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Page 1
Introduction
Memorex's PurePlay portable speaker appears to be the most portable of the Memorex iPod/iPhone dock products. Typically, portability and sound quality are on different ends of the spectrum. The PurePlay manages to scoff at that idea and provide some really nice sound wrapped up in a tiny box. This little device can provide big value to that iPod that's lying around.
About Memorex
Packaging
The Memorex PurePlay portable speaker for iPod comes in a colorful glossy box. There are some different photos of the product and the official "Made for iPod/iPhone" logo on the front, rear, and top. The product description and exact contents of the box are written in English, Spanish, and French. The top of the box also features a potentially useful plastic handle.
Introduction
Memorex's PurePlay portable speaker appears to be the most portable of the Memorex iPod/iPhone dock products. Typically, portability and sound quality are on different ends of the spectrum. The PurePlay manages to scoff at that idea and provide some really nice sound wrapped up in a tiny box. This little device can provide big value to that iPod that's lying around.
About Memorex
Quote
Memorex is one of the most trusted and recognized consumer brands in modern marketing history. A portfolio brand of Imation Corp (NYSE: IMN), Memorex is the North American market-share leader in optical media and media accessories at retail and one of the best-known names in the consumer electronics industry. Memorex reaches into millions of homes with home audio and video products, MP3 players, digital picture frames, iPod® accessories and LCD televisions that are stylish and simple in form and function.
http://www.memorex.com/en-us/About-Memorex/
Packaging
The Memorex PurePlay portable speaker for iPod comes in a colorful glossy box. There are some different photos of the product and the official "Made for iPod/iPhone" logo on the front, rear, and top. The product description and exact contents of the box are written in English, Spanish, and French. The top of the box also features a potentially useful plastic handle.
Page 2
Specifications
Features
http://www.memorex.com/en-us/Portable-Electronics/iPod-Docking-Stations/PurePlay-Portable-Speaker/
Marketing Summary
Specifications
- Power Source
DC 5.9V Adapter (Center Positive) - Battery
4 x "AAA" size batteries - Speaker
2 x 4 ohms - Output Power
2 x 3 W - Weight
1 lb. - Dimensions
8.8 (L) x 3.4 (W) x 1.8 (H) inches
Features
- Powers and charges your iPod & iPhone devices with docking capability
- Slim portable speaker system with folding design
- Line-in jack to connect other digital audio devices
- Uses 4 "AAA" batteries (sold separately)
http://www.memorex.com/en-us/Portable-Electronics/iPod-Docking-Stations/PurePlay-Portable-Speaker/
Marketing Summary
Quote
Goes Wherever You Go
A compact, clutch-style speaker system, the PurePlay™ Portable Speaker packs a big sound in a small, easily portable design. Perfect for a picnic, poolside or indoors, slide it in your favorite bag knowing the speakers are well protected, and then simply unfold it to move and groove to your favorite tunes – all while charging your iPod® or iPhone®.
http://www.memorex.com/en-us/Portable-Electronics/iPod-Docking-Stations/PurePlay-Portable-Speaker/
Page 3
Packaging Contents
Using the PurePlay Portable Speaker
From initially opening the box of the PurePlay there were high expectations. The speaker itself feels very well made. It has a look and feel similar to a really expensive clamshell case for sunglasses and is relatively compact, lightweight, and durable. When opened up it sits flat with the speakers standing up. The dock is in the center of the lower half with different controls on either side. The buttons to the left include repeat, shuffle, line in, rewind, play/pause, and fast forward. On the right there's the power button and volume control dial. The line in jack and AC adapter ports are located on the right side. Underneath the PurePlay is the battery door where 4 AAA batteries can be inserted if desired.
The PurePlay works with all iPod and iPhone models. If using an iPhone, the appropriate universal dock plates will have to be inserted into the dock to get the right fit. Docking an iPod/iPhone is were the nuances begin. The PurePlay must initially be turned off before the device is docked. Once the device is placed into the dock, the PurePlay can then be powered on. If the PurePlay is turned on before the device is docked, the controls will function but the speaker won't work. As long as the correct procedure is followed the device will be Paused once the PurePlay is turned on. The PurePlay should then function as intended. Additionally, when the PurePlay is used on AC power, it will continue to charge the iPod/iPhone while it's in use.
All of the left side functions work without any hitches. One special function worth mentioning is the line in function. Essentially, any device with a headphone jack can be plugged into the line in jack on the right side using the appropriate cable. This is great for using the PurePlay with other cell phones or MP3 players. These devices will sound just as good as an iPod/iPhone, but won't be able to take advantage of the controls on the PurePlay. Though all of these controls work well, the addition of some navigation controls would have been nice. It's difficult to navigate an iPod that isn't an iPod touch when it's in the upright position.
The volume control dial has a good feel to it, but can be problematic. Sometimes it doesn't react right away which can lead to some sudden drastic volume changes. It also makes it a bit difficult to make slight volume changes. Perhaps the addition of haptic "clicks" in the volume dial might have solved these minor issues.
Testing sound devices is extremely subjective since everyone's taste and listening ability varies. To make the testing more objective we listened to media ripped at the same CD level of quality. We also listened to a variety of different music to get examples of accentuated sounds from the low, mid, and high ranges. Overall, the PurePlay performed very well given it's size. All sounds remained clear up to about 75% full volume. After that point, sounds became a bit distorted but were not terrible. The distorted quality became more noticeable the closer the listener was to the PurePlay. So, if the device were sitting on a listener's desk, they probably wouldn't want to crank it. On the other hand, if it were sitting relatively high on a shelf across the room, it may not be noticeable. High and mid range sounds remained consistently good. Unfortunately, bass becomes a bit drowned out at higher volumes. Given the devices size, this is to be expected. If cranking bass-heavy music was the plan, this might not be an adequate solution.
