Reviews by The Church of Apple

Tag: Speaker

  • BeatBlock Bluetooth Speaker Review

    The BeatBlock Bluetooth Speaker is a small yet powerful bluetooth speaker that you can use on or off the outlet and with any of your bluetooth-enabled (or not) devices. The speaker is made by Tech-Life and is available from Tech-Life’s Amazon page for $89.99. Let’s see if it is the speaker for you.

     

    Form

    The first thing that you will notice about this speaker is that it is light and small. The speaker is easily able to fit inside a large purse or travel bag and light enough where it won’t feel like you are carrying a brick, which is actually bigger than this speaker. The speaker is made in all black. It has a very durable rubber padding around it that has honey comb holes in it, which I think is an interesting concept, but it seems to be quite effective and looks pretty cool. The honeycomb design, or really the hexagon shape is found all around the speaker. The buttons on the speaker are hexagons. As I said, the holes where the sound comes out of are very closely put together hexagons, like a honeycomb. The speaker holes and even the rubber pads on the bottom are hexagon shaped. I think that keeping the same shape throughout is a smart move on their part as it adds to the look of the speaker, as opposed to using multiple shapes and not creating uniformity on the device. As I mentioned before, the speaker is covered in a very hard, durable rubber that is capable of taking some big hits. The speaker is meant to travel and it has the greatest protection of any travel speaker that I have seen. The buttons on the top are simple enough, with icons on them representing volume up/down and bluetooth controls. On the side you have your charging port, on button, and the auxiliary port, this is where the male/male headphone jack goes for wired sound. In my opinion, it may have been a better choice to have put the off/on button on the top instead of on the side to allow for easier access, but it is not a big problem. Overall, this speaker excels in it’s form.

    Function

    Portable speakers have a knack for earning bad reputations because they are over-priced and never sound like anything close to high quality. Fortunately, this speaker has put a stop to that. The BeatBlock speaker may be small enough for travel but it packs the power of speakers many times bigger than it is. The speaker has incredible sound, whether through bluetooth or otherwise. The speaker, despite it’s size, is capable of producing some pretty good bass and treble and it can hit many lows and highs. Unlike many other small speakers, I have not heard the “it’s too loud therefore it sounds like it’s in a hollow cave” sound. No matter what volume I put these speakers under, they retain the same clear quality and that is something not seen much in portable speakers. The speaker, despite the fact that there is only one of them, can produce stereo sound, as if the music is surrounding you by two speakers, one on the left and one on the right. You can put it in Mono if you so choose to but the stereo mode sounds great. Music isn’t the only thing that sounds great on the speaker, either. The speaker also acts as a speakerphone so that you can conference hands free on your desk or elsewhere. The audio coming out of the speaker sounds great and your voice sounds great on the other end as well. The sound from such a small device is incredible and not like the sound from any other speaker in it’s category. The device is streamlined to work with your bluetooth devices so they connect automatically and it works every time after you set it up the first time, which should also be an easy process. Bluetooth has been long acclaimed to be one of the best wireless technologies and the streamline between device and this speaker further proves that notion. This speaker has the best functionality overall than any other I have reviewed thus far.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Durable, yet light and small

    -Great design

    -Great, well balanced sound

    -Bluetooth technology streamlines device and speaker beautifully and you have a choice between wired and wireless as well, consumers love choice

    -Great price for a well balanced speaker

    Cons

    -More colors would be nice to see

    -Power button on the top instead of the side would be better

    Ways to improve

    If I were the company, I would consider making these speakers in multiple colors just to add a bit of fun into them. Also, putting the power button with the other buttons would be better as it would streamline the device a bit more.

    This speaker is really great speaker. It’s the best speaker that I have reviewed in it’s category so there is no doubt in my mind that it earns no less than five stars from me. If you are looking for a travel speaker to take with you where ever you go, I implore you to look no further, you have found the one you are looking for. Great job Tech-Life!

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe

    Images Courtesy: TechLife

     

     

  • Spracht BluNote+Chat Review

    The Spracht BluNote+Chat is a portable, wireless, battery powered speaker that allows you to listen your music and have a conversation with someone wirelessly on the go. The BluNote+Chat’s best quality is the portability of the speaker without eliminating good sound. The speaker is available from Spracht for $99.00 or $54.99 from Amazon. Let’s see if it’s the speaker for you.

