Customer Reviews

X-Mini II Capsule Speaker (Black)

5 star:		(373)
4 star:		(88)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

I'm sure this review, as with all other negative reviews, is going to get a "this was not helpful" rating. Look, I get it.. the X-Mini II is an AWESOME product and nobody should to talk bad about it, right? At least hear me out first.. because I've been using these for almost a year and have owned 3 of them. I think that earns me the right to an honest negative review. And remember, most people review products shortly after they buy them.. I've actually spent a lot of time using them.

I absolutely loved mine when I first got it. I showed it to lots of friends and all my coworkers, many of which have since bought their own. It's an excellent little speaker. The sound quality is amazing for such a small package.. the build quality feels very solid. Sadly, it's what's inside that counts.. and what's inside is junk. I've owned 3 of these speakers and all 3 are now dead. Here's the series of events that led to this bad review:

X-Mini #1 - Bought my first one about 10 months ago on Amazon. Loved everything about it. One thing that really stood out (aside from excellent audio quality) was the build quality. Very solid construction. I liked it so much I bought another one for a family member, which we'll call X-Mini #2.

X-Mini #2 - Worked fine, but I noticed the build quality wasn't as good as the first one I bought. The once soft rubber-like audio cable was now stiff, cheap, shiny plastic. The power switch was now flimsy and didn't operate as solidly as my first one. The sound wasn't quite as good, and it was a tiny bit lighter weight. After about 1 month, I started having audio hiccups from it and had to contact the store (possibly power surges?). They sent me a replacement and let me keep this one. The replacement they sent me is X-Mini #3.

X-Mini #3 - Same lower-quality construction. By this point it was obvious that X-Mi had started to cheap out on the materials of the speaker. The once rock-solid speaker now feels like a cheap toy. About two weeks after owning this speaker, the battery stopped working. It no longer holds a charge and has to be plugged in via USB or a wall outlet in order to play sound. I'm not going to bother the company I bought this one from because they already sent me a free replacement.. now it's up to X-Mi.

Now I have 1 good speaker (my original), one defective one, and one with a dead battery, right? Wrong.

Back to X-Mini #1 - My beloved original, now, after 10 months of light use (maybe 3 hours a week), is dead. The battery is having the same issue as X-Mini #3. It will no longer play sound without being attached to external power.



I'm done with these things. I want to love it.. I really do.. and several months ago I would have given this thing 6 out of 5 stars if it were possible. I can no longer do that. They simply don't last. I'm extremely disappointed with X-Mi for cheaping out on materials and have sent them an email explaining this.


If you've been able to snag one that lasts longer than a year, consider yourself lucky. I envy you.

Length:: 2:15 Mins

(Video) Could have been better quality, but too large and wouldn't upload.

First off, This speaker is incredible for it's size. There is almost no distortion in sound when playing on MAX volume. It comes with a USB splitter, to charge and a 3.5mm plug so that you can connect multiple X Mini II's together. It also comes with a handy bag to store your X Mini II in. I had an Altec Lansing iM207 before this, and the X Mini II blew the iM207 away!!!. The size difference was one thing, and the sound quality was another. The iM207 also ran on 3 AAA batteries. There will also be distortion in the iM207 on full volume. The playtime with the batteries was terrible. I had to switch batteries every week, with only around 20minutes of playtime each day. For the X Mini II, it can play up to 8 hours. There are also LED indicators of when you need to charge again, and when it is fully charged.

I bought this and the iHome rechargeable mini-speaker at the same time. The iHome mini-speaker is much louder, but the sound quality of the X-Mini II is better for music, at least in my opinion. You get more of the high and low tones with the X-Mini II, and I am surprised that it does not have a tinny sound. The iHome speaker is good for movies or if you need a loud but small speaker for parties. The X-Mini II is slightly larger than the iHome speaker, but not much. I recommend the X-Mini II for listening to music, and it works really well with my netbook or with an mp3 player.

