Michal Ždanský Despite the abundance of Bluetooth speakers, you will find few that are compact enough to fit in your pocket. There is nothing to be surprised, as the thickness of the speakers is reduced, the quality usually decreases, and the result is a "middle" hell with poor durability and practically unlistenable sound. It's even more of a surprise Esquire Mini by Harman/Kardon, which in many ways shattered my preconceptions about thin speakers.
The Esquire Mini is practically a scaled down version of the version H/K Esquire. While the big brother resembled a Mac mini, the Esquire Mini is shaped more like an iPhone. Its profile is similar in size to the iPhone 6, but the thickness is roughly twice that of the aforementioned phone. After all, there are more similarities with Apple products. The precision with which Harman/Kardon manufactures speakers is such that even Cupertino would not be ashamed of it.
The speaker has a beautiful metal frame around the entire perimeter, which looks like a mix between a MacBook and an iPhone 5. The similarity with the phone is evident in the diamond-cut edges, which were one of the typical elements of the sixth and seventh generation of Apple phones. But the difference is on the back of the speaker, they are made of leather.
We also find all the controls and ports on the frame. On the upper side, there are three buttons for turning on, pairing via Bluetooth and receiving a call, and a rocker for volume control. On one of the sides there is a microUSB connector for charging, a 3,5mm jack audio input and a classic USB for connecting a phone. In addition to the ports, there are also two cut-outs for attaching a strap. On the other side there is a microphone and five LEDs to indicate charging.
The front part with the speakers is covered by a grid made of hardened plastic with a design reminiscent of Kevlar, the other side is made up of the same shell, this time without the grid, with a retractable stand in the middle. The chrome plating on the stands makes it look like it's only plastic, but it's actually stainless steel, so there's no need to worry about it breaking. It's a shame that Harman/Kardon didn't prefer to stick with brushed metal as the speaker frame.
Despite this little thing, this is still one of the nicest speakers you can buy. Harman/Kardon profiles itself as a manufacturer of premium electronics, and the design and processing, especially in the Esquire Mini, shows this. After all, even the color variations, in which we can find gold (champagne) and bronze brown in addition to black and white, indicate that H/K targets those who are looking for luxury premium goods that perfectly complement Apple's design.
You won't get any carrying case for the Esquire mini, but in addition to the USB charging cable, you'll at least find the elegant strap mentioned above.
Sound and endurance
I was skeptical, to say the least, about the sound of such a thin two-centimeter-thick device. My surprise was even greater when the first notes began to flow from the speaker. The sound was very clean and clear, not slurred or distorted. Something you would hardly find in similarly thin devices.
Not that a narrow profile doesn't have its limits. The reproduction clearly lacks bass frequencies, which are difficult to achieve with these dimensions. Bass is not completely absent, but its level is significantly weaker. On the contrary, the speaker has pleasant heights, although the center frequencies are still the most pronounced, which is not too surprising. However, if you don't play music with significant bass, the Esquire Mini is great for lighter listening, as well as for watching movies, although the massive explosions of Michael Bay will probably be lost due to less bass.
However, if you consider the reproduction that this is one of the slimmest devices of its kind on the market, and the sound that flows from similar speakers, the Esquire Mini is a minor miracle. The volume is, as expected, lower, ideal for personal listening or sounding a smaller room for background music, or watching movies on a laptop or tablet.
Another surprise of the speaker is its durability. Esquire Mini hides a 2000mAh battery that allows up to eight hours of playback. For such a small speaker, eight hours of music is a very pleasant surprise. In addition, the capacity can be used not only for sound reproduction, but also for charging the phone. You can simply connect your iPhone to the USB connector and charge it practically completely with a fully charged speaker. The Esquire Mini is far from the first speaker to allow charging, but compared to, for example, the JBL Charge, its compact size makes this function much more practical, especially when you can tuck the Esquire Mini into your jacket pocket.
Finally, there is the option of using it for conference calls or hands-free monitoring thanks to the built-in microphone. In fact, the Esquire Mini has two, the second for noise cancellation. This works practically the same as the iPhone and, like the Apple phone, will offer very good and clear sound pickup.
záver
Beautiful design, precise workmanship, surprisingly good sound within the limits and good durability, this is how the Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini could be described in a nutshell. Without hyperbole, this is one of the most beautiful speakers you can come across today, and without a doubt one of the smallest. The quality is also evidenced by the first place in EISA assessment as currently the best European mobile audio system. Although the bass performance has fallen victim to the compact dimensions, the sound is still very good, clear, relatively balanced without noticeable distortion.
[button color=”red” link=”http://www.vzdy.cz/harman-kardon-esquire-mini-white?utm_source=jablickar&utm_medium=recenze&utm_campaign=recenze” target=”“]Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini – 3 990 CZK[/button]
As a nice bonus, you can use the speaker as an external battery or speakerphone. If you're interested in the Esquire Mini, you can buy it for 3 990 $.
We thank the store for lending the product Always.cz.
I already have some of the Friday JBL Micro Wireless. Small, pocketable with excellent sound and more than half the price. Is the sound of that Harman as much "higher" as its price?
Well, the harman is also about the processing and the materials used, it nicely complements the stylish and materials of the valuable iPhone and won't make a dent in your pocket. I would rather not take out such a jbl flip on a conference call at a business meeting, and it would make a bulge that would make everyone stare :-D... I didn't hear this one, I only had the big Esquire in my hand for about 5 minutes and listened and it didn't play badly...