Business -- 20 days ago
Three of The Best – Beach Speakers
By Edward Hambro-Rabbin
Jawbone Big Jambox, Usually I reserve a special kind of contempt for products that advertise bluetooth. My reasoning for this is that the people that find it so compelling normally need their “hands free” for other activities. However, the Big Jambox is my exception to this loathing; at first sight it looks like a giant red Lego brick but within this scarlett exterior lurks a very cool machine. The wireless faculties are exceptional, using the afore mentioned Bluetooth you can play whatever music you want over a 10 meter radius from any mp3 player which can use wireless technology (so basically all of them). If you belong to an older generation you can also connect through a stereo input. It is also portable which allows for a 12 hour battery life (probably longer than most iPhones thanks to apples crap batteries) so whatever party you are planning, it will last. It’s quite a robust speaker which will go a long way in making sure that any drunken accidents aren’t such a pain, however, that does not mean it works underwater or in the boiling heat so when you’re on the beach don’t throw it into the water. Also it can take calls from the speaker, which I think is quite handy if you are too comfortable to move from your chair. At around £145 it is a very good addition to your summer music, and is a reasonable price for what it delivers.
Logitech UE Air speaker, Logitech usually produce some good looking speakers and this one is no exception. Coming out of the desktop speaker market has prove to be a very wise move for the company and the UE Air speaker shows why: with surround sound, wireless and like the Jambox it’s quite durable (but not water or shock proof). It also has AirPlay which is useful for apple machines, but not so much for Blackberrys. However, only in a few places will you find someone without one of Sir Jonathan Ives creations. All you need to play music from your Apple products is the Logitech UE Air app from iTunes for free, and this gives you a remote with sound adjustment (nothing special just bass and treble adjustment). But what sets this apart from other speakers (and is the reason for its inflated price tags) is its sound which is phenomenal. You will struggle to find a better outdoor speaker in terms of sheer acoustic power. Songs really do sound better on this and though it’s a bit on the expensive side at £300 it is something that will really make a difference to that beach experience.
Outdoor Technology Turtle Shell speakers, Now this one is for the more extreme of you who like to spend the summer engaged in strenuous outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing and exploring difficult to reach areas, rather than chilling out on a beach with the rest of us. But in all fairness this speaker is quite cool and very useful on a beach: water and shock proof and hi fi sound with Bluetooth connectivity, it’s a very durable and portable sound system. It also looks like its namesake and the shell effect works as its case. If you are camping then this is the thing to get for acoustic entertainment. I rather like this because it’s a tough but cheerful machine that’s designed to provide entertainment anywhere. Which is very useful if you are at festivals and just want a break as it provides 10 hours of sound and 240 hours of standby and is charged by a USB jack. Like the Jambox it can be used as a speakerphone, has 10 meter wireless radius, and a wireless jack incase the Bluetooth breaks. At £85 it is great value for money and is a tough but cool little gadget.
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