Length:: 7:06 Mins

I joyfully recommend the X-Mini II Capsule Speaker -- it mostly lives up to my expectations and more. I was looking for a small-form speaker to test my techno mixes on (I'm a dance music producer, among other things) since many people have mobile devices and like listening to music "on the go" without the benefit of a really beefy, bassy system.

The unique design attracted me and after reading the many positive reviews, I ordered this. It was a fairly short decision and I hope this review will help others too -- I'm a big believer in sharing your experiences so others can benefit and save time (especially when it comes to avoiding shoddy stuff).

As you can see from the video, the sound quality is awesome for its size and specs. It gets a bit muddy in the treble and isn't going to be as distinct as listening through a good pair of earbuds, but it can definitely fill a small room. My wife has already found happiness using the X-Mini II connected to her iPhone while playing Plants vs. Zombies in bed (it's what we do) -- a big improvement over the built-in speakers! And for the iPod Touch's even weaker built-in speakers, I have a comparison at the end of the video so you can get an idea of the contrast.

My suggestion for the X-Mini III would be to have a longer USB charging cable, because I've ended up in situations where the audio cable was sufficiently long but the USB one wasn't... without an extension. Also, I don't know how feasible it'd be to have the X-Mini also function as an USB audio interface with a mini sound chip inside, but this could be useful in cases where your stereo miniplug output is fairly noisy.

Thanks very much to Arthur of Satechi for contacting me personally and asking if everything was cool, that kind of customer rapport rocks.

EDIT: I neglected to show in the video that you can twist the X-Mini II and extend it accordion-like so it produces even bigger bass! This is very impressive.

Even though the internal speakers on my Sony Vaio notebook computer are decent, I sometimes need a little more volume and clarity. When the need arises, I usually whip out the ear-buds. But recently, I've been wanting to play some tunes on my computer at work where it's not convenient to wear ear-buds. Hence, the "need" for one of these portable mini-speakers.

After reading the reviews on portable notebook/iPod/iPhone speakers, I narrowed my choice down to 3 products and ordered all 3. I thought that I would choose the best one, send the others back, and review them at the same time. So....my 3 choices were the X-Mini II Capsule Speaker, the iHome iHM60 Rechargeable Mini Speakers for iPod (Blue), and the Altec Lansing iM-237 Orbit Ultraportable Speaker for MP3 Players (Silver).

I tested all 3 speakers with my Sony Vaio notebook, my iPhone 3Gs, and my 60-gig iPod. All 3 speakers worked with all 3 devices, and the rating results were comparable.

One more thing: although 2 of the 3 speakers have USB charging cables, none of them are USB devices. The USB only charges the speaker; the sound is controlled via the headphone-out controls.

1) X-Mini II Capsule Speaker ---- This speaker is the most compact. I like the design, the lines, the feel, and the size. It just feels right. It looks like a little pill/capsule, and then springs open to reveal bellows that enhance the bass. The sound is focused and clear, but ranks #3 in loudness and bass quality. It is the only speaker of the 3 that I tested that has a volume control, but I really don't see the need for a volume control when the speaker is only 6 inches away from the sound source. It has a built-in speaker cord for when you want to run it on the internal rechargeable battery. There's also a combined USB charging/speaker cable....1 plug inserts into your computer USB port to charge the speaker battery, and the 2nd plug goes to the headphone-out on your computer (or iPod). So, if your speaker battery dies, just plug the 2 plugs into the computer and you're back up and running. If you're using the speaker to listen to your iPod or iPhone, you are out of luck if the speaker battery dies, unless you have a USB power source nearby. Unfortunately, both the attached speaker cable and the combined USB charging/speaker cable are very flimsy. It also has a speaker-out jack, which allows you to daisy-chain speakers together. Not really a huge selling point, since people tend to buy these speakers because they are small and compact...so who wants to carry 2 with them? But I suppose it does allow for more flexibiity, athough daisy-chaining 2-3 of these little guys together just doesn't make good financial sense. So, just like the volume control, the speaker-out jack is a non-issue to me. Also comes with a little carrying bag made of felt material.

