Michael has been organising his music listening with the help of a BenQ device
Adding to its range of products, BenQ has developed the enigmatically Bluetooth speaker named treVolo. This product comes with the claim of being the world’s first portable electrostatic speaker. The electrostatic reference means the speaker driver can emit sound both forwards and backwards, with the emphasis on the midand high-range frequencies.
Along with its unusual name, the treVolo’s appearance is not perhaps what you might expect from athis type of device. The unit has a wedged-shaped body with flip-out panels on either side that resemble wings when extended.
Five circular buttons arranged on the top of the device provide tasks that include volume up/down, mode selection, play/pause and phone call acceptance/rejection plus power on/off. Located on the rear of the device is another button meant to instigate a Bluetooth pairing process, but no matter how many times I tried, the result was the same: pairing mode failed to make an appearance. Checking with BenQ revealed there was a fault with my review sample, and I could achieve pairing mode by holding down the power button for several seconds. This alternate method proved successful.
For those audio devices that do not support Bluetooth, treVolo offers line in, line out and micro-USB options on the rear of the unit. Using these options I was able to feed audio to and through the treVolo. I was able to link MP3 players and a computer to deliver audio. I could also create a daisy-chain by adding my hi-fi system to the arrangement and listen to music from my smartphone and tablet being delivered through the treVolo to my hi-fi system. You will, however, need to provide the connecting leads, as BenQ only bundles a power lead with this product for use when charging the treVolo’s internal battery, which was still delivering power after over 14 hours of playback.
Depending on your mood and choice of listening material, the treVolo can support three different listening experiences. These three modes are designated at Pure, Warm and Vivid, with each one identified by a coloured ring, which appears around the power button. The default Pure mode, with a green ring, sets out to deliver a natural sound with the flattest frequency response. A red ring indicates the Warm mode that is designated as the preferred option for rock, R&B or hip-hop with a bass boost. The third mode of Vivid is meant to add a boost to the upper mid-range and lower treble to enhance vocals and lead instrumentals. When this mode is active, the power button will be encircled with a blue light.
As you might suspect, you can cycle through the modes with the use of the mode button. There's also a free app that can be downloaded from the app or Google Play store that can carry out a similar task for mode switching. My ears were only able to detect a very slight difference between the individual modes.
With a smartphone paired with the treVolo, it can act as a speakerphone. You can accept or reject incoming calls and carry out conversations using the unit’s built-in noise cancelling microphone. During calls, music output will be suspended and resume once the call is concluded.
All in all, it's a decent product, but there's still room for improvement. Michael Fereday
With a few fixes and some leads, it could be a winner.