INTRODUCTION

     One of the things i love about Greece and Attica in particular is that we hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and thanks to some of them i always seem to come in contact with electronic devices which i may have missed otherwise. So a few nights back while i was walking at the beach (trying to cool down after spending several hours performing tests on HDDs and SSDs) a guy ran past me carrying a large backpack on which he had a tiny portable wireless speaker secured with the help of a carabiner. That speaker offered very little in terms of volume and audio quality but i did like it’s very tiny size (and in part the carabiner feature) and so i was quite glad to receive an email by TDK a couple of days later asking me if I’d like to test their latest A12 TREK Micro Wireless Speaker which aside the tiny size it also shares one more similarity with that speaker, it makes use of a carabiner.

   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 TDK A12 TREK Micro is a tiny IP64 splash=proof certified Bluetooth v2.1+EDR compatible wireless speaker with a power output of 3W through a single 40mm dynamic driver paired with a 60mm passive radiator. It also features support for NFC (Near Field Communications) compatible devices, carries a nickel–metal hydride rechargeable battery that gives it up to 6 hours of playback time and comes ready with TDKs TrueWireless Stereo technology which allows the end user to pair the A12 with another A12 for stereo wireless sound (unfortunately although very interesting as a feature we only received one sample so we were unable to test that functionality). TDK however has packed even more features into the tiny A12  TREK Micro so let's take a closer look and see what these are.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The front of the small box features a clear plastic section from where you can clearly see the front of the A12 Micro and the carabiner while right beneath that area we see the product features as small images.

Company contact information is printed on the left side.

Printed at the rear in 10 different languages is the features list.

Contained in the box is the A12 Micro wireless speaker, the carabiner, USB to microUSB charging cable, user’s manual in several languages, caution booklet in several languages, warranty information paper and a registration paper.

THE A12 TREK MICRO

The IP64 certified housing of the A12 Micro is made by matte and polished plastic and measures 82.5mm in width, 82.5mm in height and 29mm in thickness while it weighs just 182g.

TDK has placed their logo on a plate placed on the front grill.

There's a large dedicated area for the carabiner at the top left corner of the speaker.

You can use the NFC feature by placing your compatible device on the area with the blue N (NFC logo).

On the left side we find the Bluetooth pairing button, activity LED and the volume +/- buttons.

A rubber cap placed on the right side protects the on/off/TWS switch, microUSB port and the 3.5mm input/output ports (you can even connect a plain set of speakers to the output port to stream audio to them).

The carabiner is a nice touch especially if you go hiking.

Of course we didn't forget to compare the A12 Micro with the largest and smallest wireless speakers in our possession.

CONCLUSION

   Because of its very tiny size the A12 Micro wireless speaker (available in black, red and white) is unlike anything we've seen by TDK in the past but thanks to the experience they've acquired over the years through the design and development of all their Bluetooth enabled speakers the A12 did surprisingly well for its size. I'm not about to say that mids and highs were extremely crisp and accurate since that wouldn't be true but they were very good (especially coming from a single speaker) no matter what kind of music type we threw at the A12 although what really impressed us was the amount of bass it produced (again for its size). Build quality is also very good and I’m happy to report that the IP64 certified housing is indeed splash-proof (tried it in the bathroom a couple of times). Battery life is not stellar since at max volume we surpassed the 3 hour mark only by a little but for its size I’d say it's very good. NFC also works like advertised but unfortunately we did come across several Bluetooth connection issues so we will need to check with another sample to see if this is an isolated issue.

   Having reviewed a large number of products by TDK we know that they are neither priced high nor low but just right on the spot and so the A12 TREK Micro Wireless Speaker will set you back a total of USD59.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 50Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). Of course there are plenty of other solutions at around the same price point some of which are quite larger that offer higher volume levels but there's a specific target group TDK has in mind and those people will prefer the compact A12 over a normal sized wireless speaker. The lack of a microphone may disappoint some people since the A12 can't be used as a speakerphone but honestly now I’d never choose a wireless speaker based on that specific feature so i expect most people to feel the same. Bottom line the A12 TREK Micro is the ideal companion for people who simply have no room for a normal sized wireless speaker and since it performs extremely well for its size it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (IP64 Certified Housing)
- Design
- Audio Quality (Rich Mids/Highs)
- Bass Levels
- Input & Output 3.5mm Ports
- TrueWireless Stereo Technology (Can Use Two A12 In Stereo Mode)
- Good Battery Life (Up To 6 Hours)
- Available In Three Colors (Black, Red and White)
- Included Carabiner

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- No Microphone (Lacks Speakerphone Feature)