This is a review of EcoXGear EcoROX wireless rugged speaker. http://ecoxgear.com/ecorox/
With so many products I have reviewed in the past, I can tell you this was the MOST FUN review I've done to date. Wireless speakers I looked at before came in different sizes, shapes, and sound quality. But none of them offered a true waterproof design with a durable shock protection that would dare me to drop the speaker in the water or get it soaked by my kids. EcoRox got all of that with a very impressive array of additional features, although at a premium price.
I was hooked on this speaker after watching EcoXGear hilarious commercial at http://ecoxgear.com/ecoxgear-videos/ . When I received my review sample and picked up the box, I thought someone forgot to put the speaker inside. It was that light! The next surprise was actually taking it out of the box to discover how small it was. With a dimensions of about 5.3" x 2.5" x 3" and weight of under 11 oz (that's including detachable carabiner clip) - it is super portable and also really "cute" looking. My kids wanted to turn it into wall-e by putting eye stickers when I had it mounted on gorillapod. Like I said, the whole family had fun reviewing it
Although lightweight, the construction is very solid and highly durable. Beside the front and the top metal speaker grills, the edges and the sides are encapsulated in a quality rubberized material. The back is hard plastic with a tightly fitting rubber flip/gasket to seal micro-usb charging port and 3.5mm aux input. Also on the back you find a rotating loop to clip the included carabiner. The bottom has a universal mounting tripod thread that comes very handy to mount EcoRox either on tripod or any other accessory such as suction cup or bicycle handlebar. Underneath of the front grill you have 2 front firing speakers, each rated at 3W RMS for a total of 6W. The top grill covers a passive bass speaker/port. On the front top edge you also get 3 led indicators for power on, bluetooth connection, and battery status (charging status as well as an alarm when you are down to about 30min of battery charge). Speaking of charging, this little guy houses a whooping 1400 mAh battery that will enable playtime of over 10hr from full charge!!!
What I totally didn't expect was a full set of dedicated controls without any double functionality. You have a dedicated power button with led indicator, bluetooth pairing button also with led indicator when it's paired up, a separate volume up/down control, a separate skip next/prev control, and play/pause button which also picks up a call. There is also a microphone at the front bottom of the speaker. EcoRox did a decent job as a speakerphone and seamlessly switched between playing music and picking up calls. The caller on the other end didn't have any complains about sound quality or background noise. Next was the music playback test. I do realize these are small light drivers so there is no high expectations. 6W of power is pretty good for a high volume, but unfortunately at higher volume sound was somewhat distorted especially in low frequency range, and high frequency content wasn't as clear as I expected. I wasn't surprised with a results since these are no audiophile speakers. Another thing I noticed was a slightly limited bluetooth range in comparison to other speakers that can play easily at 30+ ft away from the phone, while EcoRox started to get choppy reception at half of that range when I was holding it by it's sides. In clear sight or on a tripod it was fine, only while holding it. Not sure if that was just an issue with my review unit, but in general that was also expected because of a rugged shell probably interfering with the signal sensitivity and my hands blocking it even further.
Now, here comes the best part of the review - water dunking!!! This speaker is rated at full IPX7 & IPX8. You can submerge it under the water without causing a permanent damage!!! As you can see from the pictures, I had the power on, dunk the speaker under the water, took it out and it was playing wet'or'dry without any problem. One thing to note, when you drop the speaker into the water it floats with bass port up and speaker port submerged into a water where you can't really hear the sound well. It's great to know if you are around the pool and drop EcoRox or outside in the rain or someone hoses it with a water - your speaker will be safe. But if you are planning to have this speaker floating in the pool and playing music at the same time you better off trying EcoXBT which is designed to float with a speaker facing up. It's another great speaker from EcoXGear collection which I hope to review in a near future, although its a bit larger and less portable than EcoRox.
Overall I think its a great rugged portable speaker, perfect for outdoors, by the pool or on the beach, mounted on a bike or with a suction cup in the shower, on a tripod mount or by itself or clipped to your backpack. It's not for audiophiles, but the sound quality is not that bad considering the size of the speaker/driver, and its a huge bonus to have full dedicated playback/volume controls and speakerphone functionality. It comes at a premium price which I hope after initial introduction might drop under $100 which is more reasonable for this speaker (and sound quality).
