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Shortly after revealing the foxLv2 aptX Bluetooth speaker, Soundmatters is adding another member to its foxL range with the Dash 7. This pocket-friendly soundbar doubles up as a speakerphone and carries a $250 sticker, boasting pristine omnidirectional sound and also bundling an angled stand for direct on-axis listening. Tipping the scales at 200g, the Dash 7 stands just about 18mm tall and is designed to be nestled below your slate without restricting the view. The speaker plays well with the diminutive foxLo subwoofer too — a pairing that promises to add some punch to impromptu parties. The Dash 7 will come in red, white, black and silver when it lands later this month, but the core specs are currently MIA — a problem we expect to resolve as early as next week when we encounter the accessory at CES.

Continue reading Soundmatters’ $250 Dash 7 portable Bluetooth speaker to debut at CES 2013

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Tablets

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Source: Soundmatters

These days, there are plenty of Bluetooth speakers available, and you no longer have to pay hundreds of dollars to get something decent that sounds good. If you’re looking for a small, but feature-packed speaker, you might want to check out the Boombot REX.

The hexagonal Boombot REX isn’t just a single channel – it’s a 2.1 speaker – with a pair of full-range drivers on front and a dedicated woofer on back. It also has a noise-canceling microphone, and a built-in clip, making it quite portable in a variety of different situations. It connects via Bluetooth to many different devices, from iPods to smartphones and tablets.

There are dedicated buttons to change tracks, adjust volume, answer and hang up calls. In addition, the REX is Siri-enabled, so that you can push a single button on the phone and speak your requests to it and hear them back through the speaker. Beyond all of its technical capabilities, the REX is water-resistant and built to take a beating.

The project is currently raising funds over on Kickstarter, having already amassed more than $85,000 against an initial goal of just $27,000, with 15 days of funding left. Needless to say that this project will be fully funded. You’ll have to pledge $80(USD) to get yours, and you can choose from a blue, green or black version for that price. There’s also a $100 option which lets you choose a custom set of grills in either purple or orange.

[via designboom]

There are plenty of Bluetooth speakers available these days, and here’s another one you might want to check out if you still haven’t found one you like. This latest one was designed in France, and is called the Lowdi.

The minimally-styled Lowdi is a Bluetooth 4.0 mobile speaker, with 3 watts of power. It can produce sound up to 80 dB measured at 0.5m, which isn’t bad. You can recharge the device via USB and its autonomy is 8 hours. Like other speakers, the 3.5mm input allows you to plug in other audio sources which don’t support Bluetooth. The Lowdi also has a mic so it can receive phone calls as well. Another nice touch is the rubber bumper around the exterior of the case, which resists scratches.

The Lowdi Bluetooth speaker sells for for €99 (~$132 USD), including a carrying pouch, USB charging cable and 3.5mm audio cable.

[via Geek & Hype]

Welcome to the modern boombox, a brightly colored speaker from KAKKOii (Japanese for “cool”) that connects with Bluetooth and goes by the name WOW! This speaker is also known as Without Wires and – surprise – connects directly to your smart device with Bluetooth and plays all the audio you want, like mad! The biggest draws you’re about to see here are durability, uniqueness in form factor, and sound power.

The first thing you should look for in a Bluetooth speaker such as this is one of two things – depending on what kind of person you are, you may want to start by seeking out the unique factor. The WOW speaker has that – it’s got a bit of a rounded triangular base, silicone surrounding most of its body in one of five different solid colors, and is really, really comfortable to hold in your hand. It’s made to be a sort of Art Object, looking nice on your modern desktop or peeking out of your backpack.

The second thing you should look for – or you could alternately look for, of course, if you only need one greatness – is sound quality. This device blows the hinges off your bicycle with 85 db sound output – that’s enough to fill a small room full of college students without a doubt. And also if you are planning on tossing it into a room with a load of college students, you’ll rest easy knowing that its mainly silicone coating makes it extremely durable.

This speaker doesn’t come with any damage-proof guarantee, but we’ve dropped it more than once and haven’t even heard a skip in the connection to our wireless devices, much less felt it break. The WOW speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery that’ll last you around 4 hours, and certainly no more than 5 hours if you’re lucky – by our tests, anyway. You’ll recharge the battery via a miniUSB port in the base, this being the only open place on the speaker besides the speaker grille on the other end inside the horn.

The Bluetooth range on this little monster is between 9-10 meters, that being right around a fabulous 33-feet just so long as you don’t have a bunch of walls blocking your way. If you’re connected with your iPhone to this machine and get an incoming call, you can rely on its auto-silence mode while you’re taking the call and the auto-play mode when you’re done – simple built-in excellence!

So here’s the decision you’re making when you’re deciding if you want to purchase the KAKKOii WOW speaker: first, you’ve got to consider that they’re going to cost you £55.00 (VAT included) or NZ$99.95 – depending on which of the two countries this device exists in today you’re purchasing one from. If you’re from the United States, you’ll want to consider that this unit will cost you right around $80 USD if you import it. Therein lies the second factor – do you want to import it? You may just want to wait for it to blow up in popularity so rapidly it hits the US shores in the spring of 2013.

Then there’s this factor: do you really want a Bluetooth speaker you can toss across the apartment and not have to worry about busting into a million pieces? Yes, yes you do – and with audio power to back it up, audio power like this, you’ll be glad you picked up a WOW. It’s fun, it’s pretty, and it works great!

KAKKOii WOW Bluetooth speaker Review is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you happen to live in the UK, then chances are pretty good that you would have heard of AQ Audio before, being an established UK audio leader, and they have just rolled out the second generation of their popular AirPlay speaker known as the AQ SmartSpeaker A2. Having recently debuted, the AQ SmartSpeaker A2 will continue in the ways of the original SmartSpeaker, although this particular puppy comes with a new range of colors, and of course, a price point that is more affordable than ever before. This pair of highly regarded speakers that is famous for their acoustic clarity and unique left and right channel separation looks set to be a cult favorite, aiming to please just about anyone and everyone.

The AQ Direct mode will be featured this time around as well, where it allows users to break free from the Wi-Fi network and enjoy AirPlay technology regardless of where they are. Although it comes with AirPlay capabilities that was specially built for Apple, it also allows Android and Windows users to take advantage of a special DLNA Certified App that can be downloaded over at the Google Play Store and via Microsoft’s “Play To” feature.

Those who are familiar with the workings of Apple devices will definitely enjoy the AQ SmartSpeakers’ simple and intuitive one-touch Airplay set up. AirPlay enables one to stream one’s iTunes Libraries as well as Internet Radio stations, Spotifiy, audio from films or TV programs and other popular music Apps. Thanks to the aforementioned AQ Direct technology, one is free to groove to their favorite tunes anywhere, where it will hook up seamlessly to your AirPlay network, within a 50 meter radius.

Since it also plays nice with both Android and Windows platforms, the AQ SmartSpeaker A2 looks set to be a universal device, appealing to everyone regardless of their mobile operating system affiliation. This eco-friendly device comes with an auto-shut off feature which will power down the unit after one week of non-use, helping users reduce their electricity costs. You can pick up the AQ Audio SmartSpeaker A2 for $149, while a Twin Pack costs $289 with a Four Pack retailing for $555.

Press Release
[ AQ Audio unleashes AQ SmartSpeaker A2 copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]