Small gadget, loud noise
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The Amethyst MD2 is great for easy-listening sounds but lacks the bass for anything heavier
A small portable Bluetooth stereo speaker system with a big sound, the Amethyst MD2 plays music from a microSD card, from a portable MP3 player connected via a 3.5mm stereo jack from a smartphone that’s Bluetooth-linked.
And like most Bluetooth speakers, it functions as a hands-free speakerphone system too.
It boasts 2 x 4 watts (RMS) output power and its amplifier signal-to-noise ratio is rated at over 75dB. The speakers support frequency response between 70Hz to 20kHz and it uses 2.25-inch full-range speakers for reproducing clear sounds.
You use pressure-touch buttons to control playback from a microSD card and Bluetooth-linked phone and the call button for answering or finishing a call when it it’s linked to a smart phone. Another button is used for selecting source sources – microSD, portable-in or Bluetooth. There are also a Bluetooth-pairing and volume control buttons.
I had no problems connecting it with a Samsung Galaxy K zoom using NFC-assisting connection, simply tapping the back of the phone to the NFC mark on the speaker. After that, phone and the speaker connected automatically.
When the phone and speaker have been paired, the two can stay seven to 10 metres apart.
I played music from my 16-GB microSD card without any problem. Streaming music from a smartphone to the speaker was also a breeze.
The speaker sounded loud and could easily fill my large living room with outstanding highs and mids. However, compared to the MD1, which is bigger and comes with a built-in subwoofer, MD2’s bass sound lacks any punch.
So, the MD2 is good for listening to light music but is not suited to rock, jazz or blues.
I tried it with my usual “Best Audiophile Voices V” and found both the singers’ voices and the instruments clean and clear though sadly lacking in bass.
Arken Global distributes Amethyst MD2 in green, black and white. The white one retails for Bt3,990 and the rest for Bt3,590.
Key specifications:
- Output Power: 4W(RMS) x2
- Amplifier input sensitivity: less than 400mV
- Amplifier SNR: More than 75dB
- THD: less than 1 per cent
- Frequency response: 70Hz - 20kHz
- Battery: 3.7V 2200mAh
- Battery life: 6-8 hours
- Battery charging time: 4-6 hours
- Bluetooth Version: 2.1 + EDR
- Bluetooth Range: 7 - 10 M
- Wireless Pairing Assisting: NFC
- Playback: Bluetooth 2.1, Aux Input, micro SD Card
- Size: 215 x 90 x 80 mm (WxHxD)
- Weight: 1.1 kg
