Enya X4 Pro Mini review, the good and the bad

[@dahlanridzuanradinabata4232]

That's it, I'm getting one! Thanks for the great video. Very informative indeed

[@josephurso1108]

I bought one and it had no quality control issues at all. Fantastic right out of the box. It sounds great. It's loud. Plays easily. The short scale length is perfect for me. And the case is beautiful. I have two high end Martin guitars and only bought this one for a vacation road trip this summer, but I find myself playing it all the time at home too. Last weekend I was playing with another guitar and two violins and the Enya X4 Pro Mini held its own. There was no problem with lack of volume. Obviously, it does not have as good a sound as my HD-28 or the 000-28, but those cost thousands $ more. I am totally happy with it and thinking of buying the full size version too.

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

Hi Joseph. You are correct that it does not sound like either a 000-28 or an HD28. But, as you said, it sounds pretty good and there is nothing embarrassing about the tone. However, I'm not sure you will like the full size X4 Pro as much. The full size one sounds more like a D35, in a bad way. The full size X4 has a very thick lower midrange and very fat bass. The bass is kind of cool, but the thick lower midrange gives it a muddy tone. In addition, it is lacking the sparkle/treble that the mini has (or any other decent acoustic guitar for that matter). I am on the edge of selling mine and getting a mini for myself. If you live near Philly, I would say "Come by and listen to this one before you put out $800 to see if you like it". Good luck with your decision! 👍

[@Humiliated1234]

how is it 6 months later? is it still amazing or is it like other not main stream products where they dont actually have good quality?

[@Juniper333]

Thank you for the review! I purchased the same guitar on Black Friday and absolutely love it. I'll keep my eye on the frets when I change the strings so thanks for mentioning that. Otherwise mine is perfect right out of the box. The only challenge I had with it was plugging it in to the sound system at church, the mic inside it is very sensitive and was giving a ton of feedback through the system even from other sounds happening in the room. Once I found the sweet spot I keep my settings the same and it works really well and sounds amazing through the sound system.

[@drguitar001]

I also noticed that the mic was very sensitive, but easily remedied by turning down the mic volume knob.

[@ravil_global]

Thank you very much for this video! I started to wish to get this model of Enya:)

[@scottbecker3485]

Typing as I watch. Just gone of these, and also have the full-size X4 Pro. Got the X4 Pro Mini for camping-van travel purposes, and possibly busking with an amp, or even outdoor gigs (with high humidity, sun exposure, etc.). Totally agree with your take on the sound! It‘s really quite excellent for such a compact body. Try swapping from Elixirs to Martin SP Lifespans (Phos. Bronze) for a more balanced, less bitey sound. The Elixirs emphasize the treble strings a bit too much for my taste, masking the rest somewhat. Despite the „pleasing“ ring of the Elixirs, they shape every guitar‘s sound in the same direction. Back to the guitar: I tune it - like all my guitars - way down to C# standard to suit my voice, capoing up as necessary. And this little guitar even does fine with my usual 13-56 Martins (see above). Same goes for the full-sized X4 Pro. The low E on the Mini, however, doesn‘t have as much bass as the neighboring A string. It drops off somewhat. This is true both in standard tuning and in C# standard. But the drop-off is no deal breaker for me, since size is the object for travel. Plugged into my Everse 8, a bit of EQ fixes that, and the pickup sound is really very pleasant! Now I want to lower the action a bit, hence watching your video…

[@michaelbajorek1972]

I have no experience with the carbon fiber guitars. I suspect we may see more of these in the future. Not sure it will ever completely replace wood construction of guitars. Apparently the carbon fiber makes a very nice instrument. Thank you for the video. I know more now, than when I first started this video.

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

Yep, I don't see them replacing wooden guitars, but they do have their place as a durable travel instrument, and for camping fun.

[@scottbecker3485]

Further to my previous comment, now I‘m still wondering about the right way to tighten the truss rod and lower the action a bit. From your video I learned there is also a bolt to tighten inside, so I will try that first. Do the strings need to be completely removed for that? And what about the truss rod adjustment at the top of the neck? Does righty-tighter, lefty-loosey apply?

[@drguitar9532]

Tighten with strings on. Do not over tighten, finger tight is plenty.

[@scottbecker3485]

@@drguitar9532 Thank you! 😊

[@petromoderne]

For the cost, I suppose you could have QC issues! Understandably. I was thinking of one of these until someone mentioned noticing fret wear after a month! I wondered if refreting the guitar was possible given the carbon fiber? Since you repair guitars you would be who I would ask. And some idea of what that might actually cost if you would be so kind. I may still buy one, depending on your answer. Another thing mentioned was cracks in the composite material. See any of those?

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

@@petromoderne as far as needing a refret, it can be done just like the original fretting with glue, but the easy money would be to just replace the neck as it bolts on in a matter of a minute or two. As far as cracks in the composite, I haven't experienced any in the x4 pro mini or the full size x4 pro. These things feel bulletproof and I haven't handled them gently. 👍 BTW, I have been playing both my x4 pro acoustics for over a year and have not experienced any meaningful fret wear. Of course, I have a light, fast touch.

[@laalaa99stl]

17:02 I wish you had shown the process of gaining access to the 18650 battery. I also have a Mini that won't turn on and suspect that this might be the reason.

