The Mini Portable Speaker SP-i150, from Genius, looks like a flying saucer and offers a 360-degree sound field. It has a single on/off switch. Volume is controlled by your portable device. The speaker easily fits in the palm of your hand.
There is a built-in lithium battery that gives up to eight hours of service when fully charged. The unit includes a single power cable with a 3.5 mm audio plug for your portable device and a USB charging cable on one end, and a mini USB cable on the other for the speaker. The single cable is very efficient. The package also includes a carrying pouch and a multi-language user’s manual.
The speaker is available in polished black or white. There is a LED indicator light that indicates that the power is on or the unit is charging. It works with any portable device that accepts a 3.5mm audio plug, including iPods, notebooks, MP3/MP4 players, and iPhones.
SP-i150 Mini Portable Speaker
Using The Product
I tested the speaker using a new iPhone 4 and an old 3rd generation iPod Nano. The results I got varied between the two. Music from iPhone was somewhat richer and louder using the speaker. Music was louder using the older Nano, but there was not much change in the quality. I found similar results when testing with audio books downloaded from audible.com. I can tell you from my testing that I have easily gotten 8 hours use before having to recharge the speaker. When the charge runs out, the speaker simply stops, there is no leading decrease in quality.
The Bottom Line
The SP-i150 Mini Portable Speaker allows the user to (1) listen to music or audio from a portable device containing a 3.5 mm audio plug without wearing headphones, or (2) share the contents of the device with others within a limited range of the speaker. It’s small size makes for easy portability and the 8 hour battery life assures adequate listening time for most occasions. As someone who doesn’t particularly like headphones, I really like this product, particularly when relaxing outside alone where my listening choices will not bother anyone else.