Sexy.
Cambridge Audio has put together a very impressive package with the Minx line of products. From sound-bars to stereo setups, cinema surround to laptop micro, they’ve got you covered. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the portable end of their Minx line—the Minx Go.
The Minx Go takes on many of the design features of its larger brother, the Minx Air, but has the ability to be packed and carried to any event you might feel the urge to bust a move at. With a battery lasting 18 hours, Bluetooth memory for 8(!) separate devices, on-board digital amp AND digital-to-audio converter AND digital signal processor … well, lets just say your music sounds really good. Designed with acoustic dampening in mind, the Go can maintain that consistent sound even when you turn the speaker volume up—a typical failure point for most portable Bluetooth devices. Despite the portability that the Minx Go is designed for, it performs very well at filling a medium-sized room up with music.
Bass radiator and kickstand visible
Specifications
The Minx Go is definitely easy on the eyes. With a nice glossy hard plastic shell and metal grille up front, the speaker comes in at a hefty 2.5lbs. Buttons across the top for power and volume feel firm and “clicky” while the rubberized bottom provides good grip. A small kickstand pulls out to keep the beast stable, given that it’s only 2.5in deep. The 9.3in width carries a slight curve, which gives plenty of room across the backside for a USB port to charge your device, a 3.5mm jack, power plug and bass radiator to really add some ‘oomph’ to your music. Underneath the hood, two .75 inch titanium-domed tweeters and dual 2 inch subwoofers utilize a spongy radiator incredibly well. The unit is very solid and feels great—build quality here really shows. The added travel bag should help keep the unit’s looks, but I still wouldn’t toss this around too much—it’s certainly not heavily armored.
Turning the Minx Go on for the first time automatically put it into pairing mode. Syncing up went off without a hitch, so I decided to test it with two other devices. True to its word, I had no need to re-sync the Minx Go with any of of the three devices after the fact—a huge plus. The only hiccup came from attempting to take an already-paired Bluetooth device and connecting it via the 3.5mm jack. Make sure you’ve got your Bluetooth signal turned off first before attempting this.
How does it sound?
Really, really, good. Even over Bluetooth (which, compared to a hardwired solution, will always sound lacking,) the audio quality from a variety of sources really delivered. The device has been designed with acoustic dampening in mind to handle the higher volumes it’s likely to be set at, often times this is a sticking point for this portable category. Typically, you’ll find the audio getting muddy, the unit vibrating heavily, or just a terribly overpowering tweeter/subwoofer that ruins the music. Hiding my little Jambox speaker in a corner to bounce sound for amplification is how I’ve avoided this problem. The Minx Go, however, does just fine on its own—even out in the open.
The bass radiator on the Go really blows any other portable speaker I’ve used out of the water. Lower frequencies are hardly a challenge—Daft Punk and Glitch Mob sounded incredible—and remember, this is a portable Bluetooth speaker. Instruments and vocals were great in everything I threw at it: Jason Mraz, Coldplay, Muse, and Foo Fighters included (don’t judge me.) During our Official Icrontic Beach Test™, the audio was nearly maxed out to compete with the crashing waves and wind—no trouble for the Go, it handled it like a champ with no discernible distortion of audio. This thing will handle your backyard BBQ, birthday party, etc.
Cambridge Audio’s Minx Go really offered a level of performance far past what I expected to get from a Bluetooth speaker. The low frequency capabilities really deliver and create a powerful experience on the go. It looks beautiful, has heaps of battery life and charges your device to boot. If you appreciate good sound and enjoy hosting events where built-in speakers aren’t an option, the Minx Go is a very good bet.
The Minx Go is available for $179.00 on Amazon and other retailers.
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