Friday, February 19, 2021

Harman Kardon Esquire Mini 2 Hands-on

We’ve encountered plenty of Bluetooth speakers in the past. Some, although work as advertised, are boring. Primarily because of the uninspiring look, bulkiness, and limited functionality. There are others, though, that exist on the opposite side of the spectrum. They’re attractive, pack big sound, highly functional, and portable. One example is the Harman Kardon Esquire Mini 2. Check out our initial thoughts below.

The Harman Kardon Esquire Mini 2 is one of those speakers that will really get your attention. It’s mostly made of metal with a matte finish, so it doesn’t capture fingerprints and smudges. Our unit is the silver model, but it also comes in Black, Brown, Blue, and Pink.

The speaker grille dominates the front, with the Harman Kardon badge placed at the center. Found above is a tiny LED indicator to let you know of its pairing status.

Surrounding the grille is a metal frame that houses the buttons and ports. Up top are the volume, answer/end call, Bluetooth, and power buttons.

On the left are five LED indicators for the battery level.

While on the right are the USB-C port for charging the speaker, a USB-A port for charging other devices, and a 3.5mm audio input.

The back is covered in faux leather, and right in the middle is a metal kickstand.

If we’re going to describe the Harman Kardon Esquire Mini 2, it’s premium and elegant. It even includes a faux leather sleeve to keep it protected when not in use.

One of the things we like about it is its tiny build. The footprint is smaller than a smartphone, so it doesn’t take a lot of desk space. We can even mount it on a smartphone holder if we like. It’s a bit chunky and hefty, like two-smartphones-stacked-together thick, but it will still fit a jeans pocket.

Although premium, we noticed that the faux leather at the back gets scratched easily, so be careful where you put it. It would have been nicer if it has some padding at the bottom to protect it from surfaces.

Setting up is easy. Just power it on, and the LEDs will light up. Go to your mobile device’s Bluetooth settings and tap on the Harman Kardon Esquire 2 Mini. From there, you can start using the speaker. You can either lay it flat on the desk prop it up with the kickstand.

For a small Bluetooth speaker, we’re impressed with the sound quality. It’s loud with clear and crisp mids and highs that don’t distort in higher volumes. The lows, however, although present, lacks the oomph found on bigger speakers. Overall, the sound quality is clean and good for its size.

Besides being a Bluetooth speaker for delivering music, it’s also a speakerphone, equipped with dual microphones and noise cancellation. When there’s a call, press the call button. It’s also a handy speaker for voice conferences, which is common nowadays.

As for the battery life, it’s equipped with a 2,200mAh battery that is capable of up to 10 hours of playtime. It can also charge other devices with an output power of 8W. Charging, on the other hand, takes about 3 hours.

The Harman Kardon Esquire Mini 2 is a great device for users who want to upgrade their audio setup but don’t want anything bulky and heavy. It’s elegant, packs big audio for its size, and highly functional.

It’s priced at PHP 8,499 and can be purchased here.

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