The new Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini in my current luggage. I introduced you to my speaker for travel some time ago and for a long time I could not imagine making a change either. I was happy with the Bluetooth speaker with aluminum frame. It was stylish, lasted ten hours and had a good sound to listen to my playlists on Spotify even in the hotel room. It was a good functional speaker, as a companion for smartphone, laptop and tablet. I spent the last 10 days with the Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini and give you my impressions.
Bluetooth speaker in review
When you take the speaker out of the elaborate packaging for the first time, you immediately notice the classy design and especially the small size. The speaker is not much bigger than a current smartphone. With dimensions of 14 x 2.4 x 7.5 cm and a weight of about 230 grams, the Bluetooth speaker is really very handy.
My previous speaker for travel was 19 x 5.5 x 5.5 cm and weighed over 600 grams. Can the “small” speaker from Harman/Kardon convince me in any way after all?
The speaker is simply incredibly flat and compact. The five buttons are neatly built into the case and have the on/off function, Bluetooth connection, volume (louder/quieter) and play/pause or answer phone calls.
With the “accept phone calls” function, the Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini also piqued my interest right away. Often you are on the road, sitting in a meeting with a small team and have set up a conference. The speakerphone feature on today’s smartphones is nice, but not a real conversation solution.
The Esquire Mini has two microphones with echo/noise cancellation and is surprisingly good at handling even longer conferences over the phone. I’ve rarely made as many calls directly via speakerphone in a week as I currently do with the Esquire Mini.
Sound and handling
I use the speaker, as already mentioned, for current playlists on Spotify, my series on Netflix, Skygo and of course Amazon Prime Video.
The first impression with series and my playlist was very positive. I did not expect it to fill the room so well – especially because it is so small and compact. Of course, you can’t compare the portable mini speaker with a sound system with several speakers, but that’s not the requirement on the trip.
It is immediately noticeable – the speaker sounds balanced, the voices very clear and detailed. The bass is of course a bit weaker, but that is not annoying, the trebles are all the better for it. Respect!
So, if you are still watching your action series on Netflix late at night in the hotel room or, like me, currently House of Cards Season 5 on SkyGo, pay attention to the volume, because it not only fills your hotel room well… 🙂
Very amazing is the battery life of almost ten hours with the device and if really once the smartphone battery is nearing the end, this can function as a power bank and get some power from the Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini via the charging station. Handy for emergencies!
Conclusion – Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini for the journey
The Harman/Kardon really convinced me after ten days and replaced my previous speaker.
For me, it was mainly the significantly lower weight, with almost identical sound, the additional hands-free solution, as well as the general handling that tipped the scales.
Already at the first contact with the device, the speaker appears noble and high-quality and very much lives up to the expectations that I previously only had from the automotive sector to Harman/Kardon.
If you’re looking for a stylish device for traveling, a solution for conferences and lectures in rooms with up to 40sqm, you’ll get a perfect device with the Harman/Kardon for about 150 EUR (RRP).
My luggage is now 400 grams lighter and I am happy about the change of devices. If you have any further questions about the device, feel free to comment here or contact me via email.
