Today I would like to revert to one of my favorite topics – to portable speaker systems for iPads and smartphones. In spite of diversity of forms, sizes and types of portable speaker systems with wire and wireless technologies to connect peripheral devices, it is commonly difficult to select the speaker with the help of which you can solve the assigned task and my recent experience is a case in point.
I'll start out with the fact than I don’t have a TV-set in my kitchen. To be more precise, there is no a TV-set in our familiar conception. But there is an iPad with KARTINA.TV service, due to which you can watch almost one and a half hundred channels with excellent quality, at that most of them are accessible in archive and because of this you are able to view sportcasts, news and other programs both in a live television broadcast and recorded transmissions.
On the whole, the iPad is an excellent solution for the kitchen, and not only as a TV-set. But you cannot name it as the ideal solution. In process of using I paid attention to one vexatious shortcoming, namely, to the insufficient volume of a built-in loudspeaker. As soon as I turn on a kettle, kitchen extractor fan or oven, and it is extremely problematically to hear anything. It is equally important to pay attention to the sound quality as well. It is dubious pleasure to listen creaky and rattling sound at full volume.
Portable speakers are the excellent instrument to solve the problem of non-well adequate high volume and sound quality in mobile devices. I tried a wide diversity of wire and wireless speaker systems. They are quite effective to some extent, especially when you listen to the music, audio books or internet radio. But if we are dealing with viewing TV programs, video or communication in Skype, then some specific features are revealed. A speaker must be located close to an iPad for normal perception of the picture and sound, or more precisely, behind it. Otherwise you will hear the sound from somewhere outside and there is strange, I will go so far as to say, unpleasant sensation.
Wherein is a complication to place a speaker behind the iPad located on a support? Theoretically, it is not difficult at all, but practically everything was more difficult. At first I thoroughly placed an external speaker behind my iPad each time, when I wanted to watch a TV program or movie on the iPad. But after some time I am lazy to do all these manipulations each time, when I want to watch fifteen-minute late news at supper, and eventually the speaker is put into the carton of unnecessary things. So, what is necessary to do to eliminate this moment? One of variants is to try to unite a support and speaker system.
Such gadgets in assortment are available at the market, but they turned out useless to me as well. At first, practically all of them are designed for the concrete type of iPads or smartphones; they are equipped with an interface port and support the portrait setting of a device only. Therefore, it will be impossible to use such a dock-station to view movies. In the second place, they have sufficient dimensions. You will have to select a separate place for such a speaker and you don’t give it another thought about the comfort use in a place, where it is comfortably for me at the moment. And, the third place, price. The average price makes RUB 7,000. To my mind, the price is too overstated for this level of the sound quality. In general, such a simple task, on the face of it, turns practically into an unsolvable task. At some time, I decided to leave my undertaking to improve the sound quality and volume, but now one thing happens, which usually takes place in such cases – SVEN PS-100BL portable speaker system fell into my hands. A compact, light, with developed functional and excellent sound quality, this model has one unique feature, which makes it possible to use it both as an independent speaker system and as a support for any smartphone or iPad.
At first glance…
The first thing, which I paid attention at during my familiarity with SVEN PS-100BL, is its unusual design. It is an open secret, that it is difficult to get good saturated sound in the small volume of the speaker system case. It is for this reason that all more or less qualitative portable speakers have quite big dimensions. Developers of SVEN PS-100BL used an unusual flat construction of a speaker. It made possible to do it not so big, as many models of that class. Its dimensions makes only 195 x 115 x 35 mm, and it weights just over 400 gramsм.
The case of the speaker system is made of shockproof plastic with specific rounded verges. An interesting combination of silvery mat and black glossy plastics, ideally complemented with a black metallic grill on the front side of the case, is used in its design. Such color and material combination looks very modern. It fits well both for a strict office interior and for a cozy workplace, or, as in my case, for the kitchen, where I can easily choose a place for its positioning due to a possibility to position it vertically or horizontally.
MicroUSB port, which is used to charge a built-in battery, a toggle to switch on/off the speaker, charge indicator, built-in microphone and 3.5 mm jack to connect an external analog sound source are located on the right side. From above the developers located buttons to control playback and volume. Pay attention, the PLAY button can be used to answer an incoming call in the loud speaker mode.
One of the most interesting structural features is a folding support located on the low verge of its case. It is used both for the vertical position of the speaker and for horizontal, when it turns into an unusual support for iPad or smartphone.
In spite of apparent simplicity the support construction has turned out very reliable and easy-to-use. It hasn’t got any sophisticated fasteners or attachments. You can just put your iPad in the support and it remains there of its own weight. The support design makes possible to use iPads of different sizes. At that a user can select the convenient orientation of screen without limitations. Rubber insertions inside the support, as well as on the top verge of the case, prevent the appearance of scratches and worn spots on the iPad case.
The speaker system has a rubber pad on its base to prevent its sliding across the table surface; it is also used to damper possible vibrations, keeping high sound quality at all frequency range.
What is inside?
The basis for SVEN PS-100BL лspeaker system is the well known combination of active and passive emitters, which is often used in portable speakers of this class. With the relatively small size of the speaker system it makes possible to get the excellent sounding in the broad band. The extended version of this speaker configuration is used in SVEN PS-100BL. It includes two 40 mm squawkers with output power 3 W each, which are complemented with two passive low-frequency resonators, due to which it was succeeded to extend the range of the reproducible frequencies from 80 to 20,000 Hz.
It is obvious, that simple addition of the pair of active and passive emitters does not have any special sense. Moreover, in some conditions the additional pair can adversely affect the quality. To avoid this, an original internal design is used in SVEN PS-100BL, which makes it possible to isolate two pairs of emitters from each otherа.
