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"The sound quality from the Soundmatters FoxL speaker system is almost alarmingly good for a unit that, at a push, would fit in a jeans pocket."
- FINANCIAL TIMES LONDON
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CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
"The bottom line: The Soundmatters FoxL Personal Audiophile Loudspeaker is well-constructed and offers a super compact design without sacrificing sound quality. Sure, it's pricey, but it's worth it."
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"We could not believe the sound that came out of these tiny speakers."
-The Rolling Stone, Best of 2008
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"The foxL is simply the best thing to happen to business travel since Wi-Fi."
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"It's a pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker for your MP3 player and a hands-free communication system for your car. Critics love the FoxL speaker, which, though no bigger than an eyeglasses case, transmits sound that's rich enough to please a cranky audiophile. Wirelessly tether it to your cell phone, take it along in the car, and a built-in microphone allows you to handle phone calls on the road. (Note: The Bluetooth streaming feature works on any A2DP-compatible device; Apple has not turned on the protocol for the iPhone so you need to use a standard audio cable.)"
We've got to cover our butt here and note that Soundmatters has no in-car mounting system available at this time and therefore does not recommend using foxL in-car and shares no liability should you choose to do so ...DON’T USE IT IN A CAR!. Nuff said."
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"Small enough to fit in most clutch purses, yet loud enough to fill the average hotel room with sound... We have demonstrated the Foxl for perhaps 50 people; its sound quality always impresses and sometimes even astounds."
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"Never before has such a small speaker - why, yes, that's a foxL in my pocket - duplicated the frequency response of a full-scale bookshelf speaker..."
-Kevin Hunt, Hartford Courant
read the entire article
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"...considering its size, it produces profoundly good sound"
-Esquire’s Digital Man Gift Guide
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"The Soundmatters foxL is tiny, even for a portable speaker, but has a well-muscled sound that beats out squawk boxes twice its size."
-Chris Jones, Wired.com
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"I set it on my desk and got a piano sound that I could listen to for hours. Vocal coloration was minimal, occasionally leading me to wonder if the singer were trapped inside the speaker. Electric guitars had some bite but the top end wasn't overweening enough to mask the mids. A surprisingly large and varied slice of midrange emerged from everything I played. There wasn't enough bass to fully flesh out drumkits but there was more bass than I've ever heard from a device this size. For what it is, it sounds amazingly solid."
"Given the choice between this and having something clamped on my head or stuck in my ears for long periods, I'd choose this..."
-Mark Fleischmann, hometheatermag.com
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"A company called Soundmatters has finally come up with a portable personal stereo speaker system that is small enough to transport easily and good enough sounding to be worth carrying in the first place. Enter the foxL™.
All this neat new technology would be of little value if the foxL™ didn't sound good, but it does! If you place it on a table or flat surface about a foot away from you (such as right behind your keyboard on your desk) it can create a remarkably full-range musical experience. Its midrange and upper frequency response is especially natural. Even the bass response is decent. No, it won’t rumble your stomach, but it does deliver enough bass information for music to sound full-range.
The foxL™ is designed to be a nearfield listening monitor. If you get more than two feet away from it the sound deteriorates rapidly. From across the room it sounds almost as mediocre as your average clock radio. Also if you turn up the volume too much the foxL™ can instantly go from very nice to borderline nasty. But if you hang the foxL™ from your neck, or keep it near you on a desk or table and don’t try to listen at 100 dB, the foxL™ delivers as promised.
The foxL™ has earned a place in my new minimalist traveling kit. Now I can enjoy my i-Pod's music without having an earphone jammed into my head. I can also share my music with others by hooking up the foxL™ instead of offering them my earbuds (which for some reason they usually decline.)"
