Logitech's clip-on speakers promises a bigger sound for your tiny Tablet.
BY TAN KIT HOONG
bytz@thestar.com.my
The one problem with a lot of Tablets is that the audio level can sometimes be a little too low, even at full volume.
These days, I tend to watch a lot of videos at the dinner table using my iPad and have been looking for a solution to this add-on speaker problem for awhile now. The Logitech Tablet Speakers come pretty darn close to being the ideal answer.
What is it?
CLIP-ON: The Tablet Speaker attaches to almost any Tablet or Smartphone using a spring-loaded clip.
The Logitech Tablet Speaker is a tube-shaped speaker, about the same length as the width of an iPad.
It has a spring-loaded clip in the middle which attaches it to the edge of the iPad and you plug in the standard 3.5mm stereo jack into the audio port of the Tablet.
I say iPad because that's what I used it with although the design is such that you can actually clip it onto any brand of Tablet or smartphone of any size, even the iPhone. However, the tiny size of the iPhone means that the speaker will block some of the screen when clipped on.
The Tablet Speaker runs on its own built-in lithium-ion batteries which, on a full charge, is claimed to last a full eight hours - that's more than enough because that's about how long an iPad lasts on a full charge.
Charging is via mini USB, using the supplied cable.
Listening in
ONE WAY: the Logitech Tablet Speaker only allows for propping up your Tablet for easy typing, and the location of the power button is intentionally meant to discourage using it with the Tablet standing vertical.
So let's get questions about the sound quality out of the way right now. The Tablet Speaker's sound quality is decent but it's certainly not the best I've heard. It's louder, bassier and a whole lot better than what's comes out of the iPad's mono speaker though.
The clip works much like a clothespin, which means it's spring loaded and is necessarily quite tight to make sure it's attached securely to the Tablet.
I have to say it's a little hard to open it most of the time because of the tight spring - I would have preferred perhaps a little tab or something which would make opening the clip mechanism a little easier.
One thing I did like was that the speakers also works to prop up the iPad so that it's angled properly for typing in landscape mode.
The other advantage of being attached to the iPad via this clip is that you can easily carry around the iPad and continue listening to your stuff without having the speaker dangle or fall off, just as long as you don't hold up the iPad via the speaker.
However, the clip mechanism and the design does not allow you to stand up the Tablet vertically - in fact, Logitech discourages this by locating the power button in such a way that the speaker will turn off if you try to stand it vertically.
I can see that this was done because the Tablet Speaker doesn't hold up the iPad securely enough when in this position, but I would have liked for Logitech to have thought up a more elegant solution so that you could use the speakers as a stand in a variety of positions.
Conclusion
Overall, the Logitech Tablet Speaker is pretty good - I used it quite a bit and I have to say it works as advertised.
However, I really would have liked it more if Logitech had designed it so that it works to stand the Tablet vertically as well, not just the slightly angled orientation, since it's probably going to be used a lot for movie watching instead of word processing.
Nevertheless, battery life is very good, the price is not too high and sound quality is reasonably good.
Pros: Good audio quality; props the Tablet up for typing.
Cons: Does not allow the Tablet to be angled vertically.
Tablet Speaker
(Logitech)
Stereo speakers for Tablet computers
Ports: Analogue stereo 3.5mm mini jack, mini USB port for charging
Dimensions (W x D x H): 215 x 40.5 x 40.5mm
Price: RM149
Website: www.logitech.com/my
Rating: 3.5/5stars
Review unit courtesy of Logitech Malaysia. Enquiries: Kaira Technologies Sdn Bhd (03) 2026-1669, Ingram Micro Sdn Bhd (03) 7952-8188