Gadget Review: These are loud on the ears but light on the pocket

 

 

Remember the times when a good sound system decorated a shelf or a table in almost every household. One hardly sees those huge boxes now — in the age of Smart phones and Tablets. Today we carry our entire world in our pockets.

The next technological revolution seems to be about going wireless.And here enters the  Bluetooth speaker — the perfect mediums to resonate our tunes almost all the time.         

So how does one choose the perfect device? A device which not just suits ones pockets but also the one that provides the perfect sound, for what good is a speaker if the quality of sound is not good.  

A French born company, Zoook, seems to have an answer for that, as their new Bluetooth speaker, ZB-Rocker 2, falls in the light-on-the-pocket but great-on-the -ears bracket. The Bluetooth speaker costs around Rs  2,500 and is available on almost all merchant websites.

The USP of this device is that it displays six patterns in neon shades with the help of 64 LED lights. This colourful show is nothing but different LED lights flooding the speaker in different patterns somewhat like the visuals the Windows media player would try to provide in the early 2000s.

Wondering what does it sound like? Well the ZB-Rocker 2 does provide a good sound output. We tested it several tracks falling in different genres, but the overall sound quality was good. First we started with a techno track (Serinity by Popof), as mentioned before the sound quality was good as all the layers and pitches in the track were played perfectly at all levels of volume. The next track we tried was Ji Huzoori from the upcoming movie Ki and Ka and well, the Zoook passed again with flying colours. The best part about this speaker is that in spite of being tiny it manages to pump out a good amount of base, for Yeah by Usher was perfectly narrated by this set in spite of being a base-heavy track.   

Since the speaker connects to phones it also has a built in microphone which is clear and sensitive to sound but in a short range. So yes callers can be heard clearly but the replies need to be given in close proximity to the speakers. With several connectivity options (namely Bluetooth, Micro-SD, Aux and USB) and a 4400mAh battery with a backup of up to nine and a half hours, the ZB-Rocker 2 can prove to be a good buy.   

The plastic quality used to make the outer shell of this speaker is good and acceptable. Don’t compare it to industry leaders though. Plus it offers several input options which several markets leaders don’t.

But the main question is, why will someone buy a Zoook when a few extra hundreds can get you a JBL or Sony? Well, because the speaker is apt and equipped enough to take on several big names falling in its price range. So for all of you who are not smitten by the brand tags, the Zoook ZB-Rocker 2 can prove to be a good buy. Plus it can prove to be a great option for corporate gifting.