-Steven Stone, Vintage Guitar
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"sound quality that defies its small size"
-Don Lindich, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
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"To audiophiles, the most striking aspect of the Foxl's performance will be that the sound is so neutral, so free of unnatural coloration. Vocals, in particular, sound fantastic. No matter if I listened to the wispy singing of Inara George from the eponymous debut CD by The Bird and the Bee, or jazz/blues guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer's guttural song stylings on Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions, the tonal veracity was comparable to what I get from my Genelec recording monitors. (You think I'm nuts? Check out the measurements.)
The frequency response of the Foxl looks like that of a well-engineered, $2,000-per-pair bookshelf speaker...; if you peruse other speaker reviews on Sound & Vision, you'll see that the Foxl's measured performance is superior to that of many, and perhaps most, conventional speaker systems we've tested.
My house is full of fantastic audio gear, including a couple of excellent home theater sound systems and a multiroom audio rig. I'm guessing, though, that this little $199 system will have at least as big an impact on my life as any of them. In the week I;ve had it, it's played several hours a day. Not only did it greatly liven up my most recent hotel stay, it's so small, I find myself toting it all over the house and around the yard. Some people may be turned off by the Foxl's price; most systems of its size go for about $40. But those who value good sound will consider it a bargain - and, perhaps, something of a miracle."
-Brent Butterworth, Sound & Vision
read the entire article
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"And if high quality playback wasn't enough, the foxL also proved capable when used as a handsfree Bluetooth speaker - including built in microphone."
-Paul Moons, Digital Reviews Network (Australia)
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"I reviewed Soundmatters' FULLstage HD compact, two-box surround sound system in the January issue of The Perfect Vision and can vouch for the fact that this firm has a wealth of experience when it comes time to pack big sound in small boxes.
But this time, the "mad scientists" at Soundmatters have outdone themselves; enter the Soundmatters "Pocket Monitor" - a high-end, battery-powered iPod/PC speaker that's about the size of a small flashlight. In truth, Soundmatters isn't 100 percent sure what they'll call this product, so "Pocket Monitor" is just a working title for now, though an apt one. The tiny stereo speaker features front-firing drive units with a clever, rear-firing passive radiator that hides a vented grille plate that doubles as a swing-out desktop stand. To make the best possible use of every cubic inch of this speaker's interior, Soundmatters engineers actually use the Pocket Monitor's battery module as the nicely weighted passive radiator - a very cool design touch.
You can gauge the diminutive size of the Pocket Monitor (from the photo on the next page), but what the picture can't tell you is how insanely great this little gadget actually sounds.
In fact, from about 100 Hz (which is lower than you might think) on up, the Pocket Monitor sounds very much like a good pair of mini-monitor loudspeakers, albeit with lower output capabilities. The Pocket Monitor will run for about 4.5 hours per charge (enough for a pleasant evening's worth of listening for travelers seeking good sound in their hotel rooms), and can be used either on a desktop or potentially worn around the listener's neck on a lanyard. Interestingly, when you hear the Pocket Monitor in the worn-on-the-chest position, the little rear-firing passive radiator gives your rib cage a good thump, creating the illusion of deeper bass than is actually present."
-Chris Martens, AVguide.com
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"We tested Foxl across a wide range of high fidelity audio samples, including a bunch of Mp3's and lossless tunes. For such a small speaker, the vibrancy of the sound is intense. This speaker pumps, no doubt about it."
-Daniel Long, Australian PC Authority
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"Amazing sound in a tiny package. Finally you can take near home theatre quality audio with you wherever you go. Those people who believe that you need a big speaker to enjoy good quality sound will be in for a very pleasant surprise."
-David Neiger, APC (Australia)
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"A Portable Boombox That Will Knock Your Socks Off"
"How can something so small be so powerful? This was the question we asked ourselves as we tested the Foxl personal loudspeaker from Soundmatters. Do not let this candy-bar speaker fool you: it is one of the best portable speakers we have seen to date.."
