Tech & Accessory News
Sony has unveiled two new portable wireless speakers designed in a variety of eye-catching colors capable of delivering deep and powerful bass notes with rich acoustics despite having a compact form factor. Sony's SRS-XB3 and h.ear go SRS-HG1 offer high-resolution wireless audio streaming, all-day battery life and true stereo sound separation options.
Read MoreJBL has just unveiled what should be one of the best portable wireless speakers of 2016. The Charge 3 has been given a updated look to coincide with JBL's other portable speaker offerings such as the Flip 3 and Xtreme models and no longer features metal and its design in favor of a more ruggedized rubber and fabric casing that's fully waterproof. The Charge 3 boasts up to 15 hours of battery life (an upgrade over the 12 of the Charge 2+) and promises a more powerful audio experience than its predecessor. Like the Flip 3 and Xtreme, the Charge 3 can also be wirelessly linked up with multiple JBL Connect-enabled speakers for an amplified listening experience while also enabling you to charge external devices using its internal battery power. The Charge 3 will be available this spring for $149.95.
Now that JBL has officially released its Flip 3 and Xtreme wireless portable speakers in North America, the company's most attractive party starting light-up portable speaker has received a much deserved update. The Pulse 2 now has a more refined interactive multi-colored light up LED panel design that's water-resistant, dual side-firing passive bass radiators that will provide a significant boost in bass performance compared to its predecessor along with larger dual 45mm speaker drivers. Another new and arguably innovative new feature is the inclusion of a color sensor lens at the back of the speaker that allows the Pulse 2 to pick up the surrounding colors of where it sits and projects them on its colorful light display. The Prism, as it's called, can be pointed at any color and at any time for instant color shifting mirroring.
Read MoreScosche has introduced a new portable Bluetooth speaker today that has been designed for all weather conditions and outdoor adventures. Scosche's boomBOTTLE+ speaker has a ruggedized cylindrical shape so that it can easily fit into most water bottle holders and is fully waterproof, can float on water, and its rubberized shock-absorbing exterior casing offers drop protection. At 8.5-inches tall, the boomBOTTLE+ is roughly the same size as the UE Megaboom –albeit slimmer in diameter – and also features 360-degree audio and dual pairing capabilities for simultaneous pairing of two boomBOTTLE+ speakers to create an immersive stereo experience. Inside, the boomBOTTLE+ packs two large 50mm drivers including a single large passive subwoofer said to deliver "incredible bass".
Read MoreJBL's Xtreme and Flip 3 portable wireless speakers were both leaked ahead of their official release by a European consumer electronics retailer. The company's Xtreme model looks to be the most rugged of them all featuring a resilient nylon fabric mesh similar to the UE Megaboom, which is described to be durst, mud and water-resistant. The Xtreme borrows some key features from JBL's Charge 2+ while enhancing them even further such as dual USB ports for charging external devices, a long-lasting 12 hour battery life, on-board speakerphone functionality with an echo & noise-canceling microphone – as well as two large side firing bass radiators that accompany what looks like four front-firing speaker drivers for a total of six drivers. That's two more drivers than what is currently found on the Charge 2+, so hopefully we should be able to hear the difference in sound quality.
Read MoreJBL has finally listened to our complaints about its Charge 2 portable Bluetooth speaker and its lack of outdoor durability, or at least we're going to pretend they did. And did so with the introduction of the third generation Charge model called the Charge 2 Plus, or Charge 2+ as JBL calls it. The new and improved Charge 2+ retains the same Charge 2 aesthetics, still has the same internal speaker hardware and long-lasting 12-hour battery prowess with built-in USB gadget charging capability as its "predecessor", but it now features a water-resistant design with a new redesigned orange JBL logo on the front.
Read MoreUltimate Ears, the company behind the insanely successful UE BOOM portable Bluetooth speaker it introduced a little over a year ago, has finally released its third next-generation portable speaker with a design so familiar you'll probably have deju vu. The UE MEGABOOM is Ultimate Ears' thumpier sounding and longer-lasting portable speaker that just so happens to look identical to its now somewhat smaller brother – the UE BOOM. Not that we're complaining. We actually think the UE BOOM's ultra-durable design is one of the best around. And although the UE MEGABOOM features the same durable waterproof cylindrical design covered in rubber and a stain-resistant acoustic nylon mesh skin, as well as the same amazing immersive 360-degree audio output, it does have a few significant improvements over the UE BOOM model like longer wireless Bluetooth range of up to 100ft (compared to 50ft), extended 20-hour battery life (compared to 15-hours), and for the first time the UE MEGABOOM will be able to receive wireless over-the-air firmware updates.
But most importantly, the UE MEGABOOM also features enhanced audio performance thanks to its larger dual 2-inch active drivers and dual 2-inch by 4-inch passive bass radiators promising "deep, heart-pounding bass". This compared to the dual 1.5-inch drivers and dual 2-inch passive bass radiators of the UE BOOM. Our only gripe when we reviewed Ultimate Ears' UE BOOM was that it lacked deep bass and we're very curious to hear how the UE MEGABOOM will fare with its enhanced drivers.
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