Stylish Portable Dice Shaped Speakers
Overall
Summary
I would recommend using the Arctic Sound Speakers because I get clear quality sound even when the volume is turned up to capacity. They are easy to connect to my laptop and I can clearly hear them even when I’m in another room.
Pros
The Speakers are surprisingly powerful. Clear sound even at high volumes. Portable and easy to carry around.
Cons
Needs a USB power connection. Cords are not easily managed.
Today we will be looking at the Arctic Sound portable USB speakers. These portable dice shaped speakers are stylish and pack more punch then I anticipated from such tiny speakers. Dimensions are 70 x 70 x 70 mm and weighing in at 494 grams so you can take these speakers anywhere, without it being much of a hassle.
PACKAGING AND EXTERIOR
The box the Arctic Sound USB speakers come in is no bigger than your typical cell phone box. The box is a couple of shades of gray with pictures of the speakers on all sides. On the box is also a picture of the Arctic C1 Mobile which is the solar adapter for the Arctic Sound USB speakers. There might be a review for that sometime in the future. The picture includes pictures of the front and rear of the speakers, so you can get a clear sense of what your buying before you open the box. Also included on the packaging are the dimensions, Frequency Response, Impedance, and cable type of the speakers, if you are the type of person who needs the technical specs before you purchase a product. The speakers were covered with a cardboard covering and each speaker was individually covered in plastic. The cords were also neatly bundled and bound together, also inside the box was the instructions on how to set the speakers up which is fairly self-explanatory. The instructions also explain that if you want to connect the Arctic Sounds to an MP3 player or to your phone you will need to purchase the Arctic C1 Mobile, which is a solar-charged adapter that will give you 10 house of run life. The cost of the adapter is $24.60 US and can be purchased at USBcharger.arctic-cooling.com (also stated in the directions).
INTERIOR
The speakers are a nice, stylish looking charcoal gray, with what looks like a one-inch woofer in the center of each one. On the control speaker, there is an input jack to connect the second speaker and a volume control switch. The 3.5mm jack and the USB connector both run from the control speaker, so out of the secondary speaker only has an input connection which connects to the control speaker, and from the control speaker, there is a 3.5mm jack that you connect to the headphone port on your computer and connect the USB connection for power. The setup was painless. Once I open the box it took a minute to set up and start utilizing the speakers.
TESTING
To test the Arctic Sound S111 USB speakers I used my Dell Latitude D620 laptop. I played MP3’s and streamed music from YouTube. I’m a big Hip Hop fan, so I used the songs that I knew packed a lot of bass. I was thoroughly impressed with the sound of the speakers, they were clear and not distorted. Once I cranked the volume all the way up you could hear some distortion but not as much as I expected. I used the speakers as I cleaned up around the house and could hear the music throughout the house without any problems. The volume control on the back is not too stiff and not too loose, you can adjust the volume with on finger you do not have to pick up the speaker to adjust the volume on the speakers. I was also able to put the speakers in my laptop bag and carry them around with me without noticing any difference in weight or size difference in my bag.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I will get some good use out of the Arctic Sound S111 USB speakers. They are stylish looking and quick and easy to set up and use. They are light compact and I can put them in my laptop bag without even noticing that they are there. The sound is clear even at higher volumes for extended periods of time. The only drawback with the Arctic Sound S111 is that the Arctic C1 didn’t come with the speakers I would have been an even better experience if I could use my iPod to place music without carrying my laptop around with me for power.