Logitech understands the challenges of engineering great portable speakers better than most companies: its mm50, Pure-Fi Anywhere, and Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 were all best-of-breed sub-$150 audio systems. But in 2009, the company stumbled with two lower-end follow-ups called S125i and S315i, both of which used downmarket designs and less impressive components to achieve sub-$100 price points. This week, Logitech released the Rechargeable Speaker S715i ($150), an iPod- and iPhone-compatible system that blends the separate sensibilities of its Pure-Fi and S-series speakers into a single package that sounds great for its price, albeit with a couple of important caveats that may lessen its appeal to certain users.
S715i continues the same industrial design themes Logitech introduced in S125i and S315i, eschewing the Apple-inspired rounded rectangular bodies of mm50 and Pure-Fi Anywhere in favor of a shape that looks somewhat like a bone, bulging at the sides and pinched in the center. A matte mesh black grille with subtle curves and interior accents focuses your eyes on six separate speaker drivers facing forwards, while a mix of glossy and matte black plastics comprises the rest of the chassis. The gloss is S715i’s only obvious aesthetic carry-over from the Pure-Fi family, and even then, the unit’s organic, almost alien backside is substantially matte, with very modest rubber padding to keep it stable on a table. Two more speakers can be seen in plastic-covered compartments on the rear, next to a rubber-sealed set of auxiliary audio and power ports.
Design aside, and unlike S125i and S315i, it’s obvious that Logitech attempted to carry as many of Pure-Fi Anywhere’s features over as possible to S715i—albeit in a streamlined fashion. The company includes a carrying case with a power supply and remote pocket on the side, but the case’s design is nearly as low-end and simple as they come. Similarly, the 30-foot-tested, line-of-sight-requiring Infrared remote control is smaller and has fewer buttons—just enough for track changing, volume, power, shuffle and repeat modes. Logitech’s cheaper S125i and S315i didn’t include either a remote or a case, but it’s worth noting that the $150 Pure-Fis both did more than S715i in these regards. There’s also a wall charger in the package, which Logitech has included with each of its portable speakers; however, unlike the ones included with the Pure-Fis, it doesn’t fit inside S715i’s dock, so it consumes extra space when carried around.
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