LINX B-Tube,Portable A2DP Bluetooth + MP3 Speaker System -Silver
Product Description
This stylish innovative hands free B-TUBE sound system is designed to use the latest Bluetooth 2.0 technology and enables users to transfer A2DP stereo music from a mobile phone, computer and MP3 player wirelessly and effortlessly up to a range of 10 meters! The internal built in microphone also enables users to make and receive calls from any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone providing users with easy hands free conversations without being glued to a phone!. Ideal for impromptu conference calls! The Linx B-TUBE is feature-packed and provides a musical experience that will compliment any modern living and work space with its high quality aluminum construction. Banish those unsightly wires; sharpen up your interior design and save valuable living and work space at the same time. Thanks to its small footnote, the Linx B-TUBE can be tucked way when not in use saving on valuable desk or home space. Cable management headaches will soon be a distant memory! The Linx B-TUBE has been designed with unbeatable ease-of-use in mind but also with fantastic sound quality to boot. The Linx B-TUBE-sound system packs in the latest technology to deliver great volume, ease of use and above all a great hands free sound experience. Powered by a rechargeable li-ion rechargeable battery the Linx B-TUBE offers more than 6 hours of play time and can be easily powered by the AC adapter that comes as standard.
LINX B-Tube,Portable A2DP Bluetooth + MP3 Speaker System -Silver
As it happens, I bought some Chill Pill Compact Portable iPod & iPhone Speakers about a month ago, so I was sceptical when Amazon Vine offered to send me one of these units too. But after a week of use I have fallen in love with it.
First, the sound quality. It’s very good, making the best use of the size and build of the unit to give as full a sound as I have heard from small speakers. I paired it up with my Nokia E71 phone and have been playing a range of music through it, all without complaint from my room-mate. The volume control is the right-hand end of the tube and is a bit fiddly to use, especially on the supplied plastic “stand”. Also, I found that pressing the control (left-hand end of the tube) to pause or play music involves too much thought and co-ordination. An actual button on the top would be better.
The stand isn’t anything special; just a plastic rectangle with dents. I think they should have designed the tube with a flat side instead. The unit came with a 3.5mm jack-to-jack lead for line-in, but I’ve not used it yet as all my music goes via Bluetooth.
As a speaker-phone, the unit is excellent. The sound quality is brilliant and I’ve been using it regularly for calls with no complaints from callers about “being in a tin box” like I get from using the phone in hands-free. The unit doesn’t pair properly with the E71 so I can’t accept or drop calls by pressing the control on the tube, but using the phone controls isn’t too much of a price to pay.
The unit charges from USB but actually has a Nokia-style power connector on the tube itself so comes with an adapter cord. I’ve been charging it using my Nokia charger too. One full charge lasts me well over a day of intermittent use, usually more. The unit comes with a 100-240v UK-plug wall-wart charger with a female USB connector on it, so the same adapter cord is also needed to charge from the mains. There’s no pocket on the velvet finish carry sleeve for the adapter cord, so it, the stand and the charger rattle around in my travel bag.
Bluetooth pairing was pretty easy. The instructions are a bit skimpy but I worked it our before reading them. The only thing I had to look up was the PIN code – 1234 rather than the usual 0000.
Bottom line: Far better than I expected. I’ll be carrying it everywhere. Anyone want my Chill Pills?
Rating: 5 / 5
First the good points:
Very well made: sturdy & no sharpe points.
Smart brushed silver coloured finish.
Compact & lightweight speaker size – very transportable.
Excellent bluetooth – pairs quickly & easily with my Sony Eric mobile, my wife’s Nokia & our son’s Samsung mp3 player. Doesn’t ‘drop’ the sound if close enough to devise & doesn’t have to be that close.
Sound is good – clear & goes quite loud (not disco levels but well above normal talking volumes)
Connectivity is via bluetooth or line in cable (supplied)
Comes complete with pouch, mains and USB charger.
Bad points:
Not much base – hardly surprising given the small size of the speaker.
And that’s it. Great product, easy to use and does EXACTLY what it should do easily & with some style.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
I ordered this product not least of all for the price. It arrived quickly and as soon as it was charged I paired it with my phone (Samsung U900 – soul) and the sound quality is excellent. Only 4 watts but sounds more like 10!
The clarity of sound is excellent and the unit looks really cool on my desk. Now I can’t wait for my next trip to show it off in public!
Great product, I would recommend this to ANYONE! You won’t be disappointed!
Kaya
Rating: 5 / 5
Very clever product, but the Bluetooth connection can be a little unstable and the product is easily switched on in transit as there is no “lock” mode.
Rating: 4 / 5
How I’ve lived without something like this, I honestly don’t know! The B-Tube is a cable-free set of speakers for MP3 players that can connect via BlueTooth – though it also comes with a 3mm jack so you can use it as a wired set of speakers too. I tested the B-Tube with an iPod Touch.
The B-Tube is about 7 inches long and has a chrome-finish. It’s very lightweight so you can easily transport it. The ends of the tube are the speakers and they double as controls – one end is the on/off/pairing button and the other end twists as a volume control. Once charged via USB or a handy USB-3-pin-plug adaptor, you simply mount the B-Tube on it’s tiny plastic stand to stop it rolling off of the table and then hold down the button on the end to switch it on. Once you’ve done this, you hold the button down again for 6 seconds until an LED at the other end of the tube flashes red-blue to indicate that the Bluetooth is switched on. The instructions advise you to hold your Bluetooth-enabled device (iPod Touch in this case) within 30cm but I found the range to be much higher. Once you’ve found the B-Tube on your device, you “pair” it using the default PIN of 1234. You can then play music on your device and the sound comes out of the B-Tube speakers! Simple! The sound quality is superb and I’ve tested it with a variety of genres from death-metal to classic and everything in between and I had no “topping” or crackling whatsoever even on the highest volume.
This is the perfect device for moving around the house (e.g. when doing housework) to play music from your MP3 player. It would also be great for parties or for use in hotel rooms when travelling.
Great value and excellent sound quality!
Rating: 5 / 5