Wired
Introducing the high-quality sound smart speaker “SOUNDFORM ELITE Hi-Fi Smart Speaker” released on October 23 by Belkin, which is known for various accessories that are compatible with Apple products, for two weeks. I will.
In the first part, we will introduce the outline of the product, installation, setup, etc., and in the second part, we will introduce the impression of the sound felt in various usage scenes.
Collaboration between Belkin and French audio maker
Speaking of Belkin, there are many products sold at Apple official stores such as MagSafe compatible car mounts, and it has a good reputation as an accessory brand that is compatible with Apple products.
From such Belkin, the smart speaker “SOUNDFORM ELITE Hi-Fi smart speaker” was released on October 23, and I had the opportunity to borrow it for two weeks. The body color could be selected from white and black, but I chose white.
“SOUND FORM ELITE Hi-Fi smart speaker” is a product jointly developed with Devialet, an audio maker founded in France in 2007, and as the name “Hi-Fi” indicates, it has high sound quality. It is a product for sale.
With the built-in Google Assistant, you can perform various operations by voice, and you can also operate the linked smart home devices.
Installation: Stylish design looks great wherever you place it
The “SOUND FORM ELITE Hi-Fi smart speaker” has an impressive design that looks like a cylinder cut diagonally.
The sides of the main body, which draws a soft curve, are covered with a light gray fabric, and the combination with the upper part of the main body with a sharp straight line is stylish.
I installed it on a work desk, living room table, cabinet, etc. and used it, but I felt that the design fits into the interior no matter where it is placed.
The tilted top of the main unit has a built-in wireless charger that supports the Qi standard with an output of 10 watts, and can be charged simply by placing a compatible device such as an iPhone. The LED lights up during charging.
When I put the iPhone12 Pro Max, I was able to charge wirelessly stably.
The surface of the wireless charging stand is covered with a soft rubber material, and when you put the iPhone on it, it is not slippery and stable, and it fits softly. This material is similar to the surface material of the previously introduced Belkin mobile battery compatible with high speed USB PD input and output.
By the way, I couldn’t install the iPhone sideways on the wireless charging stand.
When I tried where to put the AirPods Pro to charge it, I hit it just above the Devialet logo and the charging LED turned on. It seems that one coil for wireless charging is built in for charging the smartphone.
Size: It has a strong presence but is surprisingly light
The main body size of “SOUND FORM ELITE Hi-Fi Smart Speaker” is 168.5 mm in height and 162 mm in width and depth.
By the way, Apple’s HomePod is 172 mm high and 142 mm wide.
As a test, it has a considerable presence when compared to Amazon Echo Dot (2nd generation).
It requires a certain amount of space for installation, but it has no wired connection terminal other than the power supply and weighs 1.25 kg, which is relatively light, so I mainly use it on the shelf next to the work desk, depending on the situation. I enjoyed changing the installation location.
The power adapter was a bit larger and was about the same size as the 61W power adapter that came with the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Setup: Easy to complete according to the instructions of the app
Follow the enclosed simple instructions to install the “Google Nest” app, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
In my case, I got an error when connecting to Wi-Fi during setup, but when I restarted the Wi-Fi router and pressed the reset switch on the bottom of the “SOUNDFORM ELITE Hi-Fi smart speaker” , The setup was completed smoothly.
Music distribution services are compatible with YouTube Music, Spotify, dHits, AWA, and Utapass, and these services can be played by simply talking to a smart speaker.
Since the brain part as a smart speaker is Google Assistant, it does not support Apple Music playback only with the main unit, but if you connect it to iPhone, iPad, Mac via Bluetooth, you can play Apple Music and Apple TV + sound. It looks like you don’t have to be too conscious of it.
Operation of smart home devices is also possible
It also supports the smart home function using the Google Assistant, so it helps me to wake up comfortably every morning. IKEA’s smart blinds and smart light bulbs can be operated by voice just by linking a Google account. Is now possible.
Even if you unplug the power outlet and carry it around the house, if you connect it to the power supply, various settings including volume settings and equalizer will be called automatically, so I felt that it would be good to take it to the place you want to use it.
In the second part, we will introduce the sound.
Product Information: Belkin
(hato)
Source: iPhone Mania