Customer Reviews

Sony Compact and Slim Travel Speaker for iPod and MP3 Players

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Much better sound than the speaker in my computer tower. Good balance of bass and treble. Folds up nicely for portability. Excellent quality. Would recommend.

There are TWO reasons to own this speaker...JUST two! 1) You want to be FREE of the hassle of batteries, and 2) You like to listen to mostly Talk Radio. If you want really good sound quality for music, or if you want a more affordable, louder-sounding speaker, then you would be much better off getting one of the Altec-Lansing speaker products (im207 or im237).

This speaker can achieve only medium volume levels at best, but it has generally clear and well-defined sound. Thus, it's good for listening to Talk Radio from up close to a few feet away. However, for music, the sound is too "tinny" and is noticeably more lacking in bass than it's battery-powered competition. The design of the speaker system pairs two small speakers side-by-side in the plastic chassis, but they are frankly too close for any definable stereo effect.

The way the speaker "folds up" is a neat idea, but it doesn't "latch" together, so it is VERY easy to accidentally let the speaker assembly swing open...at some risk of breaking the hinge...but mostly it's just annoying that the little compact speaker won't stay closed (for a quick fix, use a rubber band or hair band to keep it closed). If it had a "latch" to keep it closed, it would rate quite a bit better for carrying around. Also, a storage pouch is not included but WOULD have been a nice idea, and would have minimized the danger of the speaker accidentally swinging open.

To sum up, if you want louder, better sounding music, look to Altec-Lansing's im237 or im207 or maybe the JBL portable speaker (JBL's portable speaker is MUCH more costly than the Altec im207, but doesn't sound any better). However, if you are a Talk Radio junkie that doesn't listen to music much, and want to be totally FREE of batteries -- then this Sony is probably your best portable speaker buy.

I was thinking that what I can expect from a 20 bucks passive speaker. Was I surprised. I bought it because I don't want the hassles of battery or power cord. Since this is a passive speaker (no amplification) I thought the sound volume wouldn't be that different from the speakers on my ipod touch. Was I wrong. Although the sound has no bass (it actually recommends lowering any bass if your source has an EQ), it was loud enough to watch a video or listen to music in my own office (definitely louder than my ipod speakers). And you cannot beat the convenience factor (no cord attached). I was actually quite happy with this.

In my searching, finding the right portable speaker involves a tradeoff between volume/power output and how many batteries you're willing to buy and lug around with you. In the past I've preferred to use active speakers just because the passive speakers i've found were too soft to listen to in anything but a quiet environment, and extremely close to the listener. But, the downside of active speakers is spending a small fortune in batteries since active speakers consume an absurd amount of "juice". I finally settled on these speakers after reading some reviews here and on youtube.

First, the sound quality is pretty damn good- the bass is lacking, but is adequate and ranks equivalent, if not superior, to the active speakers i've owned in the past. Second, this thing can get loud. Sometimes i take this in the bathroom to listen to some music when i'm in the shower and i can easily hear it over the running water. I've made a habit of bringing this with me on camping trips and vacations to share music with friends. And third- its highly portable (smaller in height than a soda can and much thinner) and its cord wraps around nicely and stays in place. I'm extremely pleased with this purchase and highly recommend it.

I have read other reviews of this product and a lot of them complained about the volume. The sound quality will not please those who want to hear every note or nuance but I got this for my dad to listen to books on tape and for that purpose it's perfect. The speaker sits comfortably on the console and since there is no adapter necessary there's no worry about wires tangling or getting crossed. We gave it a test run yesterday and it worked fine. I would caution those who use this to be very careful in opening the unit. The way the case unfolds is a little tricky so that is one thing to be aware of. Great product for the price.

This is the worst speaker ever, can not hear anything. Even the computer is louder. It's a sham this product. Had to return it.

Although the sound is not what you would expect from larger, more balanced speakers (but look at this little guy, and the price, so why would you?), this item really has good sound. A little "tinny", but lots better than my laptop speakers and I also use my Sony MP3 player with it. I like the fact that it doesn't need batteries and has only one connection cord-- easy! But as one reviewer mentioned, be careful when you first unfold them. Once you are used to the way this works it will seem easy, but I can see how it may be possible to break it the first time.

Very disappointing product. It does not function as a speaker. I plugged it into my phone and another MP3 player and it made the sound smaller than what it would be without the speaker. If it doesn't function as a speaker, what am I supposed to do with a block of metal? Use it as a paperweight? I returned it, requesting a refund. Also, it's a lot heavier than what it looks like in the picture.

These speakers sound great! I was surprised by the quality of sound. I use it for my MP3 player, but my friend used it on her laptop and it sounded better than her own speakers. I also love that they're passive (as opposed to having to use batteries) and so portable. This seller is also good... my package came before expected and I had no hassles. They even sent me a follow-up email just to confirm and give me further product information... now that's good customer service!

As I said, very good speaker, good sound for the price, and the portability is a plus. But there is an issue about this, I have an Ipod touch and the output inpendance is 32 Ohm and this speaker is 8 Ohn, which means this will drain too much current from the Ipod and may damage it. I would like to know if someone uses this Sony speakers with the ipod touch and how is doing.