Ten One Design SoundClip: iPhone / iPod Accessory Review

Posted by Bill on June 27th, 2009 at 04:55pm Comments

iPhone/iPod Accessory Review: TenOne Design SoundClip
Reviewed by: Bill Henderson
SoundClip
Price: $8

When I first got my iPhone, I almost immediately noticed the lack of ‘presence’ in the sound. Because the speakers were on the bottom, the sound just kinda escaped and drifted off. But when I would cup my hand behind the speaker towards me, the sound dramatically improved. But after about 1-2 minutes, it became a pain.

That’s the idea behind the SoundClip. It’s a small (really small) piece of plastic that clips into the USB port on the bottom of the iPhone and has a spoon-shaped ‘cup’ that redirects the sound to the front, much like I did with my hand. Well, that’s the idea, anyway.

Unfortunately, the difference is not nearly as pronounced as using my hand. Keep in mind though that if the SoundClip was that big, it would be about the dorkiest iPhone accessory ever invented. But it isn’t. And here, size matters. This thing is so small, that I could barely hear the difference in sound volume. There was better bass and definition to what I heard, just not much of a volume difference. Also, the sound quality difference was more noticeable in a quiet environment, which begs the question, “If it’s that quiet, do you need it in the first place?” Well, you will get some better quality sound.

It also won’t work unless the iPhone is out of its case (if you use one). I use a case - all the time - and that bothered me. It will, however, clip itself to you charging cable when not in use, and thats a clever trick.

Ten One Design doesn’t make any claims that this will change your life. They stress that the sound quality is slightly improved. And they are right. If you want to improve the fidelity of your iPhone and you are really strapped for cash after paying for those ridiculous monthly cell phone plans, you can’t really go wrong with the SoundClip. Even if it doesn’t quite live up to your expectations, you’re only out $8. It’s almost worth that just for the novelty aspect alone.

SoundClip
$8

Score:
6/10

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