Review: Tune Up Portable Speaker

October 26, 2009

By BENJAMIN ROMAN

The great outdoors can be a welcome escape from technology. But when it comes to music, I often like to bring a little gadgetry with me. The Tune Up ($149.95, www.gettunedupnow.com) is a portable mini-speaker that was just released. I had the chance to take one for a test drive last month.

The Tune Up is a dual-speaker unit with a swivel bracket that secures an iPod Touch or iPhone. A rechargeable, internal Li-ion battery powers the unit, and the manufacturer promises up to 20 hours of music on a single charge. A 3.5mm headphone-style plug connects virtually any music player to the speaker, and the included clamp can mount the Tune Up in a convenient spot — for example, bicycle handlebars or a boat railing. Other specialty adapter mounts are available.

Tune Up Portable Speaker.jpg

Tune Up Portable Speaker

The Tune Up measures 6.5 inches long and weighs about half a pound. The mounting clamp and swivel bracket are sturdily built, but the exposed speaker ports make the Tune Up vulnerable to rain or moisture.

Another gripe: Despite the universal 3.5mm connection plug, the bracket only fits an iPod Classic, iPod Touch or iPhone. Other players like my iPod Nano just sit loosely on top.

I hesitated using the Tune Up for serious cycling. Its size and the fact that the attached iPod is left exposed made the proposition feel iffy. But for more casual uses like camping or travel, the Tune Up is a good way to share your music.

Tune Up Portable Speaker photo.jpg

Tune Up Portable Speaker, bottom view

Sound quality is pretty decent for a mini-speaker, and it boasts magnetic shielding for distortion-free music. The minimalist bass won’t crack any windows, but I found the tone generally clear, and the Tune Up provided plenty of volume to fill an outdoor space like a campsite (up to 106 decibels, according to the manufacturer).

The bottom line: Although the Tune Up isn’t cheap and it lacks a universal iPod bracket or weatherproofing, its compact design and solid battery life make this portable speaker appropriate for travel and casual outdoor use.

—Contributor Benjamin Roman is a writer and design consultant from Venice, Calif.

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Commenting on post : Review: Tune Up Portable Speaker
Posted by Nick Behr - 10/26/2009 04:53 PM

For my taste, outside of a good DSLR camera, electronics over $75 and the great outdoors don’t mix well. I’ve been using a Radioshack clamshell style speaker system for years now. They run off of 3 AA batteries which generally last a couple of weekends of heavy usage. They are also pretty weather resistant and seem to perform well when covered in sand.

The sound quality is just that – sound, but they must make a fair amount of noise as our last outing solicited a complaint from a fellow hiker. We were probably 150 feet off the trail and listening to The Dead (not Anthrax). I guess some backpackers just enjoy their national forest quiet. Throw in a splitter and an extra set for large groups.

Can’t seem to find a direct link online, but they are in stores around Chicago for about $12.

Posted by Paul Richardson - 10/28/2009 01:27 PM

I actually bought one of these from the manufacturers website. Looking at it, I totally underestimated how good the sound quality was and the volume it made. I put it on my road bike, and it seems to be holding up pretty well. Plus I bought the optional windshield adapter, and a magnet adapter (both of which are not on the site, got a follow up email offering them… a lil annoying) and I put it on my filing cabinet in my office. Works great!

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