Michal Ždanský During the time I've been testing speakers, I've come across different types of audio equipment, but the Vibe-Tribe is proof that there's always something new to invent. It is questionable whether the device can even be described as a speaker, since they completely lack a membrane, the vibration of which produces sound. Instead, it turns any nearby object or surface into a membrane, be it a piece of furniture, a box or a glass case.
The Vibe-Tribe transmits vibrations to every surface on which it is placed, allowing the sound to be reproduced, the quality of which depends on the material on which it rests. The Italian company that has these devices in its portfolio offers several models, from which we tried the compact Troll and the more powerful Thor. If this unusual sound reproduction concept intrigued you, read on.
Video review
[youtube id=nWbuBddsmPg width=”620″ height=”360″]
Design and processing
Both devices have an elegant aluminum body almost on the entire surface, only on the upper part you will find shiny plastic. In the case of the smaller Troll, it is a flat surface that looks a bit like glass, the Thor is slightly convex at the top and also contains touch sensors in this part, which can be used to control playback or even receive calls and then make calls thanks to the built-in microphone located in the middle of the top surface.
At the bottom we find special pedestals on which the device stands and which also transmit vibrations to the surface for sound reproduction. The surface is rubber, there is no danger of them sliding on the mat, although the larger Thor tends to travel slightly during music with dense bass. The bottom of the Thor also functions as a speaker if it is not placed on any surface.
On the side we find the power button and the USB port. The Troll has both the port and the switch off exposed, and the plastic lever has three positions – off, on and Bluetooth. the difference between on and Bluetooth is the audio input method, as USB can also serve as a line in. Finally, there are two LEDs indicating pairing via Bluetooth and charging.
Thor has both the connector and the power button hidden under a rubber cover, which does not look very elegant due to the ubiquitous aluminum, and it does not hold in place very well. Unlike the smaller Vibe-Tribe with miniUSB, it has a microUSB port as well as a microSD slot, from which it can play MP3, WAV and WMA files (unfortunately not AAC). The power button has only two positions this time, as the audio sources are switched on the upper part.
Both Vibe-Tribes weigh just over half a kilo, which is quite a lot for their size, especially for the small 56mm version. However, there is a reason for this. A certain pressure must be exerted on the base for better transmission of vibrations, otherwise the whole system would be quite inefficient. Inside there is also a built-in battery with a capacity of 800 mAh and 1400 mAh in the case of Thor. For both, the capacity is enough for four hours of reproduction.
Among other things, Thor also has an NFC function, which, however, you will not use much with Apple devices, at least the support of gentle Bluetooth 4.0 will please you
Vibration to sound
As mentioned at the beginning, the Vibe-Tribe is not a classic speaker, although the Thor does include a small speaker. Instead, it creates sound by transmitting vibrations to the mat on which it stands. By vibrating the object on which the Vibe-Tribe stands, a relatively loud musical reproduction is created, at least for the size of both products.
The quality, delivery and volume of the sound will depend on what you place the Vibe-Tribe on. For example, empty cardboard boxes, wooden tables, but also glass tops have proven themselves well. Less sonorous is metal, for example. After all, there is nothing easier than taking the device and exploring the place in which it plays best.
Due to the variability of the sound characteristics depending on the material used as a pad, it is difficult to say how the Vibe-Tribe actually plays. Sometimes the bass can hardly be heard at all, other times there is so much that Thor begins to rattle unpleasantly, almost drowning out the music reproduction. It is definitely not suitable for metal tracks or dance music, but if you prefer pop genres or lighter rock, the audio experience may not be bad at all.
I will add that Thor has a frequency range of 40-Hz - 20 kHz while Troll 80 Hz-18 Khz.
záver
The Vibe-Tribe is clearly not intended for music connoisseurs looking for a brilliantly balanced sound. The speakers will be more interesting to geeks who are looking for an interesting audio gadget. With the Vibe-Tribe, whether you have a Troll or a Thor model, you'll definitely catch the attention of a wide area and many will stop to think that the device made your dresser play.
If you want something unusual and technologically interesting for your gadget collection, which also brings reproduced music into your room, the Vibe-Tribe might be an interesting item. The smaller Troll will cost around 1500 CZK, and the Thor will cost around 3 CZK.
- Design
- Interesting concept
- Thor's hands-free function
[/checklist][/one_half]
[one_half last="yes"]
Disadvantages:
[bad list]
- Reproduction quality not guaranteed
- Weak points in processing
- Rattling at higher basses
[/badlist][/one_half]
Thank you for the loan CZECH DATA SYSTEMS s.r.o
so it really "pays off" :-D
I really wonder who specifically is "looking for an interesting audio gadget" with abysmal sound quality and rumble in deeper bass.
I do not recommend these Chinese imitations at all.
For a much better price with much better sound quality.
Czech manufacturer: http://www.bassegg.cz
1) I probably wouldn't call Vibe-Tribe a Chinese imitation
2) It can be seen that Luděk never held it in his hand (I probably wouldn't buy it either, but I can understand that someone would)