Here are the pictures.
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in a water
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This is a review of Braven 855s wireless speaker. http://www.braven.com/braven-855s.html
2013 is not over yet, but I can tell you with certainty that portable wireless speakers and external battery supplies were among the top popular gadgets of this year. A smartphone is a heart of today's portable entertainment system that holds our music, our pictures, connects to our TV, plays popular video games, and does so much more including actually making calls Such entertainment system needs a way to deliver the sound where using built-in speaker just doesn't cut it. Furthermore, it consumes a lot of juice which drains your battery fast. The solution? Braven 855s which combines these two functionalities plus much more, and does it in STYLE!!!
Before starting with my review, let me get something off my chest. Yes, this speaker is on a pricey side with a tag of $300, and No, it's not intended for audiophiles. So let's take a look at what you are actually getting for this premium price, and why you should seriously consider 855s if you are looking for a high quality portable wireless speaker and considering either Big Jambox (I'm making a very bold statement here) or any other wireless speaker with famous rapper name attached to it.
Even before you open the box, you can already get your first impression by noticing the weight of this speaker. At almost 4 pounds this is not your average light-weight speaker with wimpy drivers to make it sound just a bit louder than a speaker on your smartphone. This is heavy duty wireless speaker crafted on a front and a back with perforated aircraft aluminum grade material and wrapped around with a quality rubber bumper that will let you withstand a serious outdoor activities while also attracting considerable amount of lint With a dimensions of 9.75" in length, 4.25" in height, and 3" in depth - it's still very portable, although the weight going to be very noticeable when you carry it around. It would have been great to see some kind of a collapsible handle that stores/hides into the bumper, but the non-slip grip was adequate to hold it with one hand for me. The speaker itself is IPX3 rated which means it's water resistant, but not recommended to be submerged under the water. So in a situation where you are by the pool, or someone spills a drink, or you outdoors and light rain starts to drip - you will have a piece of mind knowing it shouldn't damage your speaker. In general it's optimized to work both outdoors and indoors.
The connection to your phone or tablet is a typical bluetooth procedure, pair up within seconds and you ready to go. If your source doesn't have Bluetooth connection, you can use auxiliary input with an included 3.5mm cable. Or if you have a friend with another 855s or 850 speaker, you can wirelessly pair them up to double the power of the sound. At $300 a pop I personally consider it to be too much to get a pair just for this purpose. The speaker is rated at 20W of RMS, this is serious power! The sound is delivered by 2 front facing speakers hidden behind the grill, with a passive bass ports firing from the rear mesh grill of the enclosure. The sound has a signature heavy bass profile which is very popular with a lot of the today's headphones and speakers. To bring up more high frequency content, you can easily activate SRS WOW HD mode which widens the sound and bring up more mids/highs up front. I would personally only use it with SRS setup. Also, support of Apt-X codec helps to deliver sound context with minimal loses typical for Bluetooth connection. I'm still standing by my statement - this is not a speaker for audiophiles because it does color the sound, and you need to crank up the volume while taking a few physical steps back to really enjoy it. But don't crank it up too high because you start noticing the distortion. The sound is very powerful and loud, enough to fill in a big party room or to take your party room outside and still enjoy the sound in the open area.
Here is where it gets more interesting. I have noticed with a number of wireless speakers a trend of not including playback controls. You have a gadget that streams music 30+ feet away from your "entertainment system" and you have no way to play/pause or skip the track? With Braven 855s - you have full control of playback and volume! Buttons are at the top of the unit, rubberized and sealed to go along with it's rugged functionality and IPX3 water resistance. The speaker pairs up with both the audio output and the phone, and works great as a speakerphone. You play music, get a call - seamlessly switch between both, and once the call it done it fades back into the music. With noise canceling speakerphone people had no problem hearing me on the other end, and commented it was loud and clear. Also, you get about 20 hours of wireless play time which is above and beyond any other wireless speaker I have seen or tested. So, where do you get all this juice? From a built-in 8800 mAh rechargeable battery. Oh, and to take it to the next level - the output of this battery is made available as an external battery source to charge any of your phone or tablet or other gadget. There are no guess work here, you get 5-led indicators which partition battery reading into increments of 20% so you know exactly how much power is left when you discharging or the progress of charging the speaker. The actual charging is very fast thanks to AC/DC adapter which is rated at 12V/3A output. True, it's not your standard micro-usb connector, but you have to keep in mind we are dealing with 8,800 mAh battery that you want to charge fast rather than waiting half a day before its up.
