This neat looking device looks, for entire world, like a big cigarette case or a clutch purse — though it can also fit into one or into a very large pocket. There’s nothing new about small speakers that sound reasonable, but this one is a looker. Up-front there is a textured mesh speaker grill which protects two 4-watt speakers underneath and at the back there is a scratch-resistant leather finish which feels premium. There is also a kick-stand at the back so you can keep it boldly on your desk. The aluminium frame in the centre gives the speaker a nice touch and also houses the textured volume adjustment buttons as well as the Bluetooth and call receive and end buttons which also act as the play and pause buttons.
For its size, one wouldn’t expect great sound, but surprisingly it is loud and clear. The bass is not fully satisfying, sometimes feeling compressed, but in such a small profile churning out heavy bass is not easy. At high volume some songs did make the speaker struggle as the lows went overboard with a hint of distortion. The voice quality while attending phone calls is unyielding and the speaker actually makes a very good loudspeaker for everyday conference calls. The speaker can last about eight hours after a full battery charge on its 2,000mAh battery, which doubles up as a power bank to charge other devices, like a smartphone.
However, it leaves a room for improvement in sound quality. The price will set you back by Rs 10,000, where you pay a bit extra for aesthetics and functionality, which is fair enough deal, but there’s plenty of competition around with some of the smaller products from Bose, Logitech and others.
(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 11-01-2016)
