Soul SM1CHR Magnum Wireless Bluetooth Ultra High-Definition Speaker System

I love this thing. Out of all of the bluetooth speakers I've sampled (eight, and counting), this little Soul is my favorite. Whether I'm in a hotel room, in the office, or out on the patio sipping a cold one, this guy is there, cranking out my iTunes with rich sound. Friends ask, "is that music coming from THAT little thing?" Wink, nod, sip. Don't know how they do it, and a I don't care. The highs cut through, the mids are lush, and the lows push bass beyond reason considering the footprint of this tiny brick house. As if function isn't enough, the form should be noted. This thing looks rad. Yeah, I said rad. I'm bringing that word back. Some of the other bluetooth speakers in this class are frankly hideous looking. The rest are just kind of...vanilla. This one is beautiful. It's the perfect height and diameter. It's so convenient to tuck away and carry with me, to the yard, across the country, and all points in between. And the charcoal finish is just dead sexy. My one tiny complaint is that most of the controls are on the bottom, which is covered with a rubber mat that picks up dust, dirt, crumbs and stuff from all the indoor/outdoor surfaces I put it on, so it's not something I want to see let alone touch. But, boo hoo, I'll suck it up. This speaker gets my vote for best all-around bluetooth speaker of 2013.

I own one of these Soul bluetooth speakers as well as the Cambridge Soundworks Oontz Curve. Both are Bluetooth speakers with similar size and weight. Both have sturdy and good-looking metal shells. The Soul costs $20 and the Oontz costs $30 (both on Amazon right now). Both are very easy to pair with my Android smartphone. Both have similar volume levels, which is OK as a speakerphone or for background music, though neither will fill a living room with sound. Controls on both devices are similar; you really have to pick up the speaker to see and use most of the controls (forward/back, volume up/down, pause/play). The Oontz does have a well marked speakerphone button on the top, while the Soul puts that on the bottom with the other controls. I'm not an audiophile, but the Oontz has noticeably clearer sound to me at all volume levels. In summary, to me the Oontz is a better product in every way except for the 50% higher price, so you can make your own value judgement.

I purchased two of these. They are nicely constructed and paired easily to three different devices. Being a Soul product, I expected a minimal level of sound quality fully understanding that they were only $20 each. Unfortunately they sounded unbelievably bad. The sound that came from the iPad itself was not only better sounding - which in itself is hard to believe knowing how the internal speakers on mobile devices are, but even a bit louder... The little JBL micro I also have, is light years better.I called Soul and they said they must be both defective or not real Soul product. If they are counterfeit, they really did a nice job on the physical product and the packaging, but failed miserably on the sound quality. I also tried the line-in just in case it was a bluetooth issue, but the sound was equally as bad. They are both going back. Even at $20 they are ripoff considering their very poor sound quality.

I paid $20 for this on sale. If it were full price, I probably wouldn't have been interested. But for $20, this is almost too good to be true. Other reviewers complain about the controls, but you never really need to touch the thing unless you are turning it on and off;1. Turn unit on. It automatically pairs with or is available to your Bluetooth enabled device.2. Turn up volume on the speaker to almost full.3. Once paired via Bluetooth, all volume control and song navigation can be accomplished from your phone or ipod...The speaker is about the size of a half can of soda (or beer). Very nice, clean design. Seems well built. I haven't had it for long, so not sure about durability, but it appears sturdy. I use it in the garage, paired with my iPhone 4S. It says 30 foot range via Bluetooth, but I have walked out to the mailbox (75 + feet away!), with my phone in pocket, and it stays connected and clear. No, there is not enough available volume or bass for a dance party or the like, but for listening to music by yourself or with a few friends on the patio, its perfect. Just loud enough to enjoy musical nuances, but not drown out conversation. Pick it up and take it with you in the silky little pouch provided, and the party is mobile.