Face it, there’s a ton of portable and wireless speaker options out there. And, with prices ranging from $40-$400 it’s easy to find something that fits your budget. But, as you’ve likely heard elsewhere or in other aspects of life, there’s something to be said about splurging just a bit. Conversely, sometimes you don’t have to spend more money to get great sound. Such is the case with the NYNE Bass, a $150 speaker that delivers tremendous value.
The NYNE Bass comes in a big, heavy box and feels like you may not end up with something exactly “portable”. Pulling out of the box, however, you’ll find it’s got a great design with a handle right where you expect it to be – hidden away yet entirely obvious. Also in the box is a 3.5mm auxiliary cord with gold plated tips, the charging cable (with interchangeable global adapters), and the instructions.
- Form factor – High Quality Rubberized Finish Cabinet
- Connectivity – Wireless Bluetooth Enabled and 3.5mm Aux-in
- Wireless Range – 33 feet or 10 meters
- Sound – 2.1 System With Two Active Drivers + an active Subwoofer With 35 Watts RMS
- Power – 4400 mA Rechargeable Battery with 10 hrs. of Playtime
- Functionality – Hands-free calling, One Touch Personal Phone Assistance Activation
- Conveniences – Hidden Carrying Handle For Easy Transportation, NFC Touch And Connect Technology, Power Bank for Charging Your Phone, Integrated Microphone For Hands-Free Calling
- Accessories – Universal AC Adapter With 4 Interchangeable World Wide Plugs, 3.5mm Aux-in Cable, USB Charging Cable, Quick User Guide, Warranty Card
- Size – 13.5″ x 7″ x 6.25″ (W x D x H)
- Weight – 6.65lb
Boiling things down, the NYNE Bass is a Bluetooth 4.0 speaker that delivers up to ten hours of music playback. The entire unit is decked in a soft white (grey accents) color that classes up pretty much any room. The futuristic design is all curves and angles and gives off the impression that it might cost twice as much. Suffice it to say, it’s a looker. Also available in black with silver accents.
If there’s any gripe about the design at all, it’s that the white (naturally) picks up dirt. While this doesn’t matter much in the home or office, we found we had to wipe it down when it went with us out to do yard work. There’s something in that coating that likes to grab dirt. On the plus side, it cleans up really easy.
Across the top of the speaker are your standard buttons – power, volume, play/pause, next, and back. Right in the middle, however, is the button for taking and receiving calls. This was a welcome sight as all speakers have this option, even at the $100 price range. Nevertheless, we put that button to good use in the office and on the back deck.
Around back, the NYNE Bass features the power port, a USB charging port, on/off switch, battery indicator, and auxiliary input. If you’re not using a Bluetooth device or want to keep things close, go with the 3.5mm input. We loved that we could charge our phone up while powering the speaker and think you will, too. Look to the side of the speaker and you’ll find NFC connectivity, something else that comes in handy. Don’t want to disconnect or mess with Bluetooth settings? Simply tap your phone to the speaker and let the pairing commence. Speaking of which, the NYNE Bass hops right into pairing mode when you power up.
Given its namesake, we might expect deep, rich sounds out of the Bass. We got that, to be sure, but there’s much more going on. Time and again we experienced a rich, clear sound that hit the highs just as nicely. Podcasts, classical music, acoustic stuff, you name it. Everything we played sounded great. Our first uses of the speaker were in the back yard as we did the spring cleaning and weed pulling. We were able to work in all areas of the yard without turning volume up or adjust the speaker. You would not think it by looking at the Bass but the sound seems to emanate from the sides as well as the front.
We tried to push the sound as much as possible, playing electronic music, rock, and hip hop loudly. Did it eventually distort or sound muddied? Sure, but the volume level was far higher than we’d listen to anyhow. We could get this louder than we felt comfortable before noticing whistles or cluttered sound. Chances are you won’t play this thing that loud too often, if at all. Keeping things in perspective and playing at an adequate level, we were able to pull in 7-10 hours of playback per charge.
While the NYNE Bass is not rugged or as small as a Braven speaker, we’d certainly recommend more often for general users. If you’re not looking for something to take to the beach or expect to maybe get wet, this is one you’ll want to consider. We’ve taken this out on the deck a number of times to entertain guests, listen to radio, or take in some podcasts. Each time we’ve done so, we’ve had someone ask the name of it and how much it cost. Many are surprised when they learn it falls well under $200. It’s big, solidly built, and worth every penny.
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