Review: test driving EWOO’s new iPod, iPhone speaker systems

Posted by Dennis Sellers Nov 7, 2008 at 5:45am

EWOO has released three new audio solutions for iPods—the Fizz, eFizz Travel and HandMusic. They’re designed for audiophones and sound great—which they should considering their price tags. That said, the speakers were developed by EWOO through a collaboration with Cabasse, a maker of high fidelity speakers. The collaboration shows, especially in regards to the high-end eFizz.

The eFizz is the MacBook Air of iPod speaker systems; it looks great and sounds better than any iPod speaker system I’ve ever used (though not as good as my favorite speakers: the US$400 Bose Companion 3, which are connected to my desktop Mac). However, if moolah is a concern, the $600 price tag will be a deal-breaker.

If sticker stock doesn’t bother you, this is one intricately designed, uber-stylish hi-fi stereo system for your iPod. It comes with the elegant HandMusic remote control. The 2.1 speaker system, which has a serious subwoofer, pumps out 70 watts of sound. It sports an analog audio input, digital audio input, and Wake Up and Sleep modes. It’s purportedly compatible with any iPod from the first gen iPod nano to the latest models, as well as the iPhone. I tested the eFizz with a fourth gen nano, second gen iPod touch and 160GB iPod classic, and all worked flawlessly, with no need to use the variety of included adapters.

The eFizz has a number of outstanding features. It sports cover art display, an alphabetical search mode and equalizer tuning from the remote. It sports a two-way 2.4GHz radio link that works up to 500 feet (though, in my experience, things start to get a little fuzzy after around 450 feet).

The HandMusic remote also features a 1.8-inch LCD TFT screen and intuitive touchwheel navigation for easily browsing iPod and iPhone content. The HandMusic is also available separately from the eFizz for $200 and can connect an iPod to compatible A/V equipment. This allows you to, as mentioned, browse through the content via a remote control. Video is sent via S-Video, while audio is handled by analog connections.

For the price it would have been great if the eFizz included a built-in AM/FM radio. However, it doesn’t. When it comes to sound quality, I tested the speaker system with a variety of musical styles (Green Day, the Eagles, Elton John, Prince, Patty Loveless, etc.), and it beat any iPod speaker system I’ve test driven before. Bass crunched nicely, midrange was tight and acoustic material was crisp and sharp. And you can certainly crank up the volume. However, as with most all-in-one speaker systems, you won’t get much stereo separation unless you stand a few feet away from it.

eFizz Travel

I was less impressed with the eFizz Travel ($200), mainly due to the problems I had with its adapters (more on that in a moment).

eWOO says that you can use the eFizz Travel without the adapters, but, for the most part, I won’t recommend it. You can indeed insert just about any iPod into the speaker system, but, except for the previously mentioned iPod classic, the nanos and touches tend to wobble. And that can’t be a good thing for a portable speaker system. The adapters (six are included) solve this problem—except that I never could get an adapter to adequately work with the iPod touch. Since I was using the second gen touch, it could be that eWOO simply needs to put out a new adapter for this model.

If you can get around the adapter/wobble problem, the eFizz Travel is a breeze to use. You connect your iPod and you can play your tunes while the device charges. The Travel is purportedly compatible with all iPods equipped with a clickable adjustable knob. What’s more, it can read music from the iPhone.

The eFizz travel sports a user-friendly infrared remote control and offers 20 hours of uninterrupted music (thanks to its Lithium Polymer battery) once it’s fully charged. It takes about 30 minutes to charge and six hours for a complete charge. Like its big brother, the eFizz, it offers iTunes synchronization through USB and sports upgradable firmware. You can go to the Ewoo site and download the latest firmware from the support section.

The eFizz Travel is composed of reflective black metal for the speaker area and a glossy piano black plastic finish. Behind the grill are two 2W RMS speakers. It sits on three rubberized feet that help keep it from sliding around.

The eFizz Travel has two LEDs; one is blue and the other red. The blue LED is constantly illuminated when the eFizz Travel is charging. When it’s flashing, the speaker system is in use. A flashing red LED indicates a low battery charge. If it’s flashing really quickly, that means the device is almost out of juice. As the battery gets weaker, the eFizz Travel will automatically shut off the volume.

As for sound, it’s good but not great (I tested it with the artists mentioned above). It would be great, perhaps, for a speaker system half its price, but I expected more audio oomph for 200 bucks. The volume is more than satisfactory, but the bass is a little soft. However, the low end sounds pretty good.

Overall, the EWOO products are impressive. If you can afford the best, at least in the case of the eFizz and HandMusic Remote, go for it. But for most of us, especially in these tough economic times, the high-end products will be beyond our budgets.

Macsimum ratings:

eFizz: 7 out of 10 (8 out of 10 if price is no concern)

HandMusic Remote (8 out of 10)

eFizz Travel (7 out of 10)

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