With the same studio tools used to create the world’s best soundtracks for music, cinema, and video games, the X2 gives you the capacity to enhance your listening experience like never before on a Consumer device. There are certain flaws with the Blueant X2 that could be deal-breakers, but overall, it offers excellent value for the money.
There are literally hundreds of Bluetooth speakers on the market today, ranging in price from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. As of today, there is a significant disparity between what you get for your money and what you can spend. Sonos speakers come in a wide range of prices, from $30 for a basic model to upwards of $600 for the Sonos Move, with practically every price point in between.
Advanced DSP TECHNOLOGY
- Digital signal processing (DSP) software has won multiple Grammy awards.
- Assembled equalisation
- The invention of patented psycho-acoustic bass extension.
- Enhanced high-frequency clarity.
- An incredibly fine-tuned equalization for paragraphs.
- Increased volume without artifacts thanks to advanced dynamics compensation
- Stabilizers for smooth output levels.
- Users have the finest seat in the house with stereo spatial augmentation.
It’s as easy as you’d expect pairing to be in this day and age. Within two minutes of turning it on and searching for suitable devices, it was already connected and ready to listen. It features a built-in microphone for taking phone calls, which, depending on who is calling and where you are, can be a problem with many Bluetooth speakers.
What’s the matter with this?
In terms of sound quality, the Blueant X2 Bluetooth portable speaker is on par with other speakers in its class. It’s a compact cylinder, about 185 mm high and 75 mm in diameter, with controls for volume, playing, and handling phone calls, as well as a charging connector. When it comes to the Micro USB Charging, I have some reservations. Adding a Micro USB charger to my equipment would feel like a step backward and would necessitate another cable, which I don’t want to do.
Only approximately 70% of the time does the Google Assistant integration perform as advertised. A double tap of the Play/pause button serves as the activation mechanism. Even if it’s only a matter of building up some muscle memory, I’ve seen a surprisingly low level of reactivity. If you double touch at the appropriate speed, the Assistant will perform as expected. If you go too slowly, you’ll only be able to start and stop media playing; if you go too quickly, nothing will be recorded. This is Assistant, and I apologize if I’m talking out of my arse, but what exactly is wrong with using “Hey Google” as an AV trigger?
The speaker weighs less than 500 grams, making it easy to carry around in your luggage or keep in your car for easy access. JBL Flip 5 has been my go-to speaker since I reviewed it, and since then, I’ve gotten a lot of use out of that speaker. The speaker’s sound quality isn’t bad at all. There’s enough volume to fill a living room or meeting room, but you’ll need to be careful where you set it because the sound is quite directed. In other words, the speaker’s controls are positioned so that they face the listener. Having your ear “behind” the speaker reduces midrange clarity while increasing the low end’s dominance in the mix.
What’s Missing from this picture?
In addition to the users I’ve already listed, the Micro USB port is a deal-breaker for many others as well. Even if it’s just a $10 difference, I’d gladly pay extra for a product like this if it featured USB C. At high volume, the sound quality degraded noticeably (most notably in terms of distortion). Testing this and limiting the volume to the point where distortion doesn’t occur would be a simple matter.
When it arrived, I had low expectations for a sub-$100 speaker, but it surprised me with a positive first impression. The quality that a $99 speaker could produce blew me away (especially when considering the cost). Perhaps my expectations were too low. To be clear, this isn’t Sonos-quality sound, but it’s excellent for the money, whether you’re using it indoors or out. The X2 sounded great with a wide variety of music, but it was clearly unable to handle high volumes. As soon as there was no bass, the sound became distorted and harsh in the high frequencies. Just keep the volume down and avoid this problem. If you need more volume, you may need a second speaker or a better-quality speaker.
The IP56 “splash proof” rating and the Aux line are the X2’s unexpected benefits. Keep it out of the water, unless you’re looking for a particularly costly paperweight, but a splash or a drink spill won’t do much harm. With this in mind, it’s a great speaker to bring along to family picnics, parks for recreation, and other “out and about” days with your loved ones. If you connect your phone via Bluetooth, you’ll be able to get 12 hours of battery life and moderate loudness. Because you’re not receiving data via a transmitter and so requiring more power, utilizing the line appears to extend the battery life by roughly 10%.
Is there any Bass?
It felt that way to me, at least. This system has a decent amount of bass, and if it weren’t for my much superior other systems, I’d be pleased. With “Bad Guy,” for instance, the majority of the bass is given in full. The bottom notes have a lower pitch, which is evident. (And if you’ve listened to this music in its entirety, you’ve probably noticed that parts of the track’s low frequencies are noticeably absent.) However, I’m also exploring some ludicrous options. (provigil) This is a speaker that is compact, waterproof, and powered by a rechargeable battery.
In the lower treble, there was an edge that raised the cymbals over their normal pitch. This was evident on the first album by the classical/rock fusion band Sky. I’m not complaining about the cymbal prominence; it was just something to be aware of. You may have guessed by now that I was impressed with the BlueAnt X2 speaker’s performance. Right? My apologies for any confusion. However, the bass boost feature appeared promising, but I would not use it. There was a three-decibel bump in the frequency range between 100 and 400 hertz, but it had no effect on the deepest bass. Surely, this would have an impact on the battery’s lifespan.
Final thoughts: I have a bad feeling about how Google Assistant is being implemented right now. Double-tapping the play button initiates the effect, which is hit-or-miss at best. I don’t see why “Hey Google” isn’t a valid trigger when the speaker is already attached to your phone and has a microphone.
Conclusion
When it comes to electronics, we’re often spoiled for choice, and it’s hard to avoid being judgmental of bargain-basement items. The X2 has a lot going for it at just $99, making it a good value. Several of the problems I’ve encountered with it are based on my personal preferences. The X2 is a budget Bluetooth speaker, yet it competes favorably with some of the more costly models on the market. It’s sleek and has some resistance to splashing, so it’s a good choice.
