Digital Lifestyle > All Reviews > Hardware > Audio > Speakers > Gear4 Xorb review: A compact wireless speaker for your iPhone or iPad

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 Gear4 Xorb review: A compact wireless speaker for your iPhone or iPad

Speaker (with optional wireless) for iPhone, iPad or other audio source

Cliff Joseph | iPad and iPhone User

Manufacturer: Gear4
Pros: Compact, affordable speaker system with separate sub-woofer
Cons: No dock for iOS devices, Bluetooth model costs £20 extra
Price: £69.99
We rate this 4 out of 5.Star rating:

Gear4 has been coming up with some interesting speaker designs just recently, and the Xorb speaker for iPhone, iPad or other audio source is another attractive addition to its product range.

The Gear4 Xorb’s distinctive spherical design looks quite neat, but it’s also very practical. The Xorb is large enough to house both stereo speakers and a separate sub-woofer, but compact enough to fit comfortably onto a shelf or desktop without taking up too much room.

There’s no dock for your iOS devices, though. Like many manufacturers, Gear4 has decided that the best way to deal with Apple’s new Lightning connector is to simply ignore it altogether and create a ‘universal’ speaker that will work with any type of audio device.

You’ve actually got two options with the Xorb. The basic model reviewed here costs £69.99 and has a conventional 3.5mm audio jack on the back so that you can connect your iPhone, iPad or any other audio source (and there’s an audio cable included in the box too). Or, for another £20, you can get a wireless model that includes Bluetooth as well.

The Xorb’s sound quality is very good for a speaker in this price range. It’s not the warmest or most textured sound we’ve ever heard but the higher frequencies are clear and detailed, and the sub-woofer does its job by providing a good, solid bass sound. There’s a volume control on the back of the Xorb, and a separate bass control so that you can tweak the bass for different types of music.

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