CONCLUSION

   We used the TREK A26 primarily with 3 smartphones (iPhone 4s, Optimus 2X, Huawei Honor), the Logitech Squeezebox Touch and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 for a period of 9 days and the results were quite good. Bass was sufficient (although not much) and quite deep, mids/highs were quite clear and accurate but the volume output was not what we had expected from a TDK device. That part however ended up being our mistake since having used both the Boombox and A360 wireless speakers by TDK for a moment there we thought that the A26 would be able to rival or at least come somewhat close to those in terms of volume levels but we were flat out wrong because this is the A26 and not its larger brother the A33. Leaving that to the side however the NFC feature actually works as advertised for a change (compared to other devices) and thanks to Bluetooth v4.0 we experienced no issues with range even from 15 meters away with 3 concrete walls in between (if your device is also Bluetooth v4.0 compatible). TDK claims that the NiMH rechargeable battery can keep the A26 going for up to 6 full hours however during testing we hardly crossed the 5 hours mark (5 hours and 12 minutes to be exact). Of course TDK much like every manufacturer out there measures the life of the battery by using the device at normal volume levels while we do with the volume level turned almost all the way up so 6 hours doesn't seem to be off. We also performed a couple of calls just to check the quality of the microphone but as usual although it does work quite well don’t expect perfection since in the end it’s just a side feature.

   Unlike the Boombox and the A360 wireless speakers the TREK A26 is a less powerful typically sized portable wireless speaker with a retail price tag set at USD99.95 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 130Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Now i do hope that TDK does something to equalize the price tag between the USA and the EU since the difference is quite large but that being said the TREK A26 is not really an expensive portable wireless speaker not when there are plenty of competing products by other manufacturers that cost quite a bit more. Of course if you want plenty of power i really suggest taking a look at the 2-Speaker Boombox since it's quite small and packs many times over the punch of the TREK A26. Overall however TDK has introduced a very good feature-rich portable wireless speaker that clearly deserves our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Portable
- Design
- Audio Clarity (Clear & Accurate Mids/Highs)
- Bluetooth v4.0 & 3.5mm AUX Input
- NFC (Near Field Communications)
- Tilt-In Stand
- Rechargeable Battery (Lasts Well Over 5 Hours) 

CONS

- Volume Levels (Good For The Size However)
- Price Tag (In The EU)