Last time, I already told you about a product very unusual for Razer, namely, the wristwatch of Nabu Watch. Today I would like to share with you my impressions of getting acquainted with another no less amazing gadget - Leviathan Mini compact speaker system. Immediately I confess that I did not expect any revelations from this device, since today from online stores it is possible to order a portable speaker for any taste for a mere penny. But the engineers at Razer managed to surprise me a lot.
There is quite a legitimate question: for whom the company Razer, which deals exclusively with the manufacture of peripherals and computers for gamers, released a product such as Leviathan Mini? Here you can not fail to mention another product of the company - the full-size wireless soundbar Razer Leviathan with full 5.1-sound support and an external subwoofer that can be connected to a personal computer, game console or home theater. This device was so popular with users that the Razer management decided to release a marching version of the acoustic system, attributing the word Mini to it. The dimensions of the device were reduced from 500 x 72 x 72 to 185 x 54 x 55 millimeters, and it also lost the satellite subwoofer. However, I would not say that the tiny speaker has become noticeably weaker than its predecessor.
The box is made in the corporate style of Razer, which means that we are waiting for a black-and-green color palette with interspersed white font. The Bluetooth icon informs you that the device still supports wireless communication with sound sources compatible with this data transfer protocol. And the specification "Made for iPod, iPhone, iPad" should please Apple hardware owners a lot.
On the back of the package are listed the key advantages of the device, including 10 hours of continuous operation from one charge of the built-in battery, powerful bass with crystal clear high frequencies. The column has a built-in omnidirectional noise-canceling microphone, which can turn this baby into a tool for communicating with your friends on online games.
"Tiny, but powerful" is the main slogan that accompanies Leviathan Mini. And with this you can not argue. But we will talk about the quality and power of sound a little lower.
After removing the top of the box, a device appears in front of us, snugly positioned on some kind of pedestal with the inscription "Welcome to the cult of Razer" written on it. I am not a member of the cult in any way, but I respect many devices of this manufacturer. Such slogans can scare off particularly impressionable users, so I would be extremely careful with such dubious marketing decisions at the manufacturer's site.
Right under the column, I found the instruction manual in several languages, the welcome speech of the founder of Razer Min-Liang Tan, as well as a couple of branded stickers with the logo in the form of a snake coil.
The kit comes with an American charger with two interchangeable plugs for European and UK outlets, an AUX cable with two 3.5mm plugs for combining two Leviathan Minis into an incredibly powerful stereo system or connecting to an analog audio source, and a MicroUSB charging cable built-in battery.
Just want to express my sincere surprise regarding the design of the charger. The American plug with flat plugs is not removed from it. Instead, additional plugs for the sockets of other countries are worn directly over it in the folded state. I tried to capture this in my photos, I hope you will understand what is at stake. Earlier I had never met such an elegant solution from other manufacturers.
Since the Leviathan Mini is designed primarily for travel, in the box with it you will find a tight fabric cover for transportation. It is thick enough to soften the blows during flights in luggage or transportation in a backpack. The only thing that upset me a little: the cover behind itself leaves a tiny black villi. But I think that with time it will pass.
The column is made of high-quality soft plastic and metal. I immediately liked the design, since it is minimalistic to the point of horror. And I like it when there is nothing superfluous and pretentious in the devices. In this case, experts Razer very pleased my taste with my asceticism in the appearance of the device. The feeling of using Leviathan Mini also leaves extremely pleasant. Everything is collected on the conscience: nothing lyuftit, does not fall off, does not creak. The acoustic system is rather heavy, so it is pleasantly in the hand and stably stands on a flat surface.
Inside the tiny-looking box there are two powerful 45 mm dynamic radiators with neodymium magnets, and a pair of passive radiators 40 by 70 millimeters, thanks to which the power of the device reaches an impressive 24 watts. When the first time you turn on the Leviathan Mini, the device releases a welcome sound in its memory, from which you already have goosebumps. Before that, skillfully this crumbs fill with vibration all the space around you. It's hard to believe, but the speaker does give out an incredibly loud, but clean sound without any distortion.
In the lower part of the acoustic system is mounted a rubberized leg, which collects all the dust from any surface on which you put it. In general, the relationship with dust and dirt in the device somehow did not work out. In the first few minutes of use, Leviathan Mini has collected a bunch of fingerprints (and I often have my hands, so do not think there!), So the case can hardly be called ideal from an aesthetic point of view. Oddly enough, given that the system is sharpened for transportation and use outside the home.
