This pocket-sized rechargeable speaker attempts audio alchemy, trying to create a big sound with a package about the size of a deck of cards. Does it work?
WOWee ONE Slim is a rechargeable speaker, the company’s second product that attempts this trick, and it’s even smaller than the original WOWee ONE Power Bass Speaker released early last year. The idea is to stick this smartphone-sized device against a flat surface, and it’s supposed to deliver “room filling sound.” Because it costs $90, our expectations were high.
It’s extremely easy to use. I plugged it into my iPhone 4′s earphone jack, and its blue power indicator immediately lit. There is an onboard speaker that handles the midrange and highs, and as soon as I placed the device on a glass door here in the office, there was a noticeable increase in bass response. While it sounds much better than the iPhone speaker, I wouldn’t call it “room-filling.”
As you can see the video below, the speaker won’t stay attached to any vertical surfaces. (Update: Its manufacturer told me after my review was published that it’s not designed to stick to vertical surfaces as we tested it — the company’s offering an accessory called the “WOWee hug” that can hold the speaker in place properly against a wall.) Its gel backing isn’t strong enough to hold its weight, so you’ll have to set it on a table if you want to listen to it for more than a few seconds. I will say one thing, the device is not the least bit fragile. It survived a couple of hard drops to a wood floor and was no worse for wear.
An interesting characteristic is the different sounds the speaker produces when pressed against various surfaces. I found it sounded best and warmest with wood, but large glass surfaces spread its sound out more for a equally pleasant effect. When pushed against drywall surfaces, its bass was more boomy.
The WOWee ONE Slim rechargeable speaker is fun to play with, and if you like to take your tunes on the road and travel light, it’ll let you listen to music with a better fidelity than you’ll get from your smartphone’s speaker.
Or, you could save yourself $90 and use earphones.
WOWee ONE Slim
It’s about the size of a typical smartphone.
WOWee ONE Slim
Here it is compared to my iPhone 4. As soon as you connect the WOWee Slim to your music player’s earphone jack, it turns on and starts playing.
WOWee ONE Slim
That gel on the back is just not sticky enough to hold the device up, even on glass.
WOWee ONE Slim
Charge it up via its USB port, connects to any music player.
WOWee ONE Slim
The one’s white, you can also get it in shiny black.
More About: audio reinforcement, hands-on, iphone accessories, music, rechargeable speaker, review, sound, speakers, WOWee ONE Slim
