Hands-on with the Logic3 JiveBox

(Credit: Crave UK)

Remember that movie Cube? We think the designers of Logic3's new iPod speaker system were watching it and thought, "Guys, y'know what? The cube is such an awesome shape!" The result is the Logic3 JiveBox--a perfectly cuboid iPod setup with a big fat injection of '80s style.

Despite being a magnet for fingerprints, we like the glossy black finish to this box. The only controls sit on the front and include an off button (we love a good off button) and volume controls. For some reason--probably to do with style--all inputs are underneath the system. The JiveBox sits on some little rubber feet so the chunky power cable and optional line-in lead sort of bend underneath the base. S'all good though.

Our main gripe is that there's an unsightly external power box that'll need a suitable place to sit and hide its unwelcome face. There's also no LCD display.

Now, performance. Our first thoughts were that it's incredibly loud and incredibly bright. Our second thoughts were, "This tea is cold." Following the making of fresh tea we had our third thought, and that was the killer musing: The JiveBox is really refreshing to use. Bass is clear and fairly powerful too, though a little more oomph would let it better match the volume reached by the mids and highs.

For about 129 pounds (around $266), we're fairly confident the JiveBox stands a good chance at success. True, the Griffin Amplifi is a favorable alternative at just 80 pounds. But the small form factor and retro styling of this cuboidian boomer could be a hit with the minimalists.

(Source: Crave UK)