I will never be able to truly consider myself well-versed in technology; very few people have seen it all. But I do love searching out the best I can find, and once I find it, I stick with it. In my Tech Toolbox I share my favorite software, applications, and occasionally gadgets.
Portable speakers are on the rise these days, and for clear reasons: mobile devices are everywhere, Bluetooth is incredibly convenient, and you need to have sufficiently loud music to share with your friends anywhere, anytime, right?
When I decided to get a portable speaker, my requirements were these: it couldn’t be too big, it couldn’t be too expensive, and it had to have both Bluetooth and jack capabilities. Volume buttons and audio track control were bonuses.
Upon starting research, I guess I was [uneducatedly] surprised to find that everything was quite expensive and many speakers were as pill-shaped or even bigger (to me, the portability and convenience start to be sacrificed here). Eventually, I found a category of ‘mini-speakers’ that were between 20-40 dollars and had some amount of functionality. I was looking for something small, therefore, I could not have the highest sound quality ever, but I was fine with that.
Eventually, based on prices and features, I decided on the Etekcity Roverbeats T3. It satisfied all my basic requirements–it doesn’t include phone pickup or a microphone or anything, but it has everything that I outlined above. A close second place was the T16, but I believe the prices were different when I bought it (I sacrificed red for economics). The T16 still looks like a fantastic option and if I ever need a replacement, I would heavily consider it.
The T3 comes with:
- Speaker
- USB to mini-USB charger cord
- Male-to-male 3.5mm audio jack cord
- Drawstring storage bag
There’s always some amount of uncertainty when buying technology online, what with trying to filter through reviews to see whether something is worth it or not, but in my experience, I have learned that only those who have a fantastic or absolutely dismal experience with a product really bother to write reviews. Therefore, I would say to take reviews one reads with a grain of salt.
How it works: I have been using this speaker for about a year now, and it works fantastic. It is very loud (it is challenging to play anything softly on it). It is very simplistic and small and serves the purpose I wished, so I couldn’t say there is much wrong with it. The volume buttons are not functional on cord mode, but work with Bluetooth. I enjoy the rubber grip around the outside as well as the grippy ring on the bottom to ensure anti-slip. Battery life is long enough for me–I haven’t had it run out on me yet, but I’m pretty sure I haven’t used it longer than 6-8 hours straight before. Both the Bluetooth and audio cord methods both work well–one note to make is that Bluetooth is considerably louder; wired connection doesn’t/can’t play as loud.
Due to its size, of course the sound quality cannot be the greatest. As it gets louder, there is a bit of distortion and the bass can get lost. However, I have never been listening and thinking, “well, my speaker doesn’t sound good.” It delivers without disappointing.
It is to be noted that although the shape of the speaker is very bulky and strong, it isn’t made out of very tough material; besides the rubber grip around the middle, the frame seems to be made of plastic. I have dropped it once, and now there is a dent on the rim, but use it and love it, you know.
If you don’t have too many expectations for a portable speaker, I would recommend the T3. I like it for its small size and simple power, achieved without dishing out for sound. I mean, my sister has already piggybacked off my assiduous shopping and bought the same product.
knittingfrenzy18 