As sales of notebooks and netbooks increase so will the need for portable accessories increase. These include things like wireless mouse, USB devices and speakers. As you are aware, the built-in speakers found on most notebooks/netbooks aren’t that always powerful, and they don’t ususally produce decent sound of adequate quality.
So when you’re listening to music or watching movies, the sound can be very “tinny” and lacking in bass. You can really blame the manufacturers, as they’re only trying to reduce costs so that you’ll be able to afford these wonderful portable machines 😉
So what’s the solution? Well, the answer is simple … invest in a pair of portable speakers. However, there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of these products on the market … some good and some really bad.
Today, we get to play with (or should I say, listen to) X-Mini’s Capsule Speaker. We have to models to show you. The first is X-Mini’s Hello Kitty Special Edition, and the other is the orignal X-Mini II (Black). Both are based on the same design powered by a large 40mm driver which delivers precise highs for superb sound clarity. What’s more, it comes with Expanded BXS (Bass Xpansion System), which drives a fuller, richer, low-end response.
These innovative X-Mini Capasule speakers are produced by a company called XM-I, which is based in Singapore. In fact, the design of these speakers are so innovative, they were winners of the coveted reddot design award in 2008. Let’s see what they’re really like …
Features and Specifications
Overview
Innovation – The·X-mini II comes with an all new feature called the “Buddy-Jack”; X-mini II owners can now come together and connect a row of X-minis to a single music source (e.g. MP3 player) to enhance the overall volume and audio clarity among a larger audience.
Design – Award-winning compact capsule design retained, but packed with a bigger sound.
Sound – Delivering on the promise of “Sound beyond size”, the X-mini II Capsule Speaker is petite in size but massive in sound. Hook it up to your mobile phone, MP3 player or laptop, and impress your friends with this pocketsize boom-box. Pump out your tunes with crisp clear acoustics that will easily fill up a room and elevate the mood of everyone around you. The X-mini II is the benchmark for portable sound and is the new must-have daily accessory for all media devices.
Experience – An audio revolution has arrived;·the X-miniTM II. Larger sound, better Balance and Integrity, your listening experience improved.
Features
- New Larger 40mm driver delivers precise highs for superb sound clarity.
- Expanded BXS (Bass Xpansion System) drives a fuller, richer low-end response.
- Modular ‘Buddy-Jack’ design: connect a row of X-minis to get jaw-dropping sound.
- Playback time tripled to 12 hours for longer, superior on-the-go audio.
- In-built stow-away 3.5mm audio cable offers convenient cable management.
- The X-mini brand is moulded into each speaker, so you know you’ve got the real thing.
Technical Specifications
- Dimension (L×W×H): 60mm×60 mm×44mm (closed resonator)
- Net Weight: 83g
- Speaker: MAGNETISM PREVENTФ40 MM 2W/4Ω
- Loudspeaker Output: 2.5W
- Rating Power: 2.0W
- Frequency Response: 100Hz-20Khz
- Signal-to-Noise: ≥80db
- Distortion: ≤1.0%
- Playback Time: Up to 11 hours
- Battery Voltage/Capacity: 400mAh
- Battery Charging Voltage: 4.2V±0.05V
- Battery Charge Time: 5V – 2.5 hours.
For more information please visit X-Mini’s website (Hello Kitty Special Edition) … and X-Mini II (Black)
Hello Kitty Special Edition
The special edition Hello Kitty X-Mini Capsule speaker comes with a new feature called the “Buddy-Jack”. It allows people who own X-Mini II speakers to come together and connect a row of X-minis to a single music source (e.g. MP3 player). This enhances the overall volume and audio clarity to a larger audience.
You can connect the Hello Kitty X-Mini Capsule speaker to any mobile phone, MP3 player, iPod/iPhone and of course your notebook/netbook. Its compact size is perfect to carry it with you anywhere you go. It comes a carry bag and USB cable for charging the speaker. As far as the design is concerned … it’s perfect for girls or any Hello Kitty fans. However, it’s not the kind of thing guys would want to buy, unless it’s for your female friend as a present 😉
X-Mini II (Black)
As mentioned above, the·X-mini II comes with an all new feature called the “Buddy-Jack”, allowing you to connect a row of X-minis to a single music source (e.g. MP3 player) creating amazing sound and enhances audio volume. It’s basically the same as the Hello Kitty special edition shown above … but this time, it’s in Black and probably better suited for the male audience.
I mentioned eariler, that the the USB cable used for charging the speaker. Well, this is true for both speakers, and you can get upto 12 hours of playback from a single charge. With the resonator closed, the audio quality is good, but the real magic comes in when you twisted the capsule to open the resonator … boy! now you can really hear the bass. Amazing sound quality!
Real LIVE Audio Testing
I thought it would be good to do some LIVE audio testing, as it’s quite hard to describe in words the sound produced by this amazing little speaker. To show what they’re really like … I made short video clip with the original sound produced by the speaker. No audio swap OR any editiing done.
Verdict and Conclusion
Wow, I’m truely amazed by the audio and sound quality produced by this little X-Mini Capsule speaker. At first, I thought to myself … how can a speaker of this size cope with my everyday needs? I mean, a speaker that can produce sound which is not too “tinny” with good bass, and it has to be loud enough so that I can enjoy watching movies. Well, let me tell you … the X-Mini can do it all!
What really amazes me is the speaker’s compact size. Measuring only 60mm×60 mm×44mm, it’s one of the smallest portable speaker system we’ve ever come across. Yet, the onboard 40mm driver is powerful enough to produce quality sound of around 2.5W … it’s more than enough for any mobile/notenook user who’s always on the go.
The other thing I really like about the X-Mini Capsule speaker is that it comes with cable management. Yes, cable management … well, it’s actually a stow-away 3.5mm audio cable for connection multiple X-Minis together, which further enhances sound volume and audio clarity. Another great feature is the expandable resonator (BXS – Bass Xpansion System), which can be opened at a twist of the capsule. With the resonator open, the bass really kicks in, and the overall audio quality is really stands out.
To add to the superb audio quality that these speaker offer, the overall build quality is also excellent. And we don’t even need to mention the design … it’s so innovative, it’s actually won the coveted reddot design award.
These little X-Mini Capsule speakers are attractively priced at USD $29.00 each (or GBP 20.00), which is OK, but I think there’s always room for XM-I to lower it further. The Hello Kitty Special Edition may cost a little more though. Still, I have no problems recommending these X-Mini capsule speaker to any mobile/notebook users who’s always on the go.
Final words. A great product worthy of our recommended award. I’m seriously loving the sound and its compact size. As for the Hello Kitty Special Edition … Guys, go and get it for your female friend 😉
SCORE
8.5/10
