I tested almost all wireless speakers of a well-known brand: choose yours.
Xiaomi wireless speakers have earned well-deserved attention from the Russian buyer. Louder, cleaner sounding, cheaper, and even in a store nearby. But there are almost no more reliable, diverse and balanced devices on the market.
Xiaomi Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker (QBH4042CN)
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Appearance
An all-metal parallelepiped on rubber legs, with thin neat air duct openings - what could be stylistically more competent and pleasant?
Without laughing, Xiaomi's largest portable speaker looks like 100. Assembled - even better. Nothing rattles, does not shake, the buttons (of which there are 4 pieces) do not rattle.
Functional
Unlike all other Bluetooth speakers from the company, Bluetooth 4.0 speaker is autonomous boombox. You don't need a phone - you can connect any player, computer or tape recorder via a cable with mini-jacks at both ends. Or just paste microSD card with mp3 files.
Using the built-in microphone, the speaker can work as a speakerphone (hands-free device).
The bottom button is used to connect with a smartphone or listen to a pleasant female voice broadcasting in pure Chinese about the connection status
and battery. Others are needed to control music and calls.
sound
The sound volume is sufficient for a small event. Will replace Bluetooth 4.0 speaker and desktop computer acoustics. Enough for a picnic and a small disco. At full power, it is unpleasant to be near the device - too loud for one person.
The sound is full, "fat" - the entire audible spectrum is fully present, including low frequencies. The tops do not clog the middle band, and even at maximum volume they do not manifest themselves as rattling or sibilants.
Buy Xiaomi Bluetooth Speaker for $35
Xiaomi Square Box (NDZ-03-GB)
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Appearance
An improved and somewhat simplified version of the previous column. Unlike a big brother, it is designed for the international market and is not equipped with a voice assistant.
There are few external differences: the younger version does not have control buttons, carrying only the power button (a short press plays the role of Play / Pause) and a charging port.
In addition, the appearance square box depends on color. White is symmetrical, black (shown in the photo) has a plastic back panel with diamonds. The perforation for both options in the middle is fake - deaf.
Functional
Most Xiaomi Bluetooth speakers have a built-in microphone. square box not suitable for speakerphone.
This model does not carry any additional functions: we have just a device for loud sound playback from portable media via Bluetooth.
However, a new revision with an index of 2, gradually replacing the regular "rectangular box", is equipped with additional features and at the same price is more desirable to buy.
sound
The sound is quieter and less “thick” than in the older brother: a narrower stage (and still these are not classic “tweeters” from a local stall), more blurry highs. However, for personal use and a small company, this is still enough.
In general, the main difference from the more expensive modification in sound is lower volume. The passive radiator gives very rich low frequencies. With the help of this speaker, a party on an area of up to 20 square meters is easily sounded: the low frequencies of the Bluetooth “box” are like in large acoustics.
Due to the design of the perforation of the case, the sound has a clear direction, behind the speaker it is much quieter. Despite this, even the maximum volume does not pose any problem for the Xiaomi Square Box - there are absolutely no noises or distortions.
Buy Xiaomi Square Box for $19
Xiaomi Bluetooth Speaker 2 (LYYX017M)
Characteristics
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Appearance
Cylindrical Speaker 2 has the most original design among all the devices presented in the article. The role of the control button is played by the upper part.
Speaker 2 made of plastic - only the swivel ring is metal. The loudspeaker's protective grille, hidden behind a rag mesh, is also made of plastic.
The format of the device allows installation in most bottle holders - to a bicycle, stroller or other means of transportation and transportation. Use as a sports accessory is limited - no dust and moisture protection T.
Functional
Like the older model Xiaomi speaker 2 likes to talk and notifies you in a pleasant female voice when it is turned on and connected to a smartphone. In Chinese.
If that doesn't raise any questions, the endlessly spinning mechanical volume control (whose role is played by the entire top of the case) turns it into Xiaomi's most comfortable Bluetooth speaker.
Additional control functions are assigned to the pommel button. I pressed the grate on top - the column turned on, the music began to play. Once again, pause. Similarly, the column works with incoming calls.
sound
The manufacturer claims stereo sound. Unfortunately, this is not confirmed in any of the analyzes (however, as well as in official materials). But it is not refuted either.
The sound is loud enough for one room, at a level square box. The sound is clear over the entire reproducible range, there are no wheezing and sibilants - the problematic frequencies are “cut” at the hardware level. The audible part is sufficient for most genres of music, except for extreme metal sub-styles.
Shaking and carrying does not affect the sound of the speaker. The horizontal position also does not affect playback.
