MBS-100

Unidentified flying… speaker?

Good Gear Guide

  • Review
  • Specs
  • Images
  • User Reviews
  • Buy Online

Described by Sony Ericsson as a "wireless sphere of music”, the MBS-100 is a portable Bluetooth speaker with a twist. This circular speaker could be compared to a number of different objects including a spider, a moon rock or even a UFO!

Pros

  • Quirky design, simple operation, excellent sound quality considering its size

Cons

  • Battery is non-removable

Bottom Line

This strange-looking device is actually a very useful speaker. Don’t let the design fool you, as Sony Ericsson’s MBS-100 is a commendable mobile phone accessory.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 108.00 (AUD)

The MBS-100 is a large plastic circle finished in matte black plastic. Although it’s a little too big to cup comfortably in your hand, the speaker is ideal for travelling as it runs off a rechargeable battery. Despite the all-plastic design and the fact that the unit is light, it feels quite solid and well built.

The speaker grille consists of different sized circles etched into the casing, each circle covered by standard black speaker mesh, similar to those found on regular speakers and hi-fi systems. Underneath the MBS-100 is a standard 3.5mm jack for connecting a non-Bluetooth audio source, as well as power and Bluetooth buttons. The battery is non-removable and is charged via the included proprietary AC adapter.

Pairing the MBS-100 is effortless: simply hold down the Bluetooth button until the light on the front flashes red and green to denote pairing mode. Search for the MBS-100 on your phone, enter the default passcode (0000) and you’re done. When paired, the light will slowly flash green.

Apart from the design, what really impressed us was the sound quality. For a unit so small, it certainly packs quite a punch and it is capable of very loud volumes. The quality obviously isn’t fantastic, but considering the portability factor we were extremely impressed. The unit produces enough punch to fill a small room with sound. Even when listening at near full volume there was no major distortion evident. We tested the unit by pairing it to the W980i, and the sound quality via A2DP Bluetooth was excellent. We also used a standard line-in cable (not included) to connect the MBS-100 to an iPhone 3G and the results were similarly impressive.

Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the PC World newsletter.

Be the first to comment.

Post new comment

Users posting comments agree to the PC World comments policy.

Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.

Most Popular

What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?
Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?
Samsung’s 2013 Smart TVs: everything you need to know
How do I connect my TV to the Internet?
Five reasons to avoid the Samsung Galaxy S4

Best Deals on PCWorld

Mobile PhonesView all »
TabletsView all »
Broadband View all »
Powered by
HeadphonesView all »
GamesView all »

Resources

Mobile Phones Product Finder
Find the product you're looking for with our Mobile Phones search tool.

Latest User Reviews