Bass Jump 2 from Twelve South
We love almost everything about our MacBooks and MacBook Pros, including their great displays, fast graphics, elegant design, and built-in speakers … wait, scratch that last item! Built-in speakers are acceptable, as long as you don’t mind tinny bass, and muddled mid-tones, and screechy treble. With space at a premium, there is only so much you can do with your computer’s standard-issue tiny speakers. The best solution we have found is the BassJump 2 from Twelve South. The BassJump 2 is a small subwoofer that transforms a laptop’s audio into a full-range speaker system. We reviewed the original BassJump in the past, and while the new version is visually and hardware identical to the old, BassJump 2 includes vastly improved software that increases the output level and allows more control over the crossover points. One thing that hasn’t changed is the look and feel of the software, which boasts a set of old-fashioned analog VU Meters.
BassJump 2 is not limited to laptops – it also can be used with an iMac with similar results, however the effect isn’t quite so dramatic due to the iMac’s larger speakers. Powered by a single USB cable, the BassJump 2 is a killer way to improve your laptop audio quality. Once you use it, you just can’t imagine using built-in speakers without it. And, in a laudable gesture that wins our respect, Twelve South offers the updated software free to owners of the original version. What a nice way to start the New Year!
When we reviewed the original BassJump we wrote that it creates a solid sound field, surprisingly detailed since the little speakers in the laptops don’t offer multiple drivers or tweeters. It was a pleasant surprise to plug in the BassJump and discover the bass that had been missing. We tested it with a variety of music including Apple Lossless encoding, some amazing 24-bit FLAC encoded recordings from B&W's (and Peter Gabriel’s) Society of Sound site, 24- and 16-bit recordings from HD Tracks, and MP3s and AAC files from Apple's iTunes. What pleased us the most was the warmth, which provides a well-balanced, subtle system, deserving of anyone who listens to music solely on an Apple laptop, or other Apple products, since Twelve South is dedicated to the Mac platform.
While the combination isn't designed to take the place of a set of Marshall stacks or Audio Research monoblocks, it delivers enough volume that it sounds great in the office or home, as well as on the road. I can imagine that, for users who keep their laptop on a desk, the BassJump 2 will provide a huge improvement in audio with virtually no additional footprint, and no speaker cables or power supplies to get in the way.
We think that the BassJump 2 Portable Subwoofer is a great product - elegant, well designed, and well executed. The same is true of its case and packaging, including a witty little card with ideas on how to reuse the box. Once you've had the pleasure of listening with BassJump 2, you realize just how much music you've been missing with the stock internal speakers. The updated BassJump 2 software makes the subwoofer better than before, louder, more precise, and retains all that we liked about its predecessor. Highly recommended for the music-loving Apple laptop user in your life! The BassJump 2 Portable Subwoofer from Twelve South is a Mac Edition Radio Holiday Pick!
To learn more about the BassJump 2 visit: www.twelvesouth.com
To Download the BassJump 2 software update visit: www.twelvesouth.com
To learn more about B&W's Society of Sound visit: www.bowers-wilkins.com/Society_of_Sound
To learn more about high-bitrate recordings from HD Tracks visit: www.hdtracks.com
PlugBug from Twelve South
No matter how many plugs you have, there never seem to be enough to charge all your devices. There are lots of great chargers, including some that can charge multiple devices, but none are as elegant as the solution created by Twelve South. Have a MacBook or MacBook Pro and also want to charge an iPad, or your phone, or an Android tablet? Normally this would take at least two, count ‘em, two chargers! But not with the PlugBug, a small adapter that takes the place of the AC prongs that slide onto an Apple laptop charger.
Just slide off the stock plug, slide on the bright red PlugBug and you can plug in your charger just as you always have, but with an extra USB charger port as well. It has no extra cables, and travels with you easily. Our only wish would be for a version that allows us to use our power cord simultaneously, since we can never be close enough to a power source. It packs 10 watts so iPads will charge in a hurry, as will anything else you plug in, including the notoriously power-hungry BlackBerry cell phones.
You know, David Pogue subtitled his series of books, The Missing Manual, as the manual that should have shipped with a product. Similarly, we think the PlugBug is the charger adapter that should have shipped with every Apple charger! The PlugBug is sure to find a very loyal set of users in no time! Pick one up for each charger you own! The PlugBug from Twelve South is a Mac Edition Radio Holiday Pick!
Nancy Burlan and Harris Fogel, posted 12/29/2011
For more information on the PlugBug visit: www.twelvesouth.com