On the right side of the device are two buttons: power and create a Bluetooth-pair with a sound source. Also here you can see the MicroUSB port for recharging and a 3.5 mm jack for connection to another Leviathan Mini speaker or analog signal feed. The power button is green when the battery is fully charged, with an average orange, and at low red.
On the opposite side of the case there is an NFC-module, which simplifies the creation of a pair between the speaker system and mobile devices. Especially developers boast that it makes life easier for owners of Android-devices. I do not know why this is so, but, as they say, what I bought for, I sell for it. I created a pair between my iPhone 6 and a column in the traditional way without any problems in just 30 seconds.
At the top of the Leviathan Mini are three large buttons in the form of "plus", "minus" and "circle". With the plus and minus, everything is clear: they adjust the volume of the speakers. But the central button carries several functions at once. For example, you can use the speaker system as a headset when you receive an incoming call on your smartphone. During the incoming call, the button will turn green, click on it, and pick up the receiver. Pressed again during a conversation - the microphone was switched off for a while (the button will turn red). Press and hold - end the conversation. During music playback, a single press will pause it, a double tap will switch the track to the next track, and a triple one to the previous one.
As for sound quality, the Leviathan Mini is really impressive. No, it's certainly not an expensive Hi-Fi system for thousands of dollars, but a tiny device produces an excellent, in my opinion, deep bass without any perceptible distortion, and also decent average and high frequencies. The sound is very evenly distributed around the speaker system and literally fills the room inside which it is installed. In the open space Leviathan Mini also produces an exceptionally positive impression on listeners. It is unlikely that you will listen to the speaker at the maximum volume in the apartment, since there is a great risk of deafening or frightening neighbors to death, but even at half the power of the speakers they give out a surprisingly clear sound.
Leviathan Mini, according to the manufacturer, operates from one charge of the battery to 10 hours. In fact, the column works a little less, but the work time is still impressive. She gave me about 8.5 hours at an average load. The maximum distance from the speaker system to the signal source should not exceed ten meters. In the case if you use a system of two interconnected devices, the maximum distance is reduced to four meters, keep this in mind. The combined speakers can function in two modes: when each column plays two channels at once, and when each column plays only one of the channels - left or right. A small background noise acoustic system still outputs, but it is audible only at high volume and in especially quiet moments of musical compositions. In the case, if you are from a column a couple of meters away - no noise can be heard, no matter how you listen. The stereo effect in the operation of one column is not very pronounced, but here no one had any illusions initially - the speakers are too close to each other. In the event that you listen at once two connected speakers, the stereo effect becomes quite noticeable.
Equipment:
- Razer Leviathan Mini
- Greeting from the founder of Razer
- User's manual
- A pair of branded labels
- Cloth cover for transportation
- AUX cable
- Charger
- Two replaceable plugs for sockets
- MicroUSB charging cable
Specifications:
- Color: black, silver
- Material: plastic, metal
- Emitters: dynamic, 45 mm
- Total power: 24 W (12 W x 2)
- Frequency response: 50-20,000 Hz
- Impedance: 4 Ω
- Connection: Bluetooth, AUX cable
- NFC availability: yes
- Built-in microphone: yes
- Battery capacity: 2600 mAh
- Dimensions: 185 x 54 x 55 mm
- Weight: 538 g
Pros:
- Balanced sound with deep bass and excellent high frequencies.
- At its size, this baby can produce a very impressive volume.
- Excellent minimal design, easy to set up and operate.
- The built-in microphone allows you to use the speaker as a headset.
- Support for NFC technology for easy device connectivity with mobile gadgets.
- The ability to combine two such dynamics into a powerful stereo system.
- A good option for this class of devices.
Minuses:
- Pretty skinny body.
- Unpleasant price.
Razer was able to create a very curious acoustic system, balanced in everything, except for the cost. To date, the average price of Leviathan Mini is 12,490 rubles, which, in my opinion, is quite expensive for this class of devices. Yes, the brand plays one of the key roles in the process of price formation, but I think that many Russian users will be able to repel the cost at the time of making a decision to purchase this product. The device is really impressive (and yet!) With its characteristics, power, ease of tuning, use and sound quality, but for such money, many would prefer to order an alternative "inferior" version of acoustics from some Aliexpress, even though it is unlikely the result will be something close in quality. But in this it is hardly possible to blame the manufacturer. So the economic situation in our country is developing. Meanwhile Leviathan Mini does not cease to be an attractive product. It is quite capable to replace your desktop speakers and save a lot of working space, while not depriving your owner of the quality and loudness of the reproduced sound.
The article is based on materials .
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