Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Zebronics Igloo 2.0 usb speakers review


As usual the listening was done in the equilateral triange listening position  ; 2 foot away from each speaker.
The price - Rs.300
The quoted frequency response - 250Hz to 20Khz
One reason why I decided to try these was because of the frequency response (FR). Considering the miniscule size , the quoted FR seemed to be honest , that is,  'not trying to add more bass than it can handle'. 
USB powered with a 3.5 mm jack to be connected to your laptops headphone jack.

TESTING AND IMPRESSIONS:
This is one of the better speakers in the price range and size. Having a single driver suggests at good imaging capabilities and it does image in a fun way though not accurate or pin point. The imaging is  surprisingly wide with some sources.
One thing that should not be expected from such small speakers is loudness. Cranking the volume up can damage these things very quickly.  And at this price point , accurate reproduction of tonality is not to be expected.

With certain music with strong bass and low mid content , the igloo distorts and struggles with the tonality.
They don't seem to do much to tame the high frequency harshness if the song has it ,  which to me was a particularly good thing because I bought them for cross referencing mixes on. 
That said , the sound is relatively clear and well worth the price.

Build Quality? - I've used them sparingly for about a year now and they still work as good. Which is surprising , after reading about some feedbacks from the internet stating these units died in a week or so. Not the case with mine! But these are definitely not made to be tough. They are small and fragile so use with care.

To sum up :
Pros:
Clear sound, very cheap. 

Cons:
 weak in bass , best at low volumes.

4/5