A relatively new player in the mini speaker market, bēm has several offerings. The one I was sent to review today is the bēm Mobile Speaker ($69.99), a single cube about 2.75 inches to each side. It is sheathed in a rubberized housing to protect it from bumps and drops. It feels good in your hand as well.
It hooks up to just about any Bluetooth-compatible device such as the iPhone, iPad, tablet or any smartphone. It has both an auxiliary input and output, so it will hook up to non-Bluetooth devices also.
One nice feature is that it will act as a bridge and allow you to hook up to non-Bluetooth speakers from a Bluetooth broadcaster. I tried it, and it worked great, which can give you a little more speaker power if you need it.
Speaking of more speaker power, bēm offers a set of three of these speakers on a charging plate. When separated, the speakers can be positioned in different rooms to spread your tunes around for $299.99. I noticed that bēm has another small speaker that plugs into a wall outlet, which could be quite convenient in certain circumstances. It costs $909.99.
The single bēm unit is listed at $69.99, but you can find it for cheaper if you look on Amazon. I’ve seen it for as little as $47.99. It comes in a range of colors including black, lime, red, orange, white, and purple.
In the box you get a small manual, a mini USB cord, but no AC charger, and a double male 3.5 mm cable. I haven’t seen anyone use a mini USB cable in awhile.
When I connected it to several different devices, it hooked right up without any hesitation, which always pleases me. It takes about two hours to charge completely and gives you about 10 hours of play time.
There is a power switch on the bottom, and a volume, forward, and pause button on the front embedded in the rubberized skin. On the back side, you will find in and out auxiliary 3.5mm jacks, the micro charging input, and an indicator light.
I thought the sound was more than acceptable for such a small speaker. It certainly doesn’t drive you out of the room, but it’s fine for normal listening with satisfyingly rich tones. Now that spring is here, I am enjoying listening to it in the garden.
