REVIEWED: Libratone ONE Click
A great-sounding, standout Bluetooth speaker for its design, but this portable product’s clever design is too simple for its own good
Call any products the ‘ONE’ and it piles on the pressure for ultimate all-star status. I’m not sure the Libratone ONE Click delivers that, but it remains an nicely designed product that deserves to make it into the check-in luggage of many a travelling music fan.
Heavy, but small
At 907g, the Libratone ONE Click is hardly lightweight, but that’s generally a false economy for a speaker. Though its measures 21x13cm, it’s surprisingly flat –less than 5cm in height.
Instant karma
Bluetooth speakers are supposed to be easy to use. You switch it on, hook-up your phone, and bingo. Not so the Libratone ONE Click. Where’s the on switch? How does it recharge? Where’s the Bluetooth button? The reveal begins when you figure out that the silicon logo on the front of the grille peels away to show a microUSB slot. Then the surround pops off so other gizmos can be pooped into place; in the box is a small handle-cum-hook, and even a carry strap.
Touch-sensitive
While one side as a power-on switch on the logo, the other has a ‘nightingale’ icon that acts as a touch interface for switching-on Bluetooth and controlling the volume/music track navigation. Hooking-up to the Libratone ONE Click is easy enough, with a touch interface for controlling volume that took a while to figure out, but was easy enough after that. Attaching a phone immediately notified me of an app to download, which immediately asked to use my location, send me notifications, and create an account with the manufacturer. Careful, Libratone. I found this seriously annoying.
Bold, bright sound
Despite that mistake, I found the sound quality from the Libratone ONE Click to be very good, though let’s not pretend a beach party is going to ensue; this is good for a private pool, or a hotel room. I also found that the pop-off silicon surround, while it slips back on easily enough, has to be orientated in a specific way to fit, which therefore often involves removing it again. Moreover, it never again fits as snugly as it did out of the box, or looks as good. Sold in grey, green and red, the Libratone ONE Click is better around the home and garden that out in the wild.