Those not willing to compromise on sound quality when out and about have been enjoying the impressive sound and compact form factor of Soundmatters' foxLv2 and foxLv2 Bluetooth portable speakers for over a year. Now the company founded by physicist and former NASA engineer Dr Godehard Guenther has updated foxLv2 line with the upcoming release of the foxLv2 PLATIMUM unit. Along with a new platinum-look finish, the PLATINUM model boasts improved battery life, new audiophile cabling and the inclusion of apt-X audio coding to provide CD quality audio over Bluetooth.
The foxLv2 PLATINUM retains the same pocket-friendly 5.6 x 2.2 x 1.4 inch (143 x 55 x 35 mm) dimensions and 9.5 oz (269 g) weight of the previous models but ups the battery life from around eight hours to ten hours with Bluetooth enabled and around 20 hours with it switched off. Powering the unit via the included AC adapter, however, will double the output wattage - which, if the same as the previous models jumps from 2 x 2W to 2 x 4W when running off mains power.
But it's the inclusion of apt-X that delivers the biggest improvement over previous models. Soundmatters claims it enables CD quality audio to be streamed via Bluetooth from apt-X equipped devices such as Apple computers running Snow Leopard and Lion. The company claims the apt-X technology also improves the sound/picture sync to make the unit better for watching movies and playing games.
Like the previous models, the foxLv2 PLATINUM also acts as a speakerphone and features a built-in noise-canceling microphone. The new model sees the inclusion of an Evergreen high quality audio cable from Audiquest that connects to a source via a 3.5 mm jack for improved wired sound.
Soundmatters will begin sales of the foxLv2 PLATINUM in November at a price of US$229.
