Booster1 Micro Soundbar and Stereo Speaker System with EZ Voice - Remote Included - TV Sound Bar Alternative - Provides Crisp, Detailed Sound - Lifts Dialogue Above Background Noise

Well packaged. Had it unpacked and hooked up in 30 minutes. Elegant, minimalist design. I am using the 2.1 system hooked up to my Amazon Echo Dot. The Dot will only accept a 3.5mm line in with this system, which is not bluetooth-capable. The sound is surprisingly robust with the sub, and the sound stage is wide. The imaging and inner-clarity is acceptable, and the highs a bit harsh with symphonic music, but this is due to the highly compressed MP3 signal from the Dot. I could have run it through an expensive receiver with DAC chips, but that would not have helped, as the signal from the Dot is already analog. If used with a TV, the system comes with a digital optical connector for the TV signal, and this should noticeably improve the sound, especially with the 5.1 channel option. This is a great option for Amazon Dot users, as the sound from the Dot speaker may be tolerable for speech, but is definitely NOT acceptable for reproducing listenable music, even with my 80 year old ears. With the Orb system, however, it is surprisingly good with solo instruments or small ensembles, or voice in a small ensemble. With complex musical signals, as with a full symphony orchestra, I primarily use the Dot-Orb system for background music, not "serious" listening, so this is not an issue.

Pretty pricey for such a tiny system. It does not come blue tooth enabled. You have to purchase converters separately. I think in this day and age that should be included. However the sound quality is amazing and it can get very loud if you want, just like being in the theatre.

Haven’t even really aired out this system out yet, and I am already thoroughly impressed. Using with a tv. Excellent clarity and depth across the whole spectrum. The subwoofer is crucial to round out the sound of this excellent rig. More than enough power for my modestly sized living room.....I hope I don’t eventually get evicted from my apartment from rocking this thing too hard. The receiver doesn’t seem to get hot, which is great. Listening to a Sibelius symphony right now and I can actually hear the orchestra members breathing. I also think it’s funny and cool how they tell you in the accompanying paperwork how smart you are for finding and researching their products, nice touch. Five stars. Righteous! High end stuff hand assembled in Los Angeles. Glad to support this company and testify on behalf of their quality equipment. I feel transformed.

Overall, I'm satisfied, but not wowed, with the Orb Booster 2.1 system. For those folks looking to replace a mid to lower quality soundbar, most will likely be very happy with the Orb Booster. Those with better quality soundbar/sub combos may or may not prefer the Orb depending on what features they value more. I did not purchase the Orb Booster to use as a soundbar, but rather to play music via Chromecast Audio (CCA). My end goal is quality whole house audio while trying to remain within a reasonable budget (ie. no Sonos). My opinion of the Orb is based against the Peachtree Deepblue2. Both units are nearly identically priced. Pros: Inputs. Optical and (2) 1/8" mini jacks. Most units have (1) mini jack. Remote. Not all speakers come with a remote and the Orb's works fine Build. Booster and Orbs are built with metal and finished nicely. USB power port. Handy, can power CCA w/o separate wall wart. Neutral: Inputs. No BT. No big deal considering Booster has USB port for expansion. Build. Stands and binding posts are just OK. No banana plug use on speaker is silly. Sub. Has requiste controls (xover, volume). Has wireless port, but module is spendy. Sound. Not as impressive as I'd hoped. See section below. Cons: Interface. Near useless volume and source indicator...May as well not have one. Not a big deal if one will never changes input. Incredibly annoying if switching inputs as volume is nigh impossible to determine. Be prepared for blasting audio while figuring out which source it is on or switching inputs multiple times if the volume is off. Optical. Sound is harsh/muffled/compressed. CCA analog output via minijack sounds superior. I highly suggest not using this input unless there is no other option. Sound: I had expected to get comparable or superior sound quality out of the Orb Booster as that of the Peachtree Deepblue2. o Both systems have a 6.5" woofer. + The Orb has a larger sub cabinet to reproduce bass. o The DB2 has independent tweeter/midranges, but the Orb has the advantage of separate L/R placement while the DB2 is a single box. Unfortunately I was unable to get as good quality music reproduction out of the Orb as that of the Deepblue2. The Orb did have an advantage in obvious left/right separation, but still seemed to compress the soundstage more overall. Perhaps Orb's use of a full range driver is too limiting. Additionally the Peachtree reached as low, if not lower, than the Orb submini. Considering the larger overall box of the submini, its a bit surprising. The DB2 also has a very nice sounding Optical input (DAC), a good volume/input indicator, built in aptx BT, and the ability to adjust bass remotely. The only thing I preferred on the Orb is its extra inputs and its finish. It also seems to have the ability to play a little louder, but this is not needed in my application. Summary: Its obvious that the DB2 is a better sounding device with a more usable feature set offered at the same (or lower) price to the Orb Booster. The Orb's advantages are in flexibility of speaker placement (vs a single bulky box) and appearance. I have not yet decided if I will keep the Booster. It does perform better than other standalone powered speakers I have tested, but then the Orb is also priced much higher than those. Overall sound quality is OK considering its size. I think it is a competitive product, but not a class leader. I would not pay in excess of $400 for this system. Edit 1/26/17: I sent the Orb Booster back. I needed better sound performance for the money, and I really didn't value the uniqueness or finish all that much. The DB2 is in use in another room, so a replacement for the Orb hasn't been found yet.

The performance of the system is awesome, however I was a little disappointed that the mini-amp came in the color black when it was being sold as white. I don't have the time to deal with returns and customer service so shame on me for that. Sounds good though considering its small size.

As advertised, brings the dialog out of the background music/noise. Makes a HUGE difference. Don't have to use closed captions to watch some of our favorite shows, especially on BBC. And, surprisingly, the low frequency "cube" has a good punch for music. Be sure and add that to your system. Had used Orb before for surround but makes a really good main system. And the small amp module is very handy. Not a huge amount of connection options, just the ones you need. Very happy with the system. And remember, if you have a smart TV, turn off the sound and convert the optical output to PCM, not Dolby Digital, or the Orb won't work. Great idea for you to hear without headphones or excessive volume.