Okay Geek Farm
t3ch Review - IPEVO Tubular Speakers
Ricardo Trejo
I recently checked out the iHome X-mini portable speakers for the iPod, and while I thought they were decent they weren’t anything out of this world. So now I have in hand a pair of IPEVO Tubular Bluetooth speakers which are more expensive, but are well worth the value.
Product: IPEVO Tubular Bluetooth Speakers
What it says it does: Pair Tubular with any Bluetooth-enabled music player and rock out your world
My Experience: My last review dealt with the iHome X-mini portable speakers and my main gripe about them was the massive amount of wiring needed to use them. So I’ve gone ahead and acquired a pair of Tubular Bluetooth portable speakers and it’s a full head over what I previously experienced.
First, I’ll talk design. The Tubular speakers weren’t given that name just for how rad they perform, but for how they shape into a tube when attached together. As the sample images show on their site, they could fit together in a cup holder if needed. They aren’t as small as the X-mini speakers I tried out but they are highly portable. I would say they are a hair taller than the height of a can of soda, and a bit wider too - but I’d say that’s the best way to describe them. When taken apart, each speaker has cables hidden underneath. The main speaker with the ON/OFF switch and Volume control has a USB connection, and the other speaker hides an audio jack that is used to connect to the other speaker.
How does it work? Well, before I start I should note that I was only able to try them out on my iPhone, as my laptop had some issues with its Bluetooth (at no fault of the Tubular). Since they’re Bluetooth enabled all that’s necessary is pair to them up via the iPhone’s settings and they’re raring to go. To do that the ON/OFF button has to be held down for about 5 seconds, which will first turn on the device with the signal of an ascending jingle, then it will beep and its LED light will blink red and blue, meaning it is now discoverable. On the iPhone I turned on the Bluetooth and within seconds it found the Tubular set. I entered in the pairing code “0000” and I was set. Going into my iPod I selected the Submarines’ You, Me and the Bourgeoisie and it came out nicely on one of the Tubular speakers. To get the other speaker working I had to undo the wire at the bottom of it and plug it into the main speaker, but no sound came out. It took me a moment to work out that if you want to use both speakers at a time then you have to pair it while both speakers are plugged into each other - if not then only the main speaker will play. To control the volume there’s a button next to the ON/OFF switch - with the iPhone, volume cannot be manipulated on the iPod but only on the paired device.
In terms of quality… it was top notch. The sound didn’t seem forced and didn’t hiss or give any static when in use - which was a problem I had at times with the X-mini. It can get pretty loud if you want, which is a great asset if let’s say you’re hosting a little shin dig at your pad and want to crank up the tunes. Battery life lasts about 6 - 8 hours on average and the time it takes to fully charge is about 2 hours. Instructions for pairing are on the device itself, which I found very handy! But what I loved the most was that the Tubular was truly wireless. And even when a wire was necessary to hook up both speakers I could choose how long I want the length to be.
To me these Tubular Bluetooth speakers are the ultimate, consumer level, wireless solution for sharing music or whatever. It’s true wireless, portable sound and it’s value and practicality more than justifies the price.
Pro’s: great sound: soft or loud, truly wireless, simplistic design
Con’s: a little pricey but well worth the investment
Price: $79
Where to buy: IPEVO
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