This Tiny, Retro Wood Speaker Looks Great and Sounds Even Better
If you're looking for a tiny but powerful Bluetooth-radio speaker combo, may we recommend the Muzen OTR Wood speaker?
The company—whose Indiegogo campaign for the product just launched— sent a Muzen OTR Wood: Radio Caroline Edition speaker to us for review, and we have to say we're impressed.
First off, the speaker has a polished, retro aesthetic. It's made of shiny rosewood, with black dials for the volume and source, as well as for the tuner. The speaker has a very analog feel, since you have to physically turn the dial until the station of your choice sounds crisp and clear.
It's also quite small compared to other Bluetooth speakers we've reviewed in the past. It's about four inches long, two inches wide and less than three inches high, making it extremely portable.
(via Muzen)
Plus, it can play music from just about anywhere. A micro USB port at the back of the speaker allows you to plug in an included USB tuner to listen to the radio, or you can use an auxiliary cable that fits into standard headphone ports. Of course, it can also connect wirelessly to your Bluetooth devices. The airing process also starts as soon as Bluetooth is selected on the speaker, so it's super easy.
But the most important function of any speaker is sounding good, and this one does. The volume ranges from quiet-as-a-mouse to ear-busting loudness, depending on your needs, and unless you're getting a weak radio signal, it never sounds crackly or distorted. It's quite impressive when you note the speaker's small size. At a regular volume, the battery on the radio also lasts about 10 hours.
The whole thing comes bundled up in a faux leather travel pouch with a nice protective cushion inside to keep the speaker safe. All of the necessary micro USB accessories hide inside there, as well. If we have one complaint about this speaker and its accessories, it's that the carrying pouch seems unnecessarily large compared to the cute little speaker.
The speakers are currently available on Indiegogo for $69, plus shipping, with this wave of purchases expected to deliver in March. You can also pay a little more for cute extras, including a faux leather carry case or rubber cat ears for the speaker.
10% of all sales from the current crowdfunding campaign will also support Radio Caroline. If you're not familiar, they're a pirate radio station founded in the '60s that transmitted music from ships in international waters to skirt around the BBC's strict broadcasting rules, bringing rock music to the masses. Today, the station continues to operate online with the same pirate spirit.
We think it's a pretty cool cause, and we like that it's being supported by a very cool speaker.
Love cute, retro speakers? Click HERE for our review of the Lofree Poison speaker.