    Form

    One of the first things you will notice about this speaker is it’s size. The speaker is very small and very light. It makes you wonder how such a small speaker would ever produce a good sound. For what it is, it produces excellent sound. The portability of the speaker, I feel is it’s biggest point. It is small enough to fit in a large duffel bag or small backpack, perhaps even a large enough purse. The speaker is all black for all of the speaker except a nice silver brim at the bottom of the speaker that adds to the look of the speaker. The speaker has a nice black chrome finish, with the speaker felt below it and of course the aforementioned silver lining at the bottom. The top of the speaker has a set of touch sensitive buttons that light up red. These buttons add to the overall cool-ness of the speaker. In addition, there is an led screen that lights up to tell you a caller ID, whether or not bass is on or off and the up and down of volume. I appreciate that the screen only lights up when it needs to so that it isn’t a distraction nor does it subtract from the look of the speakers. In addition, to the solid look of the speaker, the speaker is also made solid. It is made to be carried around so as such it is made pretty sturdy. It isn’t unibody but it doesn’t have to be, the different parts that make it up are put together tightly and no parts are loose. I do raise a slight concern with the rubber pads on the bottom, but I’ve never been a fan of these on any product so it’s so much the product itself, it’s just my prejudice against rubber pads on the bottoms of things since they eventually fall off. Also, I wish the speaker was available in other colors. Overall though, this speaker has great aesthetics in such a small package.

    Function

    One of the main points of this speaker is the fact that it is small and compact. However, at a $99 price tag, it needs to have a powerful punch in the small package. Fortunately, Spracht has delivered on that. The speaker, while small, has a good sound range. The bass and treble are both hit pretty well. The notes are hit and while it doesn’t sound like you are in a theatre or music venue, it still sounds great. In addition, the sound of a call on the speaker sounds like it would on a clear phone with great signal. In fact, it sounds better than listening to it to your ear. The screen will display a caller ID on it so you know who is calling. It does not show names of people who are calling so you will have to know someone’s number in order to recognize who is calling. I think that it would be great if the speaker had that capability. The speaker is all wireless, including the fact that it is rechargeable so it can literally go without wires including a power cord for several hours. That leads me to the battery. I have gotten great battery life on the speaker, with an average of about 5-6 hours which more than enough for me. If I needed to have it for longer than that, I would just get a corded speaker. The only problem I have with the speaker, and this is somewhat slight. Let’s say I am playing music and I pick up the speaker, I really have to watch where I pick the speaker up at because I might end up touching the buttons at the top, which are very sensitive. I may put the device on standby, change the song, pause it, change the volume all without intent. Of course, the buttons aren’t all bad, I appreciate that they are lit up at night so that I may see the buttons. However, I do wish they weren’t so sensitive. Overall, the functionality of the speaker is great and will impress anyone intending to buy a small, portable speaker.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Great design

    -Put together well, not falling apart

    -Small and compact

    -Great sound

    -Great minor features

    Cons

    -Only comes in black

    -Future of the rubber pieces at the bottom

    -Buttons are a bit too sensitive

    Things to improve

    I believe that the company should try selling different colors on the speaker. I think that would attract the younger demographic. The rubber pieces at the bottom should be removed or make it better integrated with the speaker rather than just gluing it on. Finally, touch sensitive buttons are great but I think the product would do better with physical buttons that are engrained in the speaker.

    This is a great speaker that I feels earns high marks. It’s light, portable and still has a great sound. While I think it is a bit on the high end in terms of price, I personally think it is worth it. Great job Spracht, your speaker earns 4 and a half stars from me.

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe

     

  • Boxer Speakers

    The Boxer speakers are powerful, audiophile speakers that can plug into anything with a headphone jack. The speakers are available from Well Rounded Sound for $389.00. Let’s see if they are the speakers for you.

    Form

    The Boxer speakers are designed beautifully. The speakers are made out of real wood which help improve the sound quality and the looks of the speakers. The Boxer speakers are made out of two pieces of wood. One piece surrounds and houses the speaker while the other piece is a small stand that holds up the speaker in the front. Because all of the speaker is surrounded by wood, it adds singularity to the speakers, as opposed to making the stand plastic for instance. The front of the speaker is where the sound only comes out of, there are no sound vents on either side. In the center is a black part that comes out of the speaker, surrounding this is a bass controller. The fact that these parts are uncovered and not protected by a foam cover like many speakers not only increases volume and improves sound but it also adds to the look of the product. Surrounding this is a metal piece that has screws surrounding it. Surprisingly, these screws don’t subtract from the look of the speakers, they add to it. I am supposing it also adds the ability of the buyer to service the speakers his or herself despite the fact that I nor the manufacturer can recommend that. The speakers have to be powered by a small amp which looks ugly but can be hidden away. Also, because the controls are on the amp and not the speakers, there are no buttons on the speakers thus improving the look of the speakers themselves. Overall, these speakers look great and will look great no matter where you put them, be it on a desk or table.

