Another Bluetooth speaker rolling around the office here, this time one of the more smaller forms. Typically when they get to the smaller sizes, we don’t really know what we are walking into. Our expectations aren’t set as high because we know it’s either going to be mediocre, or one of the rare breeds that takes us by surprise. The issue is quality due to the compensation you have to make to get everything that small, and if company is willing to make it–or cut corners like the XBOOM Minis that sounded ok but kept falling apart and eventually damaging their cone or seal (the concept was nice, but…).
Edifier’s MP200 Speaker, is about as small as a good speaker comes (keyword: good), featuring a square design that is about 2.5″ on each side. It is pretty much exactly the size of the XBOOM speakers, only this one isn’t going to fall apart. In fact, due to the pure weight of it alone, you can tell they placed a bit of attention to what counts.
If features a simple yet fun design that is similar to the speakers you find coming from companies like Logitech. You have a grill at front and back (plastic) that is either a light or mid-tone gray, depending on the color of model you get. The rest of the speaker is surrounded by a rubber silicone that not only protects the speaker from bumps and scrapes, but offers the most comfortably smooth texture. One of the bottom-back corners offers a connection point where a nice lanyard is attached, making it easy to hang it or clip it onto something like your backpack while traveling.
There are a total of five buttons, three on top and two on the side. The top buttons provide you with your play/pause (for controlling your music with), power (obviously to turn the speaker on and off by holding it down) and the answer button (for taking phone calls). On the side of the speaker you have your volume up and down buttons which also act as your track selection (previous/next) if you press and hold them for a few seconds.
The other side of the speaker contains a flap that can be pried open to review the micro-USB connection for charging the speaker with (cable is included) and a microSD slot for loading music directly instead of wireless (there is no 3.5mm (aux) input for a wired connection).
Thanks to the solid design and the flap to protect the inputs, the speaker does carry an IP54 rating, making it splash proof. This doesn’t mean you should jump in the water with it, but it should take a light rain or work perfectly set off to the side of the pool where it might take a splash from a cannon ball or two.
You don’t have NFC (near field communication), so you will have to manually connect it via your Bluetooth menu (oh darn)–but, it does connect smoothly and maintain a good distance of around 50ft or so.
What really matters is the sound, and this is where they shine. For how small this speaker is, it really know how to make itself present. It reminded us a lot like a smaller version of the Mini Boom (by Ultimate Ears), while doing a decent job of trying to fill its shoes (it’s also around half the price or better).
It has nice highs allowing for loud vocals and instruments while delivering a bass that makes you wonder how they packed all of that into such a small space. It hits pretty hard, allowing you to enjoy whatever it is that you enjoy listening to, and at a volume that means it will do just fine outside. It doesn’t provide full party volume, but it does well enough to make sure you know it’s doing its job well.
You have the option of 7 different colors to choose from: Yellow, Black, Blue, Green, Light Blue, Light Green and a milky White. As mentioned above, the grille seems to be the same color for the most part, just changing a shade possibly depending on the color of speaker you choose (silicone surround).
Inside the container it comes in, there is the USB to micro-USB cable for charging the speaker as well as some documentation that is available in multiple languages, and that is all.
Our Conclusion
A great little speaker at a decent price, offering both crisp highs and noticeable lows. Take it on a picnic or out to the pool or beach. Use it to fill in your room with something relaxing while you study or taking a peaceful hike in the nearby mountains. It’s small, allowing it to hang from a bag with ease and could easily take a bump or two without anything to worry about (including a little bit of water).
| Buy from Amazon | |
Our Rating | Average Price* $34.99 |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
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Specifications:
- POWER OUTPUT?RMS 5.5W
- NOISE LEVEL??30dB(A)?
- FREQUENCY RESPONSE?150Hz~14kHz
- INPUT SENSITIVITY?Bluetooth / USB audio streaming: 300 ± 50mFFS
- INPUT TYPE?microSD card / Bluetooth / USB audio streaming
- SPEAKER UNIT?2 inches (48mm)
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