Martin Lévay Jarre Aerosystem One. Is this speaker system worth twenty thousand crowns? From the point of view of sound quality, used technologies and design, it definitely corresponds to the purchase price. But let's start from the beginning. You can find the current status at the end of the article...
When we Jarre Aerosystem One my colleague and I unpacked for the first time, I thought to myself Jar he is an excellent musician, but he probably doesn't need to associate his name with an overpriced speaker in a glass. Then I let it go. Composition One by Metallica has a very specifically recorded kick, few speakers are able to play it well. I quickly apologized to Mr. Jarre, Aerosytem got a first with an asterisk right from the start. Not only did the kick strum and blow properly, but the midrange guitars cut beautifully and Hetfield's voice was beautifully ugly and raw as it sounded clear and distinct.
As I turned up the volume, I apologized a second time for my blasphemous remarks about "replicas in the glass." In the lower part, there is a bass speaker, which serves as a baffle, a roughly half-meter tube made of glass and metal. True, I once also did experiments with a speaker in a glass enclosure, but it could not be used commercially. Jarre succeeded. Spindrift from Madonna then confirmed to me that the low tones all sound equally balanced, that the lowest bass tones do not disappear, because the speaker would not be able to play them and the loudspeaker would not be able to transmit them. This is something you usually pay extra for in the home audio category. They pay a lot extra. The stable low tones of the speakers usually do not play up to five thousand. Having tried the simpler jazz tracks, I have to admit that the Aerosystem is worth the money.
Where with him?
You can place the Aerosystem anywhere, but the best place for it is on the floor about half a meter from the wall, when the mid-height speakers point at a 90° angle towards the listener. So the stereo is not a strong point, but with a suitable location and optimal arrangement of the living room, the right and left channels can be heard there, but much more important for us is that the Aerosystem can pleasantly fill the room with sound. Sounding the room with low tones is difficult with column systems, the ideal listening position in the listening triangle is played here. However, the Aerosystem, thanks to the floor-directed bass, sends the low tones in circles almost symmetrically around the room, so when you move to another part of the room, the bass does not disappear and is still about the same volume. Carpet is not an ideal surface for this method of reproduction, but it does not spoil the sound. And if you have tiles or a floating floor, you won't have a problem. What a problem. You will be thrilled.
Performance
The performance will clearly sound a living room of 8 by 12 meters, so it is better to choose something smaller for the living room of a block of flats, the sound might not stand out. I thank Mr. EK for the illustrative example, I have to admit that if you give Aerosyte space, he will cuddle with it. By placing it in a corner, you may emphasize the bass, if you have the Aerosystem as an interior element, it won't matter too much that the right and left channel distinguishable will be lost a little. If you prefer to listen louder, you will be delighted in the living room. And neighbors too, but in a different sense of the word.
Connection
Aerosystem has a small 3,5mm jack at the bottom of the base, and a standard dock with a 30-pin connector for iPhone and iPod at the top. You cannot connect an iPhone 5 to the connector without a reduction. You won't find any built-in wireless connectivity, neither steel nor glass are materials through which wireless signals can be propagated without problems.
We have always solved this problem with the purchased Airport Express with AirPlay. If you are handy and know how to hide the supply cables in the floor, then the connector on the top of the post can be covered with a plastic cover and the whole thing suddenly looks like a work of art. By the way, it can play MP3s from a USB stick, but I didn't use it because I was using the iPhone over Wi-Fi AirPlay. The package includes a remote control, simple and with some elements reminiscent of the Apple Remote. By the way, you can find only one button on the top of the Aerosytem. A short press turns the entire system on and off, and a long press turns the volume down or up. Since I mostly used Airplay via Airport Express, I controlled the volume directly with my mobile phone from my pocket. You'll get used to it. He gets used to these things well, so AirPlay via Bluetooth didn't really suit me because of the slightly clumsier handling.
