GOTY 2010 - Portable Speakers

We’ve already seen the top three headphones/earphones make a mark on our GOTY 2010 list. We’re going to continue with the music section with a list of three portable speakers for your laptop, mp3 player or even your computer. While they cannot match the 2.1 or 5.1 sound system you may have at home, these speakers are meant to provide you with some decent sound quality on-the-go.
Logitech N700 Lapdesk Speaker – Gadget of the Year

Performs more than expected

While we usually try to select devices that best fit in the category, it’s hard to omit something that does more than it’s expected to do. While most portable speakers just blast music, the Lapdesk stands out by throwing in a cooler fan and provides some cushioning below for your comfort. The fan reduces the heat generated from the laptop and is not too noisy. Also, working for long hours becomes easier thanks to the comfortable cushion below. Apart from this, the Lapdesk uses a single interface, the USB 2.0, to run the whole show! The speaker is priced a bit on the higher side at Rs. 4,495, but everything said and done, the N700 does its work and does it well.
**
X Mini Happy Portable Speaker – First runner up**

Encapsulation of sound

It looks like the Transformers have struck! If you thought that the N700 was the only speaker to double-up as something more, take a closer look at the X Mini. These small speakers come with an 8 GB card slot which lets you store and play your music and other multimedia files. For their size and capsule-like shape, the X Mini will not sound like a live opera, but can deliver very good sound. These speakers are priced at Rs. 3,990 but are awarded first runner up as they do produce some good sound.
**
F&D V620 Portable Speakers - Second Runner up
**

A heavy base that “lights” up?

If you’re not planning to splurge on portable speakers for your laptop, the F&D V620 offers great value. The size of the speakers could classify them as portable but the weight, thanks to the heavy base, is a let down. However, the base emits a cool blue light once you plug it into your laptop through the USB port. Also, the unnecessary wires that come bundled with the speakers might get you entangled but at a price of Rs. 885, these speakers are quite the steal.

There weren’t many portable speakers that came out this year, making it hard to choose worthy gadgets for the GOTY 2010 list. Nevertheless, these speakers are pretty ‘sound’ gadgets. Stay tuned for more GOTY features!

More from News & Analysis

What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?