Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini: a minute review
Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini is a compact 4.1 channel soundbar system that outperforms other compact bars with a combination of virtual Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing and powerful, extended bass delivered by its wireless subwoofer.
Coming from a company with a long history of designing and manufacturing speakers, it's no surprise that the Def Tech Studio 3D Mini just sounds great - as soon as you plug it into your TV, you'll notice the substantial improvement in audio quality. offers , adding clarity to dialogue and drama and a sense of real involvement in action movies. And movies and TV sound aren't the only things Studio 3D Mini does well. Music played on the system benefits from a pleasingly warm tonal balance, and stereo separation is better than expected for a compact soundbar.
- Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini (black) at Amazon for $899 (opens in a new tab)
Feature-wise, Def Tech's eARC HDMI port is complemented by an HDMI input for connecting a Blu-ray player or game console. And while 4K pass-through and Dolby Vision HDR are supported, gaming-related features like 4K/120Hz, VRR, and ALLM are not. Built-in Wi-Fi extends streaming capabilities to services like Spotify, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Tidal, and the HEOS platform used by Def Tech is also hi-res capable.
HEOS also lets you link the soundbar to other HEOS-enabled speakers and wireless audio components (currently limited to Denon and Marantz models) in a multi-room audio setup so you can route music to all your connected devices via the HEOS Control app. And while the app gets the job done, it's not as sophisticated or user-friendly as those used by competing wireless platforms like Sonos.
Beyond the features and specs, Def Tech's sound bar is uniquely designed and should blend in perfectly with any home A/V setup. It doesn't have the large alphanumeric LED display that other soundbars use to monitor feedback, which is a bummer at this price point. However, it does come with a much better-than-average full-scale remote, which is a welcome feature for a soundbar.
Value is where Def Tech falls a bit short. For its asking price, you could buy the excellent Sonos Arc, which has a clear advantage when it comes to displaying immersive audio (not to mention the Sonos S2 control app and other features like Trueplay room correction). But overall, there's a lot to like here, even if Def Tech faces stiff competition.
Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini: price and release date
- Released December 2020
- $899 / £800 / A$1380
Def Tech's Studio 3D Mini launched in December 2020 for $899 / £749 / AU$999. It currently sells for that price, though it regularly gets discounts of $100 or more.
The Studio 3D Mini sits at the higher end of the soundbar spectrum and costs about the same as the Sonos Arc. Def Tech's soundbar lacks the Arc speakers to deliver Dolby Atmos and DTS:X height effects, instead relying on virtual processing to create surround sound.
A more direct competitor would be the Sonos Beam, an equally compact model with virtual Dolby Atmos processing priced around €450. But the Studio 3D Mini comes with a wireless subwoofer for extended bass, a feature the Beam lacks.
Review of Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini: features
- 4.1 channels with virtual Dolby Atmos and DTS:X sound
- HDMI eARC with 4K pass-through and Dolby Vision
- Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth wireless streaming
Studio 3D Mini is a 4.1-channel soundbar system that supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive soundtrack formats. The sound bar uses two 1 x 3-inch ovoid drivers combined with 1-inch aluminum dome tweeters for the front channels and features an additional 1 x 3-inch ovoid driver on each of its angled sides that are intended for to increase the width of the soundstage. and helps surround sound surround. The system includes a wireless subwoofer with an 8-inch woofer. Amplifier power for bar and subwoofer is not specified.
The soundbar has an eARC HDMI port for a TV connection, as well as an HDMI input that provides 4K pass-through and Dolby Vision HDR, although HDR10+, 120Hz, VRR and ALLM are not supported. There is also an optical digital port and an AUX input for making an analog audio connection.
Wireless connection options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirPlay 2. Studio Mini 3D also supports the HEOS streaming protocol, which is controlled via the HEOS iOS/Android app. This allows users to stream audio directly to the bar over Wi-Fi from services such as Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, Deezer, Pandora and TuneIn Internet Radio, as well as music files located on a PC or network storage.
