From a physical point of view, the Antec a.m.p. SP1 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is an enticing proposition. But a well designed speaker is useless if it doesn't have decent sound quality to match.
Setting the speaker up is very easy indeed. Simply hold the function button until the power button flashes quickly, and then search for the device using your Bluetooth enabled device. Alternatively, you can just play music via the 3.5 mm connector. We found that Bluetooth offered a better experience, though, because the volume was significantly more impressive.
We are happy to say that the SP1 offers pretty decent sound quality and offers an impressively full sound for such a compact unit. We were impressed by the lower registers which have a decent amount of power considering the size of the unit, however it doesn't seem so good when it’s compared to slightly larger units. The overall sound is fairly evenly balanced and doesn't seem to have much of a bias towards any of the sound frequencies.
One unusual aspect of the speaker is that it actually boosts a call function. Using the inbuilt microphone, you can use it as a hands-free speaker, answering your call using the function button on the top of the unit. The call quality is surprisingly good too.
When it comes to value, we feel that the SP1 is a little overpriced at £64 from Amazon. We would like to see it falling to around £40 before it would win our Must Have award. Apart from the price we think this is an excellent little speaker and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Pros:
- Impressive sound.
- Portable design.
- Solidly built.
- Hands-free capability.
Cons:
- Price
KitGuru says: A great little product from Antec, let down by an inflated price tag.
wow that has to be the most ugly speaker I have seen!
In a review like this a perspective shot is always welcome. AKA, set the product next to something we can universally recognize (can of Coke, iPhone, etc…).