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Libratone Zipp Wireless Speaker: Portable, high-end audio with good looks
The Zipp (US$399.95) is the first in Scandinavian-based Libratone's range of high-end, wireless speakers, followed by the Loop, Live and Lounge. Steve Sande took a closer look at the Loop earlier this year, and while he was impressed with the quality of sound and design, the high price point and finicky setup process were some noted drawbacks. I've spent the last week or so using the Zipp. I was keen to see how the smaller Zipp compared to Steve's take on the Loop. Design First off, the Zipp looks great. With its tall, cylindrical shape, the Zipp is unassuming and simple in appearance, yet its changeable, woolen covers (that come in multiple colors) give it personality and life. The covers are changed by unzipping the old one and zipping on a new one -- hence: the Zipp!. The Zipp's Height is 26.0 cm (10.2") and its circumference is 12.2 cm (4.8"). The Zipp weighs 4 lbs (1.8 kg). On top of the Zipp is a simple, circular button to power the device, with volume-up and volume-down buttons either side, not dissimilar to an Apple TV remote in appearance. There's a small LED light that indicates the Zipp's status; if all's well the LED fades in and out with a soft, white glow. Round the back is a leather strap to carry the Zipp from room to room or out and about. Underneath the leather strap are the Zipp's inputs (3.5mm aux-in and audio USB) as well as a WiFi and PlayDirect button and a battery status indicator. Underneath is a solid base with an input for the Zipp's power supply, a rather clunky brick. All in all, the Zipp looks great, especially with its removable cover. The Zipp's form factor means it will fit on just about any table top, counter or shelf. The only aesthetic drawback of note was the Zipp's plastic top, which feels a little, well... plasticky. Inside the Zipp is a 60W, digital amplification 2.1 stereo system. There's a 4" bass speaker and two 1" ribbon based tweeters. There's also a lithium-ion battery that promises 8 hours of wired operation or 4 hours of wireless operation. Performance Thankfully, I didn't experience the same setup issues Steve did. I opted to connect the Zipp to my home's Wi-Fi network using the Libratone Zipp app on my iPad (which first did a software update on the Zipp). Once I had the Zipp connected to my home network, the Zipp appeared on my iTunes and iOS device's AirPlay menu. It's worth noting that the Zipp can connect to your iOS or Mac via PlayDirect, where the Zipp is setup as a standalone Wi-Fi network, allowing AirPlay between the Zipp and your device without the need for a Wi-Fi network. This is a great feature, especially for a portable speaker, like the Zipp. In terms of sound, I was really thrilled with the Zipp's performance. There was a real subtlety to the Zipp, especially in the higher ranges, where detail really shone through. This made the Zipp a truly satisfying listen. Having said that, I did find the Zipp was a little lacking in terms of weight. That's not to say it didn't have a solid punch with up-beat, bass-heavy tracks, but rather, overall, the sound could do with being slightly fuller in the low-range. Even so, the Zipp is still a fantastic listen. The Acid's Animal is breathtaking, with the Zipp delivering so much rich detail. I was taken aback by the way reverb carries on different beats and vocal parts, and then when it's absent; the sheer dryness that is exposed. The decay-crunch on the sampled drum roll is glorious, and I found lost on lesser speakers. And all those little guitar hisses and ambient amp noises come through so well. It's testament to the recording, but also how well the Zipp delivers. I found AirPlay performance on the whole to be good, though I did get occasional clicking sounds every now and again, despite being in good range of my router. Wired playback was without any problems, and sounded super. Conclusion The Libratone Zipp is a solid piece of kit. It looks the part and has fantastic sound, particularly when it comes to detail. The best part is that you can unplug it and take it anywhere, thanks to its built-in battery and PlayDirect Wi-Fi. You won't get a day's life out of the battery (especially if you're using the speaker wirelessly), but you'll be getting true high-end sound, which is more than you can say for other battery-powered portable speakers. If portability isn't a priority, there are other contenders to weigh up against the Zipp, but if high-end sound and portability are at the top of your list, check out the Zipp.
Libratone Loop Wireless Speaker: AirPlay meets Scandinavian design
Last week we had a look at a very impressive Bluetooth speaker set from Edifier, the e25 Luna Eclipse. Those speakers provided both excellent sound quality and futuristic design, and ended up with a top rating from TUAW. This week I'm looking at Libratone's Loop Wireless Speaker, a high-end entry into the speaker market that marries Scandinavian good looks to AirPlay compatibility. Specifications Price: US$499.95 Colors: Salty Gray, Pepper Black, Raspberry Red, Icy Blue (extra wool covers are sold in a variety of colors) Connectivity: AirPlay and DLNA support, also supports PlayDirect for streaming directly from a device without need for a Wi-Fi router. Also includes 3.5 mm audio minijack and USB audio jack Power: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz, 40 W power consumption Dimensions: Weight: Speakers: 2 x 1" ribbon-based tweeters, 5" subwoofer with resonating passive radiator Comes with wall mount and duo-stand Design Highlights Rather than a set of speakers, the Loop is just one disc-shaped speaker. I was reminded of the seat of a stool, or a target for Velcro darts. The speaker is covered in Italian wool, and there are a number of accessory wool covers you can purchase should your cat rip one to shreds or you decide to change the paint color in your home. The Loop can be wall-mounted or sit on a shelf or table. A pair of legs known as a duo-standn provide a stable platform for the latter, while the wall mount features a small truncated cone that fits into a receptacle on the back of the speaker. As you'd expect with Scandinavian design, the Loop is very stark and simple. Controls are on the back and consist of a combination power switch/status indicator/volume toggle and another set of buttons for linking the Loop to your device. I also have to hand it to Libratone for not using the typical ugly black brick as an AC adapter. Instead, the power supply is built into the Loop, and there's a single power cord -- with a soft, tangle-proof covering on it -- that connects the speaker to your outlet. Functionality Highlights Most of the Bluetooth and AirPlay speakers I test are usually quite easy to set up. Bluetooth speakers are incredibly simple, while AirPlay speakers usually require that the speaker be added to your WiFi network. That's usually done by linking to the device's own WiFi or Bluetooth transceiver, passing over some information about the network and password, and then you're done. Not so with the LIbratone Loop. First, I decided that I'd use their quick start instructions, which told me to get a USB cable and connect it. At that point, I was supposed to press two buttons on the back simultaneously to get the device to ping my iPhone to allow it to share network information. The process worked, but I could never get the speaker to connect to the network. After about a half hour of frustration, I finally did a reset (press the power button and two buttons on the back simultaneously) to get it to factory defaults. At that point, I was able to get everything set up perfectly, although it took a while for the Loop to show up in the list of AirPlay devices. Once it did, I started blasting music to it. This is a very loud speaker, with a pronounced bass end thanks to the 5-inch subwoofer. Libratone has a free app that is supposed to let you you do the setup from the iPhone or iPad, although I wasn't able to get that to work. However, the app also lets you tune the sound of the speaker for the type of surface it's sitting on and the type of music that is playing. This is a very useful app from the sound adjustment standpoint -- I was able to move from house music to jazz to classic rock, adjusting the equalization for each with preset voicing that made the sound perfect for each type of music. All in all, I found it the Loop to be a very enjoyable speaker to listen to, although the setup left something to be desired. My guess is that this speaker had been previously set up for another reviewer and that I should have done the factory reset first. Conclusion The Libratone Loop is definitely an audiophile speaker, with a price tag to match. The setup process could be better, but the design and sound of the speaker as well as the ability to match the sound profile of the speaker to the type of music you're listening to and the surface upon which it's sitting make this one of the most adjustable AirPlay speakers I've tested. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible
