XtremeMac Tango X2 Review

The XtremeMac Tango X2 has sung its last song with poor sound quality and controls that don't make sense.

Summary

Audiophiles, listen up! XtremeMac has just introduced its next-generation Tango, the new X2, offering a high-fidelity three-way speaker system designed for use with your iPod. It contains two full-range speakers, two tweeters and a subwoofer. The question is simply as follows: Does it offer better performance than its big brother, the original Tango?

Features and Design

Similar to its predecessor, the X2 is a compact, low-profile speaker system. It has a matte-finished black shell finish and rounded sides; plus it still has the familiar single control button centering the mesh-like front grill. As with the original Tango, the X2 also has nice, soft rubber feet to keep the system planted on any surface to help eliminate annoying shakes and rattles.

The Tango remote, which has a shiny face and sports track forward/back buttons as well as volume, bass, treble, power and source controls, works rather well. But be careful not to lose it: There’s no volume control on the unit itself and it’s probably not the easiest accessory to replace.

Also worth keeping in mind: The X2 has a smaller footprint than the original, sizing up at 4.2 x 11.7 x 7.5 inches, or roughly about the size of a shoebox. It offers an AM/FM radio as well, but limits you to just three presets for each. There is an auxiliary line input for other media devices and the bright blue display located behind the grill is a nice aesthetic addition.

Sound

Now comes the tricky part: Unlike with the original Tango, we were largely disappointed with the X2’s audio performance. The sound is shallow, bass response poor and audio generally came across as muffled. Some quick bass and treble tweaks slightly improved our listening experience, but that was only after perfectly centering ourselves in front of the speakers, looking right at them. For the price of the X2, we would suggest picking up a Logitech Pure-Fi Elite instead.

Conclusion

The Tango X2 feels like a speaker system that’s been rushed to market and meant to play off its forerunner’s success. We even encountered problems attaching the FM radio antennae, and there are no iPod docking adaptors prepackaged with the unit, making your MP3 player look incomplete and silly while resting on top of the X2. The included remote control does not control the iPods menus and no auto-scan functions were provided for the radio either. The upshot: If you’ve got $149.95 USD to burn, you may want to see if any of the original Tango systems are still available – this is far from what we’d call a worthy update.

Pros:

• Size
• Aesthetically pleasing

Cons:

• Poor sound
• No prepackaged iPod adaptors
• Limited remote control
• Functionality issues