-Mendelson Tiu, Smart House Magazine
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 - European '09 PLUS X AWARD for Innovation
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 - M3 Digital World / Sweden
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"...soundmatters demoed for us the SLIMstage, an all-in-one-surround speaker console that will soon be available to consumers who demand "LCD-thin" surround speakers that provide high-definition audio without unsightly boxes and cables. We were impressed by the build quality and performance of the SLIMstage40."
-J. Walker Clarke, Jr., audioholics.com
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"No, SLIMstage is NOT a full-blown surround sound system. SLIMstage is a wonderful compromise that provides surround-like features of expanded sound stage and the illusion, when appropriate to the material being watched, of surround sound. For example, if a plane is flying overhead from front to back, it sounds as if the plane is doing just that. All this without external amps or additional speakers...SLIMstage is the perfect sound addition to any flat panel display!"
-Steve Kruschen, mrgadget.com
read the entire article
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"...produces high fidelity, room-filling sound from a simple, elegant all-in-one package with a minimum of wiring."
-Dick De Jong, HDTVsolutions.com
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"The ultimate iPod speaker? The perfect TV speaker upgrade? A better than decent entry-level audio system? The world's simplest near full-range surround rig? The longer I play with it, the more I've come to realize that Soundmatters' $599 two-piece FULLstageHD system is all these things and more."
- Chris Martens, The Perfect Vision
"The soundmatters FULLstageHD is a brilliant product."
- Mark Fleishmann, HomeTheatermag.com
"We watched "The Fog" DVD both with and without
the Soundmatters Substage 100 connected to the
MainstageHD, and the difference wasn't subtle.
The MainstageHD on its own is hardly bass shy,
but adding the sub is like bolting on a turbocharger.
The movie's bump-in-the-night parts were scarier
and the film's edgy tension was much more visceral
with the Substage 100 filling out the bottom end.
And the improvements weren't limited to bass punch;
the speaker's soundstage was bigger and deeper
with the Substage 100 in place."
- Steve Guttenberg, CNET.com
"I was gobsmacked by how full and rich the sound was. Full, rich, and, yes, powerful."
"Whoever tuned the MAINstage got it right. The top end rolls off smoothly and doesn't sound shrill or shouty. The sound is focused in the vocal region, and the SUBstage adds just enough solidity (if you tune its crossover intelligently) to support that. It sounds warm and easy to take. I think Sam Tellig might say it sounded "tubelike," and perhaps even reminisce about the fabulous Capehart consoles of yore. If he did, I wouldn't argue. "
- Wes Phillips, Stereophile e-newsletter
"The Soundmatters FULLstageHD is truly a marvel in Hi-Fi audio system design. While the two units that make up the system are efficiently compact, their audio performance is anything but. The MAINstageHD's pristine sound output is perfectly complemented by the SUBstage100's soulfully deep bass. Because there are only two parts to the system, setup is very clean and simple. Anyone looking for big audio performance without the huge speakers and long setup times cannot go wrong with Soundmatters FULLstageHD."
- Daniel Wu, www.atruereview.com
"You have to hear it to believe it.
This thing sounds awesome."
"Soundmatters really makes some great stuff..." " "...far better than most speaker systems out there and takes up less space. Your ears will thank you."
- Terry Mele, MyPersonalGetaway.com
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"Allison Krauss's Union Station Live concert DVD amply demonstrated the Soundmatters MainstageHD's pure sound. Ms. Krauss's vocals and fiddle took our breath away, and her band's guitars, mandolins, stand-up bass, and drums sounded big and juicy. Bass definition is well above par for such a tiny speaker."
"The bottom line: Soundmatters' fully featured virtual surround speaker system delivers home-theater thrills in a supercompact design."
- Steve Guttenberg, CNET.com
"Regular readers of the column will remember my recommendation of the Soundmatters MAINstage last year...a great many readers purchased them at my recommendation, later writing to me to express their satisfaction."
"I have always been a fan of the original MAINstage, but I am even more enthusiastic about the HD model. The regular MAINstage sounds very good - the HD model is excellent, sounding full and effortless."
