X-Mini MAX II XAM7-W Portable Capsule Speaker, White (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I purchased these speakers with some pretty high hopes. They arrived and I can say they are ok. I then bought the iHome iHM79 in hopes they would sound better. And iHomes do. I will do a comparison of these two.Size/Weight:The X-Minis are smaller and lighter that the iHome. The X-minis win this one.Build Quality:Because the X-minis are smaller and lighter, they also feel a bit flimsier. The iHomes have more heft and feel more solid than the X-minis. The drivers of the X-minis are exposed while the iHomes are enclosed. Point goes to the iHomes.Cables:The cables on the iHomes are longer, better quality and have a clip to keep them organized. The X-minis have a volume control; see sound quality for additional info. Point to iHomes.Charge time/duration:They run about equal. TieSound Quality:This is where we get into sticky territory. There are mixed feelings and reviews for both. This is my opinion after A/B them from my iphone using the same song, set to the same volume with the volume control set to max on the X-mini cable. First I plugged in the X-minis and hit play. They sounded nice mid volume, clear, ok volume. Next I plugged in the iHomes. The volume was ever so slightly less than the X-minis but keep in mind they have no volume control on the cable like the X-minis. The sound quality was better on the iHomes. They had a fuller, richer, crisper sound than the X-minis even though not quite as loud, the difference in volume is almost unnoticeable. I then turned up the volume and the iHomes did not distort. I replugged in the X-minis and turned the volume to the same level as the iHomes and the X-minis had noticeable distortion.For the price, the X-minis are ok. I personally prefer the iHomes.

Update to review:So I've grown to appreciate these little speakers and have upped my rating from 3 stars to 4. If I'm listening to a video or some other type of audio OTHER THAN music on my laptop they are great. Small, easy to use, easy to adjust the sound, etc.So, if you need a set of speakers to listen to videos, presentations, non-musical audio on your laptop they are very convenient and easy. However, if you are seeking speakers to listen to your music, look elsewhere (see my old review below for more on that...)My original review:I bought these little speakers based on the stellar reviews and comments about great mid-tones and bass. I don't know what most folks are used to for Bass, or perhaps there is some secret I'm missing, but for me the Bass is non-existent.I'm used to VERY rich sound and I love my Bass. My favorite speakers are my Harmon Kardon Sound Sticks  Harman Kardon SoundSticks II Plug and Play Multimedia Speaker System  The system looks like a martian landing unit, but the sound is phenomenal.I'm on the never ending search for portable speakers with a rich sound to use with my Zune when traveling. Again, I'm disappointed. Perhaps my expectations are just unrealistic? However, if you're a bass lover you will not be happy with these little things.I also have the JBL OnTour  JBL On Tour Portable Speaker System ( Black )  which also had good reviews, but again, the sound is just "meh" for me. Plus these do not have rechargeable batteries, so that's a second knock against them. However, compared to the X-mini max, I guess I must concede the sound is better.If you're not a big Bass lover, then these speakers may be just what you seek. If you like to feel your Bass, pass them by...

June 2011 update: Uh-oh! they have stopped working! I need to double check them, but last night they stopped working on my kid's laptop. When I have time I will try to figure out why (I made sure the usb portion of the cables was hooked up right, the power switches were on, and the minijack cable was plugged snugly into the "speaker output" not the "microphone input" jack. Nothing but a hum; sound from built in laptop speakers is fine, once I pulled out the minijack cable to allow the built-in speakers to take priority. I substituted in the mono iHome speaker I also have and it is working fine now, so it isn't a laptop issue. Hmmm....___________________These are simply NOT "awesome" speakers.But they ARE simply awesome SMALL, PORTABLE speakers.Look, for sub-$40 you aren't going to get media-pc speaker quality (I am thinking low-end 2.l systems from Creative, for example).But who can haul around a 2.1 system?I can't even haul around the typical computer monitor satellite speakers that come with desktop computers.But guess what? These truly dinky battery powered speakers have 80% of the sound quality of good quality satellite speakers. They cost less. And they don't require a wall-wart or other power supply which would make carrying more difficult - they can power off your netbook's USB port if you are using them with a portable computer, or they are completely battery powered (once you charge them), for use with an iPod or MP3 player.They claim the signal to noise ratio is 80db. That is probably right, because they hiss when there is no audio being fed to them. But with audio coming through, the hiss is inaudible.They are so small, including the cable (combo USB charger and speaker cables), that you could stuff one in a jacket pocket. They come with a small pouch with a locking toggle. It is easy to accidentally move the sliding power switch on either unit, so stick a piece of tape over those switches if you don't want to accidentally discharge the battery.Audio is fed into the speakers by the typical iPod sized audio jack, not by the USB cable (don't let use of the USB cable for charging, or the use of mini USB cable ends for feeding the audio to each satellite, fool you). Therefore these can be used with any device (netbook, iPod, MP3 player) with a headphone jack. The cabling is light and thin.BEST USE is for non-critical background listening to music when you don't want to use earphones; or sharing a movie. These sound MUCH better than the speakers in any of our portable DVD players, and of course most music players don't have built-in speakers (and the Touch speaker is small and tinny).Mid-range tones, voices are great. Bass and treble are acceptable in this size speaker.If you use these to replace larger speakers on your desktop, you won't be thrilled. If you take them along for travel - and they are actually small and light enough to do this - you will be a happy camper.

