Home > Consumer Reviews > Livespeakr Ultraportable Speaker System for iPod/iPhone (Black)

"SWEET!small & compact.....DGA do you need a East Coast Sales Manager for these?! Great 1st Gen "out of the gate" product. I'm hoping in future they will have a battery charger level indicator and I hope a dock connector to help charge the Touch/iPhone (Apple copyright thing?) Also, maybe more "flexible" wings so the clear iPhone/Touch shell will fit in it. It does get very loud without crackling. Please this is a small compact unit so don't expect booming bass, yes there is enough bass, but don't expect Bose/Klipsch. If you're looking for a small and compact solution that also cranks.. buy it!! Cheers to DGA/Erik!!

The "Livespeakr Ultraportable Speaker System" is a well designed and reasonably good quality portable speaker system that works well with my iTouch (3rd Gen). Overall I am pleased with this system, here are my observations:

Pros:
+ Good Sound Quality; while I'm not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, these little speakers produce decent sound at all ranges
+ Compact; these are very small and do not take up much desk space when in use
+ Clever Design; automatically adjusts speaker positioning to accommodate portrait or landscape mode
+ Good Battery Life; the rechargeable battery easily lasts an entire work day
+ Good quality Accessories; comes with AC adapter, USB cable, and soft carrying bag

Cons:
- Folding stand is a little small; not a big issue but be careful of bumping it
- Expensive; not sure I would have paid the list price, but it does go on sale occasionally

Misc:
* Does not charge the iPod since the speakers connect via the mini headphone jack
* Instructions intimate that the default position of audio cable of the unit must be reconfigured for the iTouch, but it was already correctly set

Summary: This is a good portable system for the iTouch, providing decent sound quality, and long battery life.

Recommended!

CFH

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RN85959C55YPD The LiveSpeakr seems to be everywhere these days. It is marketed for all of us on the go, but don't have the room to take their usual iPod Dock. Livespeakr offers a small stereo speaker that is fully rechargeable. It is a great concept, but there is one major flaw... sound quality. In the video I compare the Livespeakr to Memorex Travel Speaker with iPod Dock (White) but in terms of sound quality there is a pretty significant difference. One benefit is that the Livespeakr can be turned horizontal making it ideal for watching movies and videos (although the sound quality is still lacking) Here is a run-down of the Livespeakr...

Pros

- Small and lightweight - about 25% longer than an iPod and about 4X the thickness of an iPod touch
-Comes with a carrying case.
- Uses a headphone type jack - so it works with things other than an iPod.
- Does not require your iPhone to be on Airplane mode
- Rechargeable batteries - plus you have the option of using a power supply for extended use (if you want to use it overnight for example)
- The display can rotate - which makes it very useful for watching movies and videos on your iPod

Cons

- Poor sound quality... very little bass (which is expected in something small). My guess is that the frequency response stops at about 120-150Hz which makes the music sound very metallic. In truth, the sound is only marginally better than an old transistor radio.
- No volume control - the only way to control the volume is directly off of your ipod
- Limited volume - this speaker will NOT fill a room and seems unlikely to be used for daily use.
- Will not charge your iPod (Livespeakr is VERY clear on this, but it something worth considering when comparing to other models.

Final Verdict - I can only recommend the Livespeakr to be people looking to watch videos or movies while traveling and need extra volume, those who value the small size, and finally those who need something that is completely rechargeable. If you purpose is to listen to music in your office or when you travel I would recommend Memorex Travel Speaker with iPod Dock (White)

2 1/2 Stars

My boyfriend bought me these speakers for my iphone on Cyber-Monday for $40 & free shipping. I use it on a daily basis to play my ipod (on the iphone), internet radio and movies. I use it in the bathroom when I'm showering, I use it in different rooms when I clean and I can always hear it over running water and the vacuum. I love the sound quality, easy to use and easily portable. I traveled with it a couple of times. Just threw it in the small travel bag w/ the wall charger (all included) and packed it in my suitcase. I took it with me to the beach and also played it in my hotel room. It's loud enough for me to hear it, but not loud enough for neighbors to complain. The only issue I have is that it does not have a battery indicator. I have no idea when the battery is going to die, so I make sure to keep the wall charger handy (the charger has a light that tells you when it's fully charged) and charge it if I'm going to use it outdoors. I'm not sure we would buy it for $70-80, but for $40 it's a great deal! I would give it 5 stars if it had a battery life indicator.

I wanted to like it, I really did. But for me, the sound quality is a little tinny, especially for the cost. Some of the other reviews said it had a robust sound, but I found I got tired of listening to it after about a half hour. And I have to say that the instructions for pushing out the stand were not helpful. You think it's the silver ridged portion that is supposed to slide, but instead it's the whole silver section on the back that slides. Halfway. THEN you pull down the outside portion that includes the two black rubber pads. The center ridged portion stays where it is, but the two metal bars flip down to anchor the stand. It does have a handy carrying pouch, though. And, of course, it has a power cord that recharges the internal lithium battery.

I've found that something I already owned, at less than half the price, had a fuller sound, Homedics Speaker-OTG. It also protects the media player (zips snuggly inside). Better sound, lower cost. I use it with rechargeable batteries. The only thing I didn't like about this one (and why I had purchased the LiveSpeaker) was that the Ipod sits in a little net, which means that if I want to change the sound level, I have to pull it out to turn the wheel. I solved this by purchasing earbuds with a volume slider.

*** Update ***

I kept fiddling with the equalizer settings on my Ipod for the Livespeaker, since it cost so much and I hated not being able to use it. I listen to "everything" (rock, jazz, blues, classical, pop, metal, electronica, trance, alternative, country, instrumental, folk, big band, and a little bit of opera), and found three settings that work to remove some of the tinny sound (Deep, Rock, Piano). Even though I prefer to listen to my music randomized (so changing the settings is inconvenient), if I choose to listen to a whole album, then I change the settings. I don't have to do that with my Homedics speaker, which I take with me everywhere, but at least it lets me use the Livespeaker while I'm getting ready for work in the morning!