With all of the gadgets that we’ve had the opportunity of reviewing, it has become pretty tough for us to be blown away by a device, especially if it’s a tiny Bluetooth speaker from an unknown brand. But let me assure you that the Adin Vibrating Speaker is not your average speaker and after the review I bet that you’d wanna try it out yourself.
Just a side note before we get down and dirty, Vibration Speakers have been in the market for quite some time already, but it didn’t quite got much attention from manufacturers as it tends to be a more complicated to fashion compared to traditional speakers.
Although the technology is already out in the open, this marks as the first time that we got the chance to be a little more up close and personal with such speaker, and based on what we’ve seen and heard, it didn’t disappoint one bit.
What’s in the box?
• Adin D2 Vibrating Speaker
• Mini-USB cable with 3.5mm audio jack (dual-end)
• Remote Control
Design and Construction
As cool as the technology behind this little guy in terms of producing sounds, we’re glad to say that it also has the looks to back it up, not to mention a rock-hard body that would erase any doubts about its durability.
With the exception of the Volume and Power/Mode switch, the D2 is basically a cylindrical chunk of solid metal with a pair of silver lining to give it some flavor. This design cue applies to all the other color variants of this speaker (Blue, Pink, Gold and Silver).
All the other controls and ports are cramped on one side of the speaker, which includes mini-USB port for charging, female audio port, a slot for a micro-SD card and an Infrared Receiver. There’s also a pair of LED lights for status (On/Off) and USB connection.
The base of the D2 is slightly separated from the speaker which gives a bit of an elevation from the surface. At the bottom of the base, is a thin strip of rubber that acts as an anchor for the speaker in a form of suction.
For such a small package, the D2 is actually pretty heavy. In fact, it can inflict some serious damage when it’s thrown at something (or someone). But more than just a result of its tough build, this added heft is essential for the D2 to turn your furniture in to a big ass speaker.
Sound Performance
Wait, what? Furniture-turned-speakers? Well that’s basically what Vibrating speakers do; it channels the sound it produces to the surface of an object it’s placed on to. Having said that, the quality of audio you’ll get out of this bad boy is dependent on the material and structure of the thing underneath it. So the closer an object is to how a typical full-sized speaker is, the better the volume and sound quality and is.
Another thing to point out is that different surfaces bring out a different sound. The manufacturer has provided a list of common materials with the corresponding sound quality when the D2 is paired to it:
Let’s say we take that part out of the equation, just how loud is the sound that the Adin D2 can produce? Simply put, it’s something you wouldn’t expect from a small speaker. If you think the X-Mini is loud, the Adin D2 can easily outgun it without breaking a sweat.
As for the sound quality, it’s a tale of two halves. Given the right circumstances, the D2 can deliver powerful bass, good vocals but the highs are little too recessed for our liking. Because of this, second voices and guitar riffs can be slightly difficult to discern. In addition, instruments such as cymbals and chimes lacked detail. The good thing here is that this slight misstep can easily be corrected by tweaking source’s EQ settings.
Unfortunately, there’s a more pressing concern about the sound quality which involves volume. We weren’t able to go beyond 70% on the source volume without having audio distortion. The distortion ain’t constant either as it increases along with the intensity of the audio to a point that the sound becomes too garbled for comfortable listening experience.
Other features
Apart from being a speaker, the Adin D2 can also be a portable media player by reading music off a micro-SD card and an FM radio. Sadly, the speaker doesn’t have a screen which would’ve made it easier for users to know which station they’re currently at or what song is playing.
Adin D2 Vibrating Speaker specs:
Frequency Response: 80 – 18,000Hz
Input power: DC 5-volts
Output power: RMS 3W
3.7-volts 600mAh Li-Ion battery
FM Radio
Infrared Receiver
Micro-SD card slot
Dimension: 120 x 113 x 80mm
Weight: 460g
Conclusion
Speakers such as the Adin D2 isn’t something that you’d come across every so often. However, what sets this speaker apart from any other speakers out there is also its biggest drawback. Unlike traditional speakers, you can’t always bring the D2 wherever you please as it’s dependent on a flat and stable surface to produce sound. Furthermore, noise can also become an issue especially at high volume. Although 70% is loud enough to fill an average size room, still it would’ve been better if it had lesser distortion.
Durability isn’t gonna be a concern with this speaker as its built like a tank. We also like how the manufacturer was able to incorporate added features like playing off of a SD card and listening to FM radio. Sadly, the lack of display makes it difficult to have any sort of control on the music/station.
The device has a suggested retail price of Php1,200.
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