Hey all, i'm Matt student at the moment studying for A levels, lots of fun.
I am a swimmer, hence t...
Hey all, i'm Matt student at the moment studying for A levels, lots of fun.
I am a swimmer, hence the name.
You may also find some of my reviews on dooyoo.co.uk under the same name Fishstir
Member since:27.11.2008
Reviews:14
*** Introduction ***
Since it’s the summer and I thought that I would be out and about a bit, camping, on the beach and such I thought it would be a good idea to get myself some portable speakers for a little entertainment when out. I did a little research and finally settled on the XMI X-mini 2 which I bought from Amazon which was a bonus as I could use my vouchers from here so effectively got it for free.
*** Packaging ***
When I first received the package containing the little speaker I thought that it was rather big, the box measures 16x16x6cm. The product itself sits in the centre of the box under a clever little plastic dome for protection taking up a relatively small amount of room in the box. The rest of the box is made from cardboard; it is mainly dark grey and black in colour with a few colourful blue waves. Around the centre where the clear dome is, are the words “audio revolution in a box”. There is also a warning label saying “warning unbelievably loud” which I thought hopefully was a good sign and didn’t hype
it up to much and then set it up for a massive disappointment. XMI have had problems with their products being copied in the past so gave the box a design feature that is easily recognisable and would be hard for another company to try and copy. The box bows in the centre and in the centre is the clear dome with the product displayed very prominently. I thought that this was very clever; it was very different from anything that I had seen before and would definitely make it stand out. I also helped to draw your attention in a focus on the product displayed in the centre of the box and overall was a very attractive design.
*** The product ***
The XMI X-mini 2 is an extremely small and neat little speaker it is nearly spherical in shape with a flat base and would fit easily in the palm of your hand. The main body is black and at the top there is the actual speaker which stands out nicely as it is a vivid red in colour. Over the top of the speaker is a bar to protect the speaker from getting damaged which blends into the design very nicely. The main innovative design feature incorporated into this speaker is that with a simple little twist it opens up and expands like an accordion which is supposed to improve the bass. Also on the side of the speaker there is a little wheel for volume control, an on/off switch with a little LED to show when it is turned on and when it is charging. On the bottom there is a neat little headphone jack that winds up and tuck neatly into the bottom of the base and is used to connect it to an mp3 player, laptop or any other audio output device. Also on the player is an audio jack input this is another clever little feature of this speaker, they can be connected together and can be made into a chain as long as you want. So if you have a few friends with one you can link them together for a little extra power. The speaker has a rechargeable battery which is supposed to last for eleven hours which is really impressive and should definitely last long enough when out and about.
*** Sound Quality ***
When I first plugged in this tiny little speaker I was really shocked by how load it was, for its size the volume was unbelievable. I often get asked is that thing really making all that noise. But not only is it load it also sounds great, it is really clear and crisp and expanding it and opening it open makes a big difference to the level of the bass. It is extremely clear when in a room and could quite easily fill it but when outside it is a little less clear which is to be expected with the wind and other loud noises around but is still pretty good. It is perfect if you want something a little bit better than your laptop speakers but still need something portable. The only other thing that this little speaker lacks is that it is only mono as there is only one speaker cone but this can be remedied if you purchase two and get the right cables they will produce stereo sound.
*** Accessories ***
Also included in the box are a number of accessories, firstly you receives a nice little pouch which you can put the speaker in to give it a little bit of extra protection and stop it getting damaged and scratched. It comes with a little draw string to keep it securely in. You also receive a cable for charging which plug into any USB port and allows the speaker to be played at the same time as being played.
*** Overview ***
All in all I am extremely impressed with this little speaker it is exactly what i needed very loud and good sound quality as well as being very small. It cost me around £17 which isn’t too bad for what it was and is probably one of the better ones on the market especially for the price, as many I have seen are very tinny and the sound isn’t that good. It feels like a very sturdy product that should last a long time and would definitely recommend it if you are looking for some portable speakers.
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