Looking to improve the sound from your portable device? Or want a hands free device to bring conversation into your room? The ADiN S7BT may be for you!
Product on review: ADiN S7BT Vibro Speaker
Manufacturer and Sponsor: ADiN
Street Price: £45-50 (At time of review)
ADiN technology have become known for their portable vibro-speakers that allow users of laptops, smartphones and tablets to escape from that tinny sound that many bear with every day. Taking their technology a step further, the S7BT is a powerful 26w RMS vibro speaker that is able to connect to devices via jack or Bluetooth version CSR 2.1 that can not only playback audio, but also record via a built in microphone, giving users the potential for loud and clear hands free conversation on your phone or even games console.
Overview by ADiN
Specification & Features
Aluminium Alloy Body
Bluetooth Version: CSR 2.1
Full Range of Controls : play/pause, volume, answer/end call and skip track
Microphone
Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery 15V 1000mAh
Frequency response: 160Hz – 16,000KHz
3.5mm line in
3.5mm line out
Packaging & First Look
The box design is simple, sleek and good quality.
On the underside there is a nod towards gaming use in the form of a generic shooter style graphic underlay with information and specs being listed.
Once the outer sleeve had revealed the black box, on the inside is a well padded affair where we see the S7BT and the accessories in their own compartments.
A little light on the accessories but it isn’t likely that anymore are needed. We can find the power supply/charger, a 3.5mm jack to jack as well as an included manual.
The device looks very sleek and minimalistic with the only plastic part visible being on top.
Closer Look
The buttons we find on top are play/pause, skip track backwards and forwards which double up as volume controls when held as well as an answer/end call button.
At the back we fine a power in, a switch for on/off/bluetooth settings, 3.5mm line in and 3.5mm line out.
From the side we can see how the induction/vibro speaker works. We have a heavy duty metal stand which supports the bulk that vibrates to generate the sound.
The base has a nice soft rubber padding.
There is a red LED to indicate when switched to the ‘ON’ position for when using a line in or out.
The blue LED indicates when switched to Bluetooth mode, they could have used green or yellow but blue is most likely going to be understood by most.
Performance Testing
Design & Durability
The design is attractive and wouldn’t look out of place left on the side. The S7BT is pretty hefty at 410g of aluminium and overall feels solid. The only areas that look like they could receive some damage would be the stand or the plastic top. It is difficult to tell how the inner workings will react to a drop or fall though one thing is for sure, you do not want to drop this item on your foot, it will hurt. Build quality is hard to gauge considering it is mostly solid aluminum but I would suggest caution, not only because it may break from a fall, but it could potentially damage your floor and considering this is a vibrating unit, it may vibrate itself off whatever surface you have placed it on. The rubber padding on the base is fairly squishy and allows a semi adhesion to a smooth surface and works well, but on the wrong kind of surface it may not hold well, and on a particularly springy surface, it may encourage the S7BT to vibro creep. The buttons seem to be a little stiff but work well. The Bluetooth setup was very easy using various android phones, once connected it worked! Simple and had no issue staying connected through walls at a distance of 6-7m though moving out into the garden was a little bit of a stretch.
Music
Listening to music was fun and impressive. Firstly, audio quality dramatically changed depending on the type of surface the device is mounted on, so I will try and give some impressions, though it may vary for different situations and you will need to find what works best for you.
– Glass: The bass disappeared and had the tone had fairly high pitched ring to it.
– A chipboard chest of drawers: Lots of boomy bass with little to no mids and clear treble.
– Laminate floor: Little bass, good mids, little to no treble.
– A wooden table on carpet: There was a lot of vibro/bounce causing the speaker vibrate/slide.
After a fair bit of experimentation I came to the conclusion that there is an ‘ideal’ surface, one that isn’t too hard nor too bouncy. The best location I could find was a sturdy wooden desk with a firm floor/lite carpet. The clear space underneath allowed excellent bass reproduction while the more solid nature of the surface allowed for clear highs and mid tones which is genuinely impressive. The volume is a lot more than one would expect too, easily able to fill a small room with reasonably loud, good quality audio. This also may lead to the downfall of a product like this, that is, the sound was single point, I.E. monaural and it is very easy to locate the direction of the music and can slightly be distracting just simply realising the direction of the sound. It would be interesting to discover if this device can link up to two or many of the S7BT vibro speakers for stereo/ awesome. Another warning would be to consider what kind of music you are playing, it turns out that very bassy music when played loud can literally cause the device to jump despite how well the sticky padding tries to keeps it grounded.
Calls
Phone calls were easy to make and the mic was clear while the S7BT transmitted voice loud and clear. Definitely better than any phone built in loudspeaker. While it couldn’t be tested with a games console, if it performs similar to a phone call or better, then it could really make a great addition to your gaming peripherals should you enjoy a more open game chat without using a headset.
Conclusion
Judging a product like this is difficult as its appeal will vary. It can be connected to any compatible Bluetooth device and be used for various things, be it music, movies or conversation. Build quality is impressive and sleek but then it is just a stylised block of metal that vibrates. The sound quality, once you have found the ideal surface is genuinely impressive and powerful. If you are looking for an interesting gadget that may improve your portable media experience then the S7BT could make a good investment. There are media docks out there but none truly portable and this is where the S7BT shines, it is rechargeable and despite the weight, it is small in size, thus portable.
Regardless of whether this item becomes a gadgetry show piece or receives some serious use it performs what it promises well, has a solid construction and looks great while doing it. So it is difficult to not be impressed.
The S7BT delivers powerful and stunning sound quality more so than one would expect. Discovering the sound properties of different surfaces can be challenging yet fun while the connectivity and features are versatile and useful. This item will appeal to many for various reasons and its quality is not to be overlooked, for these reasons we proudly award the S7BT our Gold and Creative award.
+ Attractive minimalistic design
+ Solid Construction
+ Powerful Sound
+ Rechargeable & portable
+ Bluetooth and line in options
+ Easy Setup
+ Indication LEDs
Cons.
– Sound quality depends on surface
– May vibrate off the surface (and break your foot)
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net. Thanks to ADiN for providing today’s review sample.
