Macenstein

Logitech has finally come out with a portable speaker system we can all get behind with their Pure-Fi Anywhere Compact Speakers for iPod. Available in black or white, the Pure-Fi delivers exceptional sound given its size, and addresses pretty much all the complaints we’ve had with other portable speakers.

Styling

First off, the Pure-Fi looks great. The design is a somewhat revamped version of their mm50 iPod speakers, but they look much sleeker and feel a bit more solid. When I first removed them from their case, I was a bit shocked at how heavy they are. Obviously, you don’t want portable speakers to be too heavy, and these aren’t unwieldy or anything, but for some reason I expected them to feel a bit more plasticky and hollow than they do. In this instance, weight is a good thing.

The Pure-Fi is quite thin, which again may have caused me to underestimate its build quality. The controls along the top of the unit are flat, with a nice brushed metal look. Pressing them requires some effort though, but they do not feel cheap or “clicky”. Two twist-out supports on the bottom of either side prop the Pure-Fi up at a slight angle, and fold back in for travel. Even the AC adapter is thoughtfully designed with the traveler in mind. There is no bulky power brick, and the international voltage (100–240V) AC plug itself has a groove that you can use to wind up the chord when traveling.

A large part of the Pure-Fi’s weight is likely do to the built-in rechargeable battery which delivers an impressive 10 hours per charge. This is perhaps one of the Pure-Fi’s best features. We’ve reviewed a couple portable iPod speaker systems that either run off standard batteries (a hassle) or AC power (how is that portable?). The built-in rechargeable battery is by far the most convenient and cost-effective choice for the end user, and we’re big fans. It somehow makes the unit seem even more portable, and we found ourselves bringing it places, such as picnics, grandma’s house, and even just out by the hammock in the back yard because we knew we didn’t have to mess with extension cords or trying to track down a bunch of “C” batteries. The Pure-Fi comes with a battery indicator light which gives you a reasonable idea of how much life you have left in your charge.

Features

Aside from its rechargeable battery and “travel oriented” design (which in and of itself could be considered to be a feature) the Pure-Fi delivers a pretty decent selection of extras not often found on a portable speaker system. First, it comes with a remote. The remote, despite its small size, allows for full navigation of a docked iPod/iPhone’s menu, and of course it can also perform the requisite power on/off, skip/play/pause and volume adjustment. Two things this remote has that many others do not is the addition of the random play and repeat buttons, which is a nice touch. The remote’s construction, however, if the only part of the Pure-Fi that feels a bit cheap, especially the somewhat clicky buttons.

The Pure-Fi is designed to hold your iPod upright in the center iPod docking cradle, which makes watching video and navigating the iPod convenient. When plugged in to an AC outlet, the Pure-Fi will charge your dock-connected iPod. For other players, computers, or iPods like the shuffle, without docks, you can plug them into the Pure-Fi via the standard 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input in the back (but you’ll lose remote functionality, obviously).

Another great feature of the Pure-Fi is the included carrying case. First, it smells like new sneakers, which is never a bad thing (it’s old sneakers you have to worry about!). The Pure-Fi, remote, and power cord all fit perfectly inside (you place the AC cord in the iPod docking cradle). The case itself is black, and has a reinforced top and bottom to protect the Pure-Fi from travel bumps and bruises.

Sound

The 4 speakers gracing the front of the Pure-Fi consist of a pair of 2-inch Max-X active, high-excursion drivers that handle the main audio duties, as well a a pair of 3-inch pressure drivers that control the bass. Sound from the Pure-Fi is above average, but lacks a bit in the bass, as you might expect given its size. Still, with proper iPod EQ settings you can accommodate for much of its somewhat mid-range-heavy sound. I have found that the iPod’s “Latin” EQ setting works well with smaller speakers systems, and the Pure-Fi is no exception. There is a button on the top of the Pure-Fi that will invoke their StereoXL technology. Logitech says it “widens the stereo image dramatically, creating an immersive audio experience”. Basically, it’s one of those audio gimmicks that speaker manufacturers use (with varying degrees of success) to help make the speakers sound bigger than they are. after testing it on a variety of songs, I ended up leaving it switched off.

Issues

This isn’t an issue so much as an observation: You can use the Pure-Fi with an iPhone as well as your iPod, but I noticed a strange thing when using the iPhone. If you paused a song, it would resume playing within about 3 or 4 minutes all on its own. This is likely not the Pure-Fi’s fault. Odds are it’s just one of those many minor differences that the iPhone’s “iPod” features differ from a regular iPod.

Conclusion

The Pure-Fi Anywhere is our new travel speaker of choice. At $149, it begins to push the limits of my portable speakers price range, but it includes a wealth of extras that make the price justifiable. I would say that for the $149 the Pure-Fi lists for, you are really getting $90-$100 sounding speakers, but you are getting them along with a remote, dock, built-in 10-hour rechargeable battery, international AC adapter, and travel case, along with a great compact, travel-friendly design. Travelers in need of a thoughtfully designed and great-sounding speaker should definitely give the Pure-Fi a look ( I mean a listen).

Pure-Fi Anywhere Compact Speakers for iPod

Price: $149

Pros: Good sound given and size, compact design, built-in rechargeable 10-hour battery, remote, international AC adapter, included traveling case

Cons: Might be $10-$15 too expensive, sound is a bit mid-rangey, requiring some EQ fiddling