Altec lansing made a comeback to the Indian market last year by announcing a new series of ‘Everything-proof’ wireless speakers ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 14,000. The Mini LifeJacket 2 is one of the options from the series which can apparently take on dust, water, snow and minor falls without sustaining any damage.
The speaker offers a rugged design with a neon blue-coloured plastic with black rubber all around for protection. It looks and feels strong and the mesh grill on the front and back protects the two drivers inside. The shape is more boxy and angular unlike most speakers which usually have a round cylindrical finish. The back houses the micro USB port for charging purposes and a standard 3.5 aux port with a rubber cover to protect the ports from water. The power and volume buttons are placed on the top which also provide the functions of play, pause, next and previous. The speaker can also be mounted anywhere using a tripod mount screw as there is a provision at the bottom. It comes bundled with a small mounting bracket as well. The company claims that the speaker will withstand almost any weather condition be it water, dust or snow. It will also withstand shocks if it is accidentally dropped. It can even float on water although if water enters the speaker the sound gets muffled.
Now we know that it is very sturdy and can take a bashing, but what about the sound quality? Well honestly, it is not very appealing and far from what Altec Lansing has been known to provide. The two 1.5-inch drivers are loud but lack clarity. The sound profile is a bit flat and at high volume the sound starts to distort badly, however, on a lower level it sounds a bit better. At this price, one expects a better sound experience, especially from a brand like this.
The speaker can also be used as a hands-free for attending calls which works pretty well. Wireless connectivity is good and there are no issues with the Bluetooth range.
The quality from the auxiliary port via the wire is as good as you get when connected via Bluetooth. In terms of battery life you get about 7-8 hours of battery backup on a full charge and it can go a bit more if you use it at a lower volume level. The speaker also comes with a voice confirmation system, which can get annoying after a while as it goes off every time you turn the speaker on or off or when you connect or disconnect a Bluetooth device.
The sound quality on the Mini LifeJacket 2 is a big letdown. Speakers priced at a similar range offer a more vibrant and clear audio output but probably aren’t as weather proof. The speaker is recommended if you are looking for something which is really rugged and has a loud sound profile but not a very mesmerizing sound experience. It seems that Altec Lansing has given more attention to design rather than focusing on providing a pleasing audio experience. The Mini LifeJacket 2 is priced at about Rs 7,200 and is available through online and offline retail stores.
(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 08-02-2016)
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