Anker Cube
Here's a little personal review of the Anker Cube Bluetooth Speaker. For the record I tested this on several Apple devices, a Toshiba Excite tablet, and a few Samsung devices (phone and tablets).
I am a bit of an audiophile, however I'm by no means a perfectionist in terms of superhuman hearing. The Anker Cube Bluetooth Speaker is a wonderful, dynamic sounding, little speaker that delivers a surprising punch. The speaker itself measures just 3"x3"x3" so it's not a spacehog by any means, leaving plenty of room on your counter, desk, dresser, etc.
Pairing the device is a simple and necessary step. However my iPhone easily recognized the new device and it was simply a matter of selecting the speaker to get it to pair. The device shows up as "Anker MP141" which is easily identifiable amongst the myriad of Bluetooth devices I have paired to my iPhone already. Pairing it with my iPad was just as simple, and the same can be said for my wife's Venue 8 tablet, our Samsung tablet, Toshiba tablet, and my wife's Samsung Galaxy SIII phone. Essentially if your chosen device is Bluetooth capable, this little speaker will pair easily with it and deliver an unexpected punch to the gut in terms of sound quality.
The Anker Cube, for what it is, is one of the best deals in portable Bluetooth speakers around. While this speaker delivers a rich sound it's not a 500 watt system and you shouldn't expect tinnitus-inducing volume from this speaker, nor bowel rattling bass. However, the Anker Cube delivers a very crisp high range and a smooth, deep bass rich enough to please most discerning music lovers.
Using the speaker is fairly simple, just slide the power switch into the "On" position and play your music, or watch something, or whatever it is you want to use it for. The Anker Cube has 3 buttons on the side “+”( Volume up), “>” (Play, Pause), and “-“ (Volume down).
The speaker comes with an auxiliary cable and a MICRO-USB cable. Charging the speaker requires you to either plug the USB cable into your computer, or a wall jack that produces 5W maximum output.
Here's a brief list of some great features on the Anker Cube:
* Small and compact
* Great sound when paired with any device
* Micro USB charging from a computer, or wall jack
* Pairing the device is quick and easy
* Battery life rated at 20 hours
* 3.5mm line-in jack for devices which aren't Bluetooth capable
Things which could be improved:
* Bass, while rich, isn't as fully developed as it could be. However for the price of the Anker Cube, this is easily forgiven. The overall sound is still fantastic and when compared to my Jawbone it holds its own. The Anker Cube is a total keeper.
* The power switch. It should be changed to a button, the sliding switch is dated and looks a bit cheesy on an otherwise gorgeous device.
Overall impression:
"Excellent" rating for the Anker Cube Ultra-Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker. While the design flaw of the power switch is an annoyance, the rest of the device makes up for this failing which easily pushes the overall rating to "excellent". That’s the only issue I have with this speaker and it’s something I can easily overlook. It’s beautifully crafted, feels weighty and durable and sounds superb!
I hope this is, at least, helpful to someone. I try to give a complete unbiased review on all the products I test.