What is it?
Smaller than a box of matches, this tiny box from BlackBerry provides an audio port for a set of external speakers and a Bluetooth link for an iPod or mobile phone to stream music wirelessly.
Does it work?
Simple is too complicated a word for describing the operation of the Music Gateway. Power comes through a mini USB port (sadly, no charger is supplied in the box) and there's a 3.5mm audio jack to hook up a set of speakers. With the right cable this can be linked up to a hi-fi receiver, too.
Push down on the top of the device, activating the only button it has, to send it into pairing mode. Use your laptop, phone or Bluetooth-equipped audio player to discover it, and you're good to go.
In summary
Good: Adds Bluetooth streaming to your existing speakers; easy setup
Bad: Pricey; no power source in box
Rating: 8/10
Price: R799
Contact: www.blackberry.co.za
Output: 3.5mm audio jack
Power: USB minijack, adapter not included
Audio profile: A2DP
Audio quality is as good as your source files, since the A2DP Bluetooth profile sends a digital signal to the Music Gateway. Any signal degradation is experienced as skipping in the audio, not degrading quality.
It's just super convenient having something like this, rather than a dedicated Bluetooth speaker. Most folks already have pretty decent audio systems and the Audio Gateway is perfect for adding Bluetooth functionality. Walk in, connect to the device and start playing music, with the player still in your hand. No need for complicated remote controls to skip songs, either.
Should I buy it?
There aren't many alternatives for something like this, so paying R800 for the convenience of having wireless music playback and control is as expensive or cheap as your budget allows.
I'll go ahead and say that it's a bit cheeky, though, given the lack of a USB power adapter in the box. The manual says that a standard BlackBerry travel charger will work, but the one that came with my Curve 3G had a completely different connector. Go figure.
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