When you finally get sick of those tiny speakers on your mobile and want to listen to music, podcasts, or movie audio with better punch and volume, you undoubtedly start looking for alternatives to play sound through. And you will have no shortage of options either - just search 'wireless sound' on Amazon and you'll find thousands of results!
So when we ran across the latest wireless bluetooth speaker from iClever ( BTS08 ), at such an affordable price we had to give it a go!
First impressions
The BTS08 comes packed in a nice cardboard box along with a user manual and 1' long aux and charger cord in the bottom.
Once unpacked, it was time to charge it using the standard micro USB plug on the side. When it was juiced up (just over 2 hours) it was time to try to connect. At first I had a little trouble trying to get it to work. Whenever I turned it on and connected it via Bluetooth, no sound would come out. But after playing with it some more, I realized you can't charge and play at the same time. I would hold that over their heads as something negative about the speaker - but later, when we get into battery life you'll find you'll rarely ever need to charge and play at the same time because the battery life is insanely good.
The Sound Test
-Music
Overall, the BTS08 sounded great with all of the music I played. I tried some pop, dubstep, and even some classical music. The bass emits a nice loud vibration and handled it well without causing the whole device to make that annoying rattling sound you sometimes hear with small speakers. It's definitely loud enough to hear outside, or in a multi-room apartment, and has a nice range of frequencies from high to low - most likely due to the full range speakers.
-Podcasting I'm a pretty hardcore podcast listener, so one criteria gauge speakers on is the crispness of voice quality. A speaker that muddles or distorts sound quality in a voice can really put a damper on the overall podcast experience. In this category the BTS08 did really well at the low-medium, although at high volume, some of the bass can start muddling with the voices a little bit.
The hardware
The BTS08 Wireless Speaker is part of iClever’s BoostSound speaker line - a whole line of modern looking wireless speakers. It sports dual 10W speakers - a total of 20W - encased in a red perforated metal shell and rubber black top and bottom ends.
As for its design, I like the modern feel that iClever was going for. Their products often display a clear minimalist leaning, and this speaker is no exception. With just 4 top non-mechanical buttons, an on/off switch, micro USB port and 3.5 mm headphone jack controlling all functionality.
It weighs just around 1.5 lbs (about 0.75kg), so when holding it, it does have a nice weight and a well-built sturdy feel. I'd say it is right around the small-medium size, small enough to fit on your desk or put on a table, but not really carry around in your backpack or put in a jacket pocket.
Battery life
The key question of anything wireless is - how long does the battery last? This is an area where the iClever speaker shines. The manufacture specs state the battery should last anywhere from around 12-14 hours and takes just 3 hours for a full charge. After steadily using the speaker in a number of situations like commuting to and from the office, outside at a few events with friends, and just jamming to some Red Hot Chili Peppers at home - I've got to say, it lives up to the mark. I almost felt like it was never going to die! But after a solid week of use, I finally had to recharge it. The speaker will warn you with a beeping sound when it's running low on battery.
Conclusion
The iClever BTS08 is priced at $49.99 and you will be hard-pressed to find another speaker that sounds as good, and has as a long of a wireless playtime.
[Update] The price has been dropped on this device to just $37 bucks!