Inspire portable speakers
by Inspire
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Our Price: $6.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.49 (click here) Category: Speakers See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Inspire portable speakers
Customer Review: Good, Cheap Solution for Basic Needs
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought these speakers for $4.36 to use at the beach. So far, they serve their purpose well. I think they are pretty loud when the volume is maxed and MP3 player is at around 80% volume--I'd say it's about equivalent to my HP laptop turned up to around 70%. I run them on AAA batteries when I'm at the beach and so far haven't had to change them, but I've only played them for a few hours. It also comes with a USB cord if you want to power them via a USB port instead of batteries. One thing I noticed was that you can start to lose sound if you aren't careful with the audio plug (you move it around too much or apply pressure to it), but if you set up the speakers and put the MP3 in the cradle (like in the picture), it works fine. Another thing is that it's not very straightforward or simple to figure out how to open/assemble it the first time and use it and it doesn't come with any sort of instructions, but it doesn't take too long to figure out.
Pros:
- Cheap, purchased for $4.36
- Pretty loud
- Can run on batteries (good for the beach) or via USB port
- Small and portable
Cons:
- Cheap materials and construction, feels like it can easily break
- Sound goes in and out if you aren't careful with the audio plug
- Somewhat hard to figure out how to "assemble" and use
All in all, I think this is a good, cheap solution if you just want a pair of speakers to use for those occasional times that you don't have a power outlet, but if you plan on using these frequently or for other purposes, you may want to invest some more money in higher quality portable speakers, as I don't think these are very durable.
Customer Review: Surprisingly Good Folding Portable Speakers - Recommended!
Summary: 4 Stars
These Portable Speakers are a surprisingly good value for decent quality portable speakers! There are many sellers rebranding these. We own two sets (black) and I am very pleased with the performance of the these compact speakers, especially at the low price these sell for here on Amazon. Here are my observations:
Pros:
+ Folding; these have a very clever design that allows them to fold in to a small cube for easy transporting
+ Good Sound; produces fairly good sound at all but the highest volume levels (see "Cons", below), at least to my untrained ear
+ Universal Connector; the unit uses a standard mini connector, so this can be used with all of MP3 players
+ Power Options; comes with a USB power cable or it can use 4 x AAA batteries. You can also use a 6v DC power supply (not included)
Cons:
- Bad Instructions; like many products of this type the instructions manual is lacking and, in this case, erroneously lists the power requirements as AC when it should be DC.
- Distortion; at maximum audio levels this sounds pretty bad
Misc:
* iTouch and larger MP3 Plays might not fit as well as others in this (see my picture in "Customer Images"), but they will still work if they have a mini audio jack
* On the iTouch, I found the best sound quality by setting the iTouch volume to about 3/4 max and then making adjustments on the unit's volume wheel
Overall, these are a fantastic value for a set of good quality speakers that have the advantage of being able to fold up for easy carrying!
Recommended!
CFH
Customer Review: Only good for the money
Summary: 4 Stars
i got these speakers for $1.30 plus $3 shipping and handling so it is definitely one of the cheapest portable speakers out there.
the major disappointment after i received this product today is its ability to blast out sound without distortion. the sound distorts after 80% max volumn on my iPod Touch which my previous two speakers can go up to about 90% and still have decent sound. added to the fact that these speakers run on 4AAA I expected it to have louder sound with less distortion.
now to the pros and cons:
PRO:
portable
decent construction
powered by 4AAA(rechargeable or not) or USB/AC (they provide a usb cable that connects to the round hole in the speaker for power, the power from the cable over-writes the battery power to save battery power)
decent sound quality for it's size, though bass could have been better, there is separation between the highs and lows but comparing to more expensive speakers $20+ it will not have the same quality sound
Cons:
again, can't go too loud!!! since it distorts too much
Overall, if you wanted a portable speaker with good sound quality, don't buy this one. but if you just wanna share some music with other people and like to bring this along and have a limited budget, then this is the one you should get.
for sound quality go with the altec lansing IM207 (around $10 or IM237 for better sound quality or the x-mini II $30 or x-mini happy $75 which both have nice and loud sound and better portability and I would have gotten those if i don't have a budget limit)
Customer Review: Pretty good,could be better.
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought these speakers because I'd been looking for a portable pair to hook up to my iPod when I'm out with friends.I'm in college and we like to throw potlucks and other small,often impromptu gatherings where music is desired.I was attracted to this pair by the low price,the compatibility with any device with a normal input plug,and the foldable speakers and small size,so I can carry it in my backpack and have it anywhere and pull them out when the idea strikes me to.That last part is very true;I can carry these wherever I carry my iPod(they fit in my backpack,but are a little bulky for a smaller purse;a medium or bigger sized purse should carry them fine.)They run on AAA batteries and have a power light that lets me know when it's on so I don't let them run down by accident.The speakers have gotten to be very popular with my friends...and that helps me,too!;-)
The two issues I have with them are that they tend not to stand up too well on their own--they can,but you hve to play around with the positioning a little to figure it out;once you do,you have to make sure not to knock them over,but if you leave them alone,they stay up fine.The bigger issue for me is the sound quality.The speakers aren't very loud,and if I crank up the volume on either the iPod or the speakers themselves to try to compensate,the quality suffers noticably.Dance parties on the roof or outdoors are a problem this way.If you're willing to put up with that,buy the speakers;they're a good price and are versatile.If the sound volume and quality are important to you,find another product.
Customer Review: Great sound for AA powered portable speakers. Can't be beat.
Summary: 5 Stars
I searched for these speakers due to the relatively high quality in a small package. I have several friends with similar speakers and I have always been impressed by the high quality sound in a very small package.
There is no comparison in sound between these speakers and others that I have been exposed to. For camping (Great sound, small footprint) OR for home music in a small room (I currently have them in the kitchen (10x20 or so) this is a great set of speakers. I previously owned the JBL On-stage speakers. A lot more money than these speakers and not much better (plus, no ability to power with battery).
As far as volume. There is plenty. Relative to the size of the speakers tbe volume and quality is excellent. Easily enough to fill a 10x20 room (personal experience) or to fill a campsite with plenty of good tunes. Note that the speaker volume is adjusted by a volume control on the speakers as well as the volume on the Ipod.
As far as another reviewer stating that these are imitations and there is an "original". Hard to know. But, Made In China. I suspect that ALL of the speakers with this same appearance are made by the SAME manufacturer and are in fact the same product marketed under different names. (This particular product is Inspire. Their website is http://www.inspiretech.com/). So spend more money if you like, but I suspect the product is the same