When playing the latest games, sometimes it can be quite frustrating when the speakers of the device being used are simply not up to scratch, almost tarnishing the experience due to low sound fidelity. Recently Cubed3 took a look at one particular option from US company thinksound -the ts02+mic – to see what inner ear solutions might be useful for gamers. Now, though, it is time to look at a lower priced external speaker called Music Angel Friendz.
[blog]There are certain problems with speakers that tend to put people off bothering with them. First of all they are usually far too cumbersome and then there is the requirement for either an external power source or batteries than run low too quickly; they are both valid reasons for ditching the idea completely in most cases. This is where Music Angel is hoping to wow the masses with its ‘Friendz’ line of compact, portable mini-speakers. Be it for playing music via MP3 devices, using it with a Nintendo 3DS, or even hooking it up to the standard 3.5mm stereo headphone socket of the Wii U GamePad for those ‘Off-TV’ sessions, it proves to be a highly versatile alternative and one that comes in at an extremely wallet-friendly £24.99.
Cubed3 has looked at several solutions over the years, from portable options like the somewhat overpriced T3 Mobile Stereo Speaker (double the price of the Music Angel Friendz) and the Aporto from Otone (that sadly requires batteries, unless connected to a PC via USB), plus the home setup of the CinéOle from Cabasse. What is so impressive about the Music Angel Friendz is that it takes a couple of hours to fully charge, using the accompanying USB-to-mini-USB cable (meaning newer BlackBerry chargers work with it as well) and then play for up to 120 hours after that
When first using it over the Christmas period this little nugget of information was not known, so it came as a complete shock that it worked for about 14 hours straight as Christmas tunes blasted out from it without any problem at all. It was only after going back to check out some details that this stunning reality became clear. Charge it up and it will keep on going for about five full days. This automatically trumps Cubed3’s previous favourite, the T3 from orbitsound that is also rechargeable, but has nowhere near the same amount of life in it.
The other shocking point is the strength and clarity of the sound. The Aporto from Otone is a bigger piece of kit and gives off a deeper resonance, but as stated it falls down on the requirement of batteries or always being plugged into a USB slot for power, whilst the T3 Mobile Stereo Speaker struggled if the origin device’s volume was turned up too high. The Music Angel Friendz has had no issues at all. Simply turn the diminutive cuboid on and the speaker panels on either side let rip with a sound level that defies logic. How can such a small thing give off such a loud-and-clear sound? To top it off, there is a Line In/Out port on the back to daisy-chain several of them together to create an atmosphere of sound surrounding you in any room. Coming on a soft under panel means that despite the tough aluminium outer casing, sitting a Music Angel Friendz on a delicate surface will not result in pesky scratches and marks. Also, there are a variety of seven colours to make for a pretty collage of brightness around the room, if desired! Black, blue, silver, green, pink, orange, red – for those wondering
As with the thinksound ts02+mic, for those wanting to know some of the technical specifications and extra details, here are some official details:
- Output Power: RMS 6W (3W+3W) THD=10%
- Frequency Response: 150-18000HZ (3dB)
- Magnetic Resistance: 4
- Power Supply: Micro USB USB – 5V DC 350mA
- Speaker Dimension: 75 x 50 x 52mm
- Weight: 150 grams
