Frequency response: 63 Hz to 20 kHz, ±9.4 dB
Distortion: 1.4%
MCMäxxx™: 81 dB
Battery life: 5 hours
The FoxL v2 has impressively flat response up to 9.7 kHz; up to that point, the frequency response is an honest ±3 dB, which is better than most conventional speakers offer. There’s a big peak at 15 kHz, which is probably a resonance in the Twoofers. The off-axis treble roll-off is heavy but well-mannered, with none of the zigs and zags seen in some of the other off-axis measurements presented here. Don’t get too excited about that 63 Hz close-miked response; the BassBattery isn’t big enough to deliver substantial output at such a low frequency.
$199 soundmatters.com
Best for: travelers, audiophiles
Worst for: bass freaks
THREE YEARS AFTER its debut, there’s still nothing quite like the FoxL (soon to appear in an even more improved "Platinum" edition). Its compact metal enclosure contains two “Twoofers,” or high-excursion 1-inch drivers. On back is the BassBattery, a mini-woofer that uses the rechargeable battery for extra mass and deeper bass response. A kickstand in the back provides a secure footing. The rear-mounted controls are simple: a power switch and volume up/down buttons. You also get a 3.5mm sub output and a mini-USB input for charging.
The FoxL v2 feels like it was designed for use by infantrymen or mountaineers. The metal housing is as tough as it looks; the original survived a fall off my 6-foot speaker measuring stand without a scratch. The slim design fits easily into a pants pocket.
When I played Indian musician Raghunath Manet’s Veena Dreams — a recording that sets Manet’s aggressive veena playing against percolating Indian and Western rhythms — the FoxL v2’s detailed treble captivated me. Same with the midrange: Voices sounded ultra-clear, like what I hear with my Genelec recording monitors.
Where the Jambox sounds sweet, the FoxL v2 sounds pristine. Which you’ll prefer, I can’t predict, but they’re both great. The big difference is in the bass: The FoxL v2 has more than you’d expect but much less than the Jambox. I recently spent a delightful afternoon in San Francisco with the FoxL v2, sitting on the window bench of my room at the W Hotel and streaming classical Indian music from the Sunaada Radio channel. When business called me away, I just turned off the FoxL v2 and tossed it back into my computer case, confident that it would survive the trip home. That’s what the FoxL v2 Bluetooth is all about — for my money, it’s the ultimate travel sound system.
The FoxL v2 has impressively flat response up to 9.7 kHz; up to that point, the frequency response is an honest ±3 dB, which is better than most conventional speakers offer. There’s a big peak at 15 kHz, which is probably a resonance in the Twoofers. The off-axis treble roll-off is heavy but well-mannered, with none of the zigs and zags seen in some of the other off-axis measurements presented here. Don’t get too excited about that 63 Hz close-miked response; the BassBattery isn’t big enough to deliver substantial output at such a low frequency.
>Why would I bother with it when my Droid can not only play music but also access Internet radio, stream video from YouTube . . . and, of course, make phone calls?
Uh... because you can carry your whole music library around with you?
Am I the only person left who thinks Internet radio is fine for talk radio and selected musical subjects, but just plain sucks when it comes to playing what music I want to hear RIGHT NOW?
My Droid holds 16 GB of music on its SD card. That's enough for me.
It's a pity you didn't include the new Bose Soundlink mobile as it is probably the most powerful portable Bluetooth speaker with this size that I have heard so far. It has a bit muffled treble but when listening to it outside at higher levels this is not an issue.
I would love to see some frequency response graphs from it as I cannot do them by myself with such a technical precision.
@oluv: There's been a lot of interest in that device, but the newer Bose wasn't actually available at the time we did this roundup, so we couldn't test it. We did do a day-of-release post about it (http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/bose-soundlink-wireless-mobile-...) that discussed its amplifier power, but we haven't been able to get a review unit in as yet.
Would appreciate a review with proper measurements for the Bose Soundlink mobile. It seems like a good buy.
With regard to Oluv's view on the muffled treble, was wondering if using a good equalizer app like PowerAmp would solve the issue. I've downloaded the app on my Galaxy Note. It really makes the songs come to life and gives you the freedom to adjust the 10 band equalizer as well as bass and treble.