Jun 10
I first saw the X-mini Max II at the London Digital Summer evening (a very worthwhile gadget showcase event).
Having seen the speakers showcased at the entrance of the event, I finally found the official X-mini stand.
I believe my first words were ‘Oh, I’ve found you, your speakers are so cute!’ (I have a very
professional demeanour I’ll have you know).
The X-mini Max II are tiny travel speakers. Being much smaller than the smallest travel
speakers we’ve ever reviewed for TTTech, they compress even further when it’s time to pack your bags and go.
To ready them for travel, you compress & close each speaker with a simple half-twist action and then lock them together
with some magnetic mechanism. Once together and ready for transport, they fit comfortably in one of my hands (I have
‘small’ hands as I discovered at another Digital Summer exhibit – more on that in a future review) and
are about the weight of my Blackberry. In short they are like holding a rather large egg.
Uncompressed and set up to play, each speaker fits easily in the palm of my hand.
Being so small, how do they work? Inside the Max II is a vacuum which can be compressed down for travelling and extended
for music. The air inside the vacuum resonates, acting as a mini-subwoofer, giving your music an enhanced bass sound.
Does the Max II actually work? Well, yes and no. I hooked it up to my laptop and it worked fine, if a bit tinny.
My current speakers, while being much bigger, give a much better bass output. However I then attached them to
Alex’s HTC and Wow! I was impressed. They are obviously very good phone, iPhone / MP3 speakers. Great for the beach,
festivals, sitting in parks with a beer, or chillin' in a tent at night.
The X-mini Max II takes 2.5 hours to charge and gives you 12 hours playing time! If you’re needing them for a
party in the park then you’re in luck, the Max II will also link up to other X-mini speakers. Imagine it, you could
surround your friends with an army of mini’s. Supplied with a cable that has both a USB and 3.5mm jack connection, the
volume control is on the cable and they also come with a carry bag for travel.
I am so impressed with the Max II, both by their small size and sound quality - this pair on their own will fill a room with sound. They only lose points by how tinny they sound connected to my laptop, despite trying several different music formats (YouTube, CD etc)
Website: www.x-mini.com RRP: £34.99