Parrot DS1120 Wireless Hi-Fi Speaker System

Tag : Other Fabric

Parrot, a French company, makes a growing number of stereo Bluetooth speaker systems , most of which we've reviewed favorably. Parrot has a few newofferings for 2008, including the DS1120 ($280), a compacttwo-speaker system that resembles a set of stylish computerspeakers.
The identical speakers measure 6 by 5 by 5.4 inches (HWD), but withtheir cylindrical shape, they may remind you a little bit of minicannons. They have a black, matte finish and touch-sensitivebuttons on their top right corners for raising and lowering volumeand Bluetooth synching. While you have to plug each one of them into power them, they're linked to each other--and to an audiosource--by the Bluetooth wireless standard. Their black-fabricspeaker covers are removable and adhere magnetically, which is anice touch. It's also worth noting that the front of the speaker(behind the grill) has a glossy black finish that makes the speakerlook pretty slick sans cover.
On the inside, each speaker contains a digital two-channel Class-Damplifier with a 30-watt output. But the key bullet point here isthe built-in Bluetooth 2.0: it includes the two key Bluetoothcomponents--EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and A2DP (Advanced AudioDistribution Profile)--required for decent-sounding stereo audio.AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile) is also onboard, socompatible devices can control volume from afar, as well. It's alsoworth noting that the speakers' firmware is upgradeable (via theBluetooth link from a PC).
Because Parrot utilized the Bluetooth standard (instead of someproprietary wireless format), the speakers should be able to streamfrom any Bluetooth audio source that includes the aforementionedA2DP profile. While that doesn't include every Bluetoothdevice--many older cell phones have only the lower fidelitysoftware profile used for monaural headsets--it does encompass alarge and ever-growing list of mobile devices. As of yet, theiPhone isn't on that list, but it may eventually get the A2DPprofile via a future software upgrade. As for standard iPods,you'll need to purchase a separate Bluetooth/A2DP dongle. If youdon't already have one (the ones included with some car stereo andwireless headphone iPod solutions should work just fine), Parrotrecommends Ten Technology's NaviPlay--either the standalone adapteror the one included with the NaviPlay Bluetooth headphone kit . (A complete list of compatible phones and dongles can be found on Parrot's Web site .) Bluetooth streaming from PCs or Macs is also supported (a USBBluetooth dongle is included if your computer doesn't have built-inBluetooth support). Non-Bluetooth products, meanwhile, can still beconnected to the DS1120 the old-fashioned way: each speakerincludes a 3.5mm line input. Of course, if you're really going touse the wired connection, you should probably buy a cheaper set ofspeakers.
We tested the Parrot DS1120 with an iPod using a wired connection(via the line input) and streamed music from a Samsung YP-P2 Bluetooth MP3 player, and a few cell phones, including the Sprint Mogul and the relatively inexpensive Nokia 5300 Xpress Music phone . Inexplicably, we kept having problems with the YP-P2'sconnection--it played fine for a song or two, then started cuttingin and out. We're not sure what the problem was and the Parrotfolks never got us an answer.
However, streaming music from the phones worked just fine. Once youpair a device, it essentially becomes a remote for the music, andwe were able to cycle through albums and artists from across theroom. You can set the volume to a reasonably high level using thevolume control, then ramp it up and down using the control on yourphone or MP3 player. Within about 30 feet, we were able to get aclear signal, but as you move beyond that range, you will start toget some clipping and eventually the music will die entirely. Also,because Bluetooth relies on a degree of signal reflectivity, therange may actually be better in smaller rather than larger rooms.
As we've said in past reviews, it's a bit hard to judge theperformance of Bluetooth speakers. When you stream via Bluetooth,your compressed MP3 music gets compressed even further, sosomething is lost in the process, which also means your listeningexperience will vary according to the quality of your sourcematerial.
The DS1120 doesn't sound as good as Parrot's larger and moreexpensive bookshelf speaker system, the Parrot Sound System . That said, the DS1120 sounds quite respectable with pretty fullsound for such small speakers. The bass didn't bottom out too badlywhen we fed these little guys bass-heavy material and the high endwas solid. All in all, the speakers offer excellent clarity and wewere particularly impressed with how singers' voices and acousticinstruments came across on more ballady singer/songwriter material.We felt the midrange sounded a little distorted, which was odd,considering the low end--and not the mid or high range--tends to bethe weakest part of these small systems.
When we "wired" our iPod up to the speakers via the line input andlistened to some lossless audio tracks, we were generallyimpressed--the speakers measured up to some of the better iPod dockspeaker systems we've tested. It obviously helps that you canseparate the speakers, which widens the soundstage. The soundquality wasn't as good with the Bluetooth streaming, but for a lotof folks, the wireless experience is going to seem justfine--certainly as good as a clear signal of analog FM radio. Onenote on the wired connections, though: While each of the twospeakers has a stereo input, you can really only use either one orthe other. And, somewhat annoyingly, there's no input toggle on thespeakers themselves--you'll need to unpair your Bluetooth sourcebefore you can hear anything from the wired connections.
These speakers carry the same list price ($280) as the Parrot Boombox , a larger single-housing unit that offers more bass. However, theDS1120 is more stylish looking and you can actually separate thespeakers (though, as noted, each one has to be plugged in). Whilethe problems we had streaming music from the Samsung YP-P2 dampenedour enthusiasm a little, all in all we liked these speakers. That$280 is a little steep, but a decent pair of Bluetooth wirelessspeakers unfortunately doesn't come cheap.