Buy Xiaomi Speaker 2 for $23
Xiaomi Mi Portable (XMYX02YM)
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Appearance
The smallest among Xiaomi portable speakers. Very similar to a cylindrical shower head - but much smaller than any of them. The edges are decorated with a neat chamfer.
On the reverse side is a very convenient rubber button, which is impossible to miss. It has a charging port, next to which is a hole for a lace.
Dimensions and weight allow you to attach Mi Portable on a woman's handbag or a bunch of keys, not to mention a backpack or a bicycle.
Functional
The speaker has a built-in microphone. By pressing a single button, control is carried out Xiaomi Mi Portabl e: Turn on/off and pause/play the current track.
With its help, you can turn the speaker into a hands-free device (the microphone is hidden in the hole for the cord) - with one click, take a call or hang up.
sound
Despite the dimensions, Mi Portable is quite suitable for a small company or personal use - as a loud speaker or speakerphone. The volume is enough for a noisy street, biking alone or video conference for the whole company.
The sound is clear, wheezing appears only at maximum volume when playing high frequencies. Like other Xiaomi speakers, Mi Portable does a good job with bass and video sound effects.
Hi all.
The column is available in 3 colors: silver, gold and black. Since the boy will use the column, I opted for gray (if it doesn’t matter to you, then gold can be found for a few dollars cheaper). The parcel was sent with a full track, so information about its movement from China to Belarus is available at the link.
The column is supplied in the original factory packaging, which is a cardboard box. At the time of receipt, it is in a polyethylene package, sealed on all sides. Like the rest of the packaging from Xiaomi, the box does not have a colorful design and an abundance of information. For example, on the lid, apart from the manufacturer's logo, there is nothing:
Brief information about the object inside is printed on one of the side faces. True, the language here is Chinese. So little is clear at first glance:
Opening the cover, you can examine the scope of delivery. And here it is simple and uncomplicated: a column, and instructions in Chinese. Not even a charging cable. Xiaomi saved in full.
But before proceeding to a direct review of the column, I think it would not be superfluous to acquaint you with its characteristics (a free translation from Google, but the essence is clear):
DESCRIPTION:
This is a super portable Bluetooth V4.0 round design that makes it easy to hear whatever is playing anywhere. 2W, which produces sound louder than a normal speaker, giving you an extraordinary sound experience. The CVC6.0 noise reduction system is suitable for office, home, outdoor or party use.
Main characteristics:
1. Bluetooth V4.0 technology, compatible with most Bluetooth-enabled devices, including iPhone 7 Plus, 7, 6S Plus, 6S, 6, 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, S6, etc.
2. Powerful connection range can be up to 5 meters in open area.
3. Built-in microphone for hands-free calling.
4. With a rechargeable lithium battery that provides 4 hours of continuous playback.
5. Support song switch, volume control via your Bluetooth device.
6. Beautifully crafted with aluminum alloy body. The Xiaomi Bluetooth speaker is strong and durable.
As with other Xiaomi products, there are no complaints about the workmanship. Everything looks very nice, and from all sides. The aluminum case is qualitatively processed and covered either with paint or spraying. Due to the use of this material, you can not be afraid of the safety of the column even after a fall. Inside, nothing dangles, does not knock, does not roll.
The column diameter is 5.2 centimeters and the maximum height is 2.5 centimeters. Weight about 60 grams. When I saw it for the first time, I had a logical question about how it would sound. The dimensions seem too small.
The base of the column (back side) is rubber. It has a lot of inscriptions in Chinese, a connector for connecting a charging cable, an on / off button, holes behind which are an information diode and a microphone.
The rubber prevents the speaker from sliding on the surface and prevents it from "rattling" during sound. But at the same time, it perfectly transmits vibrations from the speaker located inside the column to the table. The indicator can glow red and blue: they flash alternately while searching for a device, blue flashes after connection, and red glows during charging.
There are holes on the side of the case for attaching a cord, so you can wear the speaker even around your neck, even on a bag :)
The speaker does not have any buttons (volume control, switching tracks, etc.), all playback audio is controlled from a smartphone or tablet. In addition, the column does not support memory cards, there is no radio in it either. In my opinion, these are its main shortcomings.
Now a little about the charging time and battery capacity. At the time of receipt, the battery was about 50% charged. Hoping to discharge it quickly, the column was launched and played for about 2 hours. Unfortunately, during this time nothing happened and the battery charge indicator displayed on the smartphone screen did not move much. So at the time of connection to charging, the battery in the column was not completely discharged:
Charging began with a current of 0.35A, which gradually decreased. The whole process took about 45 minutes. After this time, 305 mAh was “poured” into the column. So there is no doubt that the actual battery capacity corresponds to the declared one and is 480 mAh.
There were no problems with the process of connecting the speaker to the phone. Everything went great the first time.
Now about the most important and interesting - sound quality. When ordering a column, I was sure that it would play perfectly. Seeing her live, my confidence has lost ground a bit. But after I turned it on, everything fell into place. Despite the fact that the dimensions of the speaker are more than compact, it sounds great. At maximum volume, nothing wheezes, does not crack (but this is when listening to pop :)). It sounds much louder than a phone and certainly not quieter than bulkier speakers from other manufacturers. And on the table on which the speaker lay, vibration from low-frequency sounds was even transmitted, which no one expected.
Summing up everything that was written here, I will say that I personally liked the purchase. It is well-made, has a small price and, most importantly, it sounds great for its size. I hope its future owner will also like it (even though it does not have a radio and support for memory cards).
That's all. Thank you for your attention and your time.
I plan to buy +4 Add to favorites Liked the review +11 +22Square Box 2 is a device for a dynamic personality.
Home accessories should match the style of their time. Just yesterday it was the standard to buy paintings, figurines and other gizmos just for admiring. This can be done today, but modernity expands the boundaries. Today, an accessory can be useful in everyday life, and a household item becomes a charming home decoration. Isn't this a step forward worth trying?
Non-ferrous metals
Square Box 2 is made entirely of aluminum. This raises the bar for the visual high cost and attractiveness of the device, and also reliably protects the case from damage. The metallic sheen effectively enhances the Square Box 2's color palette.
Advantages
This portable speaker has 2 speakers, thanks to which the sound is reproduced much "cleaner", more spacious and louder. At the same time, Square Box 2 can work within a radius of 10 meters from the device. Also, the column has an increased mode of operation without recharging: 8-10 hours.
Who is it suitable for?
People who want to buy a decent portable speaker that will take up little space, but provide a large space with musical content.
Those who consider themselves music lovers and appreciate high-quality taste will like the Xiaomi portable speaker. The manufacturer's lineup includes several models, including the miniature Square Box 2, which has dimensions slightly larger than a smartphone.
Technologies and capabilities of Xiaomi bluetooth speakers
Xiaomi wireless speaker, depending on the model, supports various data transfer profiles. Among them:
- HFP. Thanks to him, the device is connected to the phone and used as a Hands Free headset. HFP supports mono audio transmission.
- A2DP. Thanks to him, the Xiaomi bluetooth speaker plays audio from the device connected to it (tablet, phone, etc.). This protocol supports the transmission of a two-channel audio stream and various codecs. This ensures high quality sound.
- AVRCP. Thanks to him, any wireless bluetooth speaker offered by Xiaomi supports remote control of various functions of the device paired with it (answering calls, adjusting the volume, etc.).
All wireless speakers manufactured by Xiaomi support the bluetooth interface. It has a high data transfer rate and low power consumption. Due to this, a fairly high duration of operation of the devices is ensured. The range for the devices in question is about 10 meters.
For example, the new Xiaomi Square Box 2 speaker is capable of continuous music playback for up to 8 hours. And Xiaomi's round portable bluetooth speaker has even more headroom. Its claimed battery life for audio playback is 12 hours.
Xiaomi column: it's worth buying because of the sound
The manufacturer pays due attention to the quality and intensity of sound. High quality sound is ensured through the use of digital echo and noise cancellation circuits, as well as powerful sound processing chips, which are responsible for removing interference from its purity.
Another reason why you should buy a Xiaomi speaker is the case material. In all models it is metal. Thanks to this, it is possible to provide high strength and resistance to external factors. Among the undeniable advantages of products from this category (be it a Xiaomi bluetooth speaker or another model) is the cost. In its price segment, this equipment has no equal in terms of sound quality and feature set.
show in full
Interaction with a smart home is one of the priority areas for all systems of this kind. Is it possible to call a house smart if to turn on the light you need to get a smartphone, go to the application and activate the lighting there? In order for the house to become smart, you need to learn how to communicate with it, and if it knows how to notify you, then it is not yet possible to listen to you and execute commands.
But progress does not stand still and the solution to this issue was implemented in the smart Xiaomi Mi AI Speaker!
The column is delivered in a nice box, which contains various useful information (alas, but only in Chinese):
Let's take a look inside:
Xiaomi devices come in the same design concept, so the column is very reminiscent of a small air purifier. The box itself and the power supply are included. Since it does not have a built-in battery, it can only work from the mains. And of course the power supply plug of the Chinese format.
The touch control unit is located on the top of the column. Also there are 6 microphones:
In the center is the Play button, which controls playback. On the sides are buttons for rewinding or switching the audio track. At the top is a button to turn the microphone on and off. And below is the skip playlist button.
