Minirig 4 Review
We’ve had a Minirig V1 and subwoofer for a long time. We’ve used it in our studio, on the road, at house parties and even at the beach. And we could summarise our review of that with “Volume without sacrificing quality. ” People are universally surprised by how loud it is, even the speaker on its own. Plug that subwoofer in and you’ll bass face will come out.
However we did had a few complaints about the Minirig V1. It’s just too minimal. There is only a single button but three unmarked inputs. Result – Confusion around which input to use in what circumstance, and also whether the Minirig was off, on, charging, charged, in full volume mode etc etc.
But time marches on, and we wanted to find out if the latest Minirig, the V4 can still supply the power without sacrificing quality. So we got in a Minirig 4 and subwoofer for a review of this latest version. We tested it the DJWORX lab, our home studio and also at a house party. Does the king of portable power still deserve the crown?
Minirig 4 Speaker and Subwoofer Review: Volume and quality?
Minirig 4 Pricing
- Portable Bluetooth speaker £149.95 – Available in multiple colour ways from Minirig
- Minirig Subwoofer 3 – £139.9 Available in multiple colour ways from Minirig
In the ever-evolving landscape of DJ equipment, portability and sound quality often find themselves at odds. Enter the Minirig 4 speaker and its trusty sidekick, the Minirig Subwoofer—a duo that promises to bridge this gap. But does this compact team deliver the goods for mobile DJs and home studio aficionados? Let’s dive in.
Design – Small but mighty
At first glance, the Minirig 4 doesn’t scream for attention. Its minimalist cylindrical design, measuring 101.6mm in diameter and 73mm in height, is more about function than flair. And we appreciate that. It’s also quite light at 563 grams, which makes it easy to transport. Built with anodised aluminium it feels very rugged to use. We love the design of these.
Connectivity Option
- Bluetooth 5.0 with a range of over 10-30 meters in optimal conditions. We had no problem at 15M in the real world.
- DJs are going to want to use the dual 3.5mm mini-jack sockets. You don’t want any latency in your mixing, so we tested primarily using the (included) cables.
- The speaker also offers hands-free calling, linkup mode, and wireless stereo pairing
Minirig 4 Battery Life
Depending on usage, the Minirig can last up to 100 hours at low volume, 30 hours during average use, and 5 hours at maximum volume. It’s unlikely you will want to use these for 5 hours at max volume, so expect more than enough battery life for even the longest gigs.
USB-C connectivity means rapid charging, and we were impressed to be able to power from 0 to 100% full charge in 1 hour 40 mins. (We were using a 30W charger). The colour cycles through depending on battery level which is handy to indicate what stage your charge is at. Additionally, the Minirig 4 can function as a power bank, allowing you to charge your devices on the go, handy if you are at a festival for example.
Sound Quality: punching above its size
Normally portable speakers fall into one of two camps. 1) Loud or 2) Good quality. We are delighted to report that the Minirig bosses it in both. With a 70mm driver the Minirig 4 delivers a frequency response of 60Hz – 18kHz. Did we mention it was loud? What is even better is that we can hear a small but noticeable improvement in the dynamics of the V4 over the V1.
Integration with Subwoofer
Things get really interesting when you pair the Minirig 4 with the Minirig Subwoofer. Yes it doubles the price but the bassline will rattle you teeth. The subwoofer again has minimalist buttons, and can be daisy chained. being cylindrical it needs the 4 rubber feet to stop it rolling away. Don’t position the sub vertically, it needs the air flow via both ends.
Minirig app
Minirig have built an iOS, Android, and Chrome (PC/Mac) app which gives additional control over equaliser settings, gain adjustments, and power-saving modes. We did have some drop out with this, and once we had used it once to fiddle with the settings didn’t go back to it. Useful but not essential.
Can you mix Minirig versions together?
This is a comprehensive yes. Here you can see our daisy chained Minirig V1 and V4 speakers, and 2x Minirig subwoofers. Like being at Fabric (almost). Very loud indeed.
Is it worth upgrading to the Minirig 4?
If you hae another portbale speaker and want more volume, then the Minirig 4 is what you are looking for. If like us and you have an older Minirig then we’d recommend adding the V4 to it instead of replacing. If you have a previous version, the V3, then there is still a good reason to upgrade. The amp has increased from 40Wrms to 50Wrms, resulting in higher maximum volume. Have we mentioned how loud it is? The V4 now uses USB-C which is faster charging, and a significant upgrade from the previous micro-USB port.
Minirig 4 Review Summary
In conclusion, the Minirig 4 speaker on its own is a hugely impressive speaker. DJs will want to use it is wired mode, and by adding the subwoofer will be able to absolutely rock small gatherings. Trust us, when cranked up and the sub firing then there is no better portable micro format speaker. Minirig 4 have made a high quality, well priced speaker, that fits into your backpack and will overjoy mobile DJs. Because of the build quality and simplicity we can envisage the Minirig 4 lasting you for years so it offers great value for money.
If you need something a little bigger, and you are looking for a portable DJ system then read our review of the JBL IRX. Interested in learning to DJ?
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