[@laalaa99stl]

Nevermind. I was able to remove the 4 knobs with a credit card, then use that same credit card to unscrew the 4 collars. The faceplate popped off, but the electronics unit is still dangling by cables inside. I think the cables are just 3.5mm jacks, but it isn't even necessary to undo them. In fact, the battery is not soldered, so you can reach in and remove it by feel. No need to disassemble anything at all. You might even be able to salvage the "bad" battery if you have a Li-Ion battery charger/conditioner.

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

@@laalaa99stl I tried to recharge/condition the battery they sent me and the battery was absolutely dead. I tested it after a full night of conditioning and charging and it came out at .02 volts. I'm glad you were able to get yours battery out, It would have been nice if they had put the battery in an easier place to replace it. 👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/amK8c5aVgNR0laMfeature=shared&t=1024

[@laalaa99stl]

​@@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs It turned out not to be the battery. Mine tested at 3.99V on the multimeter. Totally fine. But I guess the act of jostling everything got it to start working somehow. I'd strongly advise people NOT to disconnect the cables from the battery box/fx unit. They are fidgetty to re-install. If you failed to pay heed to my warning, here's the order: The transducer (2.5mm, very thin )wire goes in the middle. The 45-degree angle cable is the output and goes in the hole closer to the top of the guitar. It's a thicker (3.5mm) prong than the other two so it won't fit in the other two holes. The 90-degree angle cable (2.5mm )is the input and goes in the hole closer to the bottom of the guitar. It IS possible to confuse the two 2.5 mm cables so be sure to test everything is working before reinstalling the fx box.

[@laalaa99stl]

I think the battery was probably installed in the wrong orientation at the factory. I didn't check it before pulling it out, but that seems to be the simplest explanation for why my removal and re-installation fixed it. That's quality control for ya, eh?

[@papahobo71]

@@laalaa99stl I am also having problems with the electronics (battery seems to have stopped charging). Did you remove the battery through the hole or by removing the faceplate?

[@davidfaustino4476]

I've had a few of these. Full size and mini. 0% of them had frets that were close enough to the edge of the fretboard where you could pull them up.

[@drguitar001]

Yep, the frets were so loose that just touching the edge of the fret caused them to pop off. Fortunately, they send me another that did not have the same problem.

[@bennodangmann]

Great video! But why didn't you keep the first one you got to make it into a fretlessversion??🤯

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

I didn't need a fretless acoustic and I purchased the guitar for my wife (she loves it!), so it was not mine to keep. Also, the Enya company wanted the guitar back. 👍

[@denniswilliams2385]

It sounds like they built a pretty good guitar (especially considering the price) however they most certainly have some quality control issues.

[@drguitar9532]

Definitely QC concerns. However, as long as there are not any huge problems with the instrument, I can make quick work of getting it to better than new condition. 👍

[@robiniomozarella]

Do you prefer this one or the full size modell?

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

That is an interesting question. The mini (this one) is more balanced, lighter weight, smaller body (more comfortable), lower tension (shorter scale) and fun to play. The full size X4 has a slightly bigger voice, more bass, a real nut (instead of a zero fret) which makes it easier to lower the action on the lower frets, a cutaway, and a thicker/richer tone. Both are easy to play when set up properly, both have great sustain, both have the same electronics (with a slightly different set up), both have a big voice (but the full size is slightly louder than the mini). If I had purchased the mini first, I might not have purchased the full size. Or maybe I might have. The mini is a few hundred cheaper. I cannot decide as I have both and like both.

[@jackbandel]

That’s very concerning about the frets falling off. I would get this guitar in hopes that I could leave it in a hot car as a spare for gigs, but that would probably melt or loosen the glue holding the frets. Kind of negates why you would get a carbon fiber guitar in the first place.

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

I understand. It is unlikely that the glue used would loosen at 140 degrees fahrenheit (about what you might expect in a closed car in the sun). I think the problem that I encountered was that no glue or at most very little was used originally and the frets were not secured at all. And to be clear, I would not purposely leave an acoustic guitar sitting endlessly in a hot or freezing cold car, even if it is made from carbon fiber.

[@ChillyWillieOne]

Does it have Bluetooth or is it app compatible ?

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

No Bluetooth or "app" support. I'm not sure of the purpose of Bluetooth on an acoustic guitar? Connection to a Bluetooth amp or cell phone? Anyway, it does not have that type of setup. It is essentially a carbon fiber acoustic with built-in acoustic and electric effects (if you choose to use them).

[@JimmyBmusic1]

They’re shit. I bought a rain song. You play them side by side, the quality diff is astonishing

[@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs]

That is kind of a blanket statement. Rainsongs are essentially 100% carbon fiber while only the top of the Enya is 100% carbon fiber. Also, Enya have an adjustable truss rod, Rainsongs do not. So comparing the two is apples to oranges. In addition, Enya is a small fraction of the price of a Rainsongs ($600 vs $2000+). However, they do compare in some ways. Both are loud instruments. Both play nicely. Both are well constructed. Both have a wide, balanced sound. Both are nice looking instruments and both are impervious to weather changes. The Enya comes with a built-in tonewood amp, the Rainsong does not.

[@rayc056]

@@TheGuitarDoctor-zu3gs Thanks for the info and video. @JimmyBmusic1 is having a problem and he lashes out sometimes. He blames the Enya guitar plant for leaching toxic chemicals into the environment and ruining his "manhood". I grew up next to Jimmy he has a micro penis and some personal problems. He wanted to say he is sorry, he is sorry for leaving stupid/useless comments. If he comments again it's best to ignore.