The circular notch is a touch sensitive volume control, quite sensitive to touch.
Along the edges of the column is an LED ring, the color of which changes depending on the current state.
Characteristics of Mi AI Speaker
Manufacturer | Mi |
Model | MDZ-25-DA |
Housing material | White matte plastic |
Dimensions | 210mm x 88mm x 88mm |
Communication modules | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz \ 5 GHz; Bluetooth 4.1 |
Frequency range | 60Hz - 15000Hz (-6dB) |
speaker | 57 mm 82 dB/m/W |
CPU | 64-bit Cortex A53 with four cores 1.2 Ghz |
Additionally | Omnidirectional array of 6 microphones |
Mi Ai Speaker sound
Since sound reproduction is not the main purpose of the device, the speaker's capabilities are curtailed. For example, there is no AUX jack and AirPlay is not supported. Audio can be played via Bluetooth connection and Internet radio. DLNA technology is also supported.
Inside the speaker are 2 speakers 60Hz - 18KHz allowing you to give out a sound of 82 dB. Below is a passive radiator that acts as a subwoofer.
The speaker sounds quite good, the bass is felt. It will not work to go deaf, but to fill the room with music is quite. Do not forget that the sound in this column is not the main thing.
App for Xiaomi AI Speaker
If you are trying to add a speaker to MiHome in the usual way, then most likely nothing will work for you (at least at the testing stage). To control the smart speaker, a special Mi AI application is used. Traditionally, the only available language is Chinese. But this is not a reason to be upset, keep the translated application, version 1.2.7 (for Android). For iOS, the app can be downloaded here:
As with all Xiaomi applications, you can use your Mi account data (similarly with MiHome). After authorization, we are offered to add a column:
For some reason, the first time I could not connect the column, an error was generated:
But since I did not have any network barriers, I pressed the "Retry" button and the speaker connected normally. Next, the application asks for information about your preferences:
I don’t know about you, but I liked the guy in the striped sweater. But despite this, I skipped these settings, I'm cool with Chinese music. This completes the initial column setup:
But do not believe everything that is written, if you say "Mi Ai", nothing will happen. But more on that later, but for now let's look at the tabs of the application:
First tab: Internet radio. Mostly there are Chinese artists, but there are also tracks from major Western bands. I did not manage to find Russian-speaking performers.
Second tab: Smart home control. One of the main purposes of the speaker is voice control of smart devices. This is where the pairing of Mi Ai and MiHome applications is configured, although not the first time. When you clicked the "Mi Ai Speaker Authorization" button, the application constantly complained about the lack of MiHome And only after 5 attempts, with restarting all applications, the pairing was established. Next, the application requested access to devices:
After adding permissions, the tab displays managed devices and voice control commands:
Now let's see how to communicate with the column.
Xiaomi smart home voice control
One of the main purposes of Mi AI Speaker is smart home voice control. Similar to Google and its "Ok google", the control is activated by a passphrase: 小爱同学. If suddenly someone does not speak Chinese, then insert the phrase into the translator with the playback function. The translator's voice recognizes with a bang, but my pronunciation is clearly alien to her.
But it’s not enough to activate voice control, then you need to name the action and the name of the device (of course, everything is in Chinese). If you decide to actively use Chinese, then it is better to change the name of smart devices to a numerical value, for a simpler pronunciation. The complete command will look something like this:
小爱同学 打开开关 五
Which turns on the Aqara switch, which is called "5". I myself felt stupid when I tried to repeat this phrase after the translator, which, unfortunately, I did not succeed. A logical question arises:
Will there be support for other languages in the Mi Ai Speaker?
Despite the fact that the column came out about a year ago, it is still in the testing phase. There is no official information at the moment. But I would not particularly hope for an early release of multilingualism. Most likely there will be support for the English language, at the moment the Amazon Echo assistant with the Alexa voice assistant is expected to go on sale.
Let's return to our column, or rather to the 3rd tab of the application: Tools. There are collected useful commands that the column can process, you can find out about the weather, set an alarm or find out about traffic jams, etc. All this is of course interesting if you live in China. With ignorance of the language, this tab is useless.
Well, the fourth tab: Profile. Change Wi-Fi or Bluetooth settings, install updates, and more.
For 2990 rubles. Or order in China from AliExpress or.
And then it will be seen, they will add at least English - it will be great. Or maybe someone will screw Alice from Yandex? Unlikely, but also possible. The development of voice control systems is actively developing, and it is quite logical that home automation systems will completely switch to it in the coming years. We will follow the developments, and thank you for reading, until we meet again.