Pearl and Oyster pack an audio wallop (hands-on)
For the first time in the U.S., the new Damson Pearl and Oyster wireless speakers wash ashore on American soil at CTIA 2013. The Pearl is especially compact, but boy does it pack an audio punch.
LAS VEGAS -- Making waves for the first time in the U.S., the Pearl and Oyster wireless speakers from Damson Audio have washed up on the beaches of CTIA 2013. Both Bluetooth products are designed by the British manufacturer, but it's the first time we've seen them on this side of the pond.
Small in stature, you'd be ill-advised to think the Damson Pearl can't belt out serious sound. To the contrary, the gadget uses a special rubbery foot plus down-firing woofers on its bottom edge to significantly boost its audio impact. Indeed, after being treated to a demo of the Pearl at CTIA, I can definitely say the device reaches quite ear-splitting levels. I also felt lots of bass emanating from the tiny device, despite the considerable din of the trade show floor.
The other speaker I got my hands on at the Damson Audio booth was the larger Oyster model. I confess I didn't get a chance to hear this bad boy in action, but if the Pearl's performance is any indication, I suspect the Oyster will really rumble. Much bigger and boasting two sets of drivers (one front-facing and the other side-firing), the oval-shaped Oyster is billed by Damson to be "very loud" while describing the Pearl as "seriously loud."
Damson confirmed with CNET that it expects the Pearl to ship in July for $199. The Oyster will appear in stores sooner, by June for $229.