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Logitech Wireless Speakers for Laptops and iPads

These days, all of our portable devices are also media players, no matter the size -- laptop to tablet (iPad) to handheld (iPhone) -- or whether they are nominally dedicated to other purposes -- from cell phones to eReaders.

While these all are great personal devices when used with earphones, you can enjoy the music better if you hook up higher-quality external speakers. And even better, wireless speakers let you continue to work as you listen without being tethered to the device.

I've been having fun with the Logitech Wireless Speaker Z515, which pairs easily with an iPad or iPhone using Bluetooth (no pass code required).

Just enable the device in the Bluetooth Settings, and then your audio and video applications add a new AirPlay menu next to the playback controls that lets you switch back and forth between listening with the iPhone/iPad internal speakers or streaming through the wireless speakers.

Since Bluetooth setup on laptops can be more problematical, the Logitech Wireless Speakers also include a small USB adapter to stream music from your laptop with a similar lack of fuss using a dedicated 2.4 GHz wireless connection.

The speakers are certainly portable at around 10 x 4 1/2 x 2 inches), but are more substantial than smaller clip-on and wired speakers (see earlier post). They put out a respectable 3 watts with AC power, and fill the room nicely.

However, these are not featherlight, with a 10 hour battery that recharges with the included power supply. The clever and unobtrusive design also has a flip-out stand on the back, with a slot to store the USB wireless adapter.

The Logitech Wireless Speakers are available for $99. I've found that they work great for really hearing music at home, and for demoing iPad sound and music at my talks.

See my Holiday Gadgets 2010: Portable and Wireless article for more on portable devices and accessories

See my Audio Accessories Gallery for more on portable speakers and earphones.

Find the Logitech Wireless Speakers on Amazon.com


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