Verdict

Pros

• Rich, room-filling sound quality
• Stylish, discreet design
• Music playback via Bluetooth

Cons

• Could be more detailed
• Bass a little overpowering at high volumes
• No HDMI inputs

What is the Cambridge Audio Minx TV?

The Cambridge Audio Minx TV is a single-box sound system aimed at those who think even a soundbar takes up too much space. It’s designed to sit conveniently under your TV and drive powerful stereo sound into the room, offering a step up from the anaemic audio of TV speakers without the clutter that comes with a 5.1 system. There’s a growing number of these sub-TV speakers on the market, with a variety of names – plinth, soundbase and soundplate to name a few.

We’ve already tested the Maxell MXSP-SB3000 and Orbitsound SB60 airSOUND Base, and with big guns like LG, Denon, Bose and now Cambridge Audio joining the party it’s clear there’s a big demand for this new breed of sound system. We’ll be checking out the above models in the coming weeks, but for now let’s find out what Cambridge Audio’s version brings to the table.

Cambridge Audio Minx TV – Design & Connections

Minx TV sports a simple, minimalist design. It’s a black box measuring 560mm wide by 120mm high, with a thick top panel that curves at the corners and slopes outwards at the sides. The low-key look won’t turn heads, but that’s not the point – it’s supposed to blend in with your TV stand and therefore the discreet design is perfect.

It’s resolutely robust, as you’d expect from a unit designed to support TVs up to 47-inch (provided they fit on the 490 x 300mm top surface). The composite wood cabinet has been stress tested up to 30kg, and is acoustically damped to minimise vibration and distortion.

There’s no clutter on the front panel aside from the Cambridge Audio logo and a single LED that glows in different colours depending on the selected source. The speakers are covered by a cloth grille, another sign of its impressive build quality.

On the back you’ll find optical digital input, the easiest way of piping sound from a TV. It’s joined by stereo RCA input and a 3.5mm minijack input for MP3 players and phones. There are no HDMI inputs or USB ports though, which reflects Minx TV’s simple, user friendly approach. 

Cambridge Audio Minx TV – Features

Minx TV employs two of Cambridge Audio’s patented Balanced Mode Radiator drivers, also found in the company’s Minx Air and Aero systems. Unlike regular drivers that use pistonic in-out movement to create sound, the BMR drivers combine this with horizontal and vertical vibration. 

Cambridge Audio says this generates a wider, more room-filling sound than regular speakers, with a larger sweet spot. If they work anywhere near as well as they do inside the Aero system, we could be in for a treat.
 
These BMR drivers are reinforced by a 6.5-inch downward-firing subwoofer, all powered by a 100W amplifier that supplies 25W each to the left and right channels and 50W to the sub. Minx TV’s on-board digital signal processing offers four EQ modes to suit different types of material – TV, Film, Music and Voice.

Last but not least is Minx TV’s built-in Bluetooth connection. It supports apt-X CSR technology, which offers superior sound quality to the regular A2DP profile.