Logitech Mini Boombox Review

Beneath the friendly, rounded frame of the Logitech Mini Boombox lie some seriously mean speakers. This small Bluetooth speaker delivers surprisingly good bass, but not at the expense of higher tones. It also has a built-in mic so you can take calls from anywhere, great for an impromptu conference call.

Design

Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, the Logitech Mini Boombox has rounded edges that make it a lot more approachable than squared-off competitors such as the Spar Zephyr 300 and the Jawbone Jambox. Measuring 4.5 x 2.8 x 2.2 inches, the Mini Boombox is the same width as the Zephyr 300, but twice as thick. As a result, the 8.1-ounce speaker couldn't fit into our pocket, but we could easily slip it into a backpack or purse.

The front of the Mini Boombox is dominated by a black oval speaker grille with the Logitech logo at the bottom. The top, which holds touch-sensitive controls (volume, play/pause, previous and next track, and Pair/Phone) is a shiny black plastic that picks up fingerprints easily.

The rear of the speaker houses an On/Off switch, miniUSB port, and Aux-in jack.

Setup and Ease of Use

As with other Bluetooth speakers, we first made our phone discoverable, then held the Bluetooth pairing button on the Mini Boombox for 3 to 4 seconds. It took approximately 2 to 3 seconds more for the speaker to pair with our smartphone. After that, we were able to easily adjust the volume using either the controls on the speaker or through our phone or laptop.

While the red touch capacitive buttons on the Mini Boombox were fairly responsive, the experience would have been better if the buttons remained lit at all times. We found ourselves literally stabbing in the dark trying to find the buttons on the shiny black plastic. There were a few times when we pressed the wrong button just to get the controls to light up.

Audio Quality

For such a small speaker, the Logitech Mini Boombox brings the noise in a big way. While it's too small to pack a subwoofer, the device has an acoustic chamber that vents out the rear of the device, which makes a huge difference. In fact, the Boombox reverberates so much that the only thing that kept it from bouncing off our desk were the two strips of plastic located at the bottom. Bass junkies might find that mildly satisfying, while others might call it annoying.

Desk tremors aside, Ella Fitzgerald's voice came through clearly, and was complemented by a subtle bass on "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm." On more contemporary tracks such as "Moves Like Jagger" and "Harsh," sound was on the hollow side whether we were paired the Mini Boombox to a laptop or smartphone. The normally haunting, spacious "Summer Madness" sounded flat, but the speaker did a fair job reproducing the full spectrum of instruments. When we listened to the bass-heavy "Harsh," the lows had just a hint of distortion.

We had a better experience with the speakerphone, which provided loud, clear audio on both ends of our call. As with other Bluetooth devices, the Mini Boombox has a range of about 30 feet.

Battery Life

Logitech claims that the Mini Boombox's built-in rechargeable battery can last up to 10 hours. Users can recharge the battery using the USB port or a regular outlet.

Verdict

Small, shiny, and cute, the $99 Logitech Mini Boombox does a good job of delivering loud, clear audio for a speaker of its size. Audiophiles won't be overly impressed, and those looking for a more pocket-friendly option might want to check out the $99.99 Spar Zephyr 300. Overall, though, the Mini Boombox is a solid choice for business travelers or anyone who doesn't have a lot of desk space.