Pros --- Looks and feels right. Small/compact. Decent sound, considering it's size. Rechargeable battery. Option of using built-in cable or combined USB charging/speaker cable.
Cons --- Worst performance in terms of loudness and bass (but still not bad). Flimsy cables.

2) iHome iHM60 Rechargeable Mini Speakers for iPod (Blue) ---- This speaker is very similar to the X-Mini II above. The major differences: it's larger than the X-Mini and doesn't look as "polished". It doesn't have a volume control, but who needs one anyway? It doesn't have a built-in cable....it only has a USB charging/speaker cable....but it's MUCH sturdier than the cable on the X-Mini. The sound is louder and fuller, with more pronounced bass.....probably because the diameter is bigger and the bellows are longer. Comes with a medium-heavy duty black carrying bag, which is more substantial than the felt used for the X-Mini II bag. Also has a speaker-out jack, just like the X-Mini II, for daisy-chaining speakers together.

Pros --- Ranks #2 in loudness and bass. Small/compact. Rechargeable battery. Sturdy cable. Nicer carrying bag. $10 cheaper than the X-Mini.
Cons --- Less "polished" look/feel. Not as small as the X-Mini. No built-in speaker cable, so you MUST use the more bulky USB charging/speaker cable.

3) Altec Lansing iM-237 Orbit Ultraportable Speaker for MP3 Players (Silver) --- This speaker is the largest, but weighs about the same as the IHome. It has NO USB charging cable....just a built-in speaker cable. It ONLY runs on 3 AAA batteries. I haven't used it long enough to test the battery life. The carrying case is a deluxe zippered case that really protects the speaker. It also includes a lanyard for the speaker and a little caribiner clip for the case. The sound clearly out-classes the other 2 in loudness, clarity, and bass.

Pros --- Best sound of the 3. Uses 3 AAA batteries (no rechargeable battery to die on you). Built-in speaker cable. Very nice carrying case.
Cons --- Largest of the 3. Uses 3 AAA batteries (rechargeable battery is convenient, but they often die.) Flimsy built-in speaker cable.

So.....which one am I keeping? That's a good question. I'm DEFINITELY returning the X-Mini II. It performed the worst of the 3, it has flimsy cables, and it costs as much as the Altec. Although the iHome requires that you use the bulkier combo-cord, it sounds better and costs $10 less than the X-Mini II. No-brainer.

How about the Altec? It sounds the best, but has some limitations. I might keep BOTH the Altec and the iHome. But I'm DEFINITELY keeping the iHome, which is the all-around winner in this speaker shoot-out when you compare sound, price, and features.

A couple more remarks. The iHome packaging is maddening. The speaker is wire-tied into the package, making it extremely difficult to remove. I ended up essentially destroying the packaging in order to remove the speaker. But perhaps iHome did that on purpose, so as to discourage returns. Very annoying, but not a deal-breaker. Also, the iHome's cable has a hard plastic clip attached that is supposed to be used as a wire-tie. I have very good manual dexterity, but I was unable to fold the cable back up and clip it back together. Nice try, iHome, but the velcro cable-tie of the X-Mini II is a much better design.....too bad they decided to include such a flimsy cable.

I hope this review helps you in your purchase of a portable speaker for your notebook computer or iPod/iPhone. Be sure to check out my VIDEO REVIEW, which includes sound bytes from all 3 speakers. It is located here: iHome iHM60 Rechargeable Mini Speakers for iPod (Blue).

With its compact size, built-in battery, and innovative features, the X-Mini II delivers on useability. It does however fall short on sound quality and overall loudness. Comparing it to my favorite Altec Lansing iM207($10 cheaper), the X-Mini II produces muffled highs, tinny mids, and mudled bass. Keeping in mind that this is a ultra-portable speaker, any bass would be awesome, and the X-Mini II does attempt it. But the result is distortion. In my opinion, a speaker in this class shouldn't even try to reproduce bass as no one in their right mind should expect it.

