Hisense A7NQ vs Xiaomi S Mini 2025

We checked how the Hisense A7NQ performs with HDR, and there are no surprises here. The luminance chart showed a maximum brightness of 370 nits. The result? Exactly what one could expect – average. At a brightness of around 350 nits, HDR does not stand out particularly compared to SDR. A subtle difference can be seen in more brightly lit scenes, but it’s not a jaw-dropping effect. As for the coverage of the wide colour gamut, the result was 92% for DCI-P3 and 70.2% for BT.2020. These are decent values for a TV in this class that uses a PFS coating – the same one that is sometimes promoted as QLED. The colours look good, but let’s not expect anything that competes with the best screens on the market. HDR on the Hisense A7NQ is more of an addition than a "game changer." For those looking for solid picture quality on a moderate budget – absolutely acceptable. However, if we expect full HDR capabilities, it is worth looking at higher-end models.

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.

When testing the Hisense A7NQ in Filmmaker mode, we hoped for compliance with the manufacturer's assumptions, but unfortunately, the reality looks different. The main issue, as with most TVs, is the white balance. In the case of the A7NQ, we noticed a clear dominance of blue, which affected both lower-quality materials and 4K HDR content. The Color Checker test results confirm this, and the comparison images speak for themselves – the main actress appears cool and pale in "factory" mode. It looks as if she has been stripped of life.

Regarding brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve show that the image is excessively bright. As a result, everything seems flat, lacking depth and contrast. This state of affairs definitely does not work in favour of the A7NQ and makes the viewing experience in factory mode leave much to be desired. If we expect natural colour reproduction and appropriate image depth, the A7NQ in Filmmaker mode is unlikely to impress us. It is a TV that requires significant adjustment to extract its potential.

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.

The Hisense A7NQ offers several tools that allow you to improve image quality, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and "dig around" in the settings a bit. Thanks to professional tools and measurements, we managed to correct the white balance, eliminating the excessive dominance of blue colour in both HD and 4K materials. This is a significant step forward, as in the Color Checker test, colour reproduction errors in lower-quality content dropped to a much more acceptable level. Unfortunately, 4K materials are still far from ideal – colour distortions are considerable and stem from the limitations of the television.

As for gamma, we managed to significantly reduce the excessive brightness of the image set after setting it to the correct level. However, the issue with brightness characteristics in 4K content remains unresolved – the EOTF curve still shows excessive illumination of the entire screen. It is possible that a proper implementation of dynamic tone mapping could help here, but as we mentioned earlier, this feature on the Hisense A7NQ works rather poorly instead of being helpful. Nevertheless, calibration significantly improved the overall image perception. The director's vision is now much better conveyed than in the factory settings, which more demanding viewers will certainly appreciate.

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.

The Hisense A7NQ impresses with smooth tonal transitions in 4K materials, but unfortunately, there is no feature here that would improve this aspect in older materials of lower quality. In such cases, colour merging becomes more visible, which can somewhat spoil the viewing experience, especially in scenes with a lot of gradients.

When it comes to upscaling, the TV performs surprisingly well. The image is clearly improved, although it does come with some compromises. One can notice that the TV adds a bit of artificial sharpness, and elements in the background, such as branches, tend to exhibit slight "jagginess." These are details, however, that will mainly catch the eye of those who pay attention to such nuances.

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 Hisense A7NQ is equipped with a 60 Hz matrix, meaning dynamic scenes – for example, in sports or games – are somewhat average here. This is standard for this level of TV, but it must be admitted that watching more intense, fast-moving content can leave a lot to be desired. However, when it comes to movies, the TV offers a motion smoothing feature that operates on a 10-level scale. The "motion blur reduction" option allows you to adjust the fluidity of the image to your own preferences. At the lowest setting, you get a natural film frame rate, which will please cinema purists. On the other hand, the maximum setting provides a very smooth, theatrical image that may appeal to those who prefer a more "smoothed out" motion.

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.

Hisense A7NQ is a device that can pleasantly surprise gamers, although it is not without its faults. The fact that we have a 60 Hz panel immediately suggests that the TV is not designed for the most demanding gaming scenarios. The motion blur we described earlier can also be a hindrance, especially in dynamic games.

However, there are several things worth praising. The TV supports ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), which are not always standard in this price range. The biggest surprise, however, is that the A7NQ can display images at 120 Hz – although only in Full HD resolution, it is still a significant nod to gamers. This allows a choice between smoothness and resolution, which is not obvious in TVs at this price point.

A nice addition is the Game Bar, which is clear and practical – all the main features are at hand without digging through the settings. However, there is a lack of support for HGiG, which may be disappointing for gamers looking for perfect HDR in games.

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.