V-Moda raises its game with bluetooth wireless speakers

When a new product from V-Moda arrives, I can’t wait to open it, just as I would a holiday or birthday gift, because I know there is a cutting-edge audio product tucked inside.

After testing the hot-off-the-press Remix wireless Hi-Fi speaker ($300), the excitement was evident.

The Remix is V-Moda’s first venture into bluetooth speakers, and the sound that flows out is nothing short of superb – whether you enjoy music at a comfortable volume or like to punch it up to concert level.

The Remix’s solid construction coupled with its compact size makes it a perfect travel companion. Sound projects smoothly through its front-facing grill, mixing perfectly with a rear-mounted bass reflex port. According the V-Moda, the sound is “powered by a newly designed glass-fiber diaphragm and long coil drivers.”

Typical for V-Moda, it emphasized the design, look and features in venturing into bluetooth speakers. My test unit was designed with CNC aluminum; an optional vegan leather finish also is available.

When it comes to customization, the Remix is unique. V-Moda touts the world’s first 3D-printed custom speaker, so all six sides can be personalized. According to Val Kolton, the V-Moda founder and CEO, materials include “lightweight matte fiber to raw, gold-plated or precious metals, including 14-karat rose gold and even platinum.”

The VMAP port takes the Remix to a new level for wireless speakers, transforming it into a headphone amplifier. Plug and play to give your headphones a boost of power and sound.

Connect an audio device to the aux-in port with the included cable, turn the speaker on, connect your headphones to the VAMP port and hit the multifunction button to get everything going. You’ll be amazed at the sound.

You can connect two Bluetooth sources and also use an unlimited number of Remix speakers simultaneously. Just daisy chain them with 3.5-millimeter audio cables.

Controls for power, volume and pairing are well placed on the top; the back has a USB-C charging port (a 5.6-foot charging cable is included), an auxiliary port and a VMAP/auxiliary out port.

It has an internal rechargeable battery that is good for more than 10 hours of tunes and a built-in microphone for hands-free calls.

The speaker also works with Amazon’s Alexa via the Echo Dot (wirelessly or wired) and is compatible with Google Chromecast Audio.

More: v-moda.com/remix

PORTABLE KEYBOARD

If there’s a keyboard that’s more compact, portable and useful than the Kanex MultiSync Foldable Travel Keyboard ($49.95), I haven’t seen it.

With the Kanex keyboard, you can sync up to four devices to the keyboard at once with Bluetooth 3.0 and toggle between the four with the push of a button.

It’s built with durable construction and folds shut to cut the size in half when not in use.

As for typing, it’s a perfect ergonomic keyboard in a V-shaped layout. An LED alerts you when it’s time to charge the internal battery and also shows when you’re connected to a device.

You can sync the keyboard with devices using these operating systems: Apple iOS 7, Mac OS 10, Android 4.0 and Windows XP/7/8/10.

More: kanex.com

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 12:05 PM with the headline "V-Moda raises its game with bluetooth wireless speakers."