Overall, I was very impressed with a high quality of it's built and the amount of technology packed into this compact speaker. One can argue about it's weight which is not exactly portable, but overall footprint is portable. It does come at a premium price, but I found it to be aligned with other premium speakers in this category. Considering all the additional features including ability to charge external devices, SRS WOW HD and Apt-X support, rugged design, and IPX3 water resistance - it actually makes Braven 855s a bargain if you were already planning to spend this amount on competitive speakers.
Here are the pictures.
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This is a review of Favi Boomerang Mini wireless Bluetooth speaker. http://www.favientertainment.com/Audio-p/boom02-sm.htm
It's a bird... It's a plane, It's a... maybe a headphone? No, it's a new wireless Bluetooth speaker from Favi, like nothing you have seen before! With so many wireless speakers I have reviewed in the past, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect just by looking at the image on the box it arrived in. I guess Favi guys took thinking outside the "speaker" box literally to come up with Boomerang idea for their product. Have they succeeded? Let's find out!
Arrived in a box with a lot of detailed images and functionality description, I was still a little bit puzzled considering there was one picture with a silhouette wearing it around the neck and another one with a phone wedged in the middle. Taking it out of the box revealed something that resembled a folded headphone which also included bonus accessories of usb to micro-usb charging cable and 3.5mm audio cable and a detailed user's guide. The construction of the design felt very solid, especially when unfolded, made out of high quality plastic material with metal reinforcements around folding hinges and metal piece inside of "headband" for a secure springy action. The speaker itself wasn't too heavy, but still had a heft to it showing that it's not a cheap toy.
Once unfolded, you'll find 2 active speakers facing forward with a metal mesh grill at the tip of each side of "Boomerang". There is also a combination of two pairs of passive bass radiator, according to diagram on the back of the box, and two open bass port on the sides. On the inner side toward the edge there was 2 grooves to hold your smartphone in between with a decent clamping force. As a matter of fact, it was strong enough for me to pick it up easily with a phone inside, and to carry it around. While placed on the surface, you can adjust the position of the phone which changes the angle of speakers facing forward. I know there was an image of silhouette wearing these speakers around the neck, and I was actually able to fit it as well (considering I do have a thin neck), but I would NOT recommend doing that since its a very tight fit. As a standalone speaker or with a phone wedged in-between - this was one of the most interesting and innovative designs I have seen to date.
On the left side inside of Boomerang, you find the micro-USB charging port (battery lasts up to 10 hours), on/off switch, led power indicator, a mic, and AUX input to connect directly from headphone jack of your source in case if you don't want to or can't be paired up wirelessly. And speaking of that, the pair up was a breeze. As soon as I turned Favi on, I was able to discover it with my Note 2 right away, and it paired up with a phone and media audio flawlessly. Furthermore, you can also pair it up by tapping NFC area labeled with a sticker on Boomerang. The wireless range covered a typical 40ft of a distance.
In addition to media play, it also comes with a mic to be used as a speakerphone, where it performed well. But the shining star of Boomerang performance was the sound delivery! Rated at 4W, assuming 2W per speaker, sometime you don't expect much. As a matter of fact, I was a bit skeptical thinking Boomerang was more about the design and the looks rather than a sound quality. Was I in for a big surprise! These little speakers packed a hell of a loud sound presentation which I was able to crank up almost to the max without too much distortion. Though not exactly being able to drive a deep bass, the sound was actually full and clear, and had a bass punch enough to make it highly enjoyable. Also, considering that you are dealing with two speakers on each side of your phone, the sound had a good stereo separation.
Overall, I was VERY impressed with Boomerang design, quality, and sound performance. The convenience of Bluetooth and NFC pair up, a long lasting 10hr battery (depending on the volume), very innovative idea of expansion sleeve design to hold the phone, great clean sound, and a compact folding storage (wish they would have included a travel pouch) all together adds up to a great value currently available on Amazon for $59.99. Just don't get discouraged by the labeling of "iPhone" in there since Boomerang is universal for use with any phone or tablet that supports Bluetooth. This Favi Boomerang Mini speaker definitely gets my high recommendation!