AeroBluetooth to Aerosystem
Jarre was a little late in bringing Bluetooth wireless connectivity to the market. The box in the matching color is made of plastic, because the Bluetooth signal would not pass through metal. That is why Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are not part of the body of the Aerostyem One, the signal would not go out and most likely the designers did not manage to incorporate the antenna in a suitable way. When I thought about the antenna for a few weeks, I didn't even think of how to sensitively integrate the antenna into the body, so I don't blame it as a mistake, the mentioned advantages of the metal construction clearly balance the absence of a built-in wireless connection.
The AeroBT box (pictured below) is powered by four lead-acid batteries, and you can connect it to an Aerosystem or other active speakers with a hardwired short cable. It's fair to say that the AeroBT appears to run on lead-acid batteries only. The competition offers a similar Bluetooth AirPlay box with a power adapter. The competitor's will work just as well, but I'd rather hide it because it doesn't match the look (it's a black square box). But even so, my recommendation for the more expensive but much more convenient use with AirPlay via Airport Express still applies. With speakers for twenty thousand, probably no one will compromise on appearance and functionality.
Reviews
Anyone who doesn't know it, at first glance, won't realize that it's a speaker system, referred to elsewhere as 2+1 (2 channels plus a subwoofer). It is a little reminiscent of an outdoor post with lighting. White, black, or stainless Aerosystem certainly don't look cheap, they certainly don't play cheap, and anyone who knows how to listen will appreciate the investment.
I wouldn't limit it to music genres, classical, rock and jazz listeners will be delighted. Balanced sound, solid performance, extravagant appearance correspond to the purchase price. Of course, you can also play dance music on the Jarre Aerosystem, techno or hip-hop sound very good. It's just like… like in a house party suit. No one will tell you anything, but it doesn't fit. But that's just my personal opinion, just like the Aerosystem One is not meant to be connected to a TV screen. Of course you can do this, it's just that it's kind of customary for the speakers to be on the sides of the screen, but the Aerosystem One column would extend into the screen if I placed it in front of the screen in the middle. However, the fact is that when we tried placing the Aeorystem One next to the screen, it didn't mind.
Criticism and praise
Please take my criticisms with a grain of salt. Sound and processing flawless, I really wouldn't be sorry to pay twenty grand for something like this. Personally, however, two little things spoil the whole product for me - wireless AirPlay is not part of the body and the AUX input is a classic 3,5 mm jack from the back on a round base.
I understand the lack of wireless, metal and glass are not good materials for wireless signal transmission, so even if the wireless could be placed in the body, it would be well shielded and wouldn't make sense. I also understand the location of the 3,5mm jack connector in the base, because there is a speaker from below, and handling the audio jack blindly from below could damage the diaphragm of the bass speaker, which is more or less unprotected from below. So it's nothing major, but I can imagine the next generation without the aforementioned weaknesses. And what do I give praise for? For the power cord, it has a sexy plug. Then for a single control button and for the possibility to cover the top with a plastic cover.
I also like the hiding of the cables, which run through the glass parts and do not spoil the impression. The speaker grill design is also good, I like that there is no "weak" or "soft" spot where I could damage the Aerosystem if I awkwardly grab it and try to move it around. The robust construction and the feeling that I won't break it is nice and enhances the overall impression.
Feeling after more than a year?
I like the sound. I am repeatedly surprised by listening to Aerosystem, which has a beautiful balanced sound. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want it at home, but I also regret not having enough space for it. If I had a living room of at least 5 by 6 meters and I wanted "something nice for enjoyment" there for my iPhone or iPad, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment. The twenty thousand is relatively enough, but I repeat, the sound, style and appearance correspond to the price.
