INTRODUCTION

   If you've happened to visit your local electronics superstore lately or if you've just surfed into Amazon to check all their latest offers then you should be well aware that wireless portable speakers are taking over the market and with good reason really since they provide a much smaller alternative to the old generation Boombox machines people had to carry around with them every time they wanted to party with their friends. Unfortunately technology hasn't reach the level required for one of those portable speakers to actually compare with those boomboxes in terms of raw volume power (some not so "portable" ones can however) but most of those devices make up for that by offering extra features like the ability to make/answer calls (speakerphone) and recharge other portable devices like your smartphone (PowerBank). Creative however seems set on changing that by squeezing even more extras into such devices and their latest Sound BlasterAxx AXX 200 may just be the beginning.

   Creative is a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Famous for its Sound Blaster® sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment with cutting-edge audio solutions, premium wireless speakers, wireless headphones and portable media devices. Today, Creative re-invents the Sound Blaster, which has a user base of over 400 million, with its ground-breaking Sound BlasterAxx that aims at the new mobile networked generation by bridging the worlds of the computer, smartphones, and tablets. Creative’s proprietary technologies, innovative hardware, applications and services leverage the Internet, enabling consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment - anytime, anywhere.

   Creative is one of the very few companies that i really respect not only because they've been the pioneers in sound for the PC without which i doubt things would be the way they are currently but also because I’ve been using their products since the early 90's (it was still Creative Labs back then) starting with the Sound Blaster 16 and owning pretty much every single one of their models until the X-Fi Titanium HD which as many of you know i still use till this day. Of course through the years Creative has expanded into many other areas in the industry from speakers, headphones and headsets up to webcams and mp3/4 players so it was really a matter of time before they focused their resources towards the design and manufacture of portable wireless speakers. The Sound BlasterAxx AXX 200 is not really their very first attempt to create a multi-function portable wireless speaker since there have been three more before that the SBX8, SBX10 and SBX20 models (unfortunately i never had the chance to test those so i can't compare them to the AXX 200). Specs-wise Creative has equipped the AXX 200 with their latest SB-Axx1 multi-core audio processor (offers real hardware acceleration), Bluetooth v2.1 (EDR/aptX/AAC), two vertically positioned 40mm stereo drivers, one passive radiator, quad-microphone array (used both to make/answer calls and for audio recording), touch-sensitive control panel, built-in rechargeable 5200mAh battery (can also be used to recharge your compatible portable devices), NFC (Near Field Communication) sensor and a microSD card slot which is connected to an integrated WMA/MP3 player. Thanks to the SB-Axx1 multi-core audio processor the Sound BlasterAxx AXX 200 also features Creative’s' proprietary SBX Pro Studio technology (intelligently enhances audio in real-time), Super Megaphone technology (not only allows you to boost and change your voice but can also be used as a karaoke machine when used with the integrated WMA/MP3 player) and also allows the speaker to be used as an external sound card. So Creative has definitely taken things further down the road, the only question is whether or not that's the road to take and as always we're here to find out.