TDK Life on Record 77000015410 Sound Cube Audio System

• Two powerful 5 1/4-inch coaxial drivers deliver full range sound
• Play your iPod/iPhone music while charging using the USB to 30 pin Apple cable
• Using the rotary dial and front facing screen, play and control music directly from storage devices including USB flash and external hard drives
• Compact design and handle let you take your music anywhere
• Input options let you connect most audio devices and mix with an instrument

I thought it was very cool that TDK was releasing modernized portable radios, built with a high level of quality that generally hasn't been seen in radios for a good 20-30 years.

When I first plugged it in, I listened to FM (FM mind you, not a digital source), and after a short time said to myself... "this sounds as good as my Proton 300/301". For those of you who know about, or are lucky enough to own an old Proton, that's some fine company to keep. Is it as good? I don't have the equipment to test and prove so, but it's mighty close if it isn't.

I wished that on occasion, when going camping, to a picnic, etc... that I could take the Proton (and it's fantastic sound quality) with me. Well, now with a 12-pack of D-Batteries and a Sound Cube, you can do just that. The battery door is on the bottom, and screws securely into brass sockets mounted in the radio (you can use a nickel as a screwdriver). It doesn't have those typical flimsy plastic door clips you find on most radios; so you can put away that roll of electrical tape you use to patch the battery doors on your old radios. You also won't need to paste any foam on the door to keep the batteries from rattling, as the Cube already has a piece of well secured good quality foam (that won't rot from age). Nice touch!

How about features? The drivers are on the left/right sides of the Cube. The passive radiators are on the front/back. Granted, you lose some volume if you're in front of the control side (as the drivers fire sideways), but for stereo separation, that makes sense. Need more volume? Hey, it "goes to 11". Yes, it really does. There are two markings for the volume knob... "Off", and "11". Bonus point to the folks at TDK for having a sense of humor!

I definitely like the touch-screen control panel. Source selections are: 1)FM; 2)USB for flash drives and such; 3)AUX-1 for either the 1/8" Mini-Stereo jack for portable CD/MP3 players or the 1/4" Instrument jack; 4)AUX-2 to use standard RCA L/R jacks; and 5)MIX INST will let you mix a guitar in with a piece of music you're playing.

The EQ adjusts Bass/Treble. It would be nice if there were settings to tweak a wider range, but it does the job just fine; many modern radios don't have any tone controls, so I can't complain.

There are 5 presets on the touch-screen panel to save favorite FM stations, and of course the controls for playing MP3s (back/forward/play/pause).

The screen (OLED... nice!) shows what input you have selected, displays RDS info if the FM station you're listening too carries that (a nice touch, I didn't expect that to be a feature); and has a graphic equalizer that's thankfully subtle. Some equalizer displays are too bright/hyper; they're entertaining for a few minutes, but shortly become annoying. Someone at TDK had the sense to build in a graphic equalizer that won't become an irritation shortly after buying the radio (Thank You!).

OK... how is navigating a bunch of MP3s on a USB stick? Smooth sailing. I sort my music by band/album/song. The display shows icons for folders and lists the name of the folder, and displays the song titles when it recognizes songs. If you're scrolling through the list of songs, it shows a speaker icon next to the one it's playing. So navigating USB sticks is fast, easy... and 320k MP3s/VBRs work just fine (but it won't decode FLAC directly off a USB stick).

The top is rubberized, so your portable players won't get scratched up, and it helps keep them from sliding around. The FM antenna is easy to grab with your fingernails, and if you pull it out far enough, it will pivot. The carrying handle is sturdy, which is good as the Cube is a wee bit heavy when you fill it up with batteries.

The majority of the case is a flat/textured black (Hooray!). I'm tired of the smooth/glossy/fingerprint magnet cases that are so popular with electronics makers (but don't seem to be so popular with their customers).

The control knobs, speaker dust caps, and display are a subtle dark yellow/gold; the power-on light (on the volume knob) and currently active controls (such as play) are a "non-eye melting" white, which gives it a touch of class while still looking modern. I used to work in the art business so I couldn't help notice that the person who did the graphic design did a nice job. Usually products like this look "slapped together", so the effort put into its appearance is appreciated.