Here are the pictures.
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This is a review of Monster SuperStar wireless speaker. http://www.monsterproducts.com/speakers/superstar/
It takes a lot of confidence to label your product "The world's smallest audiophile speaker". That's exactly how Monster refers to their latest wireless speaker. I do have to agree, it's among the smallest speakers I have tested, considering a unique flat rectangular footprint with rounded corners resembling a smartphone shape. I also have to agree that it has a very detailed clear sound, not typical for wireless speakers. Here is more about this little SuperStar!
Following their flashy tradition, you don't expect anything less from Monster product packaging where SuperStar doesn't disappoint with a high quality box, detailed graphics, plenty of description, and traditional magnetic flap cover revealing a gift box setting of the product inside of it. In addition to a speaker, a usb to micro usb cable and storage drawstring mesh pouch was included. There is no exaggeration, but the speaker is small!!! Weighting only 230g and 140mm x 75mm x 22mm it had a footprint smaller than my Note 2, and about double in thickness. It was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and soft rubbery texture felt very good to the touch which also should help to absorb a shock if dropped. Furthermore, the speaker has IPX-4 rating for water splash protection, so you will be safe around the pool or at the beach as long as you don't submerge it into the water. Also, the speaker itself was designed to work placed flat on the surface or in a sturdy upright position.
A closer examination of the speaker revealed some very unique design details. First of all, it has 2 top firing drivers placed in the corners under the perforated grill. In the center on the top and the bottom of the speaker you have a pair of cleverly designed passive bass radiators to enhance low frequency performance of SuperStar. One of the main problems with small speaker enclosures is not being able to fit enough of regular active drivers to cover a low frequency sound. Some speakers use bass ports to direct the sound outside through some clever filtering, while in here you get a pair of passive radiator cones pumping the air out. Don't expect an earth shattering bass you can feel, but you will be surprised to hear a decent bass punch with injection of sub-bass to make sound feel solid. With a lot of the smaller speakers, you typically get a thin high frequency sound or muddy bass distortion, but with SuperStar you get a well rounded detailed clear sound. As a matter of fact, I pumped it up to a max volume and experienced minimal distortion, only noticeable in low frequency range due to exaggerated pumping of radiator ports.
For sure, this speaker sounds VERY good for its size and has clarity surpassing a lot of other speakers I have tested before. Beside sound quality itself, you also get an impressive volume level where I compared it to another 12 Watt wireless speaker I recently tested and found SuperStar to be louder. Another big advantage is the use of Apt-X codec which helps transmit audio wirelessly without too much of bandwidth compression. It really felt like listening to a wired speaker. Speaking of that, there is 3.5mm Input port if you want to connect this speaker to your mp3 player or devices that don't support bluetooth. The port is located on the side and has a rubber flap to keep it's IPX-4 certification. On the other side of the speaker, there is micro USB port with a flap cover for battery charging and also for audio-over-usb connection. The battery should last about 5-6hr at moderate volume use, and micro-usb port also doubles in functionality to be connected to compatible devices where you can send audio through usb port.
Now, let's talk about the actual wireless performance. It wasn't very clear to me if it supports BT3.0 or 4.0, but regardless of that pair up with my smartphone was flawless, and it easily covered 30ft of operating distance. You have 4 dedicated sealed buttons on the top for power, volume up/down, and bluetooth, two led lights for power and bluetooth indication, and mic opening. Pushing Power turns the speaker on and pushing Bluetooth either puts it in a pair up mode for the first time or starts pair up if there was some issue with disconnect. Once paired up, it shows up connected to your phone and media audio, so it can be used to play audio from the phone as well as functioning as a speakerphone with a build-in mic. Volume adjustment is self explanatory. There is also one hidden control which is not obvious and you can only learn about it from manual. Bluetooth button actually functions as Play/Pause button where during a playback a short press will pause and resume playing the song.
