REVIEWED: Woojer wearable subwoofer
Matchbox-sized boom for your belt, but ‘portable augmented reality’ a high priority?
The best earphones for travel and cheap and lightweight, but they come at the cost of sound quality. Seeking to provide a boost in the bass department is Woojer, a matchbox-sized device – and a hit on Kickstarter – that sits between a smartphone and a pair of earphones to add some desperately needed low frequency action.
Travel essential?
Hardly, but the Woojer isn’t exactly cumbersome. In the box is USB wall plug (dual port, so some other device can simultaneously charged, too) and a microUSB cable to charge this tiny gadget (which takes about two hours) along with a felt bag that’s frankly too large. In the box is also a magnetic ‘sport’ strap (it fits diagonally across the chest … no, no, no!) and a 3.5mm jack cable for connecting the Woofer to a smartphone. The Woofer itself weighs 74g and measures a tiny 68x38x25mm.
‘Feel the sound’
The ins and outs on the side are explanatory (a micro USB slot and two 3.5mm phono slots), while the sides contain an on/off switch and a toggle to set the boom level to ‘feel the sound’ (Woojer’s words). So here’s science; Woojer is a polyphonic tactile transducer that reproduces bass frequencies and – get this – a ‘fully immersed augmented reality sensation’. Not setting the bar too high, then.
The results
With everything connected up, we were (a) covered from head-to-chest-to-toe in cables, and (b) slightly confused as to why a buzzing sensation on our chest was could be considered as augmenting reality. Seriously, who needs Woojer? Nobody. Having said that, it did make a bit more sense when watching an action movie, Clash of the Titans, to be exact, though to call this innovation ‘portable home cinema’ is a big stretch.
Bonkers idea
Woofer a barmy gadget and not going to revolutionise the world of travel gadgets, but if you’re into watching action movies then Woofer might appeal. However, the need for extra bulk and extra cables to create what can only be described as a buzzing feeling in tune to a bass-line won’t means that Woojer won’t make it on to many packing lists.