"It's good enough that I would recommend those with the original unit to replace it with the HD model and move the original MAINstage into another room."
"It's (soundmatters) a great company, and it has great product and service."
-Don Lindich, Scripps Syndicated Columnist, Ventura County Star
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"... an impressive three-dimensional soundfield that did, in fact,
give the impression of sounds coming from different directions."
- Joseph Taylor, www.soundstageav.com
"(MAINstage HD) can bring home theater
to even the closet-size studio apartments
here in New York City."
"powerful and surprisingly satisfying"
"Here's the best part: The system measures
only 2.6 x 16.75 x 9.6 in."
- James Ross, Popular Mechanics
"We've seen small, high-fidelity audio products before. The most obvious comparison product to the Mainstage HD would be the Bose Wave Radio. Although the Mainstage HD doesn't have the alarm clock features, it does produce a crisper sound and is far more versatile than the Wave Radio."
"...it will give any source you feed into it punch, clarity and volume. If you don't have any space to spare, this will do a good job of giving you remarkably high-quality sound in a very small footprint."
Scores a 5 out of 6
- David Field, Australian PC Authority
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- March 2006
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"...surprisingly potent."
50 Best Gifts - Robb Report Home Entertainment
"... a steel enclosure measuring 8 inches high by 16.7 wide by 4.5 deep with grille. On one side is a 6.5-inch cone woofer. On the other side are a pair of square 6 by 6 inch passive radiators that are actually steel plates. I delighted in tapping them with my fingertip - they let out a small but solid bonking sound. These two steel walls, coated and suspended in rubber, are set in motion by neodymium magnets, and together they form a 14-inch piston. You might stick the unit at the bottom of the rack, but it might also mount on the wall behind the display, or mount behind your sofa if it's close to the wall, or sit under the sofa."
"...there's more to it than mere oomph. There's some real bass extension and a tonal purity absent from most subwoofers outside the megabucks high end."
Mark Fleishmann - HomeTheater.com
"soulfully deep bass"
- Daniel Wu
www.atruereview.com
"must-see technology"
- Popular Science
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"Tight, deep, musical bass in a stealth package.
We envision the ultimate home theatre setup
where each chair is outfitted with its own SUBstage.
Now how cool would that be? "
- Rick Spence (host of HGTV's Curb Appeal,) editor, Funkyfresh.com
"Sold individually or with the Soundmatters Mainstage HD, the Substage 100 is a remarkable little subwoofer. Its diminutive size simply does not indicate how effectively it produces bass... It's ingenious... makes the bass tight and responsive, with no flabby notes within earshot."
"The sound is very warm, suggesting an even, flat response. It worked well as part of our Hi-Fi setup and when paired to the Soundmatters Mainstage HD the difference it made was phenomenal."
"Scores a perfect 6 out of 6"
- David Field, Australian PC Authority
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"We hope to see more stealth and stylish products
from soundmatters in the coming years.
For now, the SUBstage 100 earns our respect as
a funkyfresh essential element."
- March 6, 2006
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"FOR THOSE OF US WHO DREAD the idea of drilling holes,
running wire and calculating speaker placement,
home theatre has just gotten a whole lot easier.
The answer , in a word, is MAINstage."
"...sounds remarkable, high-fidelity audio without the need
for satellite speakers, costly amplifiers...
requires just two connections to make it work:
a power cord and an audio connection."
- Mark Masciarotte, Private Air Magazine
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"Amazing, all-in-one hi-fi system
for computer, games, music & movies.
Perfect for students in dorms.
Get one for every TV in the house."
- Steve Krushen, Mr. Gadget® - www.mrgadget.com
read the entire Mr. Gadget article
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"scores a perfect 10 on the
Wife Acceptance Factor meter."
- Marc Horowitz, Sound + Vision
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". . . a masterpiece of minimalism."
"There's simply no way something so small and sleek
should be able to pump out clear audio and deep bass
at high volumes, but hearing is believing."
