Listening to your favourite music on a regular basis can help us improve our physical, mental and emotional health. Of course, one needs a good music system to indulge in this activity, in the comfort zones within our homes. Recently, I got my hands on a compact yet superbly built portable Bluetooth speaker from the Japanese electronics brand, Aiwa; a competent audio system with good sound quality, great ergonomics, and clever design. We are talking about the MI-X440 Enigma Beta, it carries a somewhat hefty price tag of Rs 39,990, but is grand in terms of appearance and sound quality. A quick deep-dive into some of its key attractions.
The review unit I received is very nice-looking and has a high-quality, sturdy feel to it. It comes with retro aesthetics, hence will appeal to those who grew up listening to music on Aiwa systems back in the eighties. Here’s the best part: it is portable and comes with powerful rechargeable batteries, so it can be used both inside and outside. I set up the unit in the TV room, an area barely frequented these days on account of dwindling TV viewing habits.
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Technically speaking, the MI-X440 Enigma Beta has a BASS++ sound profile. It comes equipped with high-end features and audio technology. For instance, over Bluetooth 5.0, it provides audio in 24-bit music quality. Moving further, this Aiwa unit comes with two passive bass radiators (front+ back) for even distribution of sound. The speaker also has Type – C charging point that enables four hours of charging time and 9 hours of playback time, powered by a 15000 mAh Li-ion battery delivering a strong 80W of powerful sound.
Additionally, the MI-X440 Enigma Beta speaker is accompanied by a cordless mic for the Karaoke enthusiasts. There is also a digital control panel, and a 3.5mm Aux-in. The speaker also has TSW Multi-Link technology as a standard, allowing consumers to link multiple products in tandem.
Frankly speaking, I spend a lot of time reviewing Bluetooth speakers and reading a lot on them. When I stumbled on this piece of audio equipment from Aiwa, my happiness knew no bounds because I grew up in the eighties, a time when Aiwa was a strong brand. Needless to day, I was quite impressed with the performance of this Aiwa system—the sound quality is superb, with great bass and clarity at high volumes.
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I synced the MI-X440 Enigma Beta with my laptop where I store a lot of songs, and even streamed English and Hindi songs from Spotify. Here again, I achieved amazing sound quality—comparable to my expensive Sony home Hi-Fi set-up. Warm, room-filling sound combined with extremely crisp and clear highs. It’s very easy to set up, completely up and running within a few minutes.
This Aiwa speaker is quite a looker too, it’s lightweight, and loud enough to fill the entire living room for a house party without much loss of sound quality. Highly recommended.
SPECIFICATIONS
* Power output: 80W
* Frequency response: 60 Hz-15KHz
* Signal to Noise ratio: > 60dB
* Playback mode: BT, Aux-in, USB
* Playback time: 9 hours, 4 hours charging time
* Estimated street price: Rs 39,990