Hands-on with the X-mini Max II

The second iteration of the X-mini Max is upon us. We had a brief hands-on with the Max II five months ago, but now after blasting the living daylights out of our red review unit, we're ready to give it a final rundown.

Generation two of the X-mini Max will retail for US$59, with the Singapore pricing awaiting confirmation. It may seem quite a lot to pay for a portable speaker, considering that big brands like Altec Lansing and Logitech have compact, portable speakers around the same price. So what's so special about the X-mini Max II that sets it out from the crowd?
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X-mini Max II and Happy to launch mid-September

Five months after the Xmini Max II and MP3-playing Xmini Happy were announced here at Crave Asia, they're finally ready to ship globally come mid next month. According to Singapore company XM-I, both speakers have had their drivers fine-tuned for better sound playback. Certainly, when we got a demo of the tweaked Max II, it was a blast.

Generation two of the X-mini Max will retail for US$59, with the Singapore pricing awaiting confirmation. From the white prototype that we saw back in April, there will now be two additional color choices: Black and red. The volume dial now sits on the cable.
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X-mini Max II gets a design makeover

If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Well, the guys behind the red dot-winning X-mini capsule speakers are taking a design leap of faith with the X-mini Max II. Instead of the grenade appearance of the Max, the next-gen stereo speakers have taken on a Star Wars drone look with cone heads. While we're told the material and colors may be different come the May global launch, the Max II's exposed and angled tops are intended to "open out" the speakers for more focused sounds.

The pumped-up girth also ensures more space for a bigger driver. If we thought the Max was already bombastic enough to wake up a few banshees, CEO Ryan Lee says the Max II will "nearly double" the sonic prowess of the original. That doesn't yet factor in the buddy-jack system where the user can daisy-chain as many X-mini units as he likes to crank up the decibels.
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X-mini II gets an MP3 player

The evolution of the X-mini continues, and in surprising ways. This time, the hardworking folks at Singapore-based outfit XM-I have given their bestselling capsule speaker a music player and an SD card slot. What this simple idea does is to turn the speaker into a clever little boombox that sits on your palm, with the happy name of X-mini Happy.

Based on the same design and tweeter size as the big-sounding X-mini II, the Happy is only marginally heavier and larger but a lot more versatile. CEO Ryan Lee told CNET Asia the modular buddy jack from the II will now be a standard feature, so you can daisy-chain as many X-mini II and Happy speakers as you fancy for maximum volume. Battery life is also expected to be similiar at about 11 hours for the speaker, and roughly 6 hours for music playback.
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Hands-on: Get ready for bigger sounds from the X-mini II

Update, April 24: The X-mini II is now out at a retail price of US$35.

It's a mark of achievement when competitors start making clones of your product. Apple's one such trendsetter. XM-I may be another. Though definitely not in the big boys league, the Singapore-based company has blown us away over the years with its "little speakers, mighty sounds" innovative spunk. Having scored a red dot winner with its first X-mini outing, and following this up with the X-mini Max stereo and its clever magnetic hamburger halves, it's now continuing the momentum with the X-mini II.
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