BPM Supreme Reviews the First Watch-Sized Subwoofer, the Basslet
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The first watch-sized subwoofer is now available from Berlin based company, Lofelt. The Basslet uses a new technology to deliver beats and basslines straight to your body so you literally feel the music. What began as a rapidly successful Kickstarter project has now become the newest way for audiophiles, producers and bass addicts to bring a true bass experience with them wherever they go.
BPM Supreme’s Raj Thomas tested out this listening experience first-hand, thanks to our friends at Lofelt. Here is what Raj had to say:
There has been a loudness war going on for years in music production and engineering. Technology keeps improving and speakers are getting louder and smaller with more clarity. But there are limited options available to on-the-go audiophiles looking for a mobile bass experience. Enter the Basslet – I stumbled upon this and just had to get my hands on it to check it out, being a DJ and audiophile myself.
First Impressions
Basslet delivery was fast and it arrived in a beautiful, simple cardboard box with a minimalisticstyle and instructions on the packaging. I quickly and easily opened the packaging and checked out the contents. The Basslet comes with an extra strap, a charge cable, a strap tool, and the 2 main components: the “Sender” and the “Basslet.”
Getting started
The Basslet is a very simple 2 piece setup. I loved how easy it was to use. The “Sender” has a 3.5” MM TRRS jack that plugs into your headphone output, as well as a port for your headphones to plug into. I hooked it up to my Apple iMac computer, put the Basslet on my wrist, and then got going right away. Tap the top button on the Basslet and it illuminates with a nice, not too bright, white LED light.
Feeling is believing
I own an Apple Watch so I’m used to a tingling or slight vibration on my wrist from notifications, so I was thinking it would feel something like that. Much to my surprise the Basslet’s vibration is a very pleasant and different experience. It’s comfortable and you can adjust the intensity very easily with the buttons on the side. The feeling of the Basslet is never painful or uncomfortable.
Bonus
I found an alternate use for the Basslet – if you hook up the headphone out of your phone or computer it can be used as a wrist worn metronome.
Cutting the Cord
While the “Sender” wirelessly gives the sound to your wrist, the main sound is usually still delivered to you through your headphones. I was able to find a simple way to use multiple sound sources on my Mac, which allowed me to use my bluetooth headphones and the basslet at the same time! To do this, navigate to the ‘Utilities’ folder on your Mac, select ‘Audio Midi Setup.’ There is a plus sign on the bottom that will bring up a drop down menu to ‘Create Multi Output device’. There you will see all audio cards on your Mac and you will be able to select both your bluetooth headphones and ‘Built In Output’, the headphone jack which the Basslet’s “Sender” is plugged into. I renamed the audio device to ‘Basslet Audio’ and it worked perfectly.
1 week later
I gave myself a week to use the Basslet through all of my day-to-day routines. I used it with my audio in the office, at home and while walking around. I then went a couple days without it, and I have to say I definitely missed the Basslet. It gave me just the right amount of extra bass perception to take my audio enjoyment to a more fulfilling level. Getting loud without annoying your surrounding office neighbors is very cool.
Overall Grade: A
Pros: Easy to use, great bass response, long battery life, and good price point for an audiophile.
Cons: Watch strap takes a little getting used to to put on.
Now it’s your turn to try the Basslet
The Basslet is originally priced at $199, but for a limited time, Lofelt is offering it for $129. As a thank you for reading this review, we’d like to extend a special offer to our readers, courtesy of our friends at Lofelt. Enter promo codeBPMSUPREME99 and you’ll get an additional $30 discount. Let us know what you think of the Basslet and if you plan to give the gadget a try. We want to hear from you!