The Bassboomz is a small blue speaker (also comes in other colors) that expands when you twist it a bit. You charge the thing via your USB port in your computer or in standard usb wall charger (you get a cable but no charger) and you plug (or pair via Bluetooth) the thing into your "i-device".
How does it sound? Well exactly how you would expect a solitary small portable speaker to sound. This is not for your audiophile to listen to music of great complexity. The device is meant to play tunes without headphones at the beach or outside on the deck or anywhere you don't want a large boom box. It does not replace proper speakers for your device. I'm not quite sure why the word “bass” is in its name as there is very little of it to be heard even when listening to metal or any other rock. You might be wise not to be too careless with the speaker as it retails for $130.
The rather short cable that plugs into your device's headphone jack fits neatly beside this speaker in your pocket or bag. And yes, the device works via Bluetooth as well if you can’t be bothered with the wire or don't need it right next to your i-device. It is a cute design that is very functional and fits in with the whole i-device vibe. I used it when folding laundry in the basement and it worked quite well for its purpose. The speaker is perfect for shorts sessions of headphone-less listening. As you might expect, the Bluetooth has a habit of draining the battery of the device the speaker is paired to faster than using the cable.
My main criticism is that the sound is tinny and can get grating after a while. I found the battery life to be fairly limited, so don’t expect it to work for an entire day at the beach without a charge or two. The $130 price tag seems a bit steep for what you get considering the other options available. The price point would make you reluctant to take it to places it is clearly designed for and it is certainly not cheap to replace.
In the end, the Bassboomz might be a nice addition to your “travel stuff” but only if you understand its limitations.
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