Overall, I was a little skeptical when I approached this review thinking it's going to be another "small" speaker claiming to have "big" sound. But as soon as I paired it up and start playing music, I realized it wasn't just an empty promise. This speaker truly does sound great, it looks very cool, has unique design elements with passive bass radiators, hidden playback control (only play/pause, though I would have liked to see track skip next/prev as well), and audio over usb playback. The negative comment I have, which could be a matter of a personal preference, I don't like voice guidance announcing "power on", "paired up", "power off/goodbye". It provides a clear feedback of functionality, but I wish it could be disabled. Price tag is a bit steep, currently on sale for $129.95 where $99.99 would have been a more reasonable price in my opinion. At the same time, you are paying a premium for its unique features packed into a very small footprint. Personally, I was very impressed with this wireless speaker and would definitely recommend it if you want a loud detailed sound and a design to make you stand out from a crowd!
Here are the pictures.
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This is a Review of Ultra Waterproof Bluetooth wireless speaker. http://www.sw-box.com/Ultra-Waterpr...SW-BOX&utm_medium=Banner&utm_campaign=product
As a mentioned in the past, due to so many generic wireless speaker clones, I decided to review only models with unique features. Here is something I found to be a perfect fit for this category. The whole point of wireless speaker is to be able to play and to control music or to receive calls from your phone remotely, and to be able to do that at louder volume than your phone or tablet. This bluetooth extension gives us freedom to move around within 20-30ft wireless range, but also imposes limitation since we have to keep electronics away from water and dirt. Or perhaps you are waiting for an important call and need to jump in the shower. The speaker I would like to present to you today has IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating that will allow you to play it anywhere, by the pool or even in a shower, without skipping a beat. Here is what I found.
Arrived in a rather generic plastic see-through box, you get a good 360 degree presentation of the product even before you take it out. Beside the speaker, it also comes with an accessory box with a user manual and usb power cord. The power cord is unique by having full size USB connector on one side and 3.5mm power connector on the other side. It's not your typical usb cable, but I have seen similar ones in the past so finding a replacement shouldn't be a problem. The reason such power connector is chosen for this design because every port needs to be kept sealed. Power connector is the only port in here, and the plug for this power port has a better seal since it will go deeper into the connector to make sure no moisture or dust gets inside.
Taking a closer look at the speaker itself, it has a cylindrical drum shape with a large suction cup in the back. The speaker opening comes out from the back as well, and the top has a sealed rubber buttons to control its functionality. In the middle, you have Play/Pause/Stop button, to the right/left you have multi-function volume up/down which also doubles as skip next/prev buttons, at the top there is a power button, and at the bottom you have Phone/Call button with microphone pinhole. There are physical buttons underneath of these rubber cover buttons, and they are very easy to feel and to push. As I mentioned before, the power port connector on the side is sealed with a rubber flap. With a help of a rather strong suction cup, you can attach this speaker to any smooth surface, vertical or horizontal. This becomes especially handy if you want to use it in the shower.
The pair up was very easy, and the speaker under "My Speaker" id got connected both to the phone and to the media audio. Operating range was around typical 25-30ft. The sound and call quality were just OK, nothing too outstanding, but still relatively clear and loud. Obviously, this speaker is not designed to provide audiophile quality sound or being competitive with large wireless speakers, but its sound performance was on par with other small wireless speakers I tested in the past. The main advantage of this speaker is to provide a remote sound from your phone/tablet as well as the ability to pickup calls in the "wet" environment. Furthermore, unlike so many other speakers that only let you control the volume, here you can also control the playback with Play/Pause as well as skipping to the next or the previous song. And when you are in the shower streaming your tunes from the phone, you can also pick up a phone call directly and talk without stepping out. Now, that is priceless!!!
Overall, I found this speaker to have a lot of unique features including a full playback and call controls, a very compact design, a loud clear sound, and strong suction cup. With its IP67 rating, this Bluetooth wireless speaker will become your shower's best friend and you will never miss a beat or a call even under the water! I wouldn't advice to actually keeping it for too long submerged under the water, but being splashed under the shower while attached to a wall shouldn't be a problem. Also, for $15 plus change its a great value!
Here are the pictures.
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This is a review of Anker BT wireless (A7909) speaker. http://www.ianker.com/product/A7909011 , also available on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RMYQU06/
It has been awhile since I reviewed a new product from Anker, and I was getting a bit worried thinking they slowed down with their new releases. Just as soon as this thought crossed my mind, I had a new BT speaker from Anker waiting for my review! I don’t have to tell you how saturated smartphone accessories market is with wireless speakers, so I was curious was Anker came up with to stand out from competition "crowd". Let’s take a closer look.
