Comments on: Diamond MSP100R Mini Rockers Mobile Speakers

By: Jem

Jem — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:02:54 +0000

My husband and I both have iPods and I've been looking at portable speakers for them when this popped up on Vine. The unit is about the size of a soda can and very lightweight. First, I love the bright red color. It makes them easy to see in a laptop or other bag, and yeah, I just like shiny red. They are held together magnetically which is great since there is no latch to break; and they easily pop apart and back together with minimal effort.

I do agree with many reviews here that the retractable cords are really convenient and cool, but also a cause for concern. It's uncertain how they'll hold up for wear and tear. My real concern however is when they refuse to come out. The speakers are useless without the cords and there'd be no way to replace them without just buying new speakers. I've got a retractable cord on my iron and there are many times when it won't come out, or go back in, and that cord is far more substantial and able to take repeated tries. These cords are tiny and flimsy. However, this is just a possibility and does not prevent me from recommending these speakers.

The stereo sound quality is very good considering the size. I didn't notice it being tinny, but that may be the music type rather than an equipment thing. Another reviewer recommended the iHome speakers. Their quality may indeed be better (I have never tried them) but they also cost more and potential buyers should take that into account. For us, investing in a great set of earbuds is more important than speakers since we use the iPod that way more. We'll use these speakers, but not enough to warrant paying $10-$15 more. For those looking for really high quality sound, full size speakers would be a better choice.

By: D. Osborne

D. Osborne — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:28:38 +0000

I use these speakers with my netbook where ever I go. I really like these speakers for movies and games. I think that the sound quality for the size and price is excellent. I usually end up watching a movie in an enclosed room with little backround noise and the speakers work great. Very loud and clear and definitely better than my netbook’s speakers. I would recommend these to anyone looking for very portable speakers that give adequate sound and clarity.

By: Chris Zee Shutterbug

Chris Zee Shutterbug — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:08:28 +0000

These speakers are good quality for their size. They are also very easy to use, just hook up to your music player and connect the speakers. The retractable power cord and speaker cord saves the hassle of having to untangle wires, although it is a little hard pulling the cord out. The cords are about 1.5 feet each. The power cord is slightly longer. There are two speakers held together by magnets forming a pill shape. The finish is that soft plastomer (rubberized plastic).For charging just hook up the main speaker to you computer. The usb charging cable is included. That is one of the most convenient features, its all in one, no batteries to run out. The ends of the speakers unscrew and come out about half an inch and improve the sound by enlarging the driver enclosure. There is a volume control that can make the speakers much louder. These speakers are very good for traveling due to their size and it comes with a traveling bag so you can keep the usb cable and speakers together. Compared to my pair of Koss screw on the ear headphones, these speakers project the sound around the room while the headphones are on your ears and sometimes make the sound seem like it is coming from within your head. Yes like I said before, good quality for their size, but by being so small there is only so much quality you can pack in. So they are a bit tinny sounding, but better than the cheaper un amplified speakers.

By: R.D. Monsoon

R.D. Monsoon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:44:33 +0000

My expectations were pretty low for these speakers. Small cheap speakers tend to sound small and cheap. Often the sound they produce is unlistenable due to the highs being painfully bright, there being no mid-range and/or the bass being boomy. The Diamonds do not have any of these extreme traits.

I've primarily used the speakers for listening to audio books, podcasts and streaming radio on my iPhone/iPod/laptop in hotel rooms when traveling. The speakers do a pretty good job with the spoken voice. With music the results are not as good, and I rather just use my Sennheiser headphones to obtain much more accurate sound reproduction. The output sound can be impressively loud without distortions for such a small device. When used outside, though, you need to be within several feet of the speakers to hear them over ambient sounds.

The advertised (rechargeable) battery life is six hours; I've gotten more playing time out of them.

The clever design of these speakers also needs to be mentioned. All the wires retract into the speakers like a vacuum cleaner.

If you're looking to buy travel speakers for similar applications as mine, I have no hesitation in recommending the Diamond Mini Rockers. They're small, cheap and do a good job.

By: Dylan Ginsburg

Dylan Ginsburg — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:42:54 +0000

The physical design of these are great - too bad they sound terrible. The design is very clever and they look sharp. The two speakers connect together magnetically for transporting. One speaker has a retractable cord to connect them together. The other has a retractable cable that fits a headphone jack.

A USB passthrough cable is included for charging from a computer or an A/C adapter you provide. Also included is a nice carrying pouch which even has an extra pocket for that USB cable. It's a well thought-out package.

I really wanted to like these but the sound quality is so poor I could never be satisfied with them for music. They will play louder than a typical laptop computer but don't sound any better. At this price you are better off with a single speaker where all of the product budget can go into one superior speaker. You're not going to get much stereo separation with tiny speakers that are a foot apart so there is little added value to dual speakers.

Edit: I've seen the other reviews now and I'm quite surprised. I can understand if you accept the sound quality as a trade-off for their portability and price, but to call it "great" and "awesome" is a huge stretch.