I recently grabbed the Vers 1Q Sound System to replace my excellent Sound Freaq SoundKick. I like the SoundKick, but the size is not so great in terms of portability. I’ve been using it for about a week now, and I’m surprised at how perfectly it meets all my needs for a portable speaker.
The 1Q is a small cube, but the sound betrays its size. It’s nearly as loud as the larger SoundKick. I have no problem overcoming the noise of the shower to listen to a podcast. I’m no audiophile, but the quality of the sound is also excellent. As you might expect, it lacks a lot of bass response, but it does an admirable job of creating a full, substantial sound.
The size of the speaker is its best asset, for my money. It’s a 3″ cube making it an easy inclusion in my gadget bag. With the SoundKick, I found myself trying to guess whether or not I would need the speaker before packing it in the morning. Now, the 1Q is in the bag at all times.
Despite the wood construction, the speaker has a light feel while still feeling solid. I have far fewer fears about the build quality of the 1Q than about the plastic speakers I have used in the past.
Before buying, I had worries about the driver being exposed. The 1Q comes with a cloth bag which provides a little protection (not much), but the portion of the speaker which looks like the surround around the driver is actually a piece of hard plastic. The actual surround is set inside that and is made of rubber which means it will be much more robust than a speaker with an exposed foam surround. It is not flush with the hard plastic meaning an object pressed against that side of the speaker will never make contact with the surround.
The speaker is wonderfully austere. It has a single button serving double-duty as power and pairing. It has two ports which facilitate chaining two of the speakers into a stereo speaker system. The final port is a mini USB port for charging. The lack of volume controls or auxiliary audio input on the speaker means you lose a bit of flexibility over competitors, but it’s worth it for making the speaker easier to use.
Speaking of charging, I’m amazed so far at the battery performance of the speaker. I have used the speaker pretty heavily in this first week and have not yet needed to charge. My other speakers have needed charging much more frequently. I’m anxious to see how long it will go, but I’m already very impressed.
The pricing is fair, but shipping from the manufacturer seems a bit steep — especially for an Amazon Prime devotee. Even at a few dollars more than the cheapest option, the 1Q is a steal for marrying a tiny size with big sound in a solidly-built speaker