We're tired of the tinny sound of the tiny speakers on our mobile devices. Our headphones produce beautiful sound and look good doing it, but when we have to move around and don't want to wear them we're relegated to the tin can tweeter. Here are some stylish alternatives…
1. Jawbone Jambox ($179.99)
Yup, you've probably seen it on the shelves of an Apple store near you, the Jambox is a well known contender in this area for its slick looks and audio quality. It's also got MyTALK, a platform for software updates and apps that add functionality to the device. We like the amount of bright colors to choose from, the question is 'which one?' as we won't be matching it to our sunglasses like this gentleman.
2. Zooka ($89)
The Zooka, a device we suspect is named for it's bazooka-like shape and not the sound a kazoo makes, is a bluetooth enabled tube with speakers on either end. It's made to smoothly slip over devices like the iPad or a laptop and bolster their normally bad speakers. Made of medical grade silicon the device can take a beating and it's minimal buttons make use dead simple. If your device doesn't have bluetooth it's also got a 3.5 mm audio input jack.
3. Razer Ferox ($59.99)
Billed as gaming speakers, Ferox's create 360 degrees of sound for up to 12 hours. While these don't boast quite the sound quality of some of the other models we've mentioned, they definitely do boost the volume level and do so more stylishly than most. The tops can be compressed for easier storage while traveling and the Ferox's work with any 3.5 mm audio jack.
4. Soundmatters FoxLv2 Platinum Portable Speaker ($229)
Probably the best competitor in size, looks and audio quality to the Jambox, the FoxLv2 Platinum portable speaker has a 20 hour battery life and two tweeters that double as woofers. Bluetooth connectivity and an AudioQuest Evergreen audio cable mean that you're pretty much set for any device. We like the included speakerphone capabilities for use with your mobile.
5. Altec Lansing iM277 Orbit ($25)
A tiny mono speaker, the Orbit is the best budget option we could find. The sound quality is good and the volume plenty loud for a speaker so small. If you don't spend enough time moving with music or would rather dip a toe in than take the dive on a Jambox, the Orbit is a good choice.
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Including "budget" in the name of this post and then including a $230 speaker? Come on, man!
I have and love the Altec speaker - just remember to turn it off! It does deliver a lot of sound and bc of the price I don't mind taking it on trips, outside, etc.
One of the guys in my band has a jawbone jambox he brings to rehearsals, and it is awesome. You'd never expect the kind of sound that comes from such a small portable box. Well worth the investment!
I purchased a Jawbone Jambox for my bathroom actually. I liked that once charged I didn't have to mess with wires, the fact that it was bluetooth means that it could work with pretty much any modern device (if I were to take it to the public pool), it looks great and best of all it sounds amazing. Added benefit for having it in the bathroom to play music while I shower and get ready in the morning: it's water resistant so I don't feel as bad if the room gets steamed up a little.
Also, on a related note... I'm not sure how true this is but I read somewhere that FoxLV2 is actually what the jambox is based on. Jawbone went to the Soundmatter guys and bought the guts to the FoxLV2's, put it in a more stylish package. If you don't really care about the looks the LV2 is supposed to sound just a little bit better
Or, you could carry around a china soup bowl. They work rather well when your device is plopped into it (minus the soup)
As far as style goes, I love the wavy speaker face of the Jawbone Jambox. However, you can't beat the price of the Altec Lansing iM277 Orbit.
the jawbone is amazing... my best friend got one from her parents (we aren't young, so her rents are crazy techsavvy!) and I have been wanting one ever since!!!
this one is going to be perfect. cant wait to get it! http://www.hiddenradiodesign.com/
I have the Jambox, it's a great little device. Good sound, it fills a small room very well.
It doesn't really work that well as a speaker phone but that's not why I bought it.
I have one of these from Logitech, the Z305. Looks pretty much like #2 (the 'Zooka), and sounds decent for its size.