Logitech iPad / tablet / smartphone speaker review

The memorably named Logitech 984-000193 tablet speaker for iPad is one of my favorite gadgets. It has a simple mission: amplify the sound output of your tablet or smartphone wherever you need it.

First impressions of the Logitech tablet speaker for iPad

This is not an audiophile speaker, but with a street price of around $18 it's cheap and a claimed eight hours of battery life give it good mobile capability. It also ships with a protective pouch. The cable wraps in the back of the speaker when not in use. The speaker is made of black plastic but it looks and feels sturdy.

There are rubber feet on the bottom to help it stand properly on a flat surface. At the rear there's a mini-USB charging port and a wall charger is supplied in the box. There's also an integral clip that allows the speaker to grip onto an iPad or tablet.

Using the Logitech tablet speaker for iPad

There's a speaker at each end of the plastic casing, which creates a small stereo image of medium quality sound. This is not a criticism given the size of the device. The speaker drivers are necessarily small and do not have the ability to generate significant bass. They work great for podcasts, audiobooks and other spoken work media though. It's also not hugely loud, but is loud enough to give your smartphone a volume boost in a bathroom or porch.

Although the word iPad is in the product's name, the Logitech speaker actually works with any device that has a regular 3.5mm headphone connector such as a smartphone or iPod.

The internal rechargeable battery lasts for a decent amount of time. I haven't Done a full drain test on it, but it's lasted for full afternoons in my usage, which seems fine to me.

Is the Logitech tablet speaker for iPad a sound investment?

The Logitech tablet speaker for iPad Sounds pretty good to me for about $18 at current prices. I'm not going to procrastinate about the lack of bass on a low cost a set of small speakers. Bass generally needs internal space and airflow, both of which aren't present in this speaker. Overall the Logitech tablet speaker for iPad does a decent job at an extremely attractive price, as long as your expectations are reasonable.

Neil Berman, Helper-in-Chief, TheONbutton