Pulse Cinema vs Cinema Mini: what are the differences between Bluesound’s new soundbars?

Canadian brand Bluesound is renewing its range of soundbars with the Bluesound Pulse Cinema and Bluesound Pulse Cinema Mini, two models designed to bring together the best of the hi-fi and home theater worlds. With their Dolby Atmos compatibility, generous power and full integration of the BluOS multi-room platform, these soundbars aim to transform any TV into a true entertainment center. The Pulse Cinema, designed to accompany large screens, and the Cinema Mini, suitable for smaller rooms, both embody the same promise: to offer an immersive, upgradeable experience, without sacrificing Bluesound’s trademark ease of installation or sound quality.

Elegant minimalist design for all interiors

True to the brand’s DNA, the new Bluesound Pulse Cinema soundbars feature a sleek design that blends easily into a modern living room. The Pulse Cinema is the flagship model, designed to accompany TVs that are 55″ and larger. At 1.20m wide, it occupies as much space visually as a complete audio system, while remaining much more discreet. The more compact Pulse Cinema Mini is just 85cm wide, making it ideal for screens up to 50 inches, bedrooms or medium-sized living rooms.

Each model can be placed on a piece of furniture or wall-mounted using the included bracket. An orientation sensor automatically adjusts the DSPs so that the sound reproduction remains balanced, whatever the position of the soundbar. A welcome touch that underlines the “plug & play” aspect of the range.

An ambitious audio design

Beneath their sleek design, the two new Bluesound soundbars boast an impressive audio architecture. The Pulse Cinema features no fewer than 16 drivers, including five tweeters for the high frequencies, five midrange drivers to ensure vocal clarity, two 4″ woofers for bass depth and four passive radiators to enhance impact. Its most distinctive feature is its up-firing drivers, specially designed for Dolby Atmos vertical effects, for cinema-like immersion.

The Pulse Cinema Mini follows the same philosophy in a more compact format, with eight drivers: two 0.8″ tweeters, two 1.8″ midrange drivers, two 4″ woofers and two passive radiators. In both cases, each transducer benefits from specific amplification driven by advanced DSPs for frequency management and tonal balance. The result is a power output of 500W over 3.2.2 channels for the Pulse Cinema and 280W over 2.1 channels for the Mini, more than enough to provide a rich, controlled soundstage in a large living room or a smaller space.

Multi-room and wireless home theater

Another major advantage is the multi-room compatibility of these models. Thanks to BluOS, they can be integrated into a network of Bluesound speakers, synchronizing music throughout the house. Multi-room compatibility also means that these soundbars can be upgraded to become true wireless home theater systems. Simply combine two Bluesound PULSE M or PULSE FLEX 2i speakers in surround to create a 4.1 or 5.2.2-channel system, and add the Bluesound SUB+ subwoofer, which also connects wirelessly. This way, without using a single cable, you get a complete home theater setup with rear speakers and deep bass, all controlled from the BluOS app.

Full range of connectors and streaming

In terms of connectivity, the Bluesound Pulse Cinema and Pulse Cinema Mini soundbars have everything you need to integrate them easily into an audiovisual system. There’s an HDMI eARC to fully enjoy Dolby Atmos soundtracks from the TV, an optical input for digital sources, and an analog RCA input for a stereo audio player. A subwoofer output is also present, while the RJ-45 Ethernet port ensures a stable, high-performance network connection. Finally, a USB-A port enables direct playback of music stored on a USB stick or external hard drive.

When it comes to streaming, compatibility is just as rich, thanks to the BluOS platform. It provides access to over twenty online music services, including Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music, with high-resolution playback up to 24-bit/192kHz and MQA decoding. Playback of files stored on a NAS or computer via the UPnP protocol is also assured, as is direct playback from the USB port. Apple users benefit from AirPlay 2 integration, while Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect offer direct control from the respective apps. Finally, two-way Bluetooth aptX Adaptive allows music to be streamed from a smartphone as well as sending sound from the soundbar to wireless headphones, further enhancing the versatility of these models.

With the Pulse Cinema and Pulse Cinema Mini, Bluesound offers two solutions capable of satisfying cinema lovers and music enthusiasts alike. Their dual hi-fi and home theater DNA, Atmos compatibility, generous power and integration in the BluOS ecosystem make them ultra-comprehensive models to meet every need. They are now available to pre-order on Son-Vidéo.com at €899 and €1,199 respectively.