Mivi has been doing quite well in the audio space lately. Slowly and steadily, the brand is focusing on carving out its niche in the market. It’s mostly known for affordable TWS, which have gained decent traction. I’ve also used a few of their products that they have shared for review, and I can say that they were pretty good. About a month ago, Mivi sent me their new soundbar, the Fort Q500. I’ve been using it for around a month now, and in this review, I’ll share my experience with it.
Design and Build: The Mivi Fort Q500 has a fairly basic design that you would see in the majority of the soundbars in this range. It comes with an all-metal construction and a decent, full grill design. The soundbar itself is a long, cuboidal bar that houses the drivers. When you look at it, you’ll notice four speakers on the top. But these are purely decorative and design elements. The actual speakers, 2.25-inch drivers, are positioned at the front.
That said, the soundbar system consists of a 200-watt soundbar, two 40-watt surround channels with 2.25-inch drivers and a 220-watt subwoofer with an 8-inch driver. The subwoofer is large due to the fact that this is a 500W soundbar. It has multiple connectivity ports such as HDMI, USB, Optical, Coaxial and Bluetooth. There’s a multifunctional knob at the top of the subwoofer which can be used to control volume and source input. You need to connect the soundbar and the surround channels to the subwoofer with wires. As, in this setup, the subwoofer is active while the soundbar is passive.
Performance and Sound: With a total output of 500W, this 5.1 channel soundbar produces thumping and powerful sound. Whether you’re watching movies, streaming web series, or listening to standalone music, the setup delivers a highly immersive sound stage. Thanks to the two front drivers that match the surround channels’ audio, you’ll feel as if sound is coming from all directions. The soundbar is bass heavy. If you love the deep, thumping bass that makes your heart race, this is for you.
Sound effects are highly impressive, and the surround sound makes you feel as if you’re part of the scene. However, you don’t get Dolby support, which limits audio separation, but the overall experience remains immersive, considering it’s a budget soundbar.
While playing “Drake – In My Feelings,” the bass was intense, making the song feel even more electrifying. Listening to “The Weeknd – Blinding Lights” was also immersive; the deep bass drops hit hard and fast. Watching the movie “Mad Max: Fury Road” was great with roaring engines and explosive scenes having a powerful low-end punch. The subwoofer delivered those deep rumbles and vibrations perfectly. While the bass performance is impressive, it can sometimes overshadow other elements of the audio. You’ll need to tweak the EQ setting to get the perfect balance.
The soundbar’s centre channel provides clear dialogue, and the overall sound quality is sharp with good instrument separation. There are also some equaliser modes available, such as Movie mode, Sports mode, Music mode, and News mode. For instance, if you are listening to news and want to focus more on the dialogues, enabling the News mode makes the dialogues much clearer.
Verdict: In summary, the Mivi Fort Q500 5.1 channel soundbar offers great sound quality at a reasonable price of Rs. 12,000. It lacks Dolby Audio support, but it compensates with its powerful performance, delivering deep, thumping bass and clear, sharp sound. For anyone looking to enhance their home entertainment system without breaking the bank, the Mivi Fort Q500 is a fantastic option.