The Minirig has been my favorite Bluetooth speaker ever since I first reviewed one nearly 20 years ago. These perfectly-formed cylinders of sonic wonder sound great, have incredible battery life, and have a rugged build that makes them ideal for travel. With this new gold-plated edition, though, well, this one might be for at-home use only.
Currently residing on our best Bluetooth speaker guide as my top recommendation for travel, the Minirig 4 is a surprisingly compact mono speaker with power and longevity that leaves most rivals in the dust. Normally finished in a tough brushed, anodized aluminum finish, this celebratory Finite MR-79 gold-plated version instead has a highly-polished gold finish that looks incredible, but Minirig claims it still provides “exceptional hardness and longevity.”
What makes the Minirig design so special is that instead of fitting several smaller speaker drivers into the sides of a speaker, such as with the JBL Flip 7 or Anker Soundcore Motion 300, it uses one large speaker driver set into the end of the cylinder. This allows it to use a much larger 2.75″/70mm driver that can deliver a lot more bass and overall power than several smaller drivers.
The volume provided by this 101.6mm diameter, 73mm tall unit means it can also pack in a decent-sized battery able to make this speaker last up to 100 hours, and I can attest to them living up to those claims. ‘Typical’ use at 50% volume drops this to 30 hours, but it’s far louder than I’d use it regularly at that level, and this is still at least double the longevity of most rivals.
In terms of features, the Minirig 4 – and by extension the Finite Series MR-79 version – is a quite simple device. It offers a Bluetooth connection and has two 3.5mm analog input jacks that let you hook this speaker up directly to non-Bluetooth sound sources. It also has three lights for indicating status and battery life, and it has three buttons that combine to provide control for play, pause, volume, Bluetooth connection, and power.
Why I like it so much for travel is that it’s great at filling a space with sound – ideal for background music while chilling out – and its size and shape make it so easy to fit into all sorts of travel bags/suitcases. It’s worth noting, though, that it’s not technically a waterproof speaker (though mine has survived a night out in the rain), and if you want a speaker for upgrading your laptop sound for gaming and movies, for instance, a stereo Bluetooth speaker will serve you better.
This special gold edition, then, adds gold plating to the aluminum sides and speaker grille in an upgrade I’d have not been surprised to find looks a bit lame. However, based on Minirig’s pictures, it genuinely looks amazing. Also included with the speaker is what Minirig describes as a “velvet” carry bag for the speaker for “durable and dependable protection with a soft, considered touch.” You also get a USB-C cable for charging and a 3.5mm jack cable.
Normally priced at £169.95, this gold version is only £30 more at £199.95. As those prices hint at, though, this unit is from a British company, made in Britain, and not sold directly by US retailers. However, you can order it from the company’s site and have it shipped to the US, with the total price including shipping, but before import duty, coming in at £220.96, which converts to $294 at the time of writing. Well, it is gold-plated after all.