Conclusion
Despite a few nuances, the Memorex PurePlay portable speaker is a great product we can happily recommend. It can bring all of your music to the kitchen, bathroom, home gym, or the beach. It refuses to exaggerate the natural trade off of sound quality for portability and does it with lightweight durability. I've had an iPod Photo for years and never used it. With the PurePlay speaker on my desk at work, a breath of new life has been given to a device that would be otherwise collecting dust in a drawer. The PurePlay retails for $69.99 (url=http://link.aseadnet.com/link/e/eF4tjL0OwiAUhV_F8AAF2jp4mTQmRgcXp44Ub2JTEAI0VI3vLhin85NzPgUbeEcQQBcqfyr_qqmcQIhStkBjqqktoSvLYOqm3wK9p_SBsZxzo6x6uUejnWW4omZunG4ust31dGF7zns_HM_HoR4Lb87VdAVm0bqAK.FLQG.Uk3gXkhoNkuhRzRio.HwBkFkzLw--/k/847f103b6296fae3affce67590c7cd5009a6/]Amazon Link[/url]) and it's worth it.
ASE Publishing would like to thank Memorex for making this review possible.
Packaging Contents
- PurePlay Portable Speaker
- AC Adapter
- Quick Start Guide
Using the PurePlay Portable Speaker
From initially opening the box of the PurePlay there were high expectations. The speaker itself feels very well made. It has a look and feel similar to a really expensive clamshell case for sunglasses and is relatively compact, lightweight, and durable. When opened up it sits flat with the speakers standing up. The dock is in the center of the lower half with different controls on either side. The buttons to the left include repeat, shuffle, line in, rewind, play/pause, and fast forward. On the right there's the power button and volume control dial. The line in jack and AC adapter ports are located on the right side. Underneath the PurePlay is the battery door where 4 AAA batteries can be inserted if desired.
The PurePlay works with all iPod and iPhone models. If using an iPhone, the appropriate universal dock plates will have to be inserted into the dock to get the right fit. Docking an iPod/iPhone is were the nuances begin. The PurePlay must initially be turned off before the device is docked. Once the device is placed into the dock, the PurePlay can then be powered on. If the PurePlay is turned on before the device is docked, the controls will function but the speaker won't work. As long as the correct procedure is followed the device will be Paused once the PurePlay is turned on. The PurePlay should then function as intended. Additionally, when the PurePlay is used on AC power, it will continue to charge the iPod/iPhone while it's in use.
All of the left side functions work without any hitches. One special function worth mentioning is the line in function. Essentially, any device with a headphone jack can be plugged into the line in jack on the right side using the appropriate cable. This is great for using the PurePlay with other cell phones or MP3 players. These devices will sound just as good as an iPod/iPhone, but won't be able to take advantage of the controls on the PurePlay. Though all of these controls work well, the addition of some navigation controls would have been nice. It's difficult to navigate an iPod that isn't an iPod touch when it's in the upright position.
The volume control dial has a good feel to it, but can be problematic. Sometimes it doesn't react right away which can lead to some sudden drastic volume changes. It also makes it a bit difficult to make slight volume changes. Perhaps the addition of haptic "clicks" in the volume dial might have solved these minor issues.
Testing sound devices is extremely subjective since everyone's taste and listening ability varies. To make the testing more objective we listened to media ripped at the same CD level of quality. We also listened to a variety of different music to get examples of accentuated sounds from the low, mid, and high ranges. Overall, the PurePlay performed very well given it's size. All sounds remained clear up to about 75% full volume. After that point, sounds became a bit distorted but were not terrible. The distorted quality became more noticeable the closer the listener was to the PurePlay. So, if the device were sitting on a listener's desk, they probably wouldn't want to crank it. On the other hand, if it were sitting relatively high on a shelf across the room, it may not be noticeable. High and mid range sounds remained consistently good. Unfortunately, bass becomes a bit drowned out at higher volumes. Given the devices size, this is to be expected. If cranking bass-heavy music was the plan, this might not be an adequate solution.
Conclusion
Despite a few nuances, the Memorex PurePlay portable speaker is a great product we can happily recommend. It can bring all of your music to the kitchen, bathroom, home gym, or the beach. It refuses to exaggerate the natural trade off of sound quality for portability and does it with lightweight durability. I've had an iPod Photo for years and never used it. With the PurePlay speaker on my desk at work, a breath of new life has been given to a device that would be otherwise collecting dust in a drawer. The PurePlay retails for $69.99 (url=http://link.aseadnet.com/link/e/eF4tjL0OwiAUhV_F8AAF2jp4mTQmRgcXp44Ub2JTEAI0VI3vLhin85NzPgUbeEcQQBcqfyr_qqmcQIhStkBjqqktoSvLYOqm3wK9p_SBsZxzo6x6uUejnWW4omZunG4ust31dGF7zns_HM_HoR4Lb87VdAVm0bqAK.FLQG.Uk3gXkhoNkuhRzRio.HwBkFkzLw--/k/847f103b6296fae3affce67590c7cd5009a6/]Amazon Link[/url]) and it's worth it.
ASE Publishing would like to thank Memorex for making this review possible.