SDigital Bass Cruzer

We got our hands on the in-demand portable speaker system SDigital Bass Cruzer, and as I played around with it I couldn’t help but think about how implausible the price tag is for what I was hearing.

- Robby Vaflor

DESIGN

The Bass Cruzer looks like a jerry can or some sort of futuristic energy source from a 90s cartoon. And for the intended use of this device, the rugged polygonal aesthetic is most reassuring.

The outer shell is made of tough, molded plastic tightly sealed together by a combination of adhesive and large screws. The exoskeleton extends to a large carry handle on the top, while a metal mesh covers the front. It is dust-proof, with the whole thing sealed up including the control knob and buttons; the connection ports have glued-to-the-shell rubber covers as well.

The controls have a sixteen-segment display (SISD), a volume knob and buttons that are illuminated by LED lights on either end of the control panel.

In terms of portability apart from the main handle, the Bass Cruzer has a pull-out handle and built-in wheels allowing the speaker system to be wheeled around like luggage. The only issue I had with these features is that they do not feel as solid as the rest of the device—the handle doesn’t lock properly and the wheels could be bigger and rubberized—but otherwise the whole thing is built well.

HARDWARE