INTRODUCTION

   By the time this review gets online 2014 will have already arrived in several countries so before we continue I’d like to wish a HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone around the world. May 2014 bring prosperity, happiness, health and success to everyone and may we all get along even better than we do now. Now as you all know consumer products are especially popular during the Christmas holidays not only because most manufacturers tend to release many new products just prior in order to tempt consumers in spending their much awaited holiday bonus but also because many retailers do amazing discounts (black Friday anyone?) in order to deplete their stock and consequently show profit (well that's the main reason anyways). Portable wireless speakers are amongst the hottest consumer electronic products currently available but with so many manufacturers competing for the first place it's really hard to decide which model is the right one to cover your needs. Size, battery life, design, audio clarity, bass levels and volume output are obviously the main things one looks for when choosing the right portable speaker but if you want one for outdoor use then you should also pay attention to the quality of the enclosure. TDK is one of the top manufacturers of wireless portable speakers currently and today we will be taking a thorough look at the rugged A33 Wireless Weatherproof Speaker.

   TDK Life on Record, a leading global brand with a rich audio legacy, is dedicated to personalizing and enhancing audiophiles’ ever-evolving digital music lifestyles. TDK Life on Record audio products are carefully crafted to focus on performance, marrying a clean, striking design with the precision and flexibility of modern technology. This world-class line of premium audio products delivers a warm, authentic, high-fidelity entertainment experience. The TDK Life on Record logo is a trademark owned by TDK Corporation and is licensed exclusively to Imation Corp., a leading global developer and marketer of brands that empower people to capture, save and enjoy digital information. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

   The A33 is not the first weatherproof portable wireless speaker to have ever reached our doorstep but thanks to its size and specifications we really expect it to be the best one we've used to date. Now the reason i also mentioned the size of a portable speaker is because inside the IP64 certified housing of the A33 TDK has placed two 38mm full range drivers (2x3W), two 64mm passive radiators, one 64mm subwoofer (9W), microphone, Bluetooth v2.1 (A2DP/HFP Profiles/AAC Codec) wireless receiver and a somewhat large nickel–metal hydride battery which allows the unit to run continuously for up to 6 hours. TDK of course has gotten us used to large portable wireless speakers and the A33 is certainly not as large as let’s say the A360 or the A73 but as you will see later on its 4 times larger than the TREK A26 which we reviewed a couple of months ago so although quite older we hope it will surpass it with ease.