HEOS multi-room streaming capability also allows users to link Studio 3D Mini to other wireless audio components and speakers from HEOS-enabled brands, such as Denon and Marantz. Support for Google, Alexa, and Siri voice assistants is built in, giving you hands-free operation on basic controls like volume and track skip.
In addition to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, Studio 3D Mini's processing modes include Dolby Surround and DTS Virtual:X for mixing stereo soundtracks. There's also a music mode (stereo, raw), 3-stage dialog enhancement, and a night mode that compresses dynamic range to reduce overall volume.
Definitive Technology does not offer an option to upgrade the Studio 3D Mini with wireless surround sound speakers.
Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini review: Sound quality
- Very good dialogue clarity.
- Decent level of height and width thanks to virtual processing
- Well integrated bass
I have long been familiar with Definitive Technology's regular speakers, which have always sounded great over the many decades the company has made them. Given this history, I had high expectations for the sound of the Studio 3D Mini soundbar and it did not disappoint.
With the subwoofer positioned close to the sound bar, the transition from low end to high end sound was impressively smooth. To optimize the subwoofer level, I watched a cooking show (a reliable source of uninterrupted on-screen conversation) and adjusted the bass until a male chef's voice sounded clean, and not too greasy or punchy.
Once the bass was dialed in, I was happy with the way the TV and film dialogue seemed to come from Def Tech: clear and well-defined, without the jitters or cabinet resonance sometimes heard with soundbars. minors.
Jumping right into the movie's torture tests, I loaded Godzilla (2014) onto my Ultra HD Blu-ray player and let a scene break in where MUTO, a radiation-eating creature, wakes up and begins to destroy a nuclear power plant. The metallic sound of metal structures being dismantled, as well as the hissing sounds of faulty equipment, were vividly rendered by the Studio 3D Mini. And while there wasn't much of a surround sound effect, the sound coming from the side speakers gave a more expansive presentation than expected.
And a bigger than expected one too. With no speakers in the Studio 3D Mini to bounce sound off my ceiling, the helicopters following the MUTO in a later scene in Hawaii didn't exactly seem to be circling overhead, but the sound seemed to be coming from the TV. the screen as opposed to the "bottom bar". And when Godzilla showed up to dispatch the evil creature, his accompanying step made an impressive impact.
How good was the bass? Although it lacked the extension and full-throttle low-end output capability I'm used to hearing from my regular subwoofer, it was loud enough to make the sound of mob-wrecked buildings sound authentic, then believable. Watching another sci-fi movie, District 9, the deep, raspy sound of the alien voices was cleanly rendered, and the heavy artillery fire had an appropriately explosive quality.
Music sounded great on the Def Tech too. I usually go into this part of a soundbar test with low expectations, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Studio 3D Mini. Streaming Anouar Brahem's "Bahia" on Tidal, the acoustic instruments played by the lute master and his jazz quartet had natural tone and a good sense of humor. The standup bass sounded well integrated even when playing deep notes, and I didn't hear a hint of boom.
Playing another Tidal track, Four Tet's "LA Trance," the presentation was clean and generally unrestrained at high levels. Again, the bass was well integrated into the overall sound, and there was a wider-than-average stereo image for a compact soundbar.
Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini review: Design
- single form factor
- Speakers on the sloped sides expand the soundstage
- Stylish external subwoofer
With its steeply angled sides, the Studio 3D Mini is both eye-catching and a welcome variation on the basic design of most bars. Measuring about 26 inches wide by 2 inches tall and 4,5 inches deep, it's very compact and about the same size as the Sonos Beam.
The dark gray plastic case features a black cloth grille on the front and sides, and there's an aluminum strip on top with control buttons in case you lose the remote. A set of LEDs light up in various patterns to provide feedback to remote control commands, though you'll have to spend time memorizing the sequences (these are detailed in the system's online manual).
El subwoofer Def Tech mide 12,5 x 14 x 12,5...