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Motorola MOTOROKR EQ3 Compact Folding Speaker review: Motorola MOTOROKR EQ3 Compact Folding Speaker

For a low-cost mobile speaker kit, the EQ3 worked as well as we expected, and for the money, offers a decent speaker kit for a caravan or small bedroom.

Joseph Hanlon Special to CNET News
Joe capitalises on a life-long love of blinking lights and upbeat MIDI soundtracks covering the latest developments in smartphones and tablet computers. When not ruining his eyesight staring at small screens, Joe ruins his eyesight playing video games and watching movies.
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Joseph Hanlon
2 min read

Design
We keenly remember the advice of our home economics teacher in high school — keep it simple stupid. Many years and therapy sessions later this advice has stayed with us, so too does the memory of being called stupid over and over. Looking at the simplistic design of Motorola's EQ3 speaker set brings these memories flooding back.

6.8

Motorola MOTOROKR EQ3 Compact Folding Speaker

The Good

Portable, lightweight. Very affordable.

The Bad

No Bluetooth connectivity. Non-rechargeable battery.

The Bottom Line

For a low-cost mobile speaker kit, the EQ3 worked as well as we expected, and for the money, offers a decent speaker kit for a caravan or small bedroom.

Shaped like a giant stapler, the EQ3 hides its speaker components behind two hinged joints. When the set is open, the speakers can be set at angles to help produce the best sound possible.

On the back, under the battery cover, is the 3.5mm headphone jack neatly tucked away. This cable is only about 10cm long, but an extension cable comes bundled with the speakers. The MOTOROKR EQ3 is powered by four AAA batteries which is handy for when you plan to use the EQ3 in locations without power, but is not as handy overall as having a rechargeable internal battery.

Performance
The EQ3 doesn't feature any buttons or switches short of the power switch. All music has to be controlled from the original music device, like a mobile phone or computer. We tested the EQ3 with the Motorola ROKR E8, playing music on the phone and several radio stations.

It doesn't seem right to criticise these speakers too harshly; they are, after all, very cheap. The sound we heard from the EQ3 is best likened to basic computer speakers. The bass is present but not particularly loud, and the mid and high ends are tinny sounding and prone to distorting. The EQ3 won't impress audiophiles greatly, but is sufficient for playing music where you normally would not have been able to, like on a camping trip.

Overall
The EQ3 isn't exactly a high-tech device as is evidenced by the non-rechargeable batteries and its lack of Bluetooth. That said, the EQ3 worked as well as we expected. For the RRP of AU$49.95 you get a decent speaker set for a caravan or small bedroom.