The stylish Blue Tour 6U Bluetooth speaker ($48.41 on Amazon) from Technical Pro is a very affordable and great-sounding speaker. Its simple design and control layout is ideal for the broadcasting of whatever entertainment your iDevice can provide. Some Bluetooth speakers have a dearth of controls and are therefore more suited to the technically savvy user who can quickly adapt to motion sensors or nondescript spinning dials. Others have an abundance of switches, buttons, and ports, which again, may be better suited to a more technically savvy user. The Blue Tour Bluetooth speaker however, strikes an optimal balance between simplicity of design, ease of use, and quality of sound.
The Blue Tour is a cool-looking little device! It reminds me of a stereotypical UFO, with its oval-sphere design. It is a fine work of understated design and it would look great on most shelves, desks, countertops etc.
I will admit, based on its lower price, I was surprised to discover it packs quite a punch when it comes to sound levels and audio quality. It’s more than adequate for filling a small- to average-sized room with sound, and when the volume is cranked up you will definitely have to talk loudly to be heard over whatever happens to be playing.
Pros:
Rapid charging time. 2.5 hours. Lasts for 8 hours of usage;
Feels GREAT to the touch, with a velvety finish to the exterior shell;
Amazing sound, especially for such a portable and compact speaker;
Fits comfortably in the hand and includes a convenient carrying lanyard.
The speaker only has a power on/off button and two arrows, which control both volume and track position. Makes it a little too easy to skip a track when trying to adjust the volume on the speaker;
The control buttons are on the opposite side of the unit from the speaker driver. To get the clearest, fullest sound quality, you must flip the speaker over so the speaker-side is upright. This leaves the control buttons facing downward toward whatever surface it happens to be resting on.
All in all, I give this speaker high marks, with a respectable rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.
