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09 June 2011
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Portability is a big deal when it comes to speakers, especially for iPhone users. We don't fancy revisiting the days of briefcase-sized ghetto blasters, but we want the volume and sound quality. Now that's a tough thing to ask for, but X-mini may just have what you're after.
When I was contacted and asked to review the latest product from X-mini, I jumped at the chance. I've had experience with them in the past and been blown away by what they can do with so little. We live in an age where a lot of us realize that size doesn't matter, but in some respects it still does. For a long time we've needed to buy big speakers to get big sound, but that simply isn't the case anymore.
Enter X-mini MAX v1.1. It's the latest and greatest to hit NZ from X-mini, and I'm being honest when I say greatest. Weighing in at only 104.8 grams (lighter than a decent sized orange) and measuring only 5 cm tall, these micro-sized megaboxes will blow your mind, and quite possibly your eardrums.
I'll start with looks: The units I received are red, but they're also available in black. When the two lock together (see below) they resemble a techno-egg of some kind, and when they're apart, they could be mistakn for landing craft of mini aliens. The external part of the speaker is matte, with a glossy insert. There's a power switch on one side, a micro usb port on the other, and a blue light on the front. On the back is the "Buddy Jack" port, which is essentially a 3.5 mm connector, the same as what you've got on your iPhone.
They clip together magnetically on the bottom, for portability.
That hole can be used to connect another set of X-mini speakers as well, so you can amp up the noise if you feel the need. Not that you'll feel the need though, since these are more than loud enough on their own. The specs say these can blast up to 89 decibels, and my ears agree. For those of you who don't know decibels, I'll just say it'll easily fill an average sized hall with music.
Another feature these come with is the BXS, or Bass Xpansion System. That can be activated by swivelling the top of the speaker, which then pops up, giving a decent bass upgrade. Decent, not amazing. Unfortunately, these don't have the best bass of speakers around, but we can probably attribute that to the 36mm drivers. We can also attribute the incredibly small size to those drivers as well, so it's a bit of a trade off there.
But while bass isn't brain rattling, it copes well in the other areas. For their size, they perform well in the highs and midrange, and there is a decent, if slightly muffled, performance with the lows. Not as good as larger speakers, but that's to be expected when they're this small.
Cable management could be a bit of an issue, as the setup is a bit messy. You have one cable which is used for everything: two micro USB's connect to the speakers, a 3.5mm plugs into your iThing, a volume wheel, and a full sized USB connects to the computer for charging. Keeping all the things on one cable is a good idea in theory, but it could get messy if you aren't careful. Maybe consider Bluetooth with the v2's, X-mini?
Battery life is brilliant, with it easily performing to the quoted 12 hours given. I ran mine straight for 14 before the music started fuzzing. Charging only takes a few hours via USB, and USB is the only option you've got; no wall charger here. Even if you only get the 12 hours they say, thats more than enough for a road trip or a decent party. Oh, they come with a carry bag too, which fits the speakers and cable nicely, so that should help with keeping everything together.
So let me break everything down; These combine style, size, and ridiculous levels of volume. They're simply the best speakers for their size, and there's no question about it. I've listened to other speakers that are a similar size, but they seem to rattle against themselves when they reach a volume close to the level of these. There's no rattling or distortion with these, just pure volume the whole way up. If you've been looking for something portable, funky, and loud, stop right here; you've found them.
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