Xiaomi Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker Review – The Union Journal

That Xiaomi makes the best value-for-money smartphones you can buy in India is nothing new. However, the organization also manufactures a range of audio products, including headphones, earphones, soundbars, and wireless speakers. Like their smartphones, these audio products and services are affordably priced and appeal to budget users. One of the newest audio services and products from Xiaomi is the Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker, that was launched in India in February for Rs. 1,399.

The Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker is compact, affordable, and promises a great deal for the purchase price, including IPX5 water resistance and connection stability because of Bluetooth 5. We’ve reviewed this new affordable speaker from Xiaomi, and some tips about what we think.

The Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker features a rubber base with embossed buttons

 

The Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker usually takes a few splashes

As the word ‘outdoor’ in the merchandise name suggests, this speaker is meant for use outside. Although going outside was not really feasible for us in this review because of the nationwide lockdown, we did have the ability to put the speaker to the test in some simulated outdoor surroundings. The speaker is IPX5 rated for water resistance, giving it a bit of protection from sun and rain, real or simulated.

An IPX5 rating suggests that the speaker may survive a sustained low-pressure water jet spray. We tested this safely on our personal by lightly splashing water on the speaker and holding it under a running tap. The Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker isn’t rated to be fully submerged in water, so that’s something you should avoid – and start to become particularly careful about around pools or bathtubs, since accidents can occur.

The fabric cover within the speaker driver did have the ability to keep water out even under a lightly flowing tap. The rubber-embossed buttons around the sides meant that water did not have a good way to sneak into the electronic bits of the Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker. There’s also a tight rubber flap that protects the Micro-USB port and 3.5mm socket when they are not needed.

A rubber flap covers the Micro-USB port and 3.5mm socket when not in use

 

The Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker is small and easy to handle, thanks to an elastic strap at the top and a rubber base which lets the speaker stay planted of all flat surfaces.

While we usually kept the speaker flat with the driver facing upwards for the best sound, the strap made it an easy task to simply tie or hang the speaker from a suitable hook, and sound was decent in this manner as well.

Under the fabric top layer is a single 5W speaker driver and a 2,000mAh battery that promises 20 hours usage on a single charge. We could get around 15 hours with the device playing at high volumes; decent for a speaker with this size and price.

Sound on the Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker is loud and fun

Despite its compactness and single speaker driver, the Mi Outdoor Bluetooth speaker is loud, punchy, and fun. The sound is driven and bass-happy, and is effective with fast, exciting tracks. For most readily useful results, turn the volume entirely up. The speaker sounded pretty good even at the 80 per cent volume level, but at low volumes, we felt that it lost most of its drive.

Listening to Zombies On Your Lawn from the Plants vs Zombies soundtrack, we loved how the speaker rumbled since the bass kicked in. We also discovered that the bass sounded most readily useful when the speaker was added to a thick, hard surface, while soft materials took a bit of the punch from the sound. The highs sounded crisp aswell, and vocals were distinct and clear throughout the track.

The bottom of the speaker is rubber, which helps grip the surface it’s on

 

Switching to Keep It Close by Seven Lions, we were impressed with how sharp and defined the sound was. The manufactured bass elements in this dubstep track sounded almost electric, lending an appealing new character to this track. Unlike almost every other compact devices in this price range, the Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker produces a clean, even sound that provides enough by means of bass and treble, while also letting the mid-range shine through.

You usually takes the Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker together with you on trips or put it to use by the pool. The sound will undoubtedly be good enough if you are close to the speaker and can put it on a tough, flat surface. Interestingly, the speaker is a lot more capable indoors, making us wonder perhaps the product name might discourage a lot of audience. It’s loud enough for a small room, and more than effective for personal listening along with your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. There’s even a microphone, so you can put it to use for hands-free calls; sound was decent enough because of this as well.

The Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker works just fine even indoors

 

Verdict

Affordable wireless speakers have often disappointed us, however the Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker is a refreshing splash of fun in a otherwise drab space. The speaker looks good, is made well, while offering a fair little more by way of water resistance than most other wireless speakers coming in at under Rs. 1,500. Good sound quality and decent battery life would be the icing on the cake.

While there are several decent options in the market from brands such as for instance Boat, JBL, and Philips that are also worth considering, the Xiaomi Mi Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker gets the value-for-money proposition right. It’s an entire package, and we’d recommend it if you are looking for an entry-level wireless speaker, no matter whether you use it indoors or outdoors.

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