Of course, you can have a speaker try on in store, just keep in mind that it will sound different in a different room. The acoustics in stores are terrible, so expect it to be even better at home. If you want speakers for a cabinet or a TV stand, choose Zeppelin. If you want floor-standing speakers, I think the Aerosystem One is more convenient than the traditional cabled-and-amplified column speakers. I don't know of a smarter off-the-shelf solution. It would not be fair to compare the Aerosystem One with other speakers, the different construction, different materials and higher price put the Jarre Technologie product in a category where it is more or less alone.
currently
At the end of the holidays, the Aerosystem One was on sale for half, that is, around ten thousand crowns, and as far as I know, it is no longer commonly available. If you can get it somewhere, I can only recommend it if you intend to use it in a larger room as a wireless speaker in combination with an AirPort Express, as the 30-pin connector is becoming obsolete. Meanwhile, Jarre Technologies has prepared new cartridges, so we can look forward to new fads. The XNUMX-watt AeroBull, the AeroTwist, and the rainbow-colored J-TEK ONE look crazy enough, as does the only decent audio device for the ladies: the Aero System One by Lalique. But I won't be fooled this time. I will also be prepared for the alternative that those very unusual shaped speakers will play really well again. Like everything from Jarre Technologies so far.
We discussed these living room audio accessories one by one:
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the only complaint – it is not for iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s/5c …. because it has an old connector, and I don't know if it would already be for the new Lightning (that's why it's 4s in the pictures)
It works without problems with the reduction, I can recommend it.
how can I use a reduction for a device for x thousand? So I won't make a mistake... I'll just wait until it's on Lightning... If you have it, I understand that reduction is a must
I have tried several such devices and at a price under 10k it was irresistible. Few such devices can handle the use of a reducer and here it's really cool, it can be permanently inserted and all you have to do is put on and take off the iPhone, cool with one hand. Here the reduction really does not limit. On the contrary, it's a great advantage, because sometimes I also put an older iPhone or iPod nano there. No other device would allow me to do this so elegantly.
I don't have a device with the original connector anymore so I'm still waiting for a new model or something else with AirPlay, it's just a shame two years after Lightning to sell a device with a 30 pin connector
I agree, all these devices should have been on the market with a lightning connector a long time ago. Hell, what can be done. There are a few. An old dock connector at this time for such a price is really a shame. I can be glad that I am one of the few exceptions who still find it quite useful. But basically I use it almost daily with the iPhone 5, in fact I often put it there just to charge it and leave the clock on the display.
When you take the iPhone 5 out of that adapter - does the connector between the iPhone and Lightning disconnect, or does the 30 pin/Lightning adapter tend to pop out and stay in the iPhone - and then I take the iPhone out, disconnect the adapter from the iPhone and put it back into the Aerosystem One? I'm wondering if the two connections right next to each other will allow the right connector... Because if not, it must be really annoying.
I also use the clock on the display, specifically the application from Sony, alternately in JBL and in iHome devices :-)
It's happened to me (maybe 2 times) that the reduction is left on the iPhone, but otherwise it always stays in place and I just grab the iPhone and go. Nor does it raise any mistrust or concern that the reduction should come loose and remain on the iPhone, which I would be sensitive to and resent. But what would I do with it then - maybe I would consider a more solid connection. He always held the 30-pin connector better than needed, so there's really no problem with that.
A tighter connection? How to squeeze the 30 pin connector with the combi? :-) But otherwise, thanks a lot for the info, I have a similar reaction from another user, thanks for the possibility of comparison.
Yes, D-Sappli from Sony, it suited me right away, the developers didn't complicate it with anything, just the clock and the brightness of the display. More in the Sony piece...
That Sony clock - is that the D-Sappli app? Good tip, I quite like the Classic Black style. It's still not 100% what I want, but it's good enough and I'll probably use it for a while. I liked the Clock Stand app, but it's annoying to display the weather - I can't get it there at the moment. It's one of the few clock apps that I like in terms of design. I would have liked to see the current outside temperature there (in this design), but even if it doesn't work, it still uses location services and thus eats up power - making the iPhone charge slower (at least that's what I feel like).
The picture shows iPhone 4 not 4S just for completeness
iPhone 4 played music and I used iPhone 4S to take pictures, just for completeness :-)
Well, I almost made up my mind from this, "And what am I going to give praise for? For the power cord, it has a sexy plug. " Like a sexy fork in the shape of a penis? :))))