The BlueAnt X3 portable speaker was a delightful and well-received unit, but BlueAnt hasn't sat still over the last three years; its audio engineers have imbued the sequel - the brand new BlueAnt X3i - with booming audio output, enhanced clarity, powerful chest-thumping bass, deep rich lows, and a dynamic and room-filling soundstage. Yet, all within such a tiny, easily portable, package.

The secrets are in BlueAnt's research and development, its studio engineering tuning, its patented Shinnerweave fabric design, and a new, sturdier speaker base. The new X3i comes in three colours - crimson red, ocean blue, and slate black - helping you pick the right speaker for your aesthetic.

BlueAnt CEO Taisen Maddern said, “we've made a number of engineering and design tweaks under the hood that simply deliver the best audio experience for a speaker in this form factor and at this price point,” he said. “What our customers are getting is a speaker which can be the feature speaker in any room or party, one that can be taken anywhere and everywhere, or one that can exist at home without standing out yet deliver the right level of audio for any setting or mood.”

Baked into the X3i is advanced Grammy award-winning DSP software along with a patented psycho-acoustic bass extension to hit those deep, richer lows that people have come to expect from BlueAnt's speakers. It features crystal clear high-frequency enhancement, a surgically precise paragraphic equaliser and sophisticated dynamics compensation for increased volume without artefacts. It sports intelligent volume stabilisers for smooth output levels and customised equalisation. The end result is that the X3i thrives at max volume, with no distortion, while maintaining crystal-clear clarity at lower volumes.

“I think people have come to expect that full volume in a Bluetooth speaker brings with it a downside of distortion, or that we'd compromise on sound or volume output to make this affordable,” said Maddern. “We've worked hard to make that a thing of the past with the X3i. And the hard work has paid off.”

The speaker is IP67 Waterproof rated, making it as ready next to a warm bath in winter as it is at the poolside in summer. In addition, two X3i speakers can be paired to provide a seamless audio experience and a wider soundstage for the event of choice. Once paired, there is no lag or static experienced between speakers (at a line-of-sight distance of up to 30 metres between each). And after the initial set-up of duo mode, re-pairing is as simple as turning both speakers on again.

“Between the duo mode and waterproof rating, you can put one of these speakers at either end of a 25m pool and hear clear audio no matter how far along you are in each lap, and not have to worry about splashes, let alone a full dunking, ruining your day,” said Maddern.

At $249, the X3i offers the best bang and bass in its class of premium speakers. It is available nationally in select Telstra stores from today, and also direct from the BlueAnt website.

Specifications include:

• Portable 30-Watt Bluetooth Speaker offers 15 hours playtime with built-in power bank
• 2 x 57mm drivers, 2 passive radiators and Bass Boost button 
• Bluetooth 5.0 and Aux playback options
• Duo mode can connect two X3i speakers, with simple re-pairing  
• IP67 rating will keep the sound up at the beach, pool and everywhere between
• Features one-touch controls with Siri/Google Integration and built-in microphone 
• USB-C Charging and Auto-Power Off to maximise battery life 

• Power Requirements - DC 5V 3A
• Power Consumption - 15W
• Power Consumption Standby - <5mW
• Power Output - 15W*2(RMS) @10% THD
• Battery - 3.7 9600 mAh (3*3200Ah cells in a pack)
• Total Max Power Output - 30W
• Frequency Response - 150Hz-20kHz
• AUX in Jack - 3.5mm
• Operating Temperature - 5°C-40°C
• Bluetooth(R) Version - 5.0
• Bluetooth Profiles - A2DP, HSP, HFP

Check it out here!