X-mini

I always glance at Jonathan Margolis’s technology column in the FT How To Spend It supplement. To be truthful, over the years I have amassed quite a lot of gadgets that I never use: a hi-spec digital camera, headphones that gave me tinnitus, AirPlay speakers that don’t always connect and have puppy-chewable flex; I’m a sucker. Here’s my latest acquisition.

It’s smaller than a tenner; it weighs 4 1/2 ounces; it costs less than £30; it lasts five hours between charges; it is waterproof. For once I eschewed austere, matt black for poolside-party scarlet. It turns a ‘phone or tablet into a Prom or a disco. Don’t trust me. Here’s what Jonathan Margolis says:

I’m sent a lot of tech products on spec for review, some of which turn out to be brilliant, but I always take more pride in the hidden gems I hunt down myself. I spotted this extraordinary, tiny Bluetooth stereo speaker, the X-mini Xoundbar, in the US, immediately thought it would be ideal for holidays and lightly packed weekend trips due to its comically small size – it’s 11.9cm x 4.6cm x 2.2cm and weighs 128g – and bought it out of curiosity just to hear if it worked.

The answer is, incredibly well, considering it’s a genuine twin three-watt amplifier-powered stereo speaker that doesn’t only fit in a pocket, but could get lost in one. It’s also properly loud. I used it on the US trip to play Radio 4 in my hotel bathrooms and I could hear it clearly and in rather nice quality even over the noise of the shower. It was also fine with music; sure, you won’t die of bass overload, but it handles undemanding music amply. The Xoundbar is splashproof-certified, so suitable for poolside use too, and gives a little short of five hours’ life on a charge. It is an unusual product and at a silly price. Now I’d love to see the likes of Sony or Bang & Olufsen try something similar.

Let the revels commence.