Tag Archives: X-Mini

XMI X-Mini MAX Duo Stereo Capsule Speaker Review

I’ve owned the XMI X-Mini II 2nd Generation Capsule for over 5 years now and was sent this Max Duo for review, to see how the new ceramic driver has improved and/or changed the sound.

Purchase information:
-The ceramic duo speaker on AmazonUK for around £35
-The single ceramic Xmini speaker on AmazonUK for around £26
-The older generation Xmini speaker for around £13

Here’s also the AmazonUSA link to the one I received.

Here are pictures of the X-Mini MAX Duo Stereo Capsule Speaker:

First of all the accessories that you get with the Max duo:
-Pouch
-Cable: Inputs are a 3.5mm jack and a USB port. Outputs are two mini USB connections
-Manual

I found the accessories provided to be useful and perfect for the given price-point.

Build quality:
The capsule speaker has a great build quality, especially with the cool metal finish on the outside. I was sent the Purple one to review and I quite like how they applied the finish on the product.
The capsule has a 3.5mm jack that’s located underneath with a groove within the Xmini for the wire to sit in.
On the side of the capsule, you have a on/off switch, a LED indicator (blue when on and red when charging), an audio output for daisy-chaining other Xminis to it and finally an audio input via mini USB.
I should also mention the famous pivot design that expands the speaker to increase its bass presence. This is done by rotating the speaker from its base and opening up its woofer design.
The wire is actually very useful – it comes with a cable management to hold the wires together and has a volume rocker to adjust the volume of the Xmini’s.
Overall, the build quality is excellent and I couldn’t really fault it.

Battery life:
I was completely shocked to get over 120 hours (yes 1-2-0), of continuous playback. It took only 2hrs to charge too!

Sound quality:
This was the biggest one for me – and it didn’t fail to impress me.
The new ceramic driver really packs the same punch as the old generation, but gives a MUCH better mids and highs frequency response. The treble comparison between the old and new generation with the ceramic driver is night and day. HUGE difference in sound. An “untrained ear” could easily pick up the differences and those differences are very pleasant to the ear.
The new ceramic driver really brings music to life, whereas the older generation, despite being good for its era is outclassed in every domain by this new ceramic driver.
I can’t quite emphasize it enough – big improvement and top marks to XMI.

Overall:
I really like the new speakers – granted they aren’t speakers I would have at home, as at their £35 price tag you could buy a Logitech PC sound system, but for on-the-go portability, nothing really beats these little speakers, in sound, build, design, and portability.
Highly suggested for anyone looking for a portable mini speaker on the go.

Hope you enjoyed my review!
TotallydubbedHD