Hisense A6N vs Xiaomi S Mini 2025

Unfortunately, the quality of HDR effect on A6N is not impressive. A peak brightness of 250 nits does not allow for spectacular effects, and HDR is rather pale, resembling more of a regular SDR. This state of affairs will not satisfy more demanding users who want to enjoy high-quality film materials. Additionally, the color gamut coverage is also not very impressive – DCI-P3 at 82% is an average result that does not fully allow for enjoying vibrant colors in HDR materials.

Since the Xiaomi S MiniLED boasts an impressive number of 308 dimming zones, it was time to see how it performs in HDR tests. Starting with luminance, or the ability to display bright scenes, the television achieved nearly 1000 nits of brightness – a result that can be considered outstanding in this class. However, do these numbers translate into real experiences in movie scenes? In the case of less demanding shots, like those from the film The Meg, the television indeed showed excellent results, reaching up to 900 nits. Such values are impressive and can truly convey the strength of HDR effects.

Unfortunately, similar to the contrast situation, there were issues. When smaller, brighter elements appear on the screen – as in challenging scenes from Sicario 2 – the aggressive operation of the dimming zones spoils the whole effect. Brightness during these moments drops to just 100 nits. This is definitely too little to capture the full magic of HDR. Instead of a dynamic and detailed image, the viewer gets a muted, almost flat impression, which diminishes the enjoyment of the viewing experience.

In summary, if we are looking for a television with high brightness for watching movies during the day, the Xiaomi S MiniLED will easily fulfill that task. However, its inability to precisely manage dimming zones means that watching movies in the evening, especially in demanding HDR scenes, can be more frustrating than satisfying.

In the category of color reproduction, the Hisense A6N model in Filmmaker Mode leaves a lot to be desired. Although the name of the mode suggests that we should expect faithful reproduction of cinematic colors, the reality is different – the television has significant problems with image quality. The issue with white balance is particularly noticeable, both for HD and 4K content, which is heavily skewed by the dominance of blue. This results in artificial, cold tones, as clearly seen in the comparative photo below. The Colour Checker test additionally confirms these errors, which are exacerbated by low color gamut coverage. The gamma brightness characteristic shows a serious problem with maintaining a level of 2.4 – the graph is significantly below the reference value, leading to excessive brightness and washed-out blacks. The EOTF curve for 4K content also indicates brightness issues – at the beginning, there is a substantial peak due to the TV's excessive brightness, which negatively impacts image quality. Such image characteristics do not allow for full enjoyment of watching films and require manual adjustment.

Xiaomi, like many manufacturers, offers a wide range of picture modes. On the S MiniLED, we can find both IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker. We conducted our tests in Filmmaker mode, which theoretically is supposed to reference the original image, but the reality turned out to be somewhat different.

Let's start with the test of SDR materials. Here, the television had quite a few problems, especially with white balance. The clearly visible dominance of red made the image appear too warm, and all colors gained a reddish tint. This was particularly noticeable in a comparative scene from the Star Wars movie. The brightness characteristics (gamma) also left much to be desired – instead of a smooth transition, we had a real "rollercoaster," with a visible excessive brightening of the screen.

In 4K materials, the situation looked much better. The white balance, while still not perfect, was much more balanced, with a slight dominance of red and blue, but without excessive influence on the overall perception. The EOTF curve (responsible for brightness in HDR) showed some brightening in the brightest parts of the image, which was noticeable, for example, in the test scene from the Pan movie that we described above. These brightening effects can disrupt image precision, but in 4K, the overall effect was much more acceptable than in SDR.

Although the Xiaomi S MiniLED can positively surprise in 4K materials, its factory settings in SDR require significant adjustments, especially in terms of white balance and brightness. It is definitely a television that would benefit from calibration.

Hisense A6N offers options and tools in its settings for correcting numerous image settings that we have utilized. When it comes to white balance, we managed to eliminate the excess blue color – this effect is clearly visible in the comparison photo below, where the boy in the image almost "comes to life." A significant improvement can also be observed in the gamma brightness characteristics – the TV no longer has serious issues with overly brightening the entire image. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for 4K content, where the EOTF curve could not be fully corrected due to the exceptionally low brightness of this model. For HDR content, we use dynamic tone mapping, which allows for the recovery of many details despite the boosting of mid-tones in the image. In the case of this TV, it provides more benefits than drawbacks. The errors that are still visible in the color palette test and Colour Checker for 4K materials stem from low color gamut coverage and are difficult to eliminate due to the characteristics of the television. Nevertheless, the tonal quality of the image is significantly better, which is why we recommend calibrating the factory settings that are far from ideal.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that gains a whole new life after calibration. The results are truly remarkable and show how much potential this model has.

