Pure branches out into Bluetooth speakers with the £100 Voca
A hands-free speakerphone is the standout feature of this affordable Bluetooth speaker.
The Voca Bluetooth speaker from Pure.
Bluetooth speakers may be ten a penny, but that isn't stopping Pure from entering the market. The British company, best known for its DAB digital radios and Jongo streaming music system, is today launching the Voca, a portable Bluetooth speaker that draws on its audio expertise.
Features-wise, its most interesting trick is its ability to be used as a Bluetooth speakerphone for mobile phones -- there's a microphone built-in so you can yell at it from across a room. It has a rechargeable battery that Pure says will go for 10 hours on a full charge, charging via an AC adapter rather than USB.
Otherwise, it's a pretty standard, basic Bluetooth speaker. Pure says the Bluetooth connection will work from up to 10 metres away, and there's a 3.5mm audio-in port to connect anything you own that doesn't have a wireless connection. There's no NFC to help the pairing process, although for most people that's probably no great loss.
The back of the Voca speaker has a 3.5mm audio jack.
The top of the speaker has a few buttons for controlling the volume and the speakerphone function.
At £100, it's cheap compared to some of our favourite models, such as the Bose SoundLink III and Jawbone Big Jambox , which are roughly twice the price.
Pure describes the sound as "clear and full-bodied" but without a chance to listen to them in advance of publication of this piece, that's impossible to verify. Overall speaker power is rated at 10 watts, it weighs 1.2kg and measures 9 by 25 by 23cm.
You can buy it in the UK from today at Currys. There are no plans to release it in the US or Australia.