for an elegant solution, thank you!!!

a very good review! I already owned one on a 4.2 set up, it was an overkill but I still love it. I also made my own minirig holder out of a PVC pipe on axis and it worked amazing. truly this product is mind blowing and it beats all my other big name bluetooth speakers such as Bose, JBL and Harman Kardon. thank you for this review which makes me love my minirig more and more...

Your review is spot on. I love my Minirig despite all the quarks you mentioned. I also use my pair as a desktop computer speakers. I use a Monolith DAC headphone amp and Schiit Sys passive preamp to provide a clean sound from the computer. I had a pair of Kanto S2 Desktop Speaker Stands to hold them in place.

comprehensive excellent review ...thanks

very detailed. Nicely done it.

Great review thanks

I agree with all of this. I also have two minirig 3's and a single sub. I often just default to plugging everything in with 3.5mm cables instead of even messing with the bluetooth. Wish they could figure out the stereo bluetooth issues.

brilliant upload Todd Parker. I killed the thumbs up on your video. Maintain up the superb work.

i need to make a video as no one mentions SPEAKER PLACEMENT is crucial. The minirig 3 needs to be placed on a high shelf, the sub on a shelf below it, this way you get room filling bass. If your outdoors i've created DIY basstraps out of a cardboard box with a smaller one placed inside(plastic actually gives better results) this allows it to act like a speaker, with the bass held in a space and pushed out by the basstrap, it gives a sense of bass like a PA if you use a bit of speaker physics.This unit is phenomenal if set up correctly

Really useful video that confirmed my decision to buy one. The 3D stand is very nice as well but is super pricey for what it's worth in my opinion, especially when there are others doing similar at a fraction of the cost inc. free shipping.

Thats amazing

Just to address the reasoning on why they chose the 5.5 by 2.1mm barrel plug they chose it because it's robust, airtight and is standardized for power so they don't need to worry about the USB type changing or things like that!

Hopefully, the minirig 4 comes out soon.

Thank you the review. This was so detailed and clear. I am so tempted to get a 2.1 setup, but they’re so unavailable in Australia. I’ll have to pay hefty shipping costs to get these. At that point the price crawls up to match a portable pa system such at Bose S1 Pro, or Mackie Thump Go. Do they even compare? On top of that, the possibility of getting a defected product and lack of support makes me hesitant. Is there any hint of them coming up with a new model anytime soon?

You have the off axis mode in the app, which is a "Treble" boost that sounds amazing as well

Love the review thank you! Also what chair is that in the video??

Any chance you friend who created the stands might be willing to sell the plans. I am interested in modifying them to allow the minirig 3 to sit on top of the subwoofer and also figure out a way to have the speaker cradle attach to the base so it doesn't separate.

Great review, thank you. I'm enjoying the same set here, which sounds best wired with my LG V30. No stereo Bluetooth issues, as long as I keep the master-slave order as originally chosen.

Is there a way to use the app while connected over aux to control EQ and relative loudness between the Minirig 3 and Sub 3? When I use the 1.1 system over Bluetooth I use the EQ to closer match the Harman target and I set the sub to be around 10% higher than the Minirig 3. If I try to use the aux to preserve audio quality I lose my custom EQ and the Minirig 3 defaults to either low gain or if I use the indicator to switch to high gain it is on the highest maximum relative volume thus completely overwhelming the sub. In short, the aux mode is completely useless for me which is frustrating because I want to preserve lossless audio

Huge fan! Which app did you use to measure the frequency response on iPhone?

Also I'd like the next version of these to have a flat "reference mode" please. You were so close.

Thanks Todd, much appreciated. Penny for your thoughts. At your conclusion you say it is probably not best for casual listeners, how would you define casual listeners? I ask because I consider myself a casual listener but thinking about it, I listen to music most days and during work (when I probably listen the most) it will be classical and/or ambient music. So in that instance, do you think it would be worth it and would 1 be sufficient? If you think it would be overkill, I would be grateful for your thoughts on an alternative speaker. Cheers

If you want a source of music that is free of square waves and improved dynamic range let me know. I have found that sticking little vinyl (or whatever they're made of), like the bumpers on your kitchen cabinets on the speakers, work great for me. GREAT video!

I'm very curious about this but if it doesn't sound good at low volume levels I might have to pass (was looking for something smaller than my speakers for very quiet guitar monitoring). I wonder if putting in a slight smiley face eq curve would help. It would be awesome if they added a loudness setting to them via the app...

£43 for a stand your mates having a laugh

How good is the bluetooth connectivity? Have heard reports that they drop out within meters and through walls. Also thoughts on the general usability and quirks with the app? Are they annoying to pair/repair or to just even use on a daily basis for bluetooth?

nice review, do you know bluetooth speakers that are 90% as good but 2x less expensive ?

Hi Todd. Greetings from Panama. Great review! I´m saving some money to get a 2.1 system. Probably will sell a pair of sonos one that I have on my living room. Question: the 3D stands looks really cool, don´t they vibrate at high volume? The ´rigs 3 can deliver high spl so I wonder if they start vibrating at high volumes. Does your friend sell them? How much a pair? Rgds, JB

Does anyone know how these compare to the much more expensive Dali Katch g2 as a stereo pair?

you may want to check out the Rocksteady Subwoofer due out "soon", i pre-ordered a pair via their Backerkit crowdfunding. the specs take them down to around 25hz, im looking forward to delivery..."soon".

These make brilliant dj speakers for a mini mobile setup. The inputs mean that you can link loads of them together with zero latency. Bluetooth stereo pairing is pretty flakey though, but the sound blows almost all other Bluetooth speakers out of the water. Even my sonos move sounds like garbage in comparison to a minirig and sub.

