Others say...

"For what it IS (tiny and portable), an EXCELLENT product!"
Here's the real deal. This Macally Podwave portable speaker system has not been given a 'fair shake' at all by many reviewers here, given their much too high and unrealistic expectations. Of course you won't get full range sound and dynamics out of such tiny portable speakers. They aren't intended for this! These are highly portable, compact stereo speakers designed for NEARFIELD listening (close to your body or face), to be worn around your neck or placed directly in front of you for best sound. I needed a compact, lightweight pair of speakers connected to my MP3 player, I could wear around my neck (my MP3 player is tiny, and much smaller than an iPOD). For safety reasons, I like listening to music this way when walking the dog at night or riding my bicycle so I can better hear sounds around me. Regarding the sound itself, it is very good IF the speaker is NEAR you as mentioned above. Mids and highs are there, in surprising detail for a speaker this size. Deep bass is lacking, of course, but the drums and bass lines are there and quite audible, just without the kick and vibration you would hear on larger drivers (speakers). The sound is pleasing overall. Keep in mind that you must use the volume control on your MP3 player to drive these speakers, and that the higher the recorded bitrate of your music (192 kbps or better is ideal for better frequency response and dynamic range), the better the sound coming out of these little wonders. 'Garbage in, garbage out', as the saying goes. I have also read some of the reviews here mentioning that the more current units have better sounding speakers than older units. Perhaps they changed the design for the better? In any case, this unit fits it's 'design niche' perfectly, and works quite well for what it was intended for.

"Macally Podwave Portable Stereo Speakers "
Not loud enough. Battery doesn't last long enough. Maybe they will improve but right now don't buy.

"Speakers blow out easily"
DO NOT USE THESE IF YOU PLAN TO BLAST MUSIC! THEY WILL BLOW OUT WITHIN A DAY! AND THE SOUND QUALITY IS HORRIBLE!

"Don't waste your time"
1) Sound is dismal beyond belief unless room is absolutely quiet - volume is too weak.
2) Poor design - speakers swivel & rotate annoyingly around your iPod.
3) Overpriced - there are better choices. Don't waste your time or money with this junk.


"This weighs 10 pounds?"
OK, so I haven't bought this yet...but I'm thinking about it. I just don't understand why the product dimension and product weight shown is 10 lbs.... is it just me, or is that ridiculous?