IClever IC-BTS02

iClever’s Bluetooth Wireless Speaker is one of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers we’ve tried. It sounds good, it looks great and it’s affordable.

It’s surprising just how much sound emanates from this tiny zinc-alloy box. Given that you can easily fit the 64.5x64.5x70.1mm, 261g iClever in a single hand, the 5W speaker hidden inside does a much better job than we should reasonably might expect from such a portable Bluetooth speaker, both good on bass and free from distortion at high volume.

The 5W speaker inside the iClever offers bedroom-filling sound that’s much louder than what’s available from your phone, tablet or laptop, although its meshed-top design forces it to throw audio upward rather than around the room. With Bluetooth 4.0 technology it also boasts good range (up to 33ft), and we experienced no dropouts walking room to room with paired phone in hand. If your mobile device doesn’t support Bluetooth you can instead use the Bluetooth Wireless Speaker’s AUX connection, and a cable is included in the box.

Pairing a device over Bluetooth is as simple as flicking a power switch and then finding and tapping on the iClever in your phone or tablet’s Bluetooth Available devices menu. It device can remember up to eight Bluetooth connections, which is useful if several family members will be using it, and will automatically connect to the last paired device when available.

The price is appealing. While you’ll find many Bluetooth speakers listed online that feature the same design – a premium-feeling glossy black zinc-alloy box with blue trim, each with their own vendor’s logo stamped on the front – the iClever is the cheapest we found, at £26 on Amazon. Our only gripe with the design is its penchant for fingerprints; sat and left on the side this may not matter, but the iClever features three bottom-mounted buttons for altering the volume and playing, pausing and skipping tracks, which force you to pick up the speaker.

It also has a noise-cancelling mic that can capture dialogue from up to 2m; a button on the front of the device lets you accept phone calls and chat via the speaker itself.

Battery life is good, and with its Bluetooth 4.0 tech, you can expect eight- to 12 hours of playback.

Verdict

We really like iClever’s Bluetooth speaker is portable, good-looking and offers more than adequate sound.