In SDR mode, the white balance is nearly perfectly aligned. The errors are minimal enough that in many cases they can be considered negligible. This is confirmed by the Colour Checker palette results, where the errors did not exceed 2 ΔE – a result that is indeed quite rare. Gamma also looks very good, although at the beginning of the graph, there are slight brightenings in the darkest elements. However, this is a minor exception that does not significantly affect the image perception.

In 4K HDR materials, calibration also brought visible improvements, especially in white balance. The image looks natural and consistent. However, the brightness characteristic remains a problem. EOTF analysis in film materials shows that the television tends to over-brighten or darken the smallest elements on the screen. This is a result of limitations in the dimming algorithms that we previously discussed concerning HDR and contrast testing. Unfortunately, this is a technical feature of this model that cannot be completely eliminated.

Despite this minor flaw, calibration allowed extracting the maximum capabilities from this television. The image now looks phenomenal, and its quality impresses with every type of material. Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 demonstrates that with the right settings, it can compete with more expensive models.

Let's check how the A6N handles low-quality materials. When it comes to smoothing tonal transitions, the lack of posterization reduction or smoothing of tonal transitions in low-quality materials, such as television or DVD, may be noticeable for more demanding viewers. As for digital processing, the model was presented correctly, and the branches were free of characteristic jaggedness – the image is very plastic and soft, which may appeal to people who prefer this kind of image style.

When it comes to color transitions in lower quality materials like YouTube or television, the Xiaomi S MiniLED is equipped with the "Color Contour Removal" feature. In the "low" setting, it works quite well, but its effectiveness can be uneven. Sometimes it seems like the TV struggles with smoothing, which creates a certain dissonance. On the plus side, we did not notice any visible side effects, although given the instability of this feature, one might suspect that unexpected issues could arise in some situations.

Image scaling also performs average. There is slight aliasing, especially on thin elements like branches, and subtitles can appear a bit jagged. While it may not be very bothersome, a more discerning eye will certainly catch these shortcomings. Overall, most users should be satisfied with the scaling and smoothing quality, but the TV may not satisfy those who expect perfection in every frame.

The 60 Hz panel in the Hisense A6N will likely please those who enjoy watching movies, as the TV offers an "ultra motion smoother," allowing us to adjust the motion blur – either more choppy or smoother, theatrical. As for trailing, it performs quite average – noticeable trailing can be seen, especially on dark backgrounds, which is a rather typical feature in this tier of TVs.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is equipped with a display that refreshes at 4K@120Hz (1080p@240Hz), providing sufficient smoothness for both watching dynamic sports broadcasts and playing the latest games. This level of refresh rate makes the image look smooth, even in the most intense scenes. Additionally, the TV offers a "Motion Smoothing" feature that allows users to adjust the way images are displayed in movies. We can choose a more frame-like effect, typical of cinematic experiences, or a smoother one reminiscent of the so-called "theatrical effect." This way, every user can tailor the settings to their preferences and enjoy smooth images in their favorite content.

The Hisense A6N is a television that will likely appeal to casual gamers, primarily due to its 60 Hz panel, which may not satisfy more demanding users. Nevertheless, it offers several conveniences that can enhance the gaming experience. The television supports features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and Dolby Vision, allowing for better image quality and smoother motion in games that support these technologies. Furthermore, the low input lag ensures quick responses in-game, which is crucial, especially in dynamic titles. With these features, although the television is not the ideal choice for demanding gamers, it provides solid support for those who value comfortable gaming without complicated settings. It is an ideal solution for individuals who want to enjoy gaming without high hardware requirements while still having access to modern technologies that improve the gaming experience.

Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that has a lot to offer gamers. With two HDMI ports with 48 Gbps bandwidth, we can easily connect modern consoles or PCs, utilizing their full potential. Additionally, the ALLM feature automatically switches the television to low latency mode – something we will appreciate during dynamic games without annoying lags. No matter what we connect, it works smoothly, and the television handles various resolutions well. There is also GameBar, which may not look as impressive as the "bars" from the competition, but makes up for it with practicality. It's a simple settings panel that allows us to quickly change the most important options or check statistics – an ideal solution when time is of the essence.

However, we have to admit that operating the television itself – or rather finding the gaming features – was quite a challenge for us. We approached the Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 test several times to find all the necessary options. The hidden menu allowed us to discover the "GameBoost" feature, which enables switching the television to 240 Hz mode, activating VRR at 120Hz, and turning on the image in HGIG mode.

In summary, the Xiaomi S MiniLED 2025 is a television that definitely deserves praise in the gaming hardware category. Its rich set of features – 240 Hz mode, VRR, HGIG, and "GameBoost" – provides exceptional gaming experiences. Unfortunately, the intuitiveness of the menu itself leaves much to be desired and may pose a certain challenge for the average user.