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"The foxL v2 Platinum is the single most astonishing piece of audio gear I have ever heard. All of this has a list price of $279, but can be found online for $229. That didn’t stop some of the computer a-hole writers from saying "such quality doesn’t come cheap." Something is wrong with those geeks.
The sound produced by the foxL v2 Platinum amazed me. A low end that goes down to 80Hz means that human voices sound convincingly right. I took the review sample to the house of a music-loving friend‚ the owner of a wine shop‚ and played him Jacqueline Du Pré performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto. "It does cello!" he exclaimed in amazement. The comment by my next-door neighbor‚ an audiophile‚ though incredibly positive‚ is unprintable.
The foxL v2 Platinum does do cello. It goes deep enough to rock out reasonably well. It will just plain amaze you‚ no matter your musical tastes. Along with the physics-defying low-end extension‚ it sounded clean and linear.
I’m not saying that this little wonder performs better than a big system—I’ll leave that kind of hyperbole to the "B" company—but after playing with this thing for a month‚ all I can say is what I said the first time I heard it: The foxL v2 Platinum is the single most astonishing piece of audio gear I’ve ever heard. It belongs under every audiophile’s Christmas tree or Chanukah menorah or Ramadan fanoos or Kwanzaa kinara or agnostic question mark."
- Michael Fremer, Contributing Editor, Stereophile for audiostream.com
"If you were to hear the pocket-sized foxL V2 before you saw it, you'd think the crisp highs, deep bass, and crystal clear vocals were coming from a speaker fives times its size.
" BEST in CLASS" (vs. Altec, Creative, Jawbone, Supertooth)
- GEAR, August, 2011, Men's Journal
"The amazing thing about this speaker is the sound you get out of this little box."
View the review here!
- Ced Kurtz, April 17, 2011, Post-Gazzette.com
"Packing for efficiency and utility has become an obsession with me. Anything that makes the pack lighter is great. So, when I come across something that saves me space and weight and on that rare occasion, not only meets but exceeds expectation, I cannot keep the good news to myself."
"The Foxl V2 provides warm and solid lows, well-defined mids and distinct highs that do not grate against the listening experience as so many small speakers do, even at hefty volumes.Many times I have found myself looking at this thing, still astonished at the full and excellently realized sound coming at me. The construction of the casing is rugged, you get plugs for all countries and with every kind of music I have put through the Foxl V2, the results have been great."
"So, travelers of all stripes, or any of you looking for a small system for your room or office that can fit in your pocket and go for a good long time on a full charge, this is ultimate gear."
- Henry Rollins, August 5 , 2010, CNN.com
"When we reviewed the first edition of the Soundmatters Foxl Personal Audiophile Speaker (Bluetooth) last year, its small footprint and large soundstage over a wired connection blew us away. We preferred the Bluetooth-free model, since the wireless audio quality tended to suffer from aural degradation. A little more than a year later, Soundmatters has a new version of the Bluetooth portable speaker that not only improves on the wireless audio quality, but also extends the wireless range and includes a built-in speakerphone for portable teleconferencing. At $200 for the Bluetooth model, the FoxL v2 is certainly one of the more expensive portable speakers we've tested, but the fidelity and build quality make it a worthwhile purchase for serious audiophiles on the run."
4.0 STARS EXCELLENT
- Justin Yu, June 21, 2010, CNET.com
"...the foxL (v2 Bluetooth) is unbelievable. I spent my first ten minutes with the foxL just staring at it, wondering how the hell they manage to get so much volume out of such a little speaker."
"...we have featured travel friendly speakers here on Gadling before, but none of them get even remotely close to the performance of the foxl."
"Battery life is rated at 5 hours - which is quite astounding, given how well this thing performs."
"I'm not joking when I say that the foxL performs better than my (pretty pricey) PC speakers. Best of all the foxL doesn't just excel in volume, it also produces amazing clarity."
- Scott Carmichael, April 19, 2010, Gadling.com
"The foxL (v2 Bluetooth) has astonishing sound for its size; The amount of bass and its complex range make the speaker's 2.2" by 5.6" by 1.4" dimensions seem like an optical illusion."
- John Dioso, February 4, 2010, Rolling Stone
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"The foxL's [v2 Bluetooth wireless] sound is jaw-droppingly big, in dramatic inverse proportion to its size. Upper-bass response is very impressive for such a small device, especially when the FoxL is positioned near a wall. (The packaging includes a miniature rubber mat to prevent the speaker from hopping across the table as it plays; you'll need that mat with bass-heavy music.) The FoxL automatically reduces volume a bit when powered off the built-in battery, but even then it gets very loud. Overall the FoxL actually sounds beefier than the not-too-shabby itself [much much larger] Soundblade - the audio here is, frankly, amazing given the size of what's producing it. If portability or sound quality is your number one goal, go with the pocket-sized FoxL (v2 Bluetooth)."
- Review Roundup - Bluetooth Speakers, January 13, 2010, Macworld.com
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"A few weeks ago, Soundmatters VP Lee Adams stopped by to give me a quick demo of the first engineering sample of the new V2 Bluetooth FoxL...The performance of the V2 Bluetooth was obviously better than that of the first Bluetooth model. The sound I heard playing tunes from Adams' iPhone through the Bluetooth connection was nearly as good as what you'd get with a wired connection."
-Brent Butterworth, Sound & Vision
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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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"...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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