In fact, there are three independent chambers inside the case. The comptroller and amplifier board, as well as the built-in battery, are located in one of chambers. The pairs of emitters are located in two other chambers. Here I want to call your attention to some little things, which distinguish SVEN PS-100BL from most similar speaker systems. In the first place, there is a rubber gasket in the place, where the top and low parts of the case are connected, to gain a better sound-proofing. In the second place, developers spared the special attention to the gasket quality of all conductors, their fastening, as well as to the fastening of the battery, to eliminate any mechanical obstructions. There nothing touches anything. It makes possible to avoid unpleasant chattering and resonance even with the maximum volume. In the third place, there are additional counterbalances on the base of each of two chambers with the pair of emitters, which make possible to balance the speaker system weight to withstand large iPads weighing 600-700 grams.
Connection features...
The main method to connect peripheral devices is the Bluetooth v. 2.1 + EDR wireless interface. It provides the high sound quality, excellent compatibility with different types of mobile devices and a possibility of wireless playback control. The built-in adapter provides the radius of action up to 8 meters in a room.
The matching process does not differ at all from other Bluetooth devices and takes several seconds. You should select only SVEN PS-100BL device in settings. If a device has been already connected to SVEN PS-100BL previously, then it will be reconnected automatically.
Please note, not only the sound of multimedia applications, but also telephone voice communication are brought out to the external speaker system. It makes it possible to use SVEN PS-100BL as a handsfree headset.
I will also notice that SVEN PS-100BL can be simultaneously connected to several devices using different profiles. For example, if I connect my iPad or any other similar device with the use of A2DP profile (multimedia sound), then a smartphone can be connected with the use of HSP/РАЗ profile (headset or handsfree connection). As a result, we get even more universal solution. For example, I can use a speaker, when watching TV programs on the iPad, but if there is a call to my smartphone, I can automatically switch SVEN PS-100BL to the handsfree mode. It is convenient very much, isn’t it!?
The developers of SVEN PS-100BL decided not to limit the speaker system capabilities only with wireless connection by implementing a linear audio input, with the help of which we can connect media players, netbooks and other devices without Bluetooth interface to the speaker system. A linear audio cable is included. When an external analog source is connected, the comptroller of the speaker system determines a connection type automatically and switches the input to AUX.
A few words about power supply…
SVEN PS-100BL speaker system is equipped with 1150 mAh built-in battery. The battery life depends on different parameters, for example, on the volume level and rate of usage of Bluetooth connection. According to my personal experience one battery charge is enough for approximately 4-5 hours with the middle volume level of loudspeakers. I would like to call your attention to the use of a standard MicroUSB port, which makes it possible to extend the battery life appreciably using an external battery for this purpose. It is a very topical matter for those people, who plan to take the portable speaker system with them on a trip.
Sound quality…
At last we have approached one of main questions being asked by everybody, who is puzzled by the selection of a portable speaker for his iPad or smartphone – how much high is the sound quality?
Before getting to my subjective estimation regarding the sounding of SVEN PS-100BL, I want to focus your attention on one of widespread errors, which is committed by many people when selecting a portable speaker system. Everybody tries to compare its sound with the sound of full-size speakers. This is strongly unacceptable. It is quite natural that a small speaker system in a plastic case can in no way compete with the sound quality of big MDF speakers. So, if you select speakers to turn your smartphone or iPad into a first-rate audio center, then do not pay attention to any promises or the high cost of many plastic speakers. If you want good sound for small money, I recommend you to read my previous review, where I offered a very interesting solution. As for the portable speakers, they are designed, first of all, to solve a problem with the poor sound of a built-in loudspeaker in mobile devices provided that the maximum mobility and self-containment are kept. That is why we should think particularly about the sound quality.
I cannot say that the sound quality of SVEN PS-100BL surprised or amazed me, but you should not perceive it with a certain negative or indifferent hue. On the contrary, after studying the features of the speaker system in detail, I was ready to hear beautiful, balanced in everything the range of frequencies, the sound with distinctive expressed basses. And I have heard it; though with the maximum volume level the voice picture changes slightly. It was not very comfort for me to listen to music with the maximum volume level on SVEN PS-100BL. But I consider it as a normal effect as well. You should not expect from a speaker system of this class any wonders, the more so because as the half of the volume of a built-in amplifier was more than enough for me.
The sound quality in the handsfree mode is at its best as well, but the sensitiveness of a built-in microphone is not quite high, so if you want that you are heard well, place SVEN PS-100BL as near as possible.
Conclusion
The time is ripe to summarize. Perhaps the design of SVEN PS-100BL is one of the main reasons to pay attention to this speaker system. I like very much that I can easily select a place and method to place the speaker, but I like even more that it makes me possible not to depend on the type of a mobile device. Today I use my iPad, tomorrow it can be an iPad Mini or iPad of other producer, and I do not need to worry either about the size of a device, or about the shape of its case, or about an interface jack. Above all, it must support Bluetooth. But it is not important as well. Even though my future device does not have Bluetooth, I will be able to connect the speaker to the headphones output at any time.
All these design features are very important of course, but they would not be worthwhile without considered stuffing, and in this case SVEN Company confirms the title of one of the best producers of multimedia speaker systems. Having been thought to the last detail, the developers succeeded in obtaining maximum capabilities with the excellent sound quality within the whole range of frequencies. In general, it is a first-rate and relatively inexpensive speaker system, which has changed my conception regarding the sound quality when watching television programs or movies on the modern iPad screen. By the way, a few words about its price. According to the information of Yandeks.Market, as of the time of writing the review the average price for SVEN PS-100BL portable speaker makes about RUB 1,800. To my mind, the price is more than reasonable, especially taking into consideration everything I have told above.
