I was stunned when I opened the package for my iClever Wireless Bluetooth Speaker. I mean, I knew it was advertised as portable, but man this thing literally fits in the palm of my hand. While the sleek black design was attractive, I confess I was anxious at first. How was this tiny little cube going to deliver a sound capable of entertaining a raucous group of friends? Within moments I was proved wrong - the little guy's bark was enough to startle most of my colleagues in our buzzing office.
The iClever packs a punch thanks to the 5W speaker placed inside of the glossy zinc alloy shell, which enables the iClever to dole out sound loud enough to fill a decent-sized room. You could even use it as your primary audio source for a small party, and no one would even know where the sound was coming from thanks to its miniscule size. Even better - the iClever doesn’t trade volume for bass reduction or sound quality. Obviously it’s no subwoofer, but the playback successfully bumps the hardest of hip-hop beats and never sounds distorted.
Because the iClever is so small, you can bring the device pretty much anywhere. Place it on the sink while you shower, bring it over to a friend’s house or attach it to the back of your bike. It’s very light too. I wouldn’t recommend it, but you could even play catch with this little box so long as you have the hand-eye coordination.
But of course, the iClever’s most important feature is its Bluetooth technology, and with a 4.0 chipset, the speaker completely delivers in that aspect as well. The signal is effortless to connect to, and it boasts an impressive 33 foot connection range. You should have no reservations walking into another room while using this product. I never experienced a dropout while testing the speaker. If you intend on sharing the speaker with family or roommates, the iClever can remember up to eight Bluetooth connections. The last paired device will connect automatically when available.
The iClever also comes packaged with an 3.5 mm audio jack in case Bluetooth is not an option, or you want to connect to a local laptop or tablet. This can help conserve power, but it’s not really necessary considering the speaker’s battery lasts up to 12 hours. Best of all, the device automatically powers off after 15 minutes of inactivity. This has always been my issue with some Bluetooth products, given my forgetfulness to manually turn off the power. But I shouldn’t have to, because it’s 2016, and thankfully the iClever recognizes the importance of that convenience as well.
I should mention that the iClever includes a built-in noise-cancelling microphone, but I rarely used this feature. That being said, the mic can be useful for conducting group phone conversations, as it detects voices from up to 2m away. The main Bluetooth button doubles as phone call receiver.
Perhaps the biggest triumph of the iClever Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, however, is its surprisingly affordable price. It’s currently available on Amazon for only $25 - what a steal! The only negative things I can say about the product is that the glossy exterior is susceptible to fingerprints, and the volume/music buttons are located on the bottom of the speaker, meaning you have to pick it up to make adjustments. I suppose those buttons’ location could be a little annoying, but it personally never bothered me, and overall the speaker is an exceptional product for a very affordable price. Well done, iClever.
