Review on Antec 73001 Bluetooth Speaker (Pink) by Rebecca Bright

This is a product I wanted to love. The concept, portability, and compact bell-shaped design that comes in several stylish colors all seemed like a no-brainer, especially for a company like Antec. However, audio quality is crucial and unfortunately Bluetooth audio doesn't allow for that. So I just think it's better than good. First, you need to charge the SP Zero using the included USB cable before using it. I did this from the front port of a Mac Pro and it took less than three hours. The red light flashes at the top of the front speaker grille while charging and turns off when fully charged. Incidentally, both the front and rear dot grilles look the same, but only the front has a working speaker and lights. On the top of the device are two rubberized volume buttons around a central on/off switch. I've connected my SP Zero to an iPad Mini, a 2012 Mac Pro, and an HP laptop. Although the instructions could be clearer, just turn on the device while holding the center button. The voice will activate after about 5 seconds to let you know it's on. Press and hold the button and release when you see a message that the device has entered pairing mode. Activate Bluetooth pairing mode on your device and they will be synced. Very easy. I love this easy sync. I like the weatherproof rubberized finish and solid build quality. The combination of black and red looks cool. The playback time at normal volume is about 6 hours, after which it needs to be charged. It comes with carabiners so you can hang it on objects. The controls are pretty simple. It is great that it can be used as a hands-free device. All is well. The problem is that the audio quality over Bluetooth is terrible. I might as well use laptop or iPad speakers. Even cheap dedicated desktop speakers outshine the SP. If these speakers are paired with a subwoofer, forget it. SP was overwhelmed. Audio over Bluetooth is tinny, flat and lacking in punch. Like a cardboard tube. Since using Bluetooth is what this speaker was designed for, I'm very unimpressed. Don't get them if you expect moderately good quality over Bluetooth. Having said that, I have to say that when connected via the AUX audio cable (included), the quality improves by 500%. The sound space opens up and the volume is greatly increased. Bass is impressively powerful, and sound is clear and detailed across the range, especially for a speaker of this size. I really enjoyed listening to music and audio for videos through this speaker. The monophony doesn't bother me at all as I don't expect audiophile quality. I am sure that the sound will be even better when connected to another device. But not via Bluetooth. ::sigh:: I may have missed a setting somewhere, but the three devices used for testing all paired successfully, but the sound quality was really sub-par. Turning the speaker off after pairing and turning it back on seemed to improve the quality a bit, but it's still dwarfed by its connection strength. The trick to maximizing the sound is to turn the speaker volume all the way up and then use the device to turn the volume down. I'd love to give the SP Zero 4 stars, but I feel like it could be a little over 3 given the limitations of Bluetooth audio and the asking price. If you want quality portable rechargeable speakers that plug into your device, there are cheaper and better options. court