Out of the box, the Bounce adopts a very simple design, which is great because this means it will easily fit into any setting and will pair nicely with almost any device. We received a black unit for our test review, but its also available in a “dashing red shade.” Each speaker is palm sized, so you can rest assured that it will be easy to take around with you wherever you go.
They may seem a little heavy to some people but that’s because of the magnet at the bottom (which we’ll talk about later), but it makes it feel solidly built. Both speakers are identical in design, only differentiated by the “L” and “R” labels. On the front you’ll see the Bounce logo and the LED lights that indicate power and battery life and rotating the unit will lead you to find the power switch, mini USB connector and 3.5mm jacks. Having separate inputs is actually a great design choice, because this grants you the ability to only use one speaker should the other run out of battery first.
The Bounce has an interesting feature integrated in its design, which is the patented Extendable Resonator System. As the name implies, this lets you expand the speakers in order to improve bass response. Unfortunately, the bass isn’t great to begin with, and extending it doesn’t really do much, other than make it look cooler. In fact, the Bounce speakers’ frequency range is 280Hz – 16kHz, and you’ll notice that the first number (which represents the lower end of the spectrum) is quite high. Most consumer speakers and headphones have a low end that goes down to at least 20Hz, which is the average low frequency that most people can hear. The 280Hz low end of the Bounce speakers indicate that it lacks a lot of sub bass and low mid tonality – such that when we listened to songs with bass solos, it was practically inaudible on these speakers.
On the other hand, you can never expect a whole lot of bass anyway from portable speakers of this size and price range from any manufacturer. In fact, the Bounce was surprisingly loud and presented great vocal clarity, depth and punch. High frequencies, such as cymbals and hi hats, do tend to get piercing at times and occasionally distort. Moreover, the actual speakers are located on top of the unit at a fixed position that points directly upwards. It would have been better if the speaker angle was adjustable so that you could point it towards you for even greater clarity. Nevertheless,the Bounce speakers provide a significant amount of amplification considering its compact size.
As mentioned earlier, the Bounce has a magnetic underside that lets you lock together the two speakers into a compact size for transport. Unfortunately, the magnets aren’t strong enough to let you stick the speakers onto a surface such as the casing of a desktop CPU. Nevertheless, what’s great is that you can still use them once they are attached to each other, making it easy to carry the speakers around in one hand when you’re on the go.
All in all, the Bounce by Mobile Wonders are pretty good, and will be a great accessory for your portable device, whether it’s an mp3 player or smartphone. They won’t be a signiciant upgrade to your laptop’s speakers, and some might find the suggested price of Php 2,250 a litte steep. If you need a pair of loud portable speakers that have a unique design, then the Bounce is right for you.
What’s hot:
– ultraportable – solid build
What’s not:
– lack of bass/low-end frequencies – non-adjustable speaker angle
Buy Meter:
7.0Bottomline:
Bounce by Mobile Wonders provides big sound in a small package – it’s a decent pair of portable speakers that can be a great add-on to your mp3 player or smartphone.
SPECIFICATIONS: Dimensions: 63mm x 60mm Net Weight: 200.4g Speaker: 40mm x 2 Input: L/R380mV Power Output: 3w x 2 S/N >60dB Amp Freq Range: 280Hz – 16kHz Charge Voltage 5V+0.5V Internal Rechargeable Lithium Battery Dual speakers for better output 3.5m Universal Jack Audio for multiple speaker connection Patented Extendable Resonator System Internal Rechargeable Lithium Battery Magnetic Connection USB Cable
