The electric satsuma!

Introduction

Ah, look at the ickle speaker. Isn't it cute?
 
That's the first thing you notice when you get this little gadget out of the over-sized box it comes in.

The second thing that crosses your mind is "surely something this small this can't deliver decent sound". But then you remember all those adages about big things coming in small packages, and think that maybe it can.
 
As well as the ickle speaker, you get a combined USB/3.5mm audio lead. A standard USB plug at one end to plug into your computer, a mini USB plug and a 3.5mm jack at the other end to plug into the speaker - USB to charge, 3.5mm for audio from the computer (so you can charge and listen at the same time). And on top of that, a nice little bag to put the things in when travelling.

Operation

Pretty simple really. Charge it up via a USB cable (either the supplied one, or any other USB to mini USB lead that you have around). Plug in an audio source, either using the built-in 3.5mm cable or the built-in 3.5mm socket.



 
Now the clever bit. Twist it to open it up:-
 

 
It now concertinas open - this gives more room for air to move about, and improves bass response. Switch it on, fire up your tunes, and prepare to be impressed.

Sound Quality

 
Right, let's be clear about this. It's not a KEF speaker. It's not a Mission speaker. It's not a "insert name here" speaker. It's a 40mm speaker that's smaller than a tennis ball, weighs the same as a few bags of crisps, and puts out 2.5 watts. So don't expect reference quality audio where you can sit and stroke your chin whilst placing every single note of every single instrument in whatever piece of music you're listening to.
 
What you do get is perfectly acceptable performance from a mini travel sized speaker. Listening to a range of stuff and it's all fine. It's not going to sound as good as all that stuff you've spend hundreds of pounds on at home, but it certainly sounds as good as my old Creative portable speakers. Music sounds fine. I chucked various different styles at it from my eclectic collection and nothing really tripped it up. Spoken word material (podcasts, radio comedy shows) also sounds fine.
 
It worked perfectly well with MP3 players and even an old discman (remember them?)
 
If you want more noise, simply link it up to another portable speaker (either another X-Mini II or any other speaker of your choice) using the "buddy jack", and away you go. If you buy two and a stereo splitter you could even have stereo sound!
 

 

Conclusion

A superb bit of kit at a competitive price (you can buy it for 20 pounds online). Like I said, it's not going to astound you with its faithful reproduction of musical works. But it will allow you to listen to your music, films, laptop or whatever whilst you're away from your normal speaker systems. For me, it would come in most handy when camping, being small and light (the car's already full to bursting with stuff for camping!)
 
The one tiny fly in the ointment is that you can only charge it via USB. But with so many adapters available nowadays (you can get a USB car lighter socket adapter for just 3 pounds, and a mains one for 6-7 pounds), that's not so much of an issue as there are so many gadgets that charge via USB (phones, GPS, SatNav, etc.). If you don't already have such an adapter, it's certainly going to come in handy if you travel a lot. And then you can charge these speakers up too! As they last around 10-11 hours on a full charge, that should be enough for a weekend away.
 
A cracking little speaker. Recommended for anyone who wants a little bit of sound when on the go!