Portable USB-Powered Speakers by Insignia
When I find something that improves my life, I like to share it and this is the case with a pair of stereo speakers I purchased last week.
For the past few months I have been looking for speakers which I could use on my laptop computer. Half of my practicing is now done on my desktop and half on my lap top. The sound quality and volume on my desktop has never been a problem but the laptop falls short of what I need when playing back MP3 recordings of my practice material.
While perusing the isles of my local Best Buy store, a very simple and inexpensive set of speakers caught my eye(s). After checking the specs and asking the sales person a few hundred questions about the product, I decided to purchase them at the outrageous price of $14.99.
After throwing the instructions away, I plugged the speakers into my laptop and was amazed at both the quality and the volume of the newly purchased external speakers. Below I have listed my requirements as well as my rating of these little giants.
What I needed/ My Rating * through ***** stars.
1. I wanted a set of speakers which could put out enough volume. / ****
2. I wanted speakers small enough to fit easily in my trumpet case. / *****
3. A reasonably good sound was important. / ****
4. I didn’t want to fight miles of speaker cords as I moved around the room. / *****
5. Price was important./ *****
6. I didn’t want to have to plug the speakers into a wall outlet for power. / *****
Product Features
1.5W RMS total system power
With 0.75W per channel provides quality sound.
Single cone woofer
Along with a 2″ driver offers immersive audio.
USB-powered
For reliable operation.
Magnetic design
Allows the speakers to be folded together for simplified storage and portability.
3.5mm audio jack
Enables simple connectivity.
190Hz – 20kHz frequency response
Ensures accurate sound reproduction.
80dB minimum sensitivity (±3dB @ 1m/W)
For powerful sound.
8 ohms impedance
Conducts power through the speaker.
Carrying case
So you can take your speakers with you while you travel.
Comments posted by others purchasers:
“These speakers are perfect for my needs. Don’t expect superior sound, but they provide decent quality. They are a nice size and don’t take up much room, freestanding once inserted into their bases (included). I use them mostly on desktop, and the speakers are quite loud even at a volume below 10. I have also used these speakers to ipad using the usb adaptor”.
“These look and sound really good. I got these for my home computer. They were easy to install, just plugged them in, and the price was great. My only issue is the cords to the speakers are too short (with my computer on the floor) so that I have both of them on the right side of my monitor. It’s not a big deal, but it would be nice to be able to balance the sound”.
“I like how compact these speakers are and very affordable”.
“Really nice speakers powerful sound light weight excellents”.
“I bought these speakers for a new computer I got that did not come with speakers, I was a little worried about them because of the price being so low, but I went for it and they turned out to be way better than I ever expected. Buy these speakers”.
“Got a new monitor and the new one didn’t have speakers like the old one. These work great”.
“I purchased these speakers because my laptop wasn’t giving me the necessary volume that I needed to clearly hear my music. They were inexpensive and small, but the quality is very good. The sound is quite clear”.
And now a couple comments from the other side of the isle:
“Poor sound quality and not loud enough. I don’t think I even got what I paid for”.
“I purchased these speakers to plug into my Samsung laptop to listen to some business audio presentations. The sound on my laptop was not loud enough, so I wanted an external pair of speakers to boost the audio capability. These speakers are not even as loud as my built in speakers! There is no additional volume control on the speakers either. Nice design, but inadequate”!
“My last pair of insignia speakers lasted me a few years. I decided to get new ones when one of them gave out. Let me start by saying that I’m not an expert with speakers, I don’t listen to music very loud, and I like to keep cables out of the way so I don’t trip over them. I have had these speakers for less than a month, about two weeks. I was so excited because they look nice and seem easy to carry wherever. I was right, but what I find really annoying is the way they get connected. So it’s this USB with three wires, one that goes into the headphone slot, and then the other two directly to the speakers. The cable is really short so I have to have my speakers RIGHT next to my laptop. All the USB slots on my laptop are to the left, so all the cables look slopppy. That’s not the worst part, though. I bought them two weeks ago and one of them already stopped working”…
If you are looking to fill your ultimate stereo speaker needs, this would not do what you are expecting but if you want a little more volume and better sound quality than you are getting from your laptop, you might want to visit your local Best Buy store and check these puppies out.
Included in this set is a nifty soft bag to protect your speakers when in transit.
I have attempted to utilize, however it isn’t going to is effective in any way.
Sorry, What’s the problem?
Thanks for the review. I am searching for a very portable solution to this problem and have seen insignia brand but have never heard them. I assumed they were inferior because of the great price. I currently use an Ion Block Rocker, which is “portable” in the same way a very large, heavy suitcase is portable. And the highs are not the Ion’s strong point, but I can move it to trumpet sectional when I have too, use it on battery power if need be, and I can make it quite loud for our group of 6, if some distortion is acceptable. Thanks so much for targeting issues that must be on every trumpeters mind.
This one is a compromise but for what I need, it works great!
I love the feature of getting power from the USB outlet in my laptop.
your product is looking very nice with its features and looks too. I just want to know what is the price of this ?
While perusing the isles of my local Best Buy store, a very simple and inexpensive set of speakers caught my eye(s). After checking the specs and asking the sales person a few hundred questions about the product, I decided to purchase them at the outrageous price of $14.99.