I'm crazy for portable Bluetooth speakers. They're practical, they're cute. They're the type of gadget that works in every room—especially in places where you normally wouldn't put a traditional sound system, like the kitchen, bathroom, basement, or back deck. Never mind the park, the beach, and the balcony at the HoJo.
As a result of my obsession, I have a great number of these speakers in my apartment (seven, by last count) and I'm always testing the new ones. This speaker, the Pocket Kick from Soundfreaq, has been my favorite new addition to the flock. It's small ("pocket" is probably a misnomer, but it is very tiny), it costs $100, and the sound quality it produces puts it at the head of the class of small speakers at this price.
The speaker it looks the most like, and the one with which curious friends will surely confuse it, is the Mini Jambox. They can be forgiven for calling it a Jambox—the word has become a generic trademark of the digital age—but the differences are notable. Yes, both speakers are about the same size, but where the Mini Jambox is a stylized brick of shiny metal, Soundfreaq's speaker box is a more traditional matte metal grille ringed with rubber and plastic. It's also about $30 cheaper than the Mini Jambox.
Most importantly, it sounds better too. I realize this isn't saying much, as the quality you get from these super-tiny wireless speakers is never stellar. But if your ears can detect common flaws like muddiness in the bass, harshness in the high frequencies, and distortion at higher volumes, then you'll be pleased with the Pocket Kick, which produces audio largely unplagued by these problems. Soundfreaq also makes great-sounding bigger speakers—the $150 Sound Platform 2 and the $130 Sound Step Lightning among them—so the fact that this little guy sounds excellent isn't a surprise.
