In the course of testing all of the stuff that passes through the HWM offices, we find ourselves having to sift through a lot of dross to get to the good stuff. A side effect of all of this is that the editors here, including me, gradually acquire a kind of “sixth sense” that is able to tell a good product from the horrible dross. In this case however, I’m glad to report that my vaunted “sixth sense” was way off the mark, and what I originally earmarked for a quick test and put-down turned out to be one of the better gems to pass through my hands this month. The product in question is the X-Minimax Portable Speakers.

                                             It's really tiny, but you can't see it with this picture..

The X-Minimax proudly touts “Minimum Size. Maximum sound” on its packaging, and remains true to this claim especially after testing. That is to say, after taking into consideration the basic limitations of such a small package, the main mission of portability for this product, and the price range it is offered in, I can confidently say that this is one of the best sounding-per-ounce set of speakers on the market today. It truly is maximizing the sound output (and to a certain extent, quality) in the most minimum of space possible.

                                             For comparison purposes. And no, that's not its battery.

I approached this speaker set like I would any hardware product packaged in squishy, transparent plastic – with a lot of skepticism. Aside from its small size, the not so well-known brand also contributed to a feeling of low expectation for the speaker set. I expected the Minimax to perform adequately at best, and throw away-crappy at worst. This low expectation made this speaker set’s performance all the more surprising. Initial impressions were actually very good, in spite of my determination to classify this product as “dross”. The two speakers weigh in at just 100grams, and when closed and stuck together using the integrated magnets, measures a tiny 52 x 52 x 70 mm. It is similar in size to three (small) yoyos stuck together at the sides. A combined charger/signal cable is included in the package, plus a felt carrying case. That’s the main components of the package – a study in efficient packaging.

                                             Locked and unlocked modes.

The speakers “unlock” to form accordion – like speaker bodies, giving off a noticeable improvement in bass response from the closed position. Set-up is as easy as pie – the one-piece cable has retractable attachments for each speaker leading to a USB plug-in and a sound jack. Each speaker has an on/off switch, with requisite blue LED lighting when turned on. The LEDs turn red when charging. The speakers themselves hold Li-Ion rechargeable batteries good for a claimed 10 hours, tested as 8:30 hours/minutes in our offices – at high volume levels. And for its size it gets real loud. Better yet, unlike your typical “portable” speaker (although none approaches the small size of this set) high volumes doesn’t automatically equate to “basag”, or broken sound. Although its performance is far from “excellent”, the level of “good enough” that it reached is more than adequate considering its portable nature and small build.

                                             The complete system. Just add source.

Going through my old library of tunes, I tested everything from pure vocals, heavy percussion, acoustic hits, and raucous anime openings with lots of high-pitched voices. Nothing professional about the test regimen, but then again, this speaker set isn’t meant for any kind of professional listening. All the tracks came out better than expected, with passable bass, very good mids, and somewhat strained highs. There was no distortion except at nearly max volume. All in all, this is the best set of portable speakers you can buy today; at a price of P2000 (SRP), you truly do get the maximum sound for its size – it makes the best of its limitations by producing good-enough sound in a super small package combined with neat ease-of-use features – it lives up to its seemingly boastful claims and leaves me re-evaluating my product classification skills. More pictures to follow.

                                              Stuck together for good portability. Now it looks like a thermal charge.

                                              The two mini USB connectors connect to the speakers, while the in-jack connects to a computer or media device.

                                              Here's the soft and squishy plastic packaging.