PROS: Small size, plenty of connectivity, eco-friendly design.
CONS: Sound quality isn’t that great.
PRICE: $149
Small companies still exist, and with new designs and concepts, CUBEDGE got started with Kickstarter, and through small investors brought their EDGE.sound wireless speaker to life.
It’s pretty small, at about 6” long and 2” wide; the casing is a rubberized material, and the speaker grille is recycled aluminum.
The rear panel has a 1/8” stereo input jack, a USB connection and an on/off switch. The release of the iPhone 5’s new connector has made manufacturers realize that connectivity for future hardware is just as important as the current model – so this unit has included Bluetooth wireless connection, as well. The top panel is very simple, with just volume and function buttons. The angled section features an LED indicator that gives connection status and battery charging info, depending upon the color. The USB port allows its internal batteries to be charged, giving up to 10 hours of battery life. The Bluetooth also allows it to act as a microphone and speaker for phone calls as well.
While it all sounds ultra-advanced and comes in a clean, simple design, the sound quality is just…OK. It’s lacking a little in the bass frequencies, and overall it sounds a bit thin. Considering its $149 suggested price tag, there are plenty of other wired speakers out there that deliver the same sound at a fraction of the price. Also, several other manufacturers, all with better reputations in the audio community, have Bluetooth speakers on the market that sound way better at similar price points.
For musicians on the road, it’s nice to be able to play music in your hotel room, or at the beach, but it’s still hard to justify its expense, even with Bluetooth connectivity. The disappointing sound quality is plainly noticeable even to untrained ears, and for any musician out there, it’s certainly not something you’re going to use to listen to your latest mixes.
FEATURES
Output: up to 95db
Speaker Frequency Range: 40Hz-20,000Hz
Width: 150mm
Height: 61mm
Depth: 55mm
Weight: 290 grams