    Function

    The only reason we buy speakers is to play sound, almost always music. Consumers buy cheap speakers to meet their music listening needs, but sometimes we need a bit more power, a bit more sound to our music. That is where the Boxer speakers come in. These speakers are power horses. They provide some of the best sound you can hear from a speaker it’s size. The bass is bass-y and the treble is rich. The sound just sounds great. If you want great sound quality speakers, these are it. They have excellent sound at any volume. Be it at low volume or blasting, these speakers retain a rich sound. You can hear every instrument through these speakers, I know because I can hear every instrument played in Coldplay’s songs and without great speakers, that’s difficult to do. I have tried listening to songs of many genres and each song sounds like you are there while that artist is performing that song. The speakers take you to the artist performing the song. The highs and lows of a singer, the notes of a piano and the strums of a guitar all come in crystal clear. The speakers can fit in many places but not everywhere. They are limited down a bit by an amp, but that is the case with most audiophile speakers so that is not much of their fault. In fact, that just shows how powerful they are, they actually need a small amp to run them. The amp you get is small and has a port for audio in and a 3mm headphone port (same end as a guitar cord). It also has a small knob for adjusting the volume. That’s it. The wires that are included with the speakers to the amp are long enough to hide the amp underneath a table, while the speakers are on top of it. Of course, longer cords are available on the market, but these cords should suffice. Overall, the function of these speakers excel to highest marks.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Excellent form, looks great on any table
    -Excellent sound
    -Long cords
    -Amp does what it needs to do efficiently

    Cons

    -Amp is a bit bulky (small but heavy and it’s power brick is no different)

    Things to be improved

    Nothing has to be improved with these speakers.

    These speakers produce absolutely stunning sound quality. These speakers are a must buy for consumers wanting to buy better speakers or audiophiles anywhere. These speakers could not receive anything lower than five stars from me. Great job Well Rounded Sound, your name of your company accurately describes your product.

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe

  • ION Sound Splash Review

    The ION Sound Splash is a lightweight, small, bluetooth waterproof speaker that allows you take your music and your calls into areas that are wet without putting your bluetooth device in serious danger of getting wet. This device allows you to listen to music in the shower and take a call should one come in. Just be sure to turn the shower off before you accept the call so it doesn’t get awkward:) The ION Sound Splash is available from ION’s Amazon Store for $69.99. Let’s see if this waterproof speaker is right for you.

    Form

    One thing that I noticed about this speaker right away was how small it was. This speaker is meant to be portable. You could put it in some bigger pockets, although I would recommend putting it in a bag. There is a reason it is like this… so you can take it around with you! It can go in boats, near the lake, near the pool, near the water or really anywhere. This speaker is not made cheap either. It is a pretty solid device despite it being lightweight. The device is well-designed since everything is easy to use and it actually looks nice. The buttons on the device are easy to see and use. Access to volume, play/pause, power button and the take the call button are within reach at all times. You may be wondering that if this device is truly waterproof and wireless, how does it protect the charger? Well, the speaker has a small locking flap on the bottom of the device that you can open and put the charger in. Just be sure to close it before you enter the shower. I would have liked to have seen addtional colors in the lineup other than white to make it more fun but it is not important. All in all, the Sound Splash has made a splash in the Form category, let’s see how it does in it’s function.

