For about 30 minutes, I’ve been sitting here trying to start writing my review of the $119.99 Kinivo M2 Bluetooth 2.1 speaker system. Unfortunately — or fortunately, depending on your point of view — I’ve been enjoying the sound pumping out of the speakers way too much to do much of anything but bop my head.
The subwoofer, satellite speakers, and 3.5mm to RCA cable.
The speaker system comes with a base unit/subwoofer and two wired satellite speakers. The subwoofer is the main hub of the speaker system, including all controls and audio in/out ports. It is a 56-watt system, meaning that it can pump out over 100 decibels of sound — enough to fill a large room.
Volume knob on the front of the system
As I mentioned, the subwoofer is the main hub of the Kinivo M2 speaker system. It contains the power supply, power control, volume control, audio controls, Bluetooth pairing control, audio in/out jacks, and source control. The subwoofer cabinet is made of wood unlike many budget-friendly Bluetooth speaker systems, which puts out better resonance and gives a smoother sound.
Controls on the side of the Kinivo M2
The volume knob on the front of the unit is large and ringed with an LED light that draws your eye. The side of the unit contains all of the M2’s controls and ports. There is a dial to control the amount of bass as well as treble, a feature not often seen on budget-friendly Bluetooth speakers as well. There are RCA ports for the two wired satellite speakers as well as RCA ports for audio-in. An RCA to 3.5mm jack cable is included so you can plug any other audio device you’d like into the unit without using Bluetooth. There are also buttons to pair your Bluetooth device as well as switch sources between Bluetooth and Audio-in. Speaking of pairing Bluetooth devices, you’re also able to pair your device quickly and easily with the M2’s built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) functionality.
6.5″ Subwoofer Driver.
The back of the subwoofer contains the open bass port, and the other side of the subwoofer contains the cloth-covered 6.5” 28-watt subwoofer driver. The subwoofer itself measures 8.6” wide x 9.5” deep x 9” high.
The open port on the subwoofer.
The satellite speakers each contain a 2.5” 14-watt full range driver and are designed to sit on an angle. The RCA audio cables are hardwired to the speakers and are color-coded so they’re extremely easy to plug into the subwoofer. The satellite speakers also have a slot in the back of the speaker so that you can hang them on a wall if desired.
2.5″ driver on one of the satellite speakers.
Final Words on the Kinivo M2
To tell the truth, I was very surprised in the quality of sound that the Kinivo M2 system pumps out. It easily outperforms other budget-friendly Bluetooth speaker systems. The sound is customizable due to the bass and treble dials on the subwoofer and you also have the option of plugging a device directly into the unit if the device does not have Bluetooth capabilities.
Back view of one of the satellite speakers.
The Kinivo M2 2.1 Bluetooth Speaker system explodes with full room-filling sound. It performs very admirably with both the high range and low range due to the powerful subwoofer.
My complaints are minor, but must be mentioned. With any speaker system, I always look for a remote. You don’t always want to get up and chance the volume manually and unfortunately, the Kinivo M2 does not include a remote. Also, I’m not a huge fan of the design choice to have the subwoofer need to be at an angle in order to hide the wires and controls on the side. Instinctively, I’d want to place the volume knob towards the front, but if you do that, you’ll see all of the wires coming out of the side. Not a huge deal to angle the subwoofer, just something I personally ran into.
A look at the LED ring around the volume knob with the system powered on.
You can purchase the Kinivo M2 Bluetooth 2.1 speaker system directly from the manufacturer at their website. Lucky for you, they are currently on sale for $69.99.
MSRP: $119.99
What I Like: Awesome room filling sound; Fantastic pumping bass; Nice design, other than the fact that the Kinivo M2’s subwoofer needs to be placed on an angle to hide the speaker wires from view.
What Needs Improvement: No remote; Strange design choice to have the subwoofer placed on an angle to hide speaker wires and controls; Wireless speakers would make this system almost perfect.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