It’s no longer a surprise all Anker products arrive in environmentally safe carton packaging. As a matter of fact, they were the originators of that trend, quickly followed by most other accessory manufacturers. The cover sleeve has a nice clean image of the speaker, and after you slide it out and open the box, you will find A7909 model with included accessories.
Unboxing.
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Accessories include a sturdy USB to micro-usb charging cable, 3.5mm to 3.5mm connector (for direct wired connection of the speaker), and a soft storage bag/pouch. Charging and audio cable is typically something you will find with many other wireless speakers, but not too many others offer a storage bag. Obviously, a pouch not going to protect your speaker from a high drop, but it could cushion it and provide some level of protection. Plus, if you leave fingerprints on the plastic surface of the speaker – a soft material of the pouch could be used to wipe them down.
Accessories.
Out of the box, you will find a relatively compact brick shaped speaker with a dimensions of about 6.4” x 2.6” x 2.6” and weighting aproximately280g. The speaker has a sturdy plastic enclosure with a metal grill on the front covering the drivers and on one side covering the bass port. On the top you have 2 recessed large volume -/+ buttons to decrease/increase the volume level, and the area for NFC pairing. Opposite of the bass port on the other side you will find a multi-function Power/Pair-up/Play-Pause button which also has a blue led backlight to indicate when power is on. The back has charging led indicator, micro-usb charging port, and AUX 3.5mm audio input port. It’s a very simple design with a clear layout of large easy to use controls. The bottom has a non-slip rubbery pad for secure placement on any surface.
Design.
Considering its slightly higher than expected pricing, yeah – Anker spoiled us with premium products at discounted prices, I was curious to explorer its spec and performance to figure out the value of this BT wireless speaker. First of all, it comes with a large 6200 mAh battery (that explains the weight) which can support almost 24 hours of playback at 60% volume setting or 18hr playback at a more realistic 70% volume setting. It sure is impressive for a small compact speaker that isn’t longer than my Note 4.
Inside, it has a dual 5W drivers and a dedicated bass port. Obviously, it could function both wired and wireless. Wireless pair up with a phone was seamless and I tested it to work 60’ away (!!!) from my phone in open space. That’s very impressive for a supported wireless distance. One important thing to keep in mind – it ONLY pairs up with a phone Media, not with a phone to work as a speakerphone. In my own personal experience with at a least a dozen of BT wireless speakers I have tested, I never ever used any of them as a speakerphone. Thus, I found a lack of speakerphone support is not a big deal. The only comment I have here, during pair up speaker produces a loud and a bit annoying beep, which I wish would have been a little quieter.
Pair up and performance with a phone.
Of course, the most important aspect of this review is to find out how it sounds.
Thanks to its 5W speakers, Anker A7909 BT wireless speaker can get very loud and at the max speaker and phone volume level – I sensed NO distortion what so ever. Obviously you have to be realistic that small drivers can produce a loud sound but it’s not a powerful room filling type of sound. The sound is very clean and accurate, not too boomy or too thin, but the further you step away the less bass you hear. Basically, this is not a type of speaker to entertain a big outdoor party or to fill in a big hall with a loud sound, it's intended for a smaller room listening where louder sound will fill in the room and where you will be able to enjoy better low end (bass) response.
Conclusion.
Anker usually doesn't disappoint with their new releases, and this new BT wireless speaker is no exception. It is not necessary the top performer or the best value in "small portable" speaker category, but it definitely offers some unique features to be very competitive. Battery life which can go up to 24hr is a big bonus. 5W dual speaker is loud and clean, and most important you can raise the volume all the way to the max without clipping or distortion. And unlike so many other portable speakers with only Volume control, I like the integrated Play/Pause which is SO important. The whole purpose of wireless speaker is to be away from the phone, and some manufacturers forget about it, making you go back to the phone to pause the song. I'm glad Anker implemented this feature. Backed up by their 18-month warranty, this is definitely a good product. Priced at $69.99, I think it's a bit steep and it would be more realistic to have it priced closer to $50, but if you are looking for all the features offered by this wireless speaker - it worth the price.