Company TwelveSouth has an odd accessory for folks that live off of their MacBooks, the
BassJump 2. While the beloved MacBook Air is great for most things and those sleek aluminium slabs are jammed with great hardware, there just isn't room for powerful speakers. The sound is decent, no disrespect intended Apple, but if you really want rich sound with some oomph, you go elsewhere. TwelveSouth has engineered their solution not to replace the internal speakers but accompany them. By focusing on the frequencies missing from standard speakers, the BassJump 2 is able to maximize its power potential via USB power.
TwelveSouth's software needs be installed to conduct the 2 system symphony but otherwise it's plug and play. The software adds some nice visuals to go along with the thump with VU meters and fine tuning. When trying to guess at the amount of power possible in the shoebox-sized speaker, remember that Apple has upped the voltage on its USB ports for some time now. So, you may get quite the shock with something tuned to that specific platform. The BassJump 2 is unfortunately only made for the Mac machines and Thunderbolt Display. There's no talk of a PC version yet. If you are Mac-ready and a fan of Bassnectar, dub-step or other similarly bass-heavy music, the $69 asking price is absolutely a steal.
Olasonic Bus-powered USB Speakers Offer 20W Power Output
By Paul McCollum on October 27th, 2011
