Over the last couple of years, I’ve had an opportunity to play around with a number of different wireless speakers such as the Turtle Shell Wireless Boombox and the Eton Rukus Solar Boombox. Each of the speakers have their advantages and disadvantages. What is really nice and handy about this bēm model is that it’s simply “plug and play”. You literally just plug it into your electrical outlet, turn it on, and pair it to your Bluetooth device. Simple as that. On my first use, it took no longer than 20 seconds for the entire process to take place and get the music started.
The speaker unit is very compact, sleek, and very easy on the eyes. The sound quality for such a small boombox is also pretty impressive. I’ve been pairing the bēm Wireless Outlet Speaker to my wife’s iPhone 5 and even at max volume setting, we noticed no distortion of any sort at all. The clear sound quality was a bit surprising to me but keep in mind you won’t be getting big bass from such a small unit. One big positive thing about this system is that there are no wires for charging purposes since it plugs into an electrical outlet. To be honest, I’m sick and tired of all the wires I have in my apartment. Wires and cables for every gadget start to add up and creates a big tangled mess. The downside of the system is that it must be plugged into the electrical outlet at all times in order for it to work. There is no internal battery which keeps a charge so you can’t bring it along on a camping trip for some camp fire tunes.
I’ve read some online reviews and a few have complained about the limited range when it comes to Bluetooth connectivity. So far, I’ve had no issues and the company’s range of approximately 25 feet is a fairly accurate number in my experience. I walked about 22 paces before I started to notice a disruption. I live in a small one-bedroom apartment and I had no issues for the most part although walking around the corner with two walls between the phone and bēm did have a small impact and music would cut out momentarily.
In the box, you will also find a 3.5mm auxiliary cable should you decide to skip the Bluetooth connection and use cable instead. If that’s the case, the best spot for the bēm speaker would be the kitchen counter. On the bottom of the bēm Wireless Outlet Speaker, there is also a USB port for charging your phone or tablet (USB cable is not included with unit).
Overall, I’m very happy with the bēm Wireless Outlet Speaker and it’s a nice way to get some tunes in the kitchen or even hide it behind a sofa for some light background music while you have some company over. It also makes a fantastic travel companion for those hotel stays. This portable boombox is available at the bēm website for $99 or you can also head over to Amazon and purchase it for $94. The speaker is available in black or white. And if you were wondering, bēm is pronounced as ‘beam’.
