Tech Review – Otone Blufiniti Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Each month we give Ortis Deley, from Channel 5’s ‘The Gadget Show’, some amazing tech to test drive. Whether it’s for business or pleasure, he’ll give you the lowdown on the best gadgets money can buy
Otone Blufiniti Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Price: £49.99
Available from: www.otoneaudio.co.uk
The Otone Blufiniti Bluetooth wireless speaker won me over as soon as I unboxed it – I love the design! From the gorgeous curves and green/grey colourway (five other colours are available) to the simple row of buttons on the top (power, Bluetooth and volume control) and the wee, grippy rubber feet on the bottom, it was simply gorgeous.
The speaker comes with a micro USB port for charging; a 3.5mm AUX-IN port for hardwiring your device to it, and two cables – one for charging and the other a direct connection.
The unit can stand upright on its side or be laid down horizontal. I preferred the latter as I felt the sound was somewhat better in that I could sense a tad more of the bass. I’m actually listening to music on the device as I write its review.
Now the Blufiniti is marketed as an entry level portable speaker (it weighs in at just under £50) so no great shakes should be expected from its sound reproduction. However, using is as a desktop speaker is preferable to what comes out of my desktop. Small enough to fit into a man-bag (it’s about the size of a 500ml bottle of water), it’s a definite candidate for a weekend away or perhaps a beach holiday (Although with the latter you’ll need to be ultra-vigilant and not allow contact with moisture). Other carrying options are available also: there’s a loop for belt attachment and a neoprene pouch. Returning to sound reproduction – the sound didn’t blow me away, but tones were clear; the volume was loud enough to cover an intimate distance and most importantly didn’t distort at max volume.
It has a range of 10m, which is perfect for the office and say, hotel rooms. Syncing up with your tablet/smartphone is straight-out-of-the-box simple or you can use the infinitely simpler near field communication (NFC) coupling function: activate NFC on your personal music device – mine is always on, but this doesn’t suit everyone – and then touch it to the top of the speaker. You’ll be asked if you want to pair your device with the Blufiniti. Simply tap ‘yes’ and you’re away.
Thanks to an in-built mic, the Blufiniti will act as a speakerphone so you can continue putting together your budget figures while you take that important call.
This speaker’s 2×1.5” 5-watt drivers are small and the main reason there’s a distinct lack of bottom on its output. That said, they handle the mid- and upper- ranges well enough and will not let you down if pop music is your thing. If bass is what drives your musical tastes though, you’ll probably need to spend an extra £30-£50 for something with more oomph.
Verdict
Rating: 4/5