Companions for your phone

The author checks out two accessories that turn your smartphone into a csound and music hub

Besides your house keys and wallet, what else can you not afford to leave behind at home? A dip-stick survey among colleagues and friends found it was the phone. When you spend so much time with your phone, shouldn't you get it these nifty 'helpers' to make your life easier? Presenting two trustworthy companions for your phone

Plantronics Voyager Edge (Rs 7,490)
This Bluetooth audio headset makes amazingly clear calls. In fact, based on my previous experience with such headsets, I was hollering into it while talking to a friend, who actually asked me why I was shouting. And no, he didn't realise I was using a handsfree. This was at New Delhi's Connaught Place, a crowded place in the evenings. The Edge features a sleek and unobtrusive design and fits into your ear. Thus, people who wear glasses won't have to deal with obtrusive earloops.

The headset announces the name of the caller, if the number is in your phonebook, during incoming calls. One can choose to take or ignore the call by just saying 'Answer' or 'Ignore'. If the paired headset is on the table, just lift it to your ear to answer the call.

The headset is NFC-enabled (you can pair it simply by touching the headset to the back of your phone), and pairs easily via Bluetooth. The headset features an on/off switch, a volume rocker, a switch to enable voice commands and a microUSB port. You will take a while to figure out how best to position the headset in your ear to get the best fit, but once you do, it stays put (unless you're headbanging). It's comfortable to wear the headset over extended periods. The headset comes with a clip-on earloop and silicon tips in three sizes to fit your ear.

After charging the headset fully, the company claims it can be used for six hours. I could coax out more than five hours of usage with a single charge. If you do run out of charge, you can always put the headset into the supplied cradle to charge it. The cradle has two sets of triple LEDs to show the charge status of the headset and the cradle. It also comes with a charging cable and a cigarette lighter accessory to fuel up in your car. Plantronics also has a free app you can download on your phone, which helps locate the headset.

Music too plays quite well on the headset, provided you can do with the mono sound. I had a lot of fun listening to radio broadcasts on TuneIn Radio.

Corsair Simple Audio Go (Rs 6,999)
For its size, this Bluetooth speaker is very loud. The Go uses a no-nonsense approach towards pairing: switch on the speaker and it emits a tone, the blue/red light at the base of the grille starts flashing, press the Bluetooth pairing button on top, scan for the speaker on your phone, pair and you're good to go, sans pass codes.

I first connected an iPad with the device and played the trailer of Transformers: Edge of Extinction. Turning up the volume, I placed the speaker on the other side of the room. The dialogues were crisp though I felt the sound lacked some bass. The Go seemed an ideal companion while watching movies/TV shows.

Next, I paired it with a Moto E and played the 1997 re-master of Deep Purple's Smoke On the Water. The warmth came through, though the bass was underwhelming. The speakers, though were very loud and was successful in waking up the neighbours. Literally!

The black unit has an on/off switch at the back, along with a microUSB port for charging and a line-in port to connect to devices with an audio cable. The top has the Bluetooth button along with buttons to control the volume, which were comfortable to use. It comes with a travel bag, a charger and an audio cable.

If you're looking to carry a boombox along everywhere, this seems a nice solution. But at the price, you'll possibly have better options.