Phoenix Bluetooth Speaker, Red

I've had my Phoenix for a month now and I couldn't be happier. I've had a set of portable speakers that I was fairly happy with when it suddenly stopped working after about 2-3 years of use. When I started looking for a replacement, I wanted to give wireless speakers a try this time around. In addition, I had the following criteria in mind:1) Bluetooth connectivity2) $150-$200 of price range3) portable unit that can be easily packed in a small travel bag4) rechargeable, and5) decent sound qualityAs I combed through various reviews, it seemed that the Jambox speakers seemed to fit most of my needs, but I was hesitant due to so many mixed reviews anywhere from it being defective on one end to being absolutely perfect on the other. One other thing that I kept seeing that concerned me about the Jambox was that quite a few people complained about the unit jumping and moving when the volume is turned up high, causing the unit to often fall off the edge.Then I came across a couple of reviews of the Phoenix that were very positive. At a first glance, I wasn't quite sold on the look of the unit as the pictures online made it look very plasticky and cheap, especially the blue model. But I've decided to give it a go and I couldn't be happier for the following reasons:1) It meets all of my requirements and then some. At $99, it is priced very reasonably, well below my budget.2) The sound quality is great especially for the size. The bass is surprisingly deep considering it is only the size of a Rubiks cube.3) Connecting my iPhone 5 via Bluetooth was a breeze. No issues there.4) It just simply looks adorable. I think the pictures on Amazon (or even the Beacon website) make the unit look cheap and plasticky. Its matted finish adds texture without the cheap plastic look. The color is vibrant and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Also, its cube shape makes it easy to just throw it in a bag without having to worry about any special packing or wrapping in fear of any parts falling off.5) It feels quite sturdy and well-made. I believe the manufacturer offers 1,000-day warranty. So far, I'd say they have a good reason to be confident in its quality.6) So far, I've not had it jump or move around when the volume is turned up high.A couple of minor complaints:1) The power button. One must firmly (I mean really firmly) press the power button down for a good while to turn the unit on or off. It's a bit annoying, but not a deal breaker. On the other hand, I would imagine this prevents the unit to accidently turn on by itself when packed in a bag/suitcase.2) The rewind/fast forward buttons are awkwardly shared with the volume control buttons. I'd say, don't bother with these buttons after turning up the volume to the max at the initial set up, and control the volume from your source unit instead going forward.3) Bluetooth range is not that great. The sound starts breaking off at about 15-20 ft. But this isn't a big of an issue for me as I can just as easily carry it with me from room to room along with my phone if I do so desire.Overall, this is a great product and I'd recommend this to anyone.

Speaker sounds good for its very tiny size and light weight - gets plenty loud for most listening scenarios and maintains sound quality well even at higher volumes. About the size of a pencil cup, this little 'system' is very convenient to bring your fav tunes to your desk. No cords to connect and get in the way. I have owned it for about two weeks and the battery life seems good and reasonable - can get 6-8 hours out of a single charge.The bluetooth connection works well within about 15 feet and pairs very easily - I use my iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone to send the blue signals. It also comes with a male-to-male 3.5mm plug that can be used to feed non-bluetooth devices into it - good for ipod shuffles or other similar players.Deducted one start for two reasons (1) this is just my opinion, but it seems a bit expensive - your feeling will vary based on your disposable income and/or your willingness to part with it. $100 just seems a little high for this unit, but I honestly don't know of anything better out there at less cost, so perhaps it is well justified. (2) The buttons work OK, but would have been more practical if there was a simple on-off switch instead of incorporating this function it into the same button as the play, pause, bluetooth-pairing button.

Piece of junk. Did not last a year. It started having to be reset within a few months and now bluetooth is not working at all. I would not purchase again or recommend. The Grace Digital ECOXGEAR ECOXBT that I bought is a far better choice. More reliable. Better sound.

I got this speaker & paired it with my MacBook Air. VERY impressed with the sound quality for it's size BUT no matter where I put the speaker or how far from the laptop I still got sound inference/distortion fairly often. And, the volume wasn't turned way up either. I made sure the battery was charged, too. Can't seem to find a reason for the distortion. If I can't I'll be returning it, soon. Would rate it 5 stars if not for the sound distortion.

