Logitech Wireless Boombox Stereo Speaker Review
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Logitech is one of those brand names with a slew of top notch products under its belt. What does Logitech have in common with audio gear? As most of you may already know, Logitech makes great sounding desktop speakers and also happens to own Ultimate Ears, one of the highly regarded in-ear monitor manufacturers that has implemented its knowledge into Logitech's audio offerings including this speaker, the Wireless Boombox. It's a Bluetooth stereo speaker meant to cater for those who want to enjoy the best of both worlds by having portability on their side and as much power needed for indoor use. The Wireless Boombox is the top of the line Bluetooth speaker Logitech currently offers, but is that enough to excite you in handing over your cash? We find out right after the break!
Although Logitech markets the Wireless Boombox as a Bluetooth speaker that works with the iPad and other iOS devices, it'll also work with virtually all Bluetooth devices that support the A2DP Bluetooth profile for audio streaming. Pairing couldn't be any more simple. I was able to start blasting tunes over the air to the Wireless Boombox in a matter of seconds. With wireless being the main attraction here, the Wireless Boombox is quite a capable portable stereo speaker thanks to a user replaceable, built-in rechargeable 1,800mAh NiMH battery that lasts for hours, 6 to be exact. Of course your mileage may vary depending on how loud you play your music, but so far I've experience fantastic battery life solely using the Wireless Boombox as a true wireless speaker and enjoying music everywhere around the house.
Bluetooth connectivity is strong with this one. The Wireless Boombox never lost connection between my iPhone even when I moved into various rooms across the home. Noting was able to step in the way of both of these gadgets' magical connection. Logitech rates the Bluetooth connectivity distance at 33 feet which is more than enough to free yourself of wires as they say. Two thumbs up for such a clean Bluetooth connection, who even needs cables these days? The Wireless Boombox is versatile enough that the A2DP profile makes it possible to watch movies and play games on the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch without any audio lag. Heck that even includes Macs if you don't happen to be using a proper desktop speaker system or are on the go with your MacBook.
Well, alternatively the Wireless Boombox also features a line-in input for a wired connection to any audio source. Inside the box you'll find the 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable already included to make up that wired connection as well as the power source, a wall adapter which can be plugged in to power the Wireless Boombox as well as serve as its charger.
On the front is where you'll find a few straight forward button controls, one dedicated to start up Bluetooth pairing, volume buttons and of course a power button. The status LED lights will indicate battery life, Bluetooth connectivity status depicted using the blue LED while the green LED indicates charging as well as the internal rechargeable battery life with limited indication. Orange tells you that the battery life is near empty and that's about it.
The build quality is outstanding. Like many of Logitech's products, the Wireless Boombox is built like a tank, hefty in weight and will serve its duty for a long time as a portable wireless speaker.
Around the back bottom of the device is an orange push button which releases the sturdy flip-out kickstand.
The Wireless Boombox and all of its two 3-inch laser-tuned neodymium drivers, two half-inch neodymium tweeters and four 2-inch passive radiators serve up quite a feast of great sounding music. That's a lot of hardware stuffed inside a portable wireless speaker for the price. You're not going to get anything better sounding than the Wireless Boombox at this price tag. $149.99 is what it retails for (currently $129.99 at Logitech), but if you look at Amazon, it can be had for under $100. Remember Jawbone's little Bluetooth Jambox speaker? It may look cuter, be more portable but at $199, it's way overpriced and guess what? The Wireless Boombox surpasses the Jambox in sound quality by a ridiculously big margin. Flipping thru various tracks, I was surprised by the full, warm sound coming from the Wireless Boombox.
No matter the type of music you're listening to, the Wireless Boombox delivers outstanding clear highs, rich and detailed enough mids with a low end that isn't going to rumble, but is well balanced for any music genre. The bass performance is very good, but isn't going to satisfy you if you really love your bass thumping. I do find that I miss that fullness I like in lows when called for. Where the Wireless Boombox really shines is its terrific way of handling the most hard hitting music genres without distorting or drowning out the mids and lows.
This wireless speaker is capable of streaming clean music without distortion at high volumes which is just amazing. Of course if you really push it to its top limit, you will notice it starting to distort. It's plenty loud to fill a big room. Plugging it in doesn't improve the sound quality, it's that good of a Bluetooth speaker. Without reading the specs, you'd never guess how capable this speaker is.
If you're in the market for a good looking, wireless speakers for portable use and occasional indoor use, we can highly recommend going for the Wireless Boombox. It's well priced, delivers great sounding audio over Bluetooth at a far distance and its built-in rechargeable battery is outstanding for travel. There's a good reason why they called it the Wireless Boombox. The Wireless Boombox receives our Editors' Choice award for being an awesome speaker we'd personally love to use.