    Function

    The first thing I noticed when using this speaker was how powerful it was. When you first see it’s small size, you think to yourself “No way this will sound good at all” but when you actually hear it, you will be shocked to hear it’s quality. Even the bass on the speakers was surprisingly great. Another thing I noticed is that I could leave my iPhone in the other room and it will still pick up it’s bluetooth signal well. I have, as of yet, heard the device drop the sound when using the bluetooth functionality. The device can also attach anywhere in your shower. The suction cups that come with it are firm yet easy to take off. I have had problems with wet suction cups before and the inability to take them off the wall or glass but these suction cups do not have that same problem. In addition, if you’re not a fan of suction cups, you can use the attached hook to hook it onto your shower head (that is what I do). Both ways provide for easy on and off. When taking a call, the device will fade out the music and the blue light on the device will blink and you can take the call just by pressing the phone button. When you end the call, the music starts up again. In addition, other controls are within reach. You can pause or play music, turn up and down the volume, take a call or turn the speaker off. There is only one problem I have in the functionality of this device. You better have a good selection of music because if you come across a song you don’t like, you can not skip it. The beloved forward and backward buttons that we have come to know and love on MP3 players is not featured on the device. This is a big misstep in functionality. It’s one of the main buttons on an iPod, how can you miss it? On the bright side, it has forced me to get rid of songs I truly don’t like but even then there are sometimes songs I don’t want to listen to at that particular time of day. However, considering songs on people’s iPods typically is music they like, it shouldn’t be a huge deal but it is something I miss. All in all, its great sound, ease of use and great bluetooth quality among other things more than compensates for the lack of a few buttons.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Great sound
    -Portable
    -Great bluetooth quality
    -Great call quality
    -Easy to set up in the shower and with your device
    -Waterproof
    -Looks great aesthetically

    Cons

    -No forward/backward buttons, need these to change the song
    -Needs more color options

    Ways to Improve

    There are a few ways to solve the playback problem. First, ION could add buttons to the device that allow the user to go forward or backward on the music. Second, and I feel this is more of a unique way, is to add Siri/Voice Control functionality. Pressing a button (or holding a button) would activate Siri or voice control and the person can tell the device to call Steve or Play Coldplay or skip this song. The possibilities are great with Siri/Voice control. As more and more devices get Siri, the need for Siri functionality in products increases and I believe that it can be a HUGE selling point in the next rendition of the Sound Splash to include Siri/Voice Control functionality, and if they can’t use Siri with the product due to some Apple restrictions that may or may not exist, they should develop their own app that will allow the user to give simple commands. Since the Siri/Voice Control platform already exists, attempts should be made first to integrate them into the device, perhaps a button that simulates the pressing of the home button (voice control and Siri are both prompted by default by the short hold of the home button).

    This is a great device. It’s sound, portability, wide bluetooth capabilities, ease of use earn it 4 and a half stars. The addition of forward/backward buttons would have made it 5 stars easily but such an important function can not be disregarded.

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe

    Images Courtesy: ION

  • EagleTech Foldable Bluetooth Headset

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    The EagleTech Foldable Bluetooth Headset is a wireless headset designed to be intuitive with your mobile device, namely the iPhone. You can listen to music with it’s great sounding over the ear speakers or you can take calls with it as well. You won’t need to pull out your phone to change the song, there are controls on the headset itself that do that for you. The EagleTech Bluetooth Headset is available from Amazon for $49.99. Let’s see if these are the headphones for you.

    Form

    The first thing the struck me about the headphones was that they were actually nice looking. I have seen Beats before and I am not a fan of how they look and I am a fan of how these look. The one’s I received have a black outside and red detail on the inside as well as on the sides. Another thing I noticed when I put them on was how light they were. These headphones are so light, you’ll forget that you even have them on. In addition, the headphones are constructed fairly well. I like the chrome feel on the headphones and I like the feel of the foam on my ears. It feels comfortable to wear. The headphones are foldable which allows for good portability. The controls on the headphones are well placed as well. One thing I am not a fan of in terms of aesthetics is the metal piece that extends the earphones is a bit cheap. I would have liked to have seen it a bit more better made but the aesthetic of the rest of the earphones more than make up for it. Overall, for the money they are nice looking headphones.

    Function

    The sound quality is really what we are after here. These headphones deliver more sound quality than a lot of headphones that I have seen that were more expensive. The headphones have clear sound that makes you keep them on for a long time. Despite them being Bluetooth, which is notorious for dropping the connection for a second and thus resulting in a drop in music for a second, these headphones do not have those problems. I have never once heard it drop the sound. That is excellent bluetooth quality. In addition, these headphones have easy access to controls on the right side. You can pause, play, change the volume and change the music with the 5 buttons on the side. It takes a little time to learn where they are without looking at them but you’ll get the hang of it and learn the controls with a breeze. The left side has an indicator for how much battery it has remaining. Unless you don’t charge the headphones overnight, this won’t need to be checked. The battery will last you the whole day. As a matter of fact, you can play music or talk on your phone all day and it will still have charge remaining. In addition, a cool feature is that you can check the battery right on your phone. When attached via bluetooth, there is a battery indicator on the menu bar on the device so you have quick access to the battery level of your headphones should you need to check it. Charge it overnight and your headphones will last longer than your phone! In addition, the quality of a call is very good with the headphones, I have had no problems with them in terms of hearing the other person and them hearing me. Also, the headphones come with a carrying case so it won’t get damaged or dirty when you aren’t using it. There is not a thing I can find that I don’t like about these headphones. These are probably the best consumer wireless headphones on the market for the price.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Strong aesthetic
    -Comfortable to wear
    -Great sound
    -Doesn’t drop the bluetooth connection
    -Battery indicators on the headphones and on the device
    -Long charge
    -Great call quality
    -Carrying case
    -Great price

