The X-mini series of speakers are designed for ultra portability. The Max II is the top of the line in the X-mini line up.
The X-mini Max 2 is presented in an egg like shape when you first greet it. This is for the ability of being able to snap them apart because there are two speakers magnetically attached to one another (a real genius design). Both speakers look identical and are coated with rubbery matt plastic so they are easily cleaned but are also less prone to looking dirty and are more durable. The whole unit is coated with that and on the front of each speaker we see a nice metal plate with X-mini written on it finishing the design of nicely.
Each speaker has an on and off switch placed around the bottom edge which really lets the design down because they stick out and look cheap. A button would have been much better and easier to access but possibly could be knocked easier. On the back of each speaker there is an audio jack input which outputs audio also I will get into this very clever stuff later on. On the opposing side to the switch there is a mini USB port for charging and it is also capable of inputing and outputting audio. To get more sound out of the speakers you just twist the unit and up it pops allowing much more sound to be outputted, this element of design allows the speakers to be tiny when traveling. The actual speakers face upwards on top and blend in with the rest of the device which is fantastic. Overall the design has had a lot of trouble and thought put into it.
To hook the X-mini Max 2 up with a device you will need to use the cables provided in the box which have two mini USB ports for linking both speakers up and you have an audio jack for plugging into your device of choice plus they also include a standard USB cable with this big grape vine of cables to charge them both. Once you have attached the X-mini to a device in my case an iPhone you will notice that cable management goes completely out the window, cables are everywhere which takes the portability down a notch. These speakers would be perfect for Bluetooth, you could listen to your music and do other things on your iPhone/ iPod Touch or any other Bluetooth device which you don’t feel as if you can do with these.
A feature that I found to be very very clever is ‘Buddy Jack’ which allows you to link any X-mini speaker to the one you have for even bigger and better sound. In theory you could link thousands X-mini speakers which is very very cool if you have friends and family who have one they can get in on the act. To link them up you simply connect the speakers either using a USB mini cable or an audio jack. It doesn’t seem to matter how you link them because the X-mini’s just sort themselves out. So you could attach a mini USB to one speaker and on the end of that cable there could be an audio jack and it just works.
The actual sound quality is great and is plenty for portability. The bass is lacking a little from it’s younger brother the ‘X-mini 2’ which has a lot more bass. I am now completely aware from doing many speaker reviews of this nature in the past that many of you don’t actually like the bass sound and some of you are like me and love the bass sound with music. Music doesn’t play as if it is flat it’s the complete opposite, music has a lot life when it’s coming out of these. Music is crazy loud and it’s stereo which is another plus but the bass is still lacking a little.
Overall it comes down to what you like in your speakers for anyone who travels a lot these might be for you. The audio is loud and at a great quality and the design is fantastic plus it comes with a carry pouch. It does lack bass and the cable management is a nightmare but for $39.99 it seems very good value. Wait for the X-mini 2 review because some of you may prefer that due to it’s very very low price.
