DEMOCRACY Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker Review
Sean Gibson / Feb 21st, 2014 1 Comment
Portable speakers have become a posh accessory for those that have a smartphone or tablet. Being able to use your device of choice as a portable speaker system at parties is convenient since most people either have their songs available locally or via a streaming service. The DEMOCRACY Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker has integrated Bluetooth technology and is compatible with iOS and Android devices. Alternatively, it also has a stereo-jack that can plug into your device. The speaker has up to eight hours of juice per full charge. The DEMOCRACY speaker also features a revolving axis system, which offers users three different positions. The speaker is fairly impressive, offering solid sound quality at a good volume.
Features
The DEMOCRACY speaker features the aforementioned revolving axis system that allows for three different positions. It has a built-in lithium-ion battery offering up to eight hours of music play time on a single charge. There is also a smart power indicator that will display how much power is left. It is armed with Bluetooth v3.0 technology, meaning it is compatiable with all iOS and Android devices – or any other Bluethooth-enabled device for that matter. There is also a built-in microphone so the unit can be used as a bi-directional speakerphone. Finally, it has a built-in 3.5mm audio cable to make it very easy to literally “plug and play” with your music device.
Specs
Here are the core specs of the unit:
- Single 2.0 inch (50 mm) wide frequency range dual purpose driver
- 3.5 mm auxiliary connection
- Climate resistant polyurethane coating
- Frequency Response: 100 Hz to 10 kHz +/- 3dB
- Signal-to-noise ratio: > 83dB
- 33 Feet wireless connectivity range (Bluetooth)
- 2.5 hour charging time (USB) / Up to 8 hours play time
- 2.6″x3.0″x2.75″ in size / 0.475 lbs
Installation
Installing the unit is extremely easy. The quickest method is to plug the 3.5mm male cable into your device. This method of connectivity should only take users about four seconds total. Alternatively, discovering the unit via Bluetooth is easy and doesn’t take much effort. Simply discover it, connect, and now it’ll be a speaker for you to send your signal to, which is easy to find for iOS users (note that our unit was tested with an iPhone 5).
Performance
The DEMOCRACY portable speaker offers decent performance. While it will not blow anyone away with its power or clarity, it does a decent job projecting music in a clear fashion. The tones are middle of the road, meaning nobody will complain about the quality of the sound, but users are highly encouraged to use the best quality sound files and not necessarily random stuff purchased from iTunes.
One issue the unit has is that the treble (high frequency) will have a somewhat ‘tint-y’ sound to it, while the low bass won’t be all that impressive. Again, it’s not to say that the unit isn’t good – it is – but expectations should be set that this is a good quality, lightweight portable speaker with a good lifespan that offers decent performance for sound.
Price Value
The unit runs for $69.95 on both the company’s website and on Amazon. Prices for this type of product range from as low as $20 for a bargain-basement garbage unit, all the way up to hundreds of dollars for big-brand performance. Compared to other wireless Bluetooth speakers, it’s right around where it should be. It’s decently priced to be competitive in the marketplace. For users, spending this amount of money isn’t trivial, but considering the performance and that this should get a lot of use, it seems like a good investment.
Overall Impression
The DEMOCRACY Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker offers decent performance, a very impressive form factor and justifiable price value for consumers. The pluses are obvious – the unit is very useful, it is very lightweight, the fact that the speaker pivots helps direct the sound impressively, and sound quality is decent. The negatives are that the speaker won’t blow anyone away with the quality of sound and isn’t competitively priced. Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives for this useful and consumer-friendly product.
Product Video
Sean Gibson
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tags: bluetooth , democracy , hardware , review , speaker , wireless
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It is a very intriguing speaker. I’m an audiophile, and this Democracy speakers highs are perfect. Excellent review Sean!