AIWA RS-55 Review: Retro Style Meets Modern Sensitivity In an era dominated by digital streaming and smart speakers, there is a unique satisfaction in the tactile click of an analog dial. For my latest test, I went back to basics with the AIWA RS-55 AM/FM receiver . AIWA is a legendary Japanese brand, and with the RS-55, they’ve managed to capture a vintage aesthetic without sacrificing the build quality we expect today.
Xiaomi Mi TV 3S 4K Smart TVs specifications – 55’’ and 65’’
Up until recently, the Chinese market for 4K TVs was dominated by second-rate manufacturers and low-budget models. That is, until the smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi announced their range of 4k Smart TVs with amazing quality, boosted specs and very reasonable price.
Here we’ll talk about the new Xiaomi Mi TV 3S which is offered in 55’’ and 65’’ screen options. It should be noted that it’s not in the same league as the flagship TVs such as Sony, Samsung or LG but it is taking its spot on the market nevertheless. It was announced by the manufacturer in the spring of 2016 for the Chinese market and it offers Android TV smart OS with a massive 65’’ curved screen option. So far the TVs are available for the Chinese market only and Xiaomi has not announced if they plan to make them available in stores worldwide. This makes an actual test of the TV nearly impossible, which is a shame as the model is definitely impressive and something worth taking a look into.
The TV features an anodized aluminum alloy frame which bears an embossed double 45-degree diamond cut. The back panel is brushed aluminum. The outlook of the TV is downright breathtaking, even in the back, where it’s rarely viewed.
The display is made by Samsung Electronics and its most impressive characteristic is its unbelievable thinness. The thickest part of the screen is said to be 37.6 mm and it measures 5.9 mm at its thinnest, which is thinner than most smartphones on the market. What is even more impressive is that the screen is LCD but compares to the thickness of the OLED screens of LG, which is not something you see often, if at all.
The ridiculous thinness of the 3S is managed by putting almost all of the internal components in a separate TV bar which is placed below or in front of the TV itself. This technology is called Mi TV Bar – a signature of Xiaomi. The bar contains an Mstar processor engine, 2 GB RAM, 8 GB storage and connectivity features – Bluetooth, Wi-Fi. The MiTV delivers Dolby and DTS audio dual decoding 4K UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 60 Hz.
The television supports HDR, and the OpenGL 3.1 standard. Also on board are four speakers for the standard independent sound system including a sound bar, while the company is also touting Dolby and DTS hardware-level decoding.
The new Mi TV 3S features a new Patch Wall puzzle interface, what the company calls "the first TV system with AI in the world". Details on this front are scarce. It includes the company's Mi Brain technology, a machine learning based recommendation engine.
The price of the TV is not yet clear enough, with sources varying around $900 for the 55’’ model and around $1400 for the 65’’ one. It’s a real shame that the TV is not available worldwide as the price – quality ratio is highly competitive and even someone on a budget can go for this option without losing much of the quality or performance.
Comments