Looking for something to replace my Bose soundlink mini2, this might be it but it's turning out to be a difficult task. Even all these years later it just sounds Soo good. I'm looking for this Bose quality but a bit louder. Anyone here have any suggestions around the €150-250 mark? I mean I'll obviously go cheaper if it's better (I'm not made of money) but that's unlikely.

I have problems with the bluetooth. but my apt is really overloaded with Wifi. if I take the speakers eleswhere they work well. I am keeping them though

How is it compared to Marshall stockwell II 360 sound? Is it still worth having directional sound from minirig compared to marshalls 360?

Does any bluetooth speaker come close in sound quality? I want to jump on these but didnt how theyd perform against a killburn or woburn or klipsch the one ii?

Can you connect 2.1 wired mode instead of Bluetooth to prevent drop out issue?

considered these a lot, got the Motion Boom x2 and good enough, but not very small or portable comparitively

Nice review mate! Just got mine and compared it with Beosound A1 gen2 which I got last month. I'd say I prefer the latter for low volume listening and the former for noisier places I.e beach or a party as it gets so unbelievably loud for that size. 90% of Beo's volume is around 44-50% on the minis. Overall I prefer the beosound as you can't beat their clarity even though they lack those mid-lows where the minis excel. However, beosound has deeper bass. Now I'm in a huge dilemma as I have to return one of those back and I just can't because I do like both for different reasons.

i am LOVING my 2.2 Minirig system bought around Thanksgiving. btw, while the rated driver size on the M3 is 70mm, and 74mm on the Sub3, the actual cone area on the M3 is much bigger, whereas the Sub3 has a fairly tiny cone with a relatively maaaasssssive surround. furthermore, when i compare the cone-size on the Sub3 to the size of the "port", i *think* they're close to identical..... .....which means, i don't think the Sub3 is a Bass Reflex "tuned port" design, i THINK it's a modified Transmission-line with some horn flaring. i think that would go a looong way toward explaining the Sub3's remarkable balance and power relative to its size and weight!

I've seen the original mini rigs for sale on ebay ,non Bluetooth. Do you think an adapter would resolve the issue ,to connect to Bluetooth off a phone?

Im quite happy that there not basey, so many portable speakers are colored with too much base, smothering the sound and removing the option of a sub.

Hello, R U still happy with your minirig 3 ? I am looking to buy, but Amazon (US nor Canada) is not advertising them anymore… Does a 2.0 setting (in a small room) will give good Stage Image results still with enough Bass without the Sub ?… Thanks !

Recycled box. We are saved! And then you pull it out and get a wonderful plastic bag :-) . Irony aside, frequency responce looks good but a big membrane will not sound as refined and fast responding like a tweeter in the highs only because it has a flat response. Big mass is big mass after all

Hi, does one 3, one mini 2, and one sub work?

I really was hoping to hear the actual comparison in which is more talk and no sound comparison for the audience

I would love for them to create a WiFi version with Google Assistant. I'd have a whole house full of them!

can you take a 2.1. setup on a plane ?

Is this the best sound portable speaker in your opinion?

How large is that can mate?

Why don't you have your friend release the step file, that way we can all print our stands. FYI My stands look just like his only 2 years old. I came up with all your same conclusions. I do wish the Sub had had one more step in the output button. it is ether a little quite or a little loud. Needs more control over it.

I would say that only Vifa portable speakers sound better... And if Minirig 3 sounds close to those Genelecs, Vifa Oslo should have even better mids and treable with more precision imo.

I've got mine for 2 years now and i can confir, minirig 3 is great in sound but on software part ,like stero pairing and app is terrible. In reality there is a microusb un the minirig and it works for service and for charging ,but it's hide under the rubber rubberfeet so youhar to remove the low rubber to use it and tou lose the stand possibility and the water proof

i just hope they will make a bigger subwoofer because they are lacking deep bass below 50 hz. Otherwise perfect system.

Still worth it today?

I like the stands but they are way too expensive

They had me until that horrific propietary power cable. So as soon as they update that part to the 21st century (usb-c with power delivery) they will have my money, unless a better speaker comes out by then. Sorry it'll have to be the mini JBL monitors instead for now. I'd rather have got these but they really effed up with that power lead. No way in hell. Change it guys.

I just wish it didn't use an app or they just open sourced it.

Too good but too expensive

todd parker

What’s the point in a review that contains paid promotions? Doesn’t that mean that he was paid to give a good review?

Great sound but be prepared for it to be impossible to connect for long periods. It's incredibly frustrating. I'm not happy with my purchase given how unreliable the connection is and how poorly the app operates. Their customer service has been abysmal in my experience. Premium sound but unreliable so not worth the price. I regret purchasing this.

Not good looking at all and from what you report, it is a patchwork of components trying that they are trying to sell you to get the cost up. Much for the money there are much better choices out there.

There great in mono as one MINIRIG with sub but not not waste your money with hopes of stereo the app is brutal their manual needs clarity I will say they do respond but thus far after multiple emails still same bull💩 most frustrating thing ever You want stereo these are not the answer go look elsewhere!!!!

So the entire review is for selling me a stand? Sneaky...

Dude i wish i never bought these things, they are trash lol. Nothing but connection issues. for me sure they. sound great and battery life is. great. other then that complete trash mind you for 500 usd, there are 50 usd jbl speakers with less issues than these. and their customer support is next to useless, nothing but canned responses from them

Less talking, more sound testing. Please!!!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

180$ must be a joke, this is just a random aluminum can, 50$ at most