Jim Jamieson
Province
What it is: Vestalife Ladybug portable iPod speakers
Price: $119.99.
Why you need it: You want a portable speaker system for your iPod and you’re looking for something a little different.
Why you don’t: You care more about performance than style in an iPod speaker.
Our rating: 4
When my teenage daughter first saw the Vestalife Ladybug, she ooh-ed and ahh-ed. “It’s so-o cute,” she said.
That’s the cachet of the Ladybug, which is about the same size and shape as a cantaloupe, but has flip-out speaker ‘wings.’ It is, of course, bright red. The wings vibrate with the base and it features a built-in sub-woofer and digital amplifier.
It has the usual inputs/outputs, including AV out (if you want to watch videos on your TV), an Aux-in to connect non-docking iPods, other audio sources; a DC-in and a USB port that allows for connection to a computer for synching and an assortment of dock adapters so variations of the music player can be attached.
The package includes a remote control unit so you don’t have to get off the couch to skip through a playlist, and it also works on batteries, making it truly portable. The sound quality is average, so the Ladybug is not for an audiophile. Available exclusively at The Source By Circuit City.
© The Vancouver Province 2008