Mohu Leaf Amplified Antenna

The latest updated version of the Mohu Leaf Amplified antenna proves it still has its mojo. In our latest tests, it delivered the most over-the-air channels, crisply and clearly, easily justifying its $60 list price.

The thin, flat square Mohu Leaf Amplified antenna is intended for indoor placement with a rated range of 60 miles. Its small, in-line amp gives channels an extra boost, and as with most TV antennas today, it is NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) compatible so that you can receive the newest broadcast stations as they continue to roll out across the U.S.

So why is it one of the best TV antennas? Read on to find out.

Mohu Leaf Amplified Antenna: Design

The new flat grey Mohu Leaf Amplified antenna is smaller than the earlier Leaf by about 10 inches, which makes it easier to hide behind a curtain or bookcase; Mohu includes two push pins and two Velcro stickers for the purpose. 

The new Leaf does unfortunately come with a permanently fixed cable attached, so you can't swap out another coaxial cable should it become damaged. However, Mohu's cable is 12-feet long (compared to the typical 6-foot cables), which should give you enough placement options. 

Also included is a small, chicklet-sized in-line amplifier. There's a USB connector for power, which you can attach to a TV's powered USB port or to a power adapter that you supply.

Mohu Leaf Amplified Antenna: Setup

Setup is typically straightforward: A coaxial cable connects to your TV, and there's a USB power cable for the built-in amplifier. However, as mentioned, Mohu does not include an AC power plug. The Mohu Jolt amp also has an on/off switch, so that if you are in a cramped urban setting with multiple overlapping channels, you can try scanning without the amplifier in order to pick up particular stations.

Before you settle on a permanent spot for the Mohu Leaf and stick the push pins into your pristine wall, we recommend checking what local over-the-air stations are available in your area by visiting a site such as Antennaweb.org. By searching your zip code you can get a list stations and a map of the location of local broadcast towers.  

Mohu Leaf Amplified Antenna: Performance

As with the other antennas in our latest bout of testing, we used the recently introduced Hisense U8, which has a built-in NextGen TV tuner to receive the latest over-the-air stations with improved audio and picture quality. 

Our initial scans indicated that the Mohu Leaf found a total of 85 channels, but as with nearly every other antenna we've tested, not all of those stations were actually watchable. 

Popular networks such as the CBS affiliate and its subchannels came in clearly, something that smaller passive antennas missed. We were able to also tune in the local Fox station and important Spanish language stations, Univision and Telemundo. This was fine for the local news and reruns of The Waltons, but the local ABC channel was unwatchable and some PBS stations were missing from the lineup. In the end, the Mohu Leaf was actually able to capture 69 stations — more than any other model in our testing of indoor models and in many cases producing stronger, more solid reception.

There are other antennas that have done better in our tests, such as the Winegard Elite 7550 Outdoor HDTV Antenna, which received 73 stations, but it's designed primarily for outdoor installations and is nearly twice as expensive as the Mohu Leaf. 

Mohu Leaf Amplified Antenna: Verdict

The Mohu Leaf isn't the most compact antenna and it's not suitable for tabletops — it should be mounted on a wall or window. However, its performance is superlative. It's ideal for urban and suburban homes. And best of all, it commands only a slight price premium over bargain models. We highly recommended it.

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