Pretty noisy for such a little guy
Built to be portable, Amethyst's MD1 speaker system sure can roar
The Amethyst MD1 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with great sound quality, especially in the bass, thanks to its “down-firing” subwoofer and “five-speaker three-way” design. Each of the two channels also uses a tweeter and a midrange and carries 1.5 watts of RMS output power, while the subwoofer has another five.
The signal-to-noise ratio of the amplifier is more than 75dB and the speaker system supports frequency response of 65Hz to 20kHz.
The MD1 is portable, with a footprint of 158x158x165mm and weighing about a kilogram. It has a leather-texture handle for carrying and the rechargeable battery lasts six to eight hours.
Apart from playing music, you can use the MD1 as a convenient hands-free speakerphone.
The touch buttons are on top – controlling volume, play/pause and track changes. An “Input” button switches sources and a “Pair” button activates Bluetooth pairing. You also have a call button for making phone calls. The microphone is also up top.
For an input source, you can use Bluetooth, portable-in or a microSD card. Portable-in requires a 3.5mm stereo jack to connect to an MP3 player or other source. The stereo port is at the back, alongside the slot for a microSD card.
When you turn on the MD1, it goes into Bluetooth mode first. Use the Input button to change the mode.
During my test I played music from my 16GB microSD card without problem. The Bluetooth connection was a breeze, made even easier with NFC (near field communication).
The sound was quite loud, easily filling my large living room with music, including outstandingly powerful bass. I enjoyed listening to the instrumentals of the album “Sax for Sex: Beautiful Night”, the saxophone sounding sweet and the rhythm solid and powerful. Rock music also sounded terrific.
Arken Global imports and distributes the Amethyst MD1 in black and green for Bt5,590.
KEY SPECS
Output Power: 1.5W x2+5W x1 (RMS)
Amplifier input sensitivity: less than 500mV
Amplifier SNR: Aboce 75dB
THD: Under 1 per cent
Frequency response: 65Hz to 20kHz
Battery: 7.4V 2000mAh
Battery life: Six to eight hours
Battery charging time: Four to six hours
Bluetooth version: 2.1+EDR
Bluetooth range: 7 to 10M
Wireless pairing: NFC
Playback: Bluetooth 2.1, Aux Input, micro SD Card
Dimensions: 158x158x165mm
