X-mini Clear prioritises quality sound over volume

SINGAPORE — Mention local brand X-mini and most people think of a range of colourful, compact yet surprisingly punchy speakers — small enough to fit in your pocket.

That is why the homegrown company’s latest offering is something of a bold departure — it is not so much a simple speaker unit, but a conversation starter for audiophiles that may well change the way you feel about processed, MP3-format music.

The X-mini Clear packs a meaty 70mm diameter long-throw subwoofer mounted centrally in 22cm clear-backed housing, backed up by a pair of 40mm ceramic drivers.

The result? A level of sound separation unheard of in similar-sized portable speakers, designed to mimic the experience of a front-row seat at a live gig.

You will hear bass, vocals, percussion and more, picked up distinctly, just the way they would sound at a live performance.

This is not a unique feature, but it is unusual for portable speakers, which tend to prioritise volume and bass over audio clarity and sound separation. Measuring only 22cm in length and weighing only 920g, the Clear remains small and handy enough to be slipped into your tote even though its output matches that of a complex speaker system, which it also capably replaces if you happen to be short of desk space.

Set-up is a snap — connect to the Clear wirelessly via Bluetooth up to 10m away or simply plug in a USB cable or audio jack and you are ready to go.

Instead of the overpowering bass of other portable speakers, the Clear, with its multiple drivers, works well with live recordings and jazz — music that generally does not rely on thumping bass notes such as techno or dance to drive the experience.

Mr Ryan Lee, founder of XMI, the company behind the X-mini line, explained: “There is an overemphasis on bass over clarity in many competing portable speakers today. While it is easy to produce loud volumes, we firmly believe that we should deliver quality audio through clean sound separation, so our customers can enjoy music exactly the way it was meant to be heard.”

This is not to say the Clear lacks power: The unit boasts a healthy 20 watts of loudspeaker output, with impressively low distortion to boot. However, due to the Clear’s distinct sound separation, the quality of your experience depends very much on the music you play on it — unlike the average portable speaker, where the difference in music quality is not as distinctly heard.

With the Clear, put on a high fidelity audio recording and you will be rewarded with clean, highly separated sound.

The effect can be startling — do not be surprised if you hear the occasional unintended phone beep or sniffle from a live audience.

Play a heavily compressed MP3 file, however, and you will likely get muddy, intermingled playback, the hallmark of an inadequate recording device or low-quality sound file.

In terms of design, the Clear’s looks are far more universal. The Clear exudes hipster swank, complete with mesmerising, lava lamp-style light-emitting diode (LED) mood lighting.

Dim the room lights, beam over your favourite track wirelessly via Bluetooth and let the pulsing mood lighting LEDs set the scene for some serious chill-out time.

The Clear’s transparent acrylic back offers the uninitiated a fascinating peek under the hood at an interior designed just as much for good looks as performance.

The bare-all frame showcases the speaker’s commitment to form as well as function — there is no spaghetti factory of tangled wires here, only clean, well thought-out design.

Battery life for the unit is a respectable 10 hours of continuous operation after a minimum of three hours hooked up to a wall socket.

An added perk for the smartphone generation — you can charge your beloved mobile device with the Clear’s 6600mAh battery.

As for the all-important price point, the X-mini Clear retails at S$299. It is not exactly cheap, but with its unique features and intriguing design, the X-mini will appeal to the discerning listener, which is what it appears to have set out to achieve.

The X-mini Clear is available now from Harvey Norman, Best Denki and a range of other authorised dealers.

Click here for more detailed specifications on the X-mini Clear:
http://x-mini.com/product/x-mini-clear-custom-2.1-audio-system