My goodness, for the size they pack a punch greater than their dimensions would have you believe. Top end is good, mid range not bad and the low register isn't too bad. If you're expecting a performance ala Monitor Audio and the like then you need to reset your expectations. These speakers are miniature so won't shift the same amount of air, but for their size...wowza.The speakers are small, ganged together to make a stereo signal and the operation is simple as.I did notice a degradation in sound quality when connecting them to my laptop via the USB port...a hum ensued which stopped immediately upon pullng the USB lug out. It's through the USB port that you charge the internal batteries.As I type this they're being driven by my iPhone and from 4 feet away playing Santana, they sound great.I bought these as travel companions but also to be used when I do presentations. They'll be used in various room sizes so it'll be interesting to see how they project but I have no reason to doubt that they'll do fine in mid sixzed rooms capable of holding 20-30 people. An auditorium? Probably not.In summary...for holiday, for the bbq in summer, for general house use they're great and I do really mean great.

At a recent dinner party, we got to comparing our digital media devices - iPhones, MP3's etc. One guest trumped everyone by saying 'Hang on a second' disappearing and returning with a small black pouch out of which he produced the sexiest looking black, egg shaped object. He then proceeded to split the 'egg' into two halves and plug each into his iPhone. By this time we were all wide eyed but our eyes got wider and our jaws dropped when he switched on the music on his phone! The sound that came out of those two small, innocuous speakers was truly amazing! He then proceeded to twist each of the speakers to expand them and enhance the bass - the difference was audible and pronounced. You could cut the envy in the room with a knife!The next day I placed an order for the very same XMI X-Mini Max 2 speakers! I have since been in the same priviledged position of amazing my friends and colleagues with these superb little speakers. Now, don't get me wrong, these speakers are not designed for those wishing to provide full bass thumping sounds to a crowd of fifty in an open field! If, however, you are looking for good quality audio in an average hotel room, at a picnic, drifting on a boat or in a padded cell...these are the babies for you! The battery life is very close to the 12 hours claimed by the manufacturers - although they do begin to distort as they reach the end of their charge. Pocket size? Yes, although more baggy jeans than skin tight leggings! They look as good as they sound and the intrigued look on people's faces when you get them out is worth every penny! Trust me - if you are looking for good quality, good looking portable speakers to match your media player/iphone/ipod etc...these are the ones!

These speakers are pretty neat and I am glad I bought them. Audio-wise they do not really compare that favourably to full-sized desk speakers that I use, but for very portable and travel speakers I am very happy with them. Their battery life is amazing: after a full charge I pretty much used them continuously (as a test) for 12 hours .. and after that intermittently for several days.. until they finally faded out.Actually this is my second set of these speakers from Amazon. The first set had a problem: on my 3rd use I noticed that one speaker wasn't working. It seemed to be a bad connection inside somewhere, when you opened up the speaker for increased resonance, the speaker cut out altogether. Luckily I was within the 30 day return timeframe. I would like to say a big THANKS TO AMAZON for a really fast and seamless returns and replacement service. I have never had to return anything to Amazon before so I was really impressed. No hassle at all and I had the replacement speakers within 2 days of registering a return.

I personally bought the X-Mini Max 1 speakers a few months ago and loved them for their portability and sound quality. So when Christmas came around I decided to get the X-Mini Max 2 speakers for my little sister and wow. They are way more powerful than the v1 speakers, but also a considerable bit larger. The v1 speakers have a very toned down look but the v2 speakers are a bit more "out there". The little grey bit and the asymmetry make them look nicer, depending on your taste.The sound quality of the v2 speakers is just phenomenal. Way better than the v1 speakers and really good enough for in the bathroom or when on the road.So the only reason why I gave these speakers 4 instead of 5 stars is because within a few weeks one of them died. Amazon did send me a new pair of speakers free of charge, but it was a bit sad to see that my v1 speakers were still running 100% fine, where the v2 speakers died so quickly.

I bought these quite some time ago and have to say that things have changed quite a bit since then. I wouldn't buy these or anything like them today as I think any decent Bluetooth speaker would:A: be louder as these aren't that loudB: be easier to manage as the cable that comes with these is a little annoying.C: likely be more durable as these have moving parts that probably aren't really necessary.Don't get me wrong these do the job and sound pretty good. But there's no need to live in the past.