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Sony SRS-T33 Compact Portable Speakers (Blue)

Sony SRS-T33 Compact Portable Speakers (Blue)

List Price: $39.99
Your Price: $34.44
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A terrible choice for portable audio.
Review: I find it hard to believe that any of the reviewers who have made positive comments have actually listened to and compared several different sets of portable speakers. If they had, they would tell you to avoid these losers.

The sound is tinny, even with the amplifier on. With only .15 watts per channel, you get volume only marginally above that of a typical set of headphones just lying on the table. These might do OK if you put them on the pillow next to your head, but I suspect that you will still be disappointed.

Instead, consider the Panasonic RP-SPT70 travel speakers. They are, when folded, only slightly larger than the T33s. They use four AA batteries and have 1 watt of power output per speaker. They also cost about $10 less than the Sonys.

To be fair, the Sonys DO fit in just about any handbag or briefcase. And they are very solidly constructed. But this does not compensate for the poor sound quality.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great speakers for the traveler
Review: I personally bought this item in silver, but assume it's the same as the blue. I always travel with my laptop and have been wearing headphones to hear good sound or listening to very poor (if audible) quality from the speakers on my laptop. These speakers, at $40, do a great job; no more headphones in the motel room. Without batteries, it's useless, but I installed normal alkaline batteries and got as good, if not better sound than the TV in my expensive hotel room. I've listened to music and DVD's on this speaker and won't wear headphones on the road again. The cables from my amplifer to my speakers at home cost more than $40 and this certainly doesn't duplicate that sound, but for a traveler or for someone going on vacation with their family, this speaker, at $40, is a great value. The only reason I rated it a 4 stars rather than 5 stars is that, as we all know from experience, there will be better speakers tomorrow. (Today, it deserves 5 stars).

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not so great
Review: I purchased these based on a recommendation in one of my outdoor magazines. I was quite disappointed.

The sound is mediocre at best. The "megabass" advertised on the package is a joke. The speakers are easily overwhelmed and quick to distort. Have you listened to music on a very cheap clock-radio? These are step below that.

Definitely not worth the $40 I paid. I'm returning these and going back to a pair of Sony travel speakers I purchased about 15 years ago. They're larger, but sound much better.

If you're satisfied with weak sound and must have something very small, these might be acceptable.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Accessory Error
Review: I purchased this product and specifically wanted to use it with an AC power source. As you can see from the technical specifications, it can use the optional AC-E60A AC Adapter. (The same note is provided on the Sony web site.) That is not true. I spent a long time today with Sony support and the same answer from everyone was that, in fact, this speaker is not compatible with an AC adapter. If you want to use batteries, fine (although it did sound "tinny"), but if you want to use an AC power source, look elsewhere.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Gets the Job Done
Review: I wanted a small, portable speaker for my mp3 player that didn't cost too much and had decent sound. This unit fits all of those criteria and I'm happy with it. No, the sound quality isn't extremely high fidelity and the bass lacks depth, but it gets the job done.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: beautiful, compact design. unbeliveably full sound.
Review: In my quest for the perfect portable speaker I came across this little beauty at Target. At about the size of a ballpark frank but less filling, the Sony SRS-T33 provides more than enough sound for an afternoon at the pool. Admittingly, I was fairly skeptical about getting decent sound out of any portable speaker; this was reaffirmed after plugging in my iPod. The sound was absolutely weak. I considered returning them but I wanted to hear what the power amplifier sounded like. So as soon as the NiMH AAA batteries I purchased were charged, I threw them into the speakers and the difference was like ketchup and mustard. The sound was full, deep and suprisingly powerful. I've "test driven" a few other speakers in this price range, mostly separates that are 3 times the size and weight (do you know how big a pain it is to carry those to the pool?) and the Sony definitely sounds significantly better, while the others usually sound like tin cans.

The only drawback is the audio cable is only 10 inches long, meaning you'll probably "reposition" (or knock over) your speakers as you're changing songs on your iPod. On the plus side, the cable integrates into the design and seamlessly hides when not in use (no wrapping the audio jack around the speaker 10 times). For $40 it's definitely the best choice for size, sound and design.


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