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With an ever-increasing number of tiny $50 wireless Bluetooth speakers arriving in our offices for review, the first thing I ask when I get a new one is what distinguishes it from the rest of the pack?
When it comes to the Bluetune Solo from Shenzhen, China-based Divoom, a couple of attractive design traits, decent sound for its size, and built-in speakerphone capabilities, plus an audio output, make it worth considering if you're shopping for this type of speaker.
The first thing you notice about the Solo is that it's got a little bit of weight to it. At 8 ounces, it's not heavy, but there's some substance here, which makes it seem like less of a toy speaker.
Not much bigger than a can of Red Bull sliced in half, the speaker comes in a few different colors and has a nice texture, along with some blue lighting at its base. Some people will like that lighting and some could do without it.
The Divoom Bluetune Solo is slightly larger than a Red Bull can split in half.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)There are no volume buttons on the speaker. Nor are there pause, play, or skip track forward/back buttons. Everything has to be controlled from your Bluetooth-enabled device, most likely a smartphone or tablet. A power switch can be found on the bottom of the speaker.
As far as extra features go, as I said, the Solo has an integrated microphone and can be used as a speakerphone. It works pretty well as long as you remain pretty close to the speaker when talking.
The Micro-USB port does double duty as a charging port for the integrated rechargeable battery (battery life is rated at 8 hours, which is decent though not fantastic) and an audio input (cable included).
The speaker also features an audio output, which means you can string a few of these together and augment the sound or just connect the Solo to a larger home audio system, turning the speaker into a Bluetooth receiver (translation: you'd be able to wirelessly transmit sound to your stereo from abut 30 feet away).
