One of my favorite things about CES is the oodles of goodies bestowed upon us, as members of the press, by companies of all shapes and sizes in hopes that we will share their products with our community. Some of the things we get are trivial little trinkets — screen cleaners, phone cases and countless amounts of thumb drives. Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy every bit of the swag we get in return for the many miles we cover each day of the event, but most of the stuff we get as take-home loot isn’t all that exciting. And, if you think I’m exaggerating when I say we walk miles, take a second to think about this stat:
The 2012 Consumer Electronics Showcase set a mind-blowing record by boasting 1.86 million square feet of exhibit space and we walked every inch of it we could walk — you’re damn right, I’ll take every trinket I can get my grubby hands on.
For every five “trivial” items you get handed to you at CES, there’s one product that always stands out — at least in my experience from this year’s show. One of my favorite take-home goodies this year is the Mini Tweakers portable speaker, by GrandMax. At first glance, you’ll probably think the same thing I did when I first saw it. Eh, another little portable speaker that probably isn’t worth the time it takes to check it out. Sound about right? Well, I’m delighted that I was lucky enough to get one of these from the kind sirs at the GrandMax booth, and I’m ready to go hands-on with the little devil and tell you all about it.
The GrandMax Mini Tweaker: Don’t let its size fool you
The Mini Tweakers are small, portable speakers, about the size and weight of a golf ball. Each speaker features a rechargeable lithium battery that offers hours of use, and can be recharged using any standard USB port. I’ve used my Mini Tweaker over the past few days for long periods of time (6 to 8 hours, if not more) each day without the unit dying on me yet. Each night, I plug the speaker in to charge and it gets me through my entire day’s usage without a problem.
The audio output from the Mini Tweakers speaker features an on/off switch, a 3.5mm line out and a mini USB port used for audio input and charging the device. Installation couldn’t be easier — in less than a minute, you’re up and bumping. And, when I say bumping, I’m not kidding. For the size of the Mini Tweakers, the sound produced by them is both surprising and enjoyable. For a device with dimensions as compact as D 60 x H 43 mm, these speakers are easily a contender for being the best of their size. The audio quality produced is deep and rich, while sustaining the lows, mids and highs. At full volume, you hear very little distortion, though there is a slight loss in quality, but kicking it down just one level clears up the audio tremendously and it’s still more than loud enough for use in any small room or office.
The Yay:
- Portable, small and lightweight
- Long battery life
- Compatible with most devices (anything with a 3.5mm output will work)
- Loud enough to get the job done
The Nay:
- Slight loss of audio quality when turned up to full volume (nothing horrible)
Final Grade:
- 4.5/5 — This is a solid investment, especially for the small price tag that accompanies the Mini Tweakers. If you’re in need of a portable speaker solution that really packs a punch, without punching your wallet too hard, make sure to check out GrandMax. You won’t be sorry.
Want to buy one?
If you’d like to get your hands on a Mini Tweaker you can call your own (and no, I’m not referring to your own personal methamphetamine addict), you can stop by the GrandMax website — the Mini Tweaker will only run you $19.95, and you can check out some of their other awesome products while you’re there. I’d really like to get my hands on one of their MicroBeat wireless speakers to see how impressive they are. Considering what the Mini Tweaker can do, I’m betting the Microbeat is considerably better.
Thanks again, Barry and Reg!
