Veho VSS-009-360BT 360 M4 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker Review

The Veho VSS-009-360BT 360 M4 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker packs loud, crystal-clear audio into a tiny package, and even accepts microSD cards so you don't even need a smartphone to play tunes. But $99.95 is a lot to pay for a wireless speaker. Is the Veho worth the investment?

Design

Click to EnlargeAt just 2.6 x 2.3 x 2.3 inches, Veho's tiny cylindrical speaker fits into the palm of our hand. Its sleek, circular black-and-silver design is 5.3 ounces and crams two 2.2-watt speakers inside, protected by a metal grille. Among the lightest speakers we've tested, it's also only a bit taller than the DBEST PS4003BT Duo, which measures 2.4 x 2.4 x 1.7 inches.

A silver aluminum ring on the bottom of the Veho contrasts the mostly black design, and the silver Veho logo is right above that silver ring. On the bottom of the back you'll find the USB port (for the included USB power cable), a microSD card slot and an aux-in jack. The microSD card slot (the Veho supports up to 16GB) is a nice addition -- even if you don't have another device handy, you can still use the speaker.

On the bottom of the speaker lies a switch where you can select between microSD/Line in or Bluetooth. There's also a reset button here. On the top, the power button lays in the center, surrounded by four others: a button to skip to the next track, a button to go to the previous track, and volume. All the buttons, as well as a ring encircling them, light up blue upon turning the device on.

Setup

Click to EnlargeAfter charging the Veho, we turned it on and flipped the switch on the bottom of the device to Bluetooth; the speaker made a noise to indicate it was in pairing mode. We then paired the device with our iPhone -- we had to enter a four-digit code, an extra step removed by other Bluetooth speakers -- after which the device paired almost instantly. To turn the device on and off, we just held the power button down for 1 to 2 seconds.

Performance

We truly enjoyed the VSS-009-360BT's sound. Tracks such as Maroon 5's "Payphone" came through crystal clear. We felt like we were right next to Adam Levine as he bashed love songs with his high-pitched vocals. Kanye West's "Mercy" also rang loud and clear, with the sound easily filling up a large room at full volume. In fact, we could even hear the track from the next room with the door closed. However, those who like more bass will prefer the Satechi ST-69BTS; although audio wasn't as defined, it had a much greater lower end.

Click to EnlargeWhen we left the Veho on for a while without playing audio, it beeped intermittently, reminding us that it was still on.

Veho says the VSS-009-360BT provides only 2 hours of constant playback via Bluetooth. In our testing the speaker lasted a longer 2 hours and 45 minutes at 60 percent volume. While that's longer than Veho's claim, it's about 20 hours less than the DBEST PS4003BT Duo, and not even close to the second shortest battery life, the iHome iDM11's 5:25. The Satechi Audio Cube lasted 7:51. Bummer.

When we charged the speaker, it took us a little more than 2 hours, which is in line with the company's claim.

Verdict

Click to EnlargeWe love with the Veho VSS-009-360BT's audio performance and appreciate its compact and stylish design. However, we ultimately can't recommend this speaker because of its short battery life. And at $99.95, this device costs about twice as much as some competing products. For that price, you could get two Satechi ST-69BTS Audio Cubes and really crank out the tunes.

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