I'll echo what others have said with regard to the controls; they're terribly unintuitive, period. Combining the functionality of the volume and skip track buttons is a terrible idea both in theory and in practice, so I'm pretty shocked that this made it past the design phase at all.Other than that, I'll say that audio quality is very good, but not great. It's slightly muffled at max volume, although this can be alleviated somewhat by tweaking the EQ on your media player. The best assett this speaker has is the volume, and this thing delivers in spades. The Phoenix pumps volume comparable to speakers that are much bigger; I was able to hear it clearly while standing in the hallway about 40 feet from my bedroom. In short, it's perfect for toting around the house and travel in general, which is exactly what I bought it for. The Bluetooth functionality is completely seamless as well; works as advertised.So, why 3 stars? The controls are indeed an issue, but it's something I can forgive in light of the audio quality. The real issue is that this product, as good as it is, is nothing more than a repackaged Satechi ST-69BTS with a 50 dollar markup. The only advertised improvement is in battery life, although it's worth noting that the Satechi has a more traditional(and hence, better functioning) control interface. Bottom line - A superor product that can nonetheless be had for half the price, hence the average rating.

Beacon portable Bluetooth speakerWhat is it ?This is a small portable speaker that will connect to any mobile device via Bluetooth or via a supplied mini jack to mini jack lead.ConstructionThe unit is well made and looks very modern. It has a built in lithium Ion battery that recharges via a supplied USB cable. The sockets are of excellent quality. The whole unit feels sturdy and well made and measures 8cm high, 8cm wide and 8 cm long approx. The top of the unit has volume up and down controls and on/off and stop. The top surround has an LED to indicate on, charged and pairing.In usePairing it to a Bluetooth device was easy. I managed to get it to find and pair with my iPod in a few seconds. The unit remembers the pairing so you don't need to pair each time. I also got it to pair easily with my Nokia phone. Full instructions are supplied but it's very easy to use and set up. It ran for just over 5 hours on a single charge at about 75% volume. It will also charge and power via a laptops USB connection. It took about 40 minutes to charge from flat.Sound qualityFor the size of the unit it's quite amazing. The sound is clear, focused and quite loud. It is way better than my laptop speakers. It is ideal if you want music while working or just chilling. Don't expect to fill the room with bass as with a unit of this size that would be impossible but it's far better than my laptop speakers and amazing compared to the built in speaker in my nokia phone.OverallAn easy to use and good quality portable speaker that sounds great. It will always be in my briefcase while travelling now. It is expensive but for the quality of construction and sound it is worth it in my opinion as I will give it a lot of use.NoteI tried it today with my daughters iPhone and there was conciderable distortion when using Bluetooth or the cable. However, with every other device I have tried it is fine. If you have an iPhone check Beacons site for information before buying as I am sure there is a compatibility issue to be sorted out (however, it is fine with my iPod)

Received this through Amazon Vine. First off I would never have bought an item this expensive without contrasting and comparing and trying reviews but the Android Magazine review would have been an influence.Out of the box the quick set up instructions worked well and there was sufficient residual charge for me to be able try it out and pair it with my Galaxy S2. Clear bluetooth signal with no interference or distortion.I tried a wide variety of music: Mos Def, Pixies, Smashin Pumpkins, Blur, Plan B with different levels of Bass and Treble adjusted from the equaliser on the phone. All played well through the unit and the stereo sound was up to scratch. Bass shook the table but somehow didn't carry? Must be the way it's built.In terms of volume it was quite capable of filling the room with sound and could be heard on the other side of the flat. All other sound was clear and crisp enough to satisfy.Plugged into my PC to recharge and fully up within a few hours.Personally couldn't see myself buying a £80 portable speaker especially without trying others first. It's good enough as a product but the price is not right.

The Beacon Phoenix is a small portable Bluetooth speaker, designed to free you from using headphones with your smartphone or other music player.Physically, it is a small red cube, about 10cm in each dimension, with a not-unattractive soft-touch red rubber coating. The top plate is home to three buttons, which control volume, power and play/pause and track skip. The back panel has a USB connector for charging and a 3.5mm minijack which can be used with the included cable to connect to non-Bluetooth devices. It is supplied in a nice box with the aforementioned cable and a USB cable for charging, and it all feels of reasonable quality.I paired it with my iPhone 5, which was easy, and started to play some music. And that's where it all went wrong...If you can remember the days of £5 pocket transistor radios, the sound of this thing will be familiar. There is a speaker on either side, facing outward, but these give nothing that could be described as stereo. The overall sound is harsh in the treble, lacking in midrange or low bass, and with a slight artificial boost to the very highest bass frequencies. I fiddled with all the EQ settings on my iPhone, and I still couldn't find a way of getting anything that sounded acceptable out of it. It sounds least out of its depth with something simple - solo vocals and guitar - but even that sounds thin and treble-y. As soon as you start putting anything more complex through it - i.e. anything with more than one instrument - it falls to pieces. Yes, it does go creditably loud without distortion, but I defy anyone who loves music to listen to more than 2 or 3 tracks on this thing, as the overall sound balance is so poor.Physics dictates that a box like this won't sound good, but the price tag suggests that Beacon Audio think they may have managed to defeat the laws of physics... They haven't - there are much better ways to get sound from your smartphone for this price. I really can't recommend this speaker at all, I'm afraid.