When a plane crashes they say the one thing that you can always rely on them to find is the black box. Well if they looked and worked like the BlackBox (£99.99) from GEAR4 they shouldn’t bother. This is without doubt the uggliest and most useless set of ‘portable’ speakers that I have ever used!
I am struggling to find one positive thing to say about them! The theory is sound, a portable stereo speaker that works with bluetooth that you can use with your iPod (hmm need a add on to make that work), your PC or Mac (now that Leopard is out as before that they weren’t compatable).
First off, out of the box they should look good based on the description and the fact that they are black like the Mac Book and iPod, but somehow it doesn’t work. Then when you power them up you get this really obnoxious LED flashing at you saying PAIR ME NOW. Then the fun really starts. To pair them you have to be within 30cms of the device, so I paired them with the Mac Pro, moved them 6ft across the room to where I wanted to use them and – nothing! Didn’t work. So I went with Plan B – moved them two feet away and – nothing! Didn’t work. Plan C, I paired them with my iPhone and – nothing! Didn’t work. Plan D? Yep, paired them with the Mac Book and sat them next to it – like 5 cm away and – perfect, they worked. Well for half a track and then they dropped the connection.
So they look ugly, don’t work unless next to the device, and even then only for half a track – useless!! Ohm and even when they were playing some sounds it was really poor qwuality (very ‘tinny’) and not very loud at all.
Anyway in the interests of fairness here are a couple of pictures that are meant to make you drool, and what they have to say about them on their site – which is a load of rubbish, but you may have gathered that already!!!
Their Words Not Mine
The BlackBox from GEAR4 is a super-stylish Bluetooth stereo speaker system that combines exceptional audio performance and cutting-edge design. It features a hidden LED display that comes to life with your tunes and touch screen controls, so that nothing detracts from its elegance and minimalist style. With its distinctive deep gloss finish the BlackBox will fit perfectly into any room of the house. Mobile phone compatibility is assured via its firmware upgrade feature – simply link the speaker up to your computer to download the right profile for your mobile.
Features:
- 24W speaker output from 2 x speakers
- Bluetooth transfer technology
- Deep gloss finish
- Hidden LED display
- Touch screen controls
- Firmware upgradeable via mini USB port
Actually there is one positive thing I can say about it – Moreno loved ripping the carrying case to shreds!
Just for Danny
Here are five of the worstpictures I have taken. I couldn’t be bothered to be honest as nothing I did made it look any goog – but they do show how different it is in tral life to the studio ones!
So do I take it you don’t like them???
They look pretty slick, but I think BT for sound is a bad idea. I can understand people wanting go wireless for everything, but not sound. BT does not have enough bandwidth to cary a proper sound. I can be wrong, because I never really tried it, just looking at it theoretically.
I really like the LEDs on the front though.
Imagine those ‘cute’ red LED’s forming aone huge Bluetooth symbol when it is connected – that is how cheap and tacky it is!!!!
@Dunks
Good that you picked that point up – it was pretty well hidden!!
Those pictures make it look pretty flash, any chance of one getting a shot from you? So we know what it looks like when its not in a photographers studio?
Errr sure, let me go fish it out the bin and sort that out for you 🙂
😉 Cheers.
Here you go. I warn you though, they are ugly!!!
Oh good god! Im sorry to have to put you through that Chris! That thing really is as bad as you say.
I did warn you 🙂
Too bad you can’t make it say what you want. Like have it scroll the lyrics. Oh! Patent idea! 🙂
Looks a bit like a brick cylon 😛
Just got this email from the PR agency that sent me the speakers:
Fair point on the iPhone – BUT that means it doesn’t work with any of the iPod family so totally pointless for the Mac user!!!
Now is this just me – but aren’t demo units actually meant to work and show people what the product can actually do?
Seems like a cock up all round to me!!!!
Am I the only person that thinks if you say your product is Bluetooth compatible that it should be compatible with everything thats bluetooth. Thats just a joke.
Also demo units are exactly the same as any other unit in cases like this otherwise what’s the point?! Why would a demo unit need the scrolling pair me and no functionality. Not to mention why on earth you would send a demo ubit to a reviewer. I’m calling marketing bs.
Having said that at least they claim to be taking the comments the right way.
[quote post=”1318″]Fair point on the iPhone – BUT that means it doesn’t work with any of the iPod family so totally pointless for the Mac user!!![/quote]
No! No! No! – why must every MacUser be an iPod user and vice versa? I have an iPod and a PC… honest, it does happen.
As for bluetooth, as far as I can see this thing would work with 90% of all bluetooth devices, the obvious exception being the iPod.
Please try to be a little bit objective – just because you’re an iPod and Mac user doesn’t mean everyone else is, and just because your iPod doesn’t do A2DP doesn’t mean I can’t use my Sony Ericsson phone or a whole pile of other things with this…
That is true, although I reckon that the vast majority (say 90%) of Mac users have both an iPod and a Mac? Plus GEAR4 target their marketing very much at the iPod market, just look at all the accessories that they make. In fact take a look at their store and try and find anything that isn’t iPod focuused 🙂
So they are without doubt targetting the iPod market, yet with a device that doesn’t work with any of the iPod family unless you buy an accessory (that they sell of course), so it is pretty useless for any iPod owner (I take your point about Mac users here)
Now on the basis that I couldn’t get it to stay paired for either any distance or time with two Macs I reckon that makes it pretty useless for a Mac user as well?
For the record I did try it with a Nokia with bluetooth and as soon as I moved away it dropped the signal – but I reckon people would figure that as it didn’t hold the signal when static and only 5cm away from the Mac Book.
Part of me isn’t surprised or blame them – bluetooth for audio just doesn’t work very well in my experience anyway.
Kleer may have been the better option.