Month: August 2014

We have had the MD-12 some time now and also the all new coloud BANG speaker and many people asked about the two of them and how they compared with sound.

First off two things to note,the MD-12 will cost around around €60 and the Coloud BANG is set to cost and nice €19 we have yet to see any in stores here in Ireland yet but those who recently bought the Lumia 930 would have got the MD-12 alongside the DC-50 wireless charger with the deals that operators had on offer last month.

First up the MD-12 

Below is a video on how to connect the MD-12 to your NFC enabled device and we can listen to some sound.

 

 

Packaging.

The MD-12 comes packed in familiar packaging similar to other products from Nokia with the unit completely visible.

 

 

What does the MD-12 give you and what are the specs.

 

 

• Wire-free efficiency

  Be wire-free with Bluetooth and NFC. And combined with a long-lasting, rechargeable battery, keep the music pumping all night long on a single charge.

• 

  Boosted battery life

   

  With the long-lasting rechargeable battery, spend more time enjoying and less time charging.

   

  Small speakers, portable or not, often miss the clout, especially in the bass department.

  That’s about to change with the Nokia Bluetooth Minispeaker. With a built-in vibrating actuator located on the base, low frequencies (read: heavy bass) are created when placed on most surfaces, especially hard ones, delivering a surprising amount of bass for such a compact speaker- in fact, it’s rather fun experimenting with different surfaces.

  This pocket-sized powerhouse can fill a room with sound and, when its rechargeable battery is fully juiced, offers 15 hours of playback, enough for your regular party. Well, the parties we go to, anyway.

  While the speaker is obviously a travelling music-fan’s dream, it also doubles up as the perfect speakerphone so you can work on the go.

   

  Pairing your phone with the mini speaker is simple; just tap your NFC-enabled device on the speaker to instantly pair. Alternatively, connect via Bluetooth. With the new Nokia Device Hub app, you can easily manage your speaker and other connected accessories easier than ever, and fun. It provides app recommendations for your accessories and even lets you see where you used them last time, in case you misplaced it.

  If your phone lacks either wireless technology, don’t sweat, just use the audio-out connector and lead that comes in the box.

  Costing around 60 euros and continuing Nokia’s bright new colour language for 2014, the Nokia Bluetooth Minispeaker comes in the same distinctive colours of yellow, green, orange and white.

 

 

 

• Maximum music playback time: 15h
• Maximum output: 95dB at 0.5 m
• NFC: Pairing
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 3.0 + HS
• Rechargeable battery: Yes

 

• Audio
  • Maximum output: 95 dB at 0.5 m
• Connectivity
  • AV connectors: 3.5 mm audio connector
  • Charging connectors: Micro-USB
  • Bluetooth: Bluetooth 3.0 + HS
  • Bluetooth profiles: Headset profile (HSP) 1.2, Hands-free profile (HFP) 1.6
  • BT operating range: 10 m
  • NFC: Pairing
• Power
  • Battery technology: Li-Ion
  • Battery capacity: 1020 mAh
  • Battery voltage: 3.7 V
  • Removable battery: No
  • Rechargeable battery: Yes
  • Maximum charging time: 180 min
• Usage
  • Maximum music playback time: 15 h
  • Operating temperature: -5 – +40 C
• User Interface
  • UI features: Battery level indicator, Tones, Charging indicator
  • Operating keys: Power on/off key
  • LED indicators: Battery level indicator, Power on indicator
• Dimensions
  • Height: 38 mm
  • Diameter: 84 mm
  • Weight: 180 g
• Environmental features
  • Materials: Free of PVC, Free of BFR, rFR as in Nokia Substance List
  • Recycling: 100% recoverable as materials and energy
  • User guide: Small printed guide, full on nokia.com, One colour printing
  • Packaging: Packaging is 100 % recyclable

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall the MD-12 is great it can handle the music,but at certain levels it did sound tinny and distorted at times,it does move around depending on the music even though it has a rubberised underside it can still move,this is to be expected,with the magnetised underside its hand to stick in places where you have the option to use it,again similar instances of movement were seen but not so much as on a flat surface such as a table.It offers great sound overall and is a great accessory to have if you have not picked one up,it does seem pricey though and it may not suit some overall im happy with it and how it performed.

NokiaNewsIreland rating 4/5. 

 

 

The all new Coloud BANG. 

 

 

 

This is the latest offering from Coloud,and once again thanks to Mix Radio for hooking us up with these new speakers set to cost a very impressive 19 euros(approx) when they eventually hit the shops in Ireland which i hope is soon..

Last year we also had the privilege to be the first to test the latest headphones from Coloud which was the Knock,Pop and Boom

 

 

These speakers came much larger than anticipated when they were first announced,they looked nice seemed solid robust and nice colours to match the current Nokia Lumia series which both look well together they compliment each other well and can be used with any device that supports 3.5 mm jacks,we tried these on several phones and they worked,such as the Xperia Z2,HTC ONE M8 and the One Plus One.

 

 

 

Pictured above and below is the Lumia 530 which is also Orange in colour and they certainly complement each other well indeed and they look great .

 

 

 

Sound test and tour of the Coloud BANG.

 

 

These speakers are certainly value for money and the sound was impressive i am no sound engineer but to distinguish the difference fairly is hard against the MD-12 both had great quality sound and again depending on the music you are playing there was some variables with sound which one handled it better over the other as to volume and loudness,volume would be really the key factor in both being honest when we noticed sound variance.

 

 

Paired together there is no doubt that the Coloud Bang gave some punch,these can be daisy chained together so you can add a few together and get some really impressive sound,sadly we only had 2 units but we would of liked to see the effect with 4 or 5 together and see the overall impact,judging from the 2 we had i would say the music experience would be great.

 

 

The Coloud BANG is a solid speaker and not too big it can easily fit in pocket or bag there is no sharp edges on them so it would not dig into you so to speak if carrying in trouser pocket for example.

 

What do i get with the Coloud BANG and what are the specs.

 

 

 

Dimensions

• Width: 75 mm
• Height: 51 mm
• Weight: 96 g
• Cable length: 17 cm

 

Audio

• Frequency response: 200 – 15 000 Hz
• Maximum output: 94 dB at 0.5 m
• Speaker drivers: 40 mm high performance

 

Connectivity

• AV connectors: 3.5 mm stereo headphone connector
• Charging connectors: Micro-USB

 

Power

• Rechargeable battery: Yes
• Maximum music playback time: 8 h

 

They come in Three colours Orange,Black and Green.

 

Sound Comparison test with the Nokia MD-12 and Coloud BANG 

 

 

 

 

Overall result the BANG is exactly that, You get some BANG for your bucks the sound is great,they are small,portable,durable look great and a cost effective solution to bring your music with you in a more convenient conventional way .Only thing i would say the cable that comes with the speaker (built in) is short but hence its design its still a clever way of not having too long of a cable separate to carry about,its all in one unit.

 

NokiaNewsIreland rating 4.5/5