Xiaomi Sound: Smart speaker with Harman Kardon cooperation unveiled

A new smart speaker from Xiaomi has launched, this time in mini format. The Xiaomi Sound was created in cooperation with Harman Kardon, the audio experts from Samsung. Can the small round speaker take on Apple HomePod or Google Nest Mini?

New design for the Xiaomi Sound

If the previous smart speakers were based on the Sonos devices, they have opted for a slightly different shape here. The Xiaomi Sound is a small cylinder with a size of 134 x 134 x 128 mm, which is available in glossy silver or black. The speaker weighs around 940 g. On the top is a blue glowing ring and touch buttons for start/pause and volume adjustment.

No smart speaker is complete without a voice assistant, and the current Chinese version naturally uses XiaoAI. Unfortunately, it still only understands Chinese and is therefore rather suboptimal for global use. If the speaker is ever released for Europe and the US, it will certainly be replaced by Google Assistant.

Cooperation with Harman Kardon

As for the sound, the company has teamed up with Harman Kardon, as it has already done for some smartphones. It is a 360° speaker that is advertised with full sounds and deep bass.

However, as is often the case, only a practical test can show the quality. Additionally, the speaker is also certified as Hi-Res Audio.

Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-FI & UWB

Bluetooth 5.2 or Wi-Fi are used as the connection options. UWB is supported for the first time in the newly announced Xiaomi Mix 4 and is used right away. Just like Apple’s HomePod, you only need to hold the smartphone to interact with the speaker.

You can transfer music to the speakers, control them or stop them. Also, the small speakers can be paired together to form a stereo pair.

Released for $77 in China

In China, the headphones start for 499 yuan (~$77) a release in the US is not yet known, but we have received the Xiaomi Mi Smart Speaker. Actually, he looks quite chic and hopefully sounds good. Let’s see if he will make it to us.

What do you think of the Xiaomi Sound?