Among big and small boxes delivered to our office for testing, there was a small blister with short wires-connectors and practically spherical black object, which at first was taken for a case or protective cover useful for mobile gadgets. That device was really related to the theme of gadgets, but a round-bellied box turned out an all-sufficient active speaker system. Having been fascinated by such a non-standard design we started examining of a novelty Boogie Ball R by creative designers of Sven Company.
This unusual device has the ABS-plastic case, very pleasant by tactile. But the size of such a tiny speaker system is so small that it can be hold in the fist – a speaker diameter is 5 cm only. A protuberant metal close-meshed grill is fastened on the upper cutoff, under which a 36 mm loudspeaker of special construction rests. There is a micro USB port and three-position switch in the center of a lateral circumference, which supplies power and amplifies the signal (two positions), plus a lug for a lace to hang Boogie Ball on the belt or neck for its carrying. However, for the first of these variants you will have to buy a mini-jack elongator (male-female), because a regular cable is too short.
There is a tiny light-emitting diode on the lower semi-sphere, which indicates about the device switching on. And also we will unveil one secret about which you cannot guess at once without reading the User’s Manual: if you take by hand the upper and lower halves of Boogie Ball system and shift them relative to each other, then they will diverge and in the middle we will see a corrugated springy cylinder. It is a special system Bass Expander, which extends the sound range. In addition to it the “Sound Around” technology has been realized there, which provides the signal directionality to 360°. The capacity of Sven Boogie Ball R is 2.4 W only, but in not very noisy places, the sound generated by it will be audible quite clear, to say nothing of that it can be used during a stroll or jogging close to your mobile telephone in a pocket or hanging on the belt.
Such variant, by the way, is much more useful for our hearing than the use of earphones. The device is powered by the built-in lithium-ionic battery (3.7 V, 300 mА) the capacity of which is enough for stable continuous operation of Boogie Ball for 8 hours. The system can be recharged through a USB port after its connection to PC or to a special network adapter. The cable for recharging is included. The producer provided the system with the mini-jack to micro-jack adapter connector. The model is produced in three colors: black, blue and red.
During estimation of sounding of Sven Boogie Ball R micro system we debated quite a while. Of course, this round speaker is not pertinent to Hi-Fi at all by virtue of its design, capacity and sound quality – there are other criteria and approaches for testing. However, we are also not entitled to name it as a toy. Boogie Ball R, undoubtedly, has been created not only to amplify the sound of gadgets, but as an original and amusing gift as well, which is able to afford pleasure both to kids and business people, who schedule their days with a stopwatch and who are not well-versed in audiophile subtleties.
It is a background speaker system. The most amazing thing is that after connection of Sven Boogie Ball R to a notebook, we have playbacked via Foobar a FLAC file with the last album of AC/DC “Black Ice” and we have heard hard, but emotional sound full of drive. At that, in spite of the furious rhythm of music compositions, we have not discovered obvious distortions! Such sounding has impressed us. From the mobile telephone Nokia X2 we started to playback the rarest album of Tomorrow with the unforgettable front man Keith West and this elite English folk rock has been playbacked quite comfortably. As far as the foreign or Russian pop music is concerned, in this case Sven Boogie Ball R provides the full-fledged and informative sound picture.
Conclusion
As an irreplaceable assistant to amplify the sound volume level of mobile telephones, PC, notebooks, portable players and other mobile gadgets Sven Boogie Ball R will be useful in the office, in a car, train and in the country. Not only the size of the device, but its efficiency amazes.
Advantages: democratic price, detailed sound, circular directionality, clear highest bass, long operation without recharging.
Disadvantages: accent on high frequencies, discrete volume control, too short regular cable.