Marshall Heston 120 vs Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI Soundbar Comparison

Marshall Heston 120 vs Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI

Marshall Heston 120

5.1.2-channel | $1,300

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Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI

2.1-channel | $1,099

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Marshall Heston 120 vs Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI: the short answer

Across 13 features we can compare from the published specs, the Marshall Heston 120 comes out ahead on 7 and the Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI on 1. The biggest difference for movies is height: the Marshall Heston 120 has 2 ceiling-firing channels and the Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI has none.

Reasons to choose Marshall Heston 120 over Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI

Channel layout: 5.1.2 vs 2.1
Height channels: 2 vs 0
DTS:X: Yes vs No
HDMI inputs: 1 vs 0
Room correction: Yes vs No
Streaming: Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect vs Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect
Dialogue enhancement: Yes vs No

Reasons to choose Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI over Marshall Heston 120

Rear speakers: Optional vs None

Side-by-Side Comparison

	Marshall Heston 120	Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	5.1.2	2.1
Height channels Drivers aimed at the ceiling, which is what makes Dolby Atmos sound overhead rather than just wide.	2	0
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
DTS:X	Yes	No
HDMI to the TV eARC carries lossless Dolby TrueHD and Atmos from the TV; plain ARC compresses them.	eARC	eARC
HDMI inputs A spare HDMI port for a games console or disc player.	1	0
Video pass-through	4K	—
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	Optional	Optional
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	None	Optional
Room correction	Yes	No
Streaming	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	Google Assistant optional	Alexa optional
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	No
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	3.13 in	3 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	43.25 in / 50-inch	33.38 in / 40-inch
Drivers in the bar	9	6
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	320 W	280 W
Weight	15.52 lbs	11.46 lbs
List price	$1,300	$1,099

Green marks the better figure where one is better. Dashes are specs the maker does not publish.

Size: Both Soundbars in Front of a TV

Drawn to scale. The solid bar is the Marshall Heston 120, the dashed outline the Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI. Pick your TV size and how it stands to see whether either would cover the picture.

Full Specifications

Marshall Heston 120 Specifications

Sound
Channels	5.1.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	Yes
Drivers	Tweeters: 0.8" Dome (2); Midrange: 2" Cone (5); Woofers: 3" Cone (2), 2" x 5" Cone; Enclosure: Passive Radiator
Power (bar, total)	320 watts
Frequency response	40-20k Hz
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	None
Virtual surround	Movie Mode
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
Video pass-through	4K
HDMI version	2.1
Optical inputs	No
Analogue input	RCA
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Mono-RCA, Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ax
Bluetooth	Yes
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn, YouTube Music
Voice control	Google Assistant optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	No
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	43.25 x 3.13 x 5.88 in / 1099 x 80 x 149 mm
Weight	15.52 lbs / 7.04 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket sold separately)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$1,300

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

Bluesound PULSE CINEMA MINI Specifications

Sound
Channels	2.1
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Tweeters: 0.75" Dome (2); Midrange: 1.5" Cone (2); Woofers: 4" (Cone (2); Enclosure: Passive Radiator
Power (bar, total)	280 watts
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	Optional
Virtual surround	Surround Upmixer
Dialogue enhancement	No
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	No
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	0
HDMI version	2.0
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	RCA
USB	USB-A
Subwoofer output	Mono-RCA, Wireless
HDMI CEC	No
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11ac
Bluetooth	No
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn
Voice control	Alexa optional
App	Apple iOS, Android
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	33.38 x 3 x 5.5 in / 848 x 76 x 140 mm
Weight	11.46 lbs / 5.2 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket included)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$1,099

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

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