MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD is the high-fidelity variant of the Speech 2.8 series, designed to produce broadcast-quality audio with rich timbre and expressive nuance. Instead of optimizing for speed, it emphasizes clarity, consistency, and depth across longer audio segments.
The model is based on an autoregressive Transformer architecture combined with a Flow-VAE decoder, enabling more detailed waveform generation and smoother transitions between phonemes and phrases. It has also performed strongly in blind listening evaluations, where users consistently rated its output as more natural compared to competing systems.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Model Type | Autoregressive Transformer + Flow-VAE |
| Primary Focus | Audio quality and realism |
| Voices | 17+ preset voices |
| Languages | 30+ supported |
| Max Input Length | ~10,000 characters |
| Output Formats | WAV, MP3, FLAC, PCM |
| Emotion Modes | Multiple (e.g. calm, happy, dramatic) |
The defining strength of the HD model is its ability to reproduce subtle vocal characteristics, including breath, emphasis, and tonal variation. Speech feels less compressed and more spatially consistent, which is particularly noticeable in long-form narration.
Emotion is deeply integrated into the synthesis process. Instead of simply adjusting tone superficially, the model modifies prosody, pacing, and emphasis to reflect emotional intent such as calm, happy, or dramatic delivery.
The system supports voice cloning using short reference samples, allowing it to recreate a consistent voice identity across different scripts. Even with minimal input, it maintains recognizable vocal traits, improving continuity in serialized content.
MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD supports 30+ languages, maintaining pronunciation accuracy and tonal consistency across linguistic variations.
The model provides predictable control over delivery characteristics. Speed, pitch, and volume can be adjusted within wide ranges while preserving natural articulation.
Custom pause markers allow precise control over pacing. This is particularly useful in narration, where rhythm and timing directly affect listener engagement.
Audio can be generated in formats such as WAV, MP3, FLAC, or PCM, with configurable bitrate and sampling rates.
MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD supports embedded vocal cues such as laughter, sighs, or breathing sounds. These are not layered effects but are generated as part of the speech itself, making them feel cohesive rather than artificial.
Unlike many TTS systems that degrade over longer passages, this model maintains stable tone and pacing across extended text, which is critical for audiobooks and podcasts.
| Capability | Description | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional modeling | Adjusts prosody and pacing dynamically | More believable narration |
| Voice cloning | Works with short audio samples | Consistent brand or character voice |
| Interjections | Supports natural vocal cues | Adds realism to dialogue |
| Audio tuning | Control over pitch, speed, volume | Fine UX and storytelling control |
MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD is particularly effective for audiobook production, where maintaining consistent tone over long durations is essential. The model avoids fatigue-like degradation and keeps delivery stable from start to finish.
For marketing videos, corporate content, or branded media, the model produces audio that aligns closely with studio-recorded quality, reducing the need for post-processing.
The clarity and depth of the generated voice make it suitable for podcast workflows, especially when consistency and scheduling flexibility are required.
High intelligibility and natural pacing improve the listening experience for accessibility applications, particularly for extended sessions.
| Feature | Speech 2.8 HD | Speech 2.8 Turbo |
|---|---|---|
| Priority | Maximum realism | Low latency |
| Audio Detail | High (studio-grade) | Moderate to high |
| Latency | Higher | Very low |
| Best For | Narration, production audio | Real-time interaction |
| Consistency (long-form) | Strong | Moderate |
Measured on the AI/ML API gateway across live traffic. Figures are medians unless stated. Last updated 2026-10-12.
Voiceover narration for documentaries, explainer videos, and advertisements is documented as a use case for Speech 2.8 HD.
Audiobook and long-form narration production are documented as use cases, with the model described as suited to professionally narrated audiobooks and long passages.
Broadcast delivery and final production audio assets are documented as use cases for the model.
Accessibility and instructional content are documented use cases, including e-learning, educational narration, and audio for visually impaired users.
import requests r = requests.post( "https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/tts", headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + AIMLAPI_KEY}, json={ "model": "minimax/speech-2.8-hd", "text": "Hello from AI/ML API" }, ) print(r.json()["audio"]) # URL to the generated audio
const r = await fetch("https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/tts", { method: "POST", headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.AIMLAPI_KEY}`, "Content-Type": "application/json", }, body: JSON.stringify({ "model": "minimax/speech-2.8-hd", "text": "Hello from AI/ML API" }), }); const { audio } = await r.json(); console.log(audio); // URL to the generated audio
curl -X POST https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/tts \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $AIMLAPI_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"model":"minimax/speech-2.8-hd","text":"Hello from AI/ML API"}' # the JSON response contains "audio" — a URL to the generated speech
OpenAI-compatible — swap the base URL and it works with your existing SDK.
| Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Input | |
| Output | |
| Benchmark | Score | What it measures | Source | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTS Arena | 1171 | Human preference Elo from blind pairwise listening comparisons of speech samples, measured independently by Artificial Analysis | Source | September 28, 2026 |
| Model | Input | Output | Context | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Speech 2.8 HD This page | Speech synthesis |
Speech 2.8 HD takes text as input and returns audio.
Speech 2.8 HD became available on April 13, 2026.
Speech 2.8 HD is priced at $130 / 1M.
Speech 2.8 HD is billed per generation — a fixed charge per output rather than by prompt length.
Speech 2.8 HD was built by MiniMax.
Send a request to https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/tts with minimax/speech-2.8-hd as the model id.
Yes. Speech 2.8 HD is served through AI/ML API, so the same key and endpoint format used for other models applies.
It offers a turbo mode optimized for low latency and an hd mode optimized for audio fidelity.
