Right Click Podcast Review: Portable iPad Speakers
iMainGoXP By Portable Sound Laboratories
Ultra-Portable iPad stereo speaker case
by Giovanni
The Good:
It’s a solid case with 4 speakers and internal rechargeable battery that works with with iPad and iPad2. Great design in this price range make the iMainGoXP a great way to enjoy watching movies on your iPad at home or on the road with the internal 6hr rechargeable battery. The speakers are best suited for movie watching as the stereo surround effects create a nice personal space of cinema enjoyment.
The Bad:
The sound quality is good at lower levels but the midrange tones quickly disappear at higher volumes when listening to music, making this speaker case best suited for movie watching. Slightly hard to open locking tabs make the case hard to open at first but does loosen up with use. The case cover is a fingerprint magnet but only really noticeable up close
The Verdict:
A good value at $119 with solid build quality and good sound, turning your iPad into a personal movie theatre. I wouldn’t recommend this case to an audiophile expecting “big sound to fill a room” as this case is not intended to compete in that market. The case is best used as an accessory to enhance the multimedia experience of your iPad when traveling, in the car, or at home.
Design and features:
At first glance this case reminds me of the portable DVD players made popular a few years back. The size is fairly comparable to a slightly thicker 10” netbook. Once you manage to pull the 2 locking tabs which I found to be very tight even for me, it opens to show the speakers and iPad. I can see how a person with limited hand strength would definitely have a problem opening the case but I did notice the tabs did loosen with use. Inside you will find 4 1½” speakers and tuned bass ports. The case includes a snap on cradle for the iPad2 or skip it if you have the original iPad. One added feature which I didn’t explore were the two headphone jacks for private movie screening or in the car. The included internal rechargeable battery adds just a little bit of weight. A wall charger is included. The case also includes a sturdy easel type stand lets you prop your iPad on a table at various viewing angles. Overall design of this product is better than expected in this price range.
Performance:
I can’t stress enough that this speaker system performs really well in this price range. Other iPad speaker cases in this category were lacking key elements like an internal battery and looked more like add on speakers mounted to a lightweight case. It’s very obvious that this speaker case system was intended for movie watching and not so much for music at higher sound levels. The stereo separation is very audible and the tuned bass ports help the small speakers deliver bigger sound, but this effect is not as noticeable when listening to music. Performance is just okay when playing music at higher levels as the mids are absent and the music sounds flat, but not enough to be unacceptable, just a limitation of the size of the speakers. Battery life did come close to 6 hrs at a comfortable listening volume making this a nice travel speaker case for your iPad.
Find the Portable Speakers on Amazon here