I liked the built-in battery that is chargable via a mini USB port. I used my BlackBerry Curve charger on the X-Mini without any issues. The easy-to-use on/off switch and volume control were nice touches as well. The power on/charging LED is placed on the bottom, perfect location as to not distract when using it in a dark room. The twist then expand bellows feature seems to work. In the expanded mode, it does produce more bass. But as I described above, it's kind of distorted. I prefer the iM207 approach to bass, don't even go there.

As far as the BuddyJack, the feature where multiple X-Minis can be daisy chained, I have mixed feelings. The idea is innovative, but the audio quality is not so good. The speaker that you plug into the BuddyJack, outputs slightly distorted audio. Almost as if the host X-Mini is amplifying the audio, then lowering the signal level to match a standard headphone output. I'm assuming this because every time you amplify a audio signal, the result is added distortion. If the X-Mini was mechanically splitting the signal(bypassing the internal amplifier), it wouldn't be able to daisy chain 6 X-Minis as their website demonstrates. What would be really cool is if the BuddyJack was a stereo left/right splitter. If you connect a 2nd X-Mini, one would output the left channel and the right channel on the other. Really, who would own more than 2 of these puppies!

If you're in the market for a ultra-portable speaker and audio quality is important, get the iM207. Otherwise, the X-Mini II is a easy to use, compact speaker to keep handy in your backpack.

Length:: 6:17 Mins

See My video review.
I own several Idevices, including Ipad 2, Iphone 4, Ipod touch 4 and others. All play videos and music everyday continuously. The kids and wife like playing music and watching video on them. The speakers on all of them are decent in a quiet room, but most of the time they are insufficient. The X-Mini II and the SimplyVibe are 2 good options. The X-mini II is loud, covers bass sounds, and can become stereo when linked together. I have 2 of these and a SimplyVibe (also a good product), and I link them all together for sound that is better than the built in speakers in my HDTV. Not the surround sound speakers but the TV speakers. SimplyVibe is louder and crisper in song with out bass. The X-mini II is good for dance songs and rumbling movies. the 2 x-mini II's linked together sounds awesome, but when you add the SimplyVibe...Magnificant!

Both are portable, but X-mini is more portable and stylish. I show that off more just because of the design of it. Overall the X-Mini II gets better marks. The size to quality ratio is greater. It's less expensive. There is more of a "wOW" factor with the X-mini II. If you had to choose, choose the X-mini II.

I've owned several "portable speaker" systems in my time, and this one is by far 2 things the others were not....


The smallest, and the loudest.


Not to mention the audio quality is pretty damn good. I would recommend this product any day to anyone who is looking for a portable speaker.

I purchased this speaker so I could have portable audio anywhere I go. I haven't put a lot of hours on the unit yet, but it feels very well made and well worth the $30. Let's be honest, you pay a premium price for a niche product like this.

Pros:
-Has good volume headroom. Loud enough to fill a bedroom or office. Haven't encountered any real distortion, even when pushing the volume up to higher levels.
-Accurate audio quality. Slightly "tinny" but that is to be expected with a speaker of this size and wattage.
-Unexpectedly good bass performance.
-Battery life seems very good, haven't even had to recharge it yet after putting probably 6 hours of use on it.

Cons:
-Cable length. The one thing that would bump this product up to 5 stars would be if it had a retractable 3ft cable. As it is, the integrated audio cable is very short. I ended up purchasing an audio extension cable to use with it. Not that big of a deal if you're just going to be using it stationary on your desk though.

Overall, it's a really unique product that will satisfy your needs if you are looking for big audio in a small size.

I have the Xmini2 and it's an absolutely amazing product. Sound is great and pretty loud considering its size. But after a few months of using this product (commute, parties, personal listening) my unit just went dead. It's a battery thing and even their official facebook page acknowledges this, too bad i lost my receipt and can't send it to Singapore...sheesh. Again, it's an awesome product but the batteries are just POS, too bad...

Facebook link of the problem and solution....
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