    Cons

    -The metal in the inside of the headphones is not as solid as I would like it to be (this is some serious nitpicking here)

    How to Improve

    Not a whole lot to improve here. I don’t think they should increase the thickness of the metal aforementioned since it increase the weight and I would rather them not add much weight. Therefore, there are no suggestions for improvement.

    This headset is probably the best headset in it’s price range. I have taken a liking of wireless headphones due to lack of a need for wires and these headphones are great and there is no way I could not give it 5 stars. Great job EagleTech.

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe

    Images Courtesy: EagleTech

  • ION JukeBox Dock Review

    The ION Jukebox Dock is a dock that makes your iPad, iPhone or iPod into a retro jukebox. There are several apps that allow you to browse through your music library as you would on a diner jukebox giving you an authentic jukebox experience, or at least as authentic it cam get on an iPad. It is available for $99.99. Allow me to explain why it is my favorite speaker dock so far.

    Form

    The looks of this dock are great. Even without it being on, it looks great! The iPad looks best on it so you can take full advantage of the space available to put a device on. When it is on, it really is bright especially in a dark room. It emits lights that slowly change as it plays and a couple lights on the head of the Jukebox are going too and the dock allows you to transfer back to the 50s with music from now. It is made out of real wood on the back and sides which helps with sound quality. The back is a light brown unpolished wood while the sides are a dark brown, nicely polished wood. The front is decals that make it look like an authentic jukebox and lights that follow the curve from bottom left, up and down to bottom right, like an arch. The lights are really cool and closely resemble that of an old jukebox. Take an old diner jukebox and add an iPad on it and that is what this is. It really is a blast from the past and a cool one at that.

    Function

    There are two things that this Jukebox is supposed to do and supposed to do well. That is A. play music at a high quality and B. charge your device efficiently. I can tell you that it does both extremely well. The music coming from the speakers sounds like the quality you would expect from speakers much more expensive than it. When I first pulled it, I thought it was just a toy and it wouldn’t have good quality. Boy was I wrong. This toyish-like dock packs a punch. It compares similarly or even favorably to some more expensive docks like some Bose and JBL docks and those not only sound really good but they are much more expensive. Another thing is that it charges the iPad at the same time of playing your tunes. It charges the iPad fast and I see an improvement over using other docks to charge it. In speaking of the iPad, there are many apps on the App Store that turn your iPad into a Jukebox control, which of course fit perfectly with the dock. A few I recommend are Diner Jukebox and StereoMatic as they make the experience very authentic, the app Diner Jukebox even has you touch the place where you put a quarter in to simulate you putting a quarter into the jukebox. This happens every time you open the app. The jukebox dock and an app combined make the closest resemblance to an actual jukebox you can get without actually buying one. The function of this dock is superb. The only negative I can say about it is that the lights are so bright, you have to turn it off at night when you want to sleep (should it be stored in your room) and turning it off also turns off the charging capabilities. This is not an issue for me since I can sleep with it on but for some with sensitive eyes, that may not work for you.

    Conclusion

    Pros

    -Strong wood
    -Looks well made and is well made
    -Looks like a mini authentic jukebox
    -Sounds similar or better to/than more expensive docks
    -Charges iPad quickly

    Cons

    -Maybe too bright to sleep with should it be in the same room that you sleep in

    Ways to improve

    The only thing that should be changed is the addition of the ability to turn off the lights but not the charging ability. I think that that would be good to add. On the same token, the brightness is also a good thing for low-lit parties as it adds a lot of color to the party while providing music at the same time and even providing a conversational piece.

    The ION Jukebox Dock is definitely one of the stronger things I have reviewed in terms of it’s abilities and it’s subsequent rating overall and it’s power in speaker capabilities and charging capabilities coupled with it’s authentic jukebox look make it the ideal dock and easily outweigh it’s only negative. The dock easily earns five stars from me. Great job ION, you have a stellar product here.

    Thanks for reading,

    Joe