A small fully portable and rechargeable Bluetooth speaker, (with extras) from Edifier
Since the last time I looked at a portable speaker from Edifier, these devices seem to be popping up everywhere, from adverts in MM, unsolicited mail-shots, even market stalls. Unfortunately a great many of these can only be described as abysmal, producing a tinny rasping noise, rather than anything resembling quality sound. This is due to the inferior components used in their construction, and the price is generally a clue as to the quality you're likely to get, although I believe your ears should always be the best judge.
While this latest speaker (the MP211), certainly can't compete with the likes of similar sized Sonus or Bose products, it's roughly a third of their price. Nevertheless for such a small unit it produces a clear sound, with a reasonable bass quality. It's also great for people on the move, who want more depth of sound than the miniscule speaker on a smart phone produces.
The MP211 is a pocket sized device, measuring 150 х 62 х 31 mm and weighing roughly 180gms, yet for its size it packs quite a punch. The unit is made from sensibly shaped hard plastic, with no sharp corners that could rip your pockets. Also the controls are recessed into the body, to avoid them (or you) getting easily damaged. In fact the operational buttons set into the top are made from a soft rubber like composition; they're quite large and slightly raised, making it easy to operate them by touch.
The unit comes in a range of different colours, and has a built in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts approximately 10 hours. The package also includes a micro USB charging cable, an audio cable with 3.5 jack plugs at each end, and a small lanyard to secure it to your wrist. The input sockets are located on the back; they include an AUX 3.5 audio socket, which means you can attach it to just about any kind of media player. There's also a micro USB charging port, which is the same as those used on most Android phones, and finally there's a micro SD slot for playing MP3 or WMA sound files from an SD Card, (not supplied).
Like the previous Edifier speaker I looked at, the MP211 is also Bluetooth 4.0 enabled. It operates with an open connection, so you simply select it from your device, hit connect and you're in business. This of course makes it more useful than some of the cheaper units that need to be physically plugged in. There's more, though: the speaker also has a built in microphone, so once it's paired with your phone, it can be used hands free to answer calls. If you get a call while it's connected, whatever's playing will be interrupted and the phone will ring through the speaker. Answering is simply a matter of pressing the phone shaped button on the top. I have to say that both the clarity and volume of the hands free operation is excellent - in fact much better than many of the cheap in-car units.
The output comes from two 38mm neodymium drivers on the front, and a passive radiator at the back which provide the bass tones. I tested it for some time to establish both the range while playing various styles of music, and the battery life. While I only managed 8.5 hours over the course of the review, I'm told that the battery will achieve its full potential after a number of charging cycles. More importantly, perhaps, the sound quality was good regardless of the music genre, and sensibly it will operate nearly at full volume without distortion. Joe Lavery
Offers pretty good sound considering the size and price.