The Frugal Networker

Rocksteady XS bluetooth portable speaker.
Killer Concepts, LLC.
$89.99

Killer Concepts, LLC., introduces a new portable, bluetooth speaker that will blow you away: the Rocksteady XS. This little black box is the best and loudest bluetooth speaker that I’ve ever seen. The unit has a simple design, a tough construction, speakers that have a near-deafening upper end and a range that will knock your socks off.

OK, I’m not much of an audiophile and I’m often annoyed by people who obsess over music gadgetry. From high priced direct drive turntables and super woofers to boomboxes and ghetto blasters to Sony’s Walkman products to MP3 players to smart phones, I’ve always found them to be rude, offensive and irritating–just like their owners. That said, since I’ve begun working out daily at the local YMCA again, I find myself taking my iPhone and earbuds to assist me on my quest for the perfect physique. I’ve become what I used to hate, an audiophile, or at least an irritating facsimile of one.

I digress.

The Rocksteady XS arrives with a USB cable, a charger interface, a small instruction booklet and itself. You don’t need anything else.

Just larger than a Nintendo Wii remote, it measures approximately 6.5″ long and is just under 2″ on all four sides. It’s very lightweight–a half pound maybe? On one side is the power button, Line In jack, DC-5V interface and a USB 3.0 interface. On another side is your battery access panel. On another face, you have the primary music controls: Play/Pause/Stop, Volume controls and next/previous track. There is also a Mode button that, when pushed, pairs your Rocksteady XS speakers with your bluetooth capable device.

Operation is simple: Power On, press Mode, pair the device, play music.

Your phone/tablet/computer controls also control the play/pause/stop, speaker volume and track selection so that no matter which one you’re closer to, you have maximum control.

Just for fun, my wife and I tested the speaker outside with my iPhone 4. I started playing a song on my phone with the Rocksteady XS paired. She walked down the street away from me to test the connectivity distance and the sound quality outside.

Both surprised us. She was over 100 feet away and I could still hear the music and control the speaker volume and track selection from my phone. I didn’t expect that kind of distance. At most, I figured 30 to 40 feet but over 100 really impressed us.

We switched tracks, played saved music, played Pandora, played audiobooks and my daughter even played back some voice recordings that were on the phone. Whichever app has the foreground is the one that you can hear through the speaker.

We’ve had a good time reviewing the Rocksteady XS bluetooth speaker. It’s a high quality device that you will enjoy using. We love it. My wife wants one and that’s significant because she doesn’t ever request technology. In the past ten years, she’s only asked for a few bits of technology: a laptop, an iPhone, an iPad mini and the Rocksteady XS. Mother’s Day is coming soon so I’m sure she’ll have one.

The Rocksteady XS speaker retails for $89.99 on Amazon.com. A bit pricey, in my opinion. I think a $49.99 price point would be far more attractive to me but my wife didn’t seem to have a big problem with $90, so maybe I’m wrong. It’s definitely cool, very portable, extremely well built/designed and loud enough that it doesn’t sound cheap or “tinny.” It sounds like a much larger device. The sound quality is very good. I say, “Buy it.”

I give it a 8.5 out of 10 because of the price and that it only comes with a 90-day warranty. For $90, I really think that one year is more appropriate.

Review: 8.5/10

Recommendation: Buy it.