Hands-on Review: X-mini MAX Stereo Capsule Speakers with Ceramic Drivers

Published by Sierra Monica P. on August 7, 2013 under Reviews

Back in 2010 I has the chance to review the X-mini MAX II capsule speakers that impressed everyone with the powerful and clear sound coming from two small pieces. Recently, XMI, the makers of X-mini speakers launched a new improved version of the stereo model, which now features ceramic drivers. The latest version was named simply X-mini MAX.

The new look and feel

The stereo capsule speakers come in a better package, a clear plastic box, and if you compare the two models, you’ll see the designs differences at the first glance. It seems that the model featuring ceramic drivers follows the original design line of the X-mini speakers. They are smaller than the predecessor and use the same magnetic system to stick the two speakers together. Here I can add that the magnet is not that powerful as in the older model, but it’s still useful to keep them together while in the pouch.

X-mini MAX speakers have now a beautiful metallic finish and you can find them in several rich colors, including blue, green, orange, purple, and red, while my sample is Gun Metal.

Specifications

The new ceramic drivers replace the aluminum ones to enable a wider frequency range and cover lower and higher sounds. This way the sound distortion is significantly reduced and the sound is clearer and brighter.

Size: 54mm x 82mm (Closed Resonator) at 160g
Speaker : Magnetically Shielded 36mm (3.6Ω)
Loudspeaker Output: 2W x 2
Frequency Response : 60Hz – 20kHz
Signal-to-Noise >= 91 dB
Distortion < = 1.0 %
Playback Time: From 8 to 18 hours
Battery Capacity: 400mAh
Battery Charging Voltage: 5V
Battery Charge Time: Minimum of 2.5 hours

Included accessories

The package contains a nice carry pouch, the cable with tips for charging and connectivity to the audio source, the mini instructions manual, and the X-mini sticker.

Using the speakers

X-mini MAX charges via USB through the included cable that you would use to connect the speakers’ miniUSB ports to the computer’s regular USB port. You can keep listening to the audio while charging them in 2.5 hours by connecting the same cable’s 3.5mm jack to your smartphone or other media player device. Like with the other X-mini capsule speakers, the sound is crystal clear if you’re listening while charging. There is big improvement for this aspect, but I recommend you to listen to the audio after charging them, this if you want to get full sound.

While the X-mini UNO capsule speaker features volume adjustment on it, in the MAX’s case, you’ll find this feature on the charging cable. This is something I don’t like that much because I don’t plan to listen to the music while charging, but I have the option to adjust the volume from the smartphone or media player device.

To connect the speakers to your smartphone, you only need to connect the built-in 3.5 mm cables found at the bottom to the other speaker and to the audio source, respectively, just like in my photos. This way you’ll enable the stereo mode, but if you want just mono, then you only have to connect one speaker and keep the other one off. This is helpful when the battery of one speaker runs out.

When done listening, you can close the resonators, connect the two speakers together and keep them in the pouch, inside your bag or pocket.

Conclusion

Clearly, the new version of these small speakers is more powerful. The sound is clearer and you can use them to listen to any music style, including heavy ones or those with many complex sounds, which usually require powerful desktop speakers. They are great for outdoors and indoors, especially when you want to share your music with friends.

Availability

The new X-mini MAX is available for purchase online at the X-mini store, for SGD 79.90, or about $63.

Tags: speaker