Since I mentioned the Panda Pal portable speaker as a possible Valentine's gift idea last month, I thought I'd take some time today to share a few pics of the accessory plugged into my HTC EVO 4G so that you (or your gift recipient) can get an idea of its size. It's actually quite a bit bigger than I expected, especially compared to X-mini II speaker.
This isn't a review but I still have mention that despite claims by the manufacturer of "incredible sound" from the "high-fidelity stereo speakers" masquerading as the panda's eyes, I would strongly recommend that you don't wrap this up for an audiophile you're trying to win over. Just in case it's not immediately obvious from the design, this is a novelty speaker.
It's an undeniably cute novelty speaker, though, isn't it?
There's a built-in audio cable, volume control (speaker and device volume can be controlled separately), miniUSB port and battery compartment (for USB power or 3 AAA batteries), on/off switch, and bright blue power LED. And though it would've been cute if the nose were a power button and the ears were volume controls, those features on the panda's head are purely decorative.
Sound quality is nothing to write home (or blog) about, but that's obviously not why anyone would buy something like this for their EVO or any other device for that matter. It sounds better and gets louder than the EVO's built-in speaker, which isn't saying much, and would probably be sufficient for most people to listen to podcasts, background music, and video clips in quieter environments.
I do still think it would make a cute Valentine's Day "filler" gift for a wife, girlfriend, child, panda fan, or zookeeper, though, so feel free to print out a heart-shaped IOU with a link to this post if you haven't done your shopping yet.
The Panda Pal can be yours (or hers or his) for about $27 shipped and is expected back in stock at Amazon