I like it much more than I expected; TDK has a sleeper hit here. For those of you scouring the "Bay" in desperation to find an old Proton radio in decent condition (and for a reasonable price), you might be happier with the Cube, which is also more capable.

Bonus: Looking for a carrying case to put it in to protect the drivers, and to keep it dry/clean when transporting it? Stop by your local "Mega-Mart", and look for the

cube-shaped, soft-sided, 36-can soda cooler (with the removable/washable hard plastic liner). The Cube fits -perfectlyin it, and the price is right.

Buy TDK Life on Record 77000015410 Sound Cube Audio System Now

We purchased this cube for our 15 year old daughter, after reading a product-placement review at Wired. It is ergonomically far simpler than a full amp/speakers/subwoofer stereo system, easily moved room-to-room or used as a footrest, and it provides inputs for all of her music sources.

Note that there are actually two 5 1/4-inch coaxial drivers; the other two speaker-like ports are passive reflectors. So while this cube presents the illusion of being a subwoofer, two speakers, and a crossover circuit, it actually consists of two full-range speakers. There are physical limits to the subwoofer effect one can achieve with any 17 lb, 20 Watts RMS, 10" cube; this wouldn't be the right choice for a high school dance. There's little risk of the bass loosening one's deck screws, and anyone who knows the sound of a 200 Watts RMS 12" powered subwoofer could write a scathing review if they chose to be so clever. Given the physical limits here, I'm surprised how good this cube sounds.

In a 10' by 10' room the sound is remarkable. The 17 lb heft delivers. The bass is extraordinarily clean; the highs are quite clear but not the cleanest I've ever heard. With an inferior-sounding bass, a teen's natural reaction is to crank it up to compensate, and parents hears loud bass through the walls, of an embarrassing and disturbing sound quality. With this extraordinarily clean bass, there is no compensation reaction, and parents hear a tight, quieter bass through the walls that is far more pleasing. This is a nice bonus, and an argument to proceed for parents hesitating to so equip their teens.

With twice the budget, and a willingness to give up the ergonomic advantages of a single, portable cube, I'd go self-powered components from Audioengine, with extraordinarily clear highs to match the more powerful, actual subwoofer bass:

Audioengine A5 Powered Multimedia Speaker System (Black)

Audioengine AS8 Subwoofer 125 Watt black

Nevertheless, this cube fills its niche perfectly, and is a great value at its price point.

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TDK's Sound Cube feels very well made and sounds better than I'd imagined. The bass it pumps out is excellent given the woofer size. For the price, it's far and away the best portable speaker system I've heard.

Note: portability comes at a small price. If you take this on a plane flight, you will have your luggage searched every time. As a TSA agent said, "Man, that thing looks SINISTER on the x-ray."

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An excellent device with great sound, nice features and good looks.

But...Take batteries out after use. I spoke with TDK after experiencing the complete draining of my batteries twice (thankfully I use rechargeables). They acknowledged the problem and explained when you turn off the the Sound Cube it is actually going into standby mode and still drawing some power. There is no work around to this issue. Not a handy feature when running on batteries. If planning to bring on an extended trip without easy access to power from the plug. My recommendation is bring something else.

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Well, I have many portable sound systems in my larger home. I have bought a different one for every room to match the audio characteristics of the room (size and shape), and I found this approach to be a better alternative to re-wiring the house for built-in speakers or using a WiFi networked system (e.g., the Logitech Squeezebox family, which I also own three pieces of). From a sound quality perspective the TDK Cube is BETTER than all of them very clear, distortion free, and balanced. The Cube sounds just as good (if not fuller) than its sibling TDK 3-Speaker Boombox, it's only true rival. The 3-Speaker box is not portable but The Cube is easily portable.

How does it sound? Lemme tell you about the bass WOW!! It is so full and rich that you would be hard-pressed to tell it's not your home audio system with extra sub-woofer connected! But the big bass does not drown out the beautiful mids and highs. I don't know how TDK has made such a wonder for such a price (and why the others couldn't do it for more?) It plays louder than the TEAC SR-100i (2x50 Watts) and the B&W Zeppelin even though the TDK has "only" 20 Watts of RMS power (certainly the result of more efficient speakers). Even at max volume I cannot hear any distortion but it is hard to bear that volume in any room short of a dance hall.

Highly recommended you will not be disappointed with any aspect of this sound system.