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Macworld
Australia Awards foxL PLATINUM "5 Mice out of 5" "Editor's Pick" Award by
Dave Bullard: “Enter the pimped-up Platinum edition...It now gets the full
five mice – and an Editor’s Pick to boot.”
By
Dave Bullard, Macworld Australia  
foxL V2.2
Bluetooth Platinum
24 July, 2012 by Macworld Australia Staff
foxL V2.2 Bluetooth Platinum
Sound & Image,
www.foxl.com.au
Pros Amazing sound; excellent build quality; 20-hour battery life;
AudioQuest Evergreen cable for audio purists
Cons Absolutely none
RRP $279
The original
foxL V2.2 Bluetooth is a speaker that has been engineered by a rocket
scientist – soundmatters founder Dr Godehard Guenther, who is a physicist
and former NASA engineer with three PhDs – to produce audiophile-quality
sound despite only being about the length of an adult hand.
When we reviewed it back in October 2011 we said the audio quality was
“nothing short of astounding for a unit measuring 14.3cm x 5.5cm x 3.5cm”.
“It’s a big, full sound,” we went on, “with a surprisingly wide frequency
response (80Hz-20kHz) and a decent soundfield that almost hides the source
of the music.
“It’s clear, smooth and, most importantly, engaging. Anyone who uses the
foxL just wants to keep playing their favourite tracks because it’s just
such … fun.”
We gave it four-and-a-half mice, only stopping short of giving it top marks
because of a low-level hum emitted when the Bluetooth circuit was turned on.
Enter the pimped-up Platinum edition, and we have no more reservations about
its abilities. It now gets the full five mice – and an Editor’s Pick to
boot.
This model is basically the same as the V2.2 Bluetooth, but is silver in
colour instead of black, has a 20-hour battery life instead of 12, and
includes an AudioQuest Evergreen audio cable for ‘ultimate fidelity’.
It also adds support for aptX Bluetooth – a technology which developer CSR
says delivers a wireless audio quality which is indistinguishable from
wired. This is good news for those using Macs running OS X 10.6.5 or later,
but as yet no iOS devices or iPods support it.
Mind you, having said that, with the foxL we got a fuller Bluetooth sound
with less interference when using our iPhone as the source than when using
our aptX- enabled MacBook Pro. Go figure.
But speaking about a full sound, if you want the ultimate audio experience
from a unit of this size then hook up the AudioQuest cable, sit back and be
amazed.
Not only does everything we said about the V2.2 above still stand, but the
dynamics are even better than before, and the amount of bass (down to 80Hz)
is almost unbelievable, especially if the unit is placed close to a wall.
The foxL features two ‘Twoofers’ – 1in tweeters that also woof – driven by
four digital amplifiers delivering up to 8W of power.
That amazing bass is pumped through the back of the unit via a BassBattery,
which is a very clever rechargeable Lithium-ion battery combined with an
acoustic bass radiator – an unpowered panel which extends the bass by
resonating at a frequency lower than the active, or wired, woofers.
The grille protecting the BassBattery flips out to act as a stand. Next to
it are power and volume buttons, and insert holes for the included
wrist-strap or a lanyard.
On the sides are a 3.5mm Aux-in port, a Mini-USB input for charging from a
Mac, a power input port and a second 3.5mm mini-jack for connecting an
optional SUBstage powered subwoofer.
Like most Bluetooth speakers, the Platinum is able to handle phone calls,
pausing the music to receive a call. A front-mounted noise-cancelling mic
works better than most we’ve reviewed, providing for clear, strong in-call
audio.
Macworld Australia’s buying advice.
The foxL V2.2 Bluetooth is still a very good buy, but for an extra $50 the
Platinum edition is the best mini speaker on the market.
@dave_bullard
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