Speakers are one of the natural items which would really benefit from a wireless connection.  In the past companies have tried various wireless technologies (IR technology, 900MHz) to make this possible.  Those technologies worked to a some degree, but Bluetooth may make wireless speakers both simple to connect to and easy to use.

The BlueSonic has a port in the rear for a mic (for use in conference calls) and audio.  There are also two magnets (silver circles) for mounting on a metal surface...a little unexpected, but we'll comment on whether they are useful after we have used these speakers for a bit.

The Bluetooth transmitter is a little smaller than the average flash memory stick.  It has the same USB connector.  Power for the transmitter is drawn from the connected device.  Thus, if your computer does not have Bluetooth, but does have a USB port, then hooking this dongle to the port will enable a wireless audio signal transmission to the BlueSonic speakers.

For the traditional wired connection, the BlueSonic will take input from anything that can connect to a set of headphones.  Since iPod does not have have USB or Bluetooth capabilities yet, the AudioIn is the only way to connect these two devices at the moment.

The combo is perfect for a small room or desk.  These are small speakers, so don't expect them to fill a room like the CTA GrandScale or the Altec Lansing FX6021.

Room filling sound is not always the goal.  We thought these speakers would be great to use with our Bluetooth-capable cell phones for conference calls.

This is where Bluetooth shows its advantage over older wireless technology.  It would have been VERY difficult to get speakers based on other wireless technologies to hook up to a cell phone!

Oh...how cool is that? No fuss, no muss.  This stuff just works.  In our FirstUse review, we'll let you know how these speakers actually sound.  Look for it near the end of July/early August.

We have reviewed a few Bluetooth devices (headsets, transmitters, GPS) here on RainyDayMagazine. The Australian company BlueAnt has taken Bluetooth devices one logical step further by incorporating the short range wireless technology into a set of speakers they call the BlueSonic.

For the FirstLook review, we'll check out the speakers and all of its various parts.  For the FirstUse review, we'll give you our impressions of these speakers connected to various audio devices.

Reviews:

1. FirstLook

2. FirstUse

Review Summary:

Initial Impression - Small pkg

Usability - any audio source

Durability - TBD

Price - $150