Usage and Testing

 

So before I did anything I charged the YA-BS300, this is done over a standard USB connection. The cable uses USB but the end that goes into the speaker is a proprietary barrel style connection, so if you misplace the cable you won’t be able to charge it ever again. I’ve said it many times, and well I just can’t figure out why companies use these proprietary connection for their devices, what’s wrong with just microUSB or even miniUSB?  So anyway, while charging there is a red LED on the speaker to let you know it’s doing something. When it’s done charging the LED will turn green.

The speaker just rests on the stand essentially. It’s not held in place by anything except gravity, so it’s not what I would call secure but then again it is just going to be sitting there.

The stand works, but it could be better, it could attach to the speaker somehow to make it more stable.

Here’s the stand attached the speaker, when you need it you can just unclip it. Yes you have to unclip it as the cable just isn’t long enough to use while attached.

 

To test it out I used it with three of my devices, the PlayStation Vita for just Bluetooth with games and movies, the HTC Titan Windows Phone for Bluetooth with calls and music and then with my ZuneHD for the direct connection.

No problems at all connecting it with my Vita, I like to use my Vita but at times it’s not exactly loud enough I think. The speaker worked fine with the Vita, but it was only about as loud as the Vita itself.

Next I tried my HTC Titan and it connected with no issues here either. I used it as a speakerphone and found I could make calls the phone button worked as it should. I could answer and end calls and even redial with it. I also used the Samsung speaker for music on the phone and I found it could control the phone as in I could play and pause and go forward and backward with the tracks. I was a bit surprised as I haven’t found really many devices that work as they should with Windows Phone. Calls were fine, the speakers are clear and I could understand the people I was talking to and they said they could hear me just fine.

The specs list the Bluetooth range at 32 feet, I didn’t exactly test that, but I can say it works fine across the room. I don’t see why you would be 32 feet from your speaker really?! A Bluetooth headset maybe you might be that far from your phone, but why would you have the sound source that far from the device?

I mentioned earlier about the DNSe button that button has three sound modes and just the standard so I guess there’s found modes really. There’s Standard mode which is just the speakers, then there’s 3D Sound Mode which is simulated surround sound. The next mode is Bass Boost Mode and it’s just what it sounds like, it boosts the bass of the sound. The last mode is a combination mode of 3D and Bass Boost. I turned all the modes and there is a difference between them, I found I liked the 3D mode specifically for gaming and movies while I liked the Bass Boost more for music.

The last device I tried was my ZuneHD and I should note that the DNSe modes don’t work with line-in, they only work with Bluetooth connections. Connecting it via line-in is very simple, just plug it in and you’re done. None of the controls worked, but then again I didn’t expect them to either. As far as sound it was very good and very clear.

 

As a side note, the speaker is very well made but I think it would have been nice if they included a case with it.

As far as battery life, yeah I got four hours out of it before I had to recharge it, so that works. Four hours might not seem like much but I think it’s fine as I don’t see using it more than that straight without being near a USB port.