". . . crystal-clear high- and midrange while the integrated subwoofer
pounded out bass that rattled the windows, shook the floor,
and sent the pets running for cover."
- Smart Computing Learning Series
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"you won't believe your ears"
- Michael Fremer, Stereophile Guide to Home Theatre, Dec. 2003
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"A standout product that fits the needs
of a large number of TV lovers looking for better sound."
- Don Lindich
Multimedia Answers newspaper column
www.multimediaanswers.com
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"When our friends listened to the Mainstage, they were knocked out.
Most of them thought we were using our sub/sat system.
Everyone said something like, Wow, all that sound
is coming from that little thing?"
"The Mainstage maintained the authority of bluesman
R.L. Burnside's big, booming voice, and the energy
of our Rolling Stones tunes gave us plenty of satisfaction.
Buzzing occurred occasionally at high volumes
but never with bass-heavy CDs. In fact, we didn't detect
any problems as we blasted through the Pearl Harbor DVD.
The Mainstage again surprised us by flattering dialogue
with rich, full sound."
" . . potent 4-inch woofer already has enough oomph
to fill small rooms with bass, so you don't really need
bass augmentation, but a sub will also lighten the woofer's load,
thus allowing the little Mainstage to play more loudly without distorting"
- Steve Guttenberg, CNET
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"I plopped it on top of the television cabinet, made a few connections,
and voila - the difference was huge. Dialogue intelligibility
with the regular TV programs was much improved,
as was the sense that sound was enveloping the room...
when music was present in the mix, the overall balance
was much better too, as was the sense of high and low
frequency detail... with stereo and surround programming
the spatial presentation was almost eerie
...one other thing that should be emphasized
is how loudly the MAINstage will play
...a highly affordable answer to the question
of how to place a bunch of speakers and
a subwoofer in the average room."
- Wayne Garcia - avguide.com
The official website for The Absolute Sound and The Perfect Vision magazines
read the entire AV Guide article
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"Plop this magic box on top of your TV and, with a couple
of connections, your living room will be filled
with 80 watts of crisp, detailed, nearly 360-degree* surround sound.
No speakers all over the room, no jumble of wires.
Hack it into a DVD player, a satellite, a cable box or
a video-game system and everything from dialogue to
subwoofer-generated thumps will emanate from various
points around you. For such a compact box,
this thing really drowns out the sounds of our squeals."
*(a note from Soundmatters -- we think 180 degrees
is more accurate, but appreciate their enthusiasm)
- Stuff magazine, Gearotica
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"The virtual surround mode is nice.
In effect, it expands the soundstage width and height
with amazing depth and clarity. The bass is actually pretty good
as well. My setup placed the unit on top of a TV in the corner,
thus giving better extension to lower frequencies.
I was highly impressed by the sound output and
quality from the MAINstage."
"I couldn't help but to think that if the Soundmatters MAINstage
was wearing a Bose logo, it would easily retail
for two or three times the price.
At $300 the MAINstage is a sweet addition
to any simple audio setup."
- Clint Walker, DVDETC. Magazine
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". . .puts out great overall sound with surprisingly strong bass."
"The MAINstage performs quite well for gaming.
In stereo mode, it sounds like an excellent pair of speakers
reproducing booming explosions and whizzing bullets.
In surround mode, like watching movies, the background
ambient noises sound wide and dispersed."
"Whether it is being used with a theatre system,
a computer, or one of those increasing popular network
streaming components like the iCube Play@TV and
Apple's new AirPort Express, the MAINstage
will bring big sound from a small package."
- Daniel Wu
www.atruereview.com
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"Great if you don't want to spend $1,500
for one of those Bose systems"
"It really works"
"Lots of great features"
- The Computer & Technology Show with Marc and Mark, KABC, Los Angeles
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The MAINstage was honored during the 2004 International
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for its unique
"design and engineering" and as one of the most innovative
products of the year.
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