Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform (review)

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When iPods and other portable digital music player and devices were invented through out the years, lots of music speakers and docks came out and it became an instant companion and partner for our music gadgets, a small and portable music gadget with a size of a matchbox can play and max its power music volume with the help of sound platforms, sub woofer speakers and music docking stations. I noticed that the music dock stations became a trend last year and various kinds of docking players with different sizes, forms, digital features from music brands and non specialized in music brands, which is weird because I saw a low end version of these docking stations are being sold in some stores, although in low prices but buyers didn’t know that it has poor performance.

Sometimes it has do with our ears and knowledge about superior audio quality in the devices that we own. The trend will just stop there and in late 2011 and early 2012, the new music docks are here and you can play your music and listen to your dock station’s speakers wirelessly and even operate it wirelessly. Well, thanks to Bluetooth technology and Apple for bringing up another music love for us and SoundFreaq for showing us that wireless connectivity in music docks is the best there is.

Soundfreaq is a new mover and shaker for the music scene, they create high tech sound platforms like the SFQ-01A and they are a team of sound design and engineers with deep expertise in consumer electronics and audio, and they develop premium sound fit for our wireless lifestyle

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Here’s our unit the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform

At fist its just an ordinary music docks were you can dock your Apple gadgets and hear music through the speakers, but there are some hassle times that we need to use our iPods or iPhone and then music will just stop and die after we dial or add more music to our devices, the “Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform” will do the trick because you can dock your players on it and also you can operate your gadget and wirelessly distribute music to the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform. No more wires for you or even a remote control, you can now use your iPhone to check documents, take photos and while you do these task, music still plays through the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform.

here are the specs:

Size:
Width: 11.8” (300mm) / Height: 5.9” (150mm) / Depth: 6.0” (151.5mm)

SPEAKER
Signature sound profile crafted for natural bass response, vocal clarity and full stereo separation. Custom engineered, Kevlar-reinforced balanced drivers, acoustically tuned dual-port chamber and UQ3 spatial enhancement processor.

• 2x 4 ohm, 2.75” full range drivers
• Dual Chamber ports
• UQ3 enhancement

BLUETOOTH
Pair & Play to wirelessly stream audio from iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Macbook, Macbook Pro or any compatible A2DP Blutetooth device including: smartphones, mobile phones, tablet PCs, netbooks, laptops and desktop computers. Full remote control app available for iPhone and iPad complimentary on the App Store.

• Tx Power: Bluetooth Class 2.0 + EDR
• Range: 10m, 33’
• Frequency Band: 2.4 GHz
• Response Bandwidth: 20-20000 Hz

REMOTE
Full interface poly-dome membrane IR remote control. Sound Platform speaker unit features a side compartment magnetic remote dock. Battery included. Full remote control app available for iPhone and iPad complimentary on the App Store.

INPUTS
• 30 PIN CONNECTOR
Universal well, supports all iPod and iPhone models

• AUX IN
3.5mm line-in jack

• POWER
20V = 3A DC input

FM RADIO
• Tuning Range 87.5 - 108.0 MHz
• Frequency Step 100 KHz
• 20 station presets
• Available on SFQ-01 North American models ONLY
• NOT available on SFQ-01A International models

(specs lifted up from: http://soundfreaq.com/SFQ-01_Specs.htm )

After opening the box and read the manuals, here are some tips and short walk through

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Here's the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform, the design is very classical in terms or retro, the look of it is like a jukebox and the knob reminds me of an old transistor radio.

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Here are the three knobs - the UQ3 (activate this and it will give you a wide and HD sound quality), Bass and Treble

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The remote control, this will help you in playback controls of your Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform and Apple devices.

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The dock can fit any iPods and iPhones, you see the design and fit that shows that it can comfortable set your iPod and iPhones with it, but not on iPads.

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The playback controls, all digital and unlike the 3 knobs we saw earlier

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Powering up with electricity and it will glow into a colorful lava like color, so classical look

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Here you select if you are going to listen to your iPods or an Aux in connection


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Aux in, for non Apple users this is the most important feature, because you can use the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform as your speaker for your gadget or devices. Just jack them in and it will feed sound and throw it back to you with high quality (but depends on your device volume and settings)

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Looking at the side of the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform is a panel door, at first I thought that you can keep your iPhones here, but its a panel that you can keep and store the remote control if you don' want to use it.

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it fits and it closes....I really love the color of the lights of this Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform

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the back of the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform will remind you of an old vintage radio, at first I thought that the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform color design is Black, and then I realized that this design is colored Silver, I saw on the official website of Soundfreaq that they have a white color, that color will be an awesome match if you uses lots of Apple wares.

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The Aux in, my most friendly audio connection :) you can plug in your Sony PSP here or DVD player if you want more audio quality.

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the manual, if you will grab any gadget, it is important that you read the manual first, I skipped on some readables because when I tried this Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform, I don't have any iPhone or iPad with me, so it was a hard time for me to test the wireless connectivity of audio from my music player to the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform

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It can connect via Bluetooth and any A2DP bluetooth devices, I own an Android LG Optimus Black, I attempted to connect it but I had a hard time understanding the connection via A2DP, I plan to read more about it but I got more excited docking in my old iPod.

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2nd generation iPod, here's how I connect it using the dock features.

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Turn the power on and set the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform to iPod setting

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Dock my iPod and then let the music plays, then control the treble and bass or if I want auto high quality audio, I'll just set the UQ3

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It plays so great!! the music flows around our living room like magic, that's one of the awesome features of the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform, because of it was designed by engineers for audio, the performance gives great acoustics, read here what I mean - http://soundfreaq.com/SFQ-01_Sound_Performance.htm

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The remote control is so handy for me, It was the weirdest tech moment that I encountered because I can control my old iPod using the remote control, I can switch songs and even control the volume control, the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform is built for the Apple music gadgets like the iPod and the iPhone.

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I tried the Android thing to connect via Bluetooth and install their Soundfreaq app on my LG Optimus Black, it runs on my phone, play music but my problem is that I can't get the right settings to connect it to the Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform, I think I need more time to research and read the manual again.


PRICE: Php 9,950

REVIEW:
I like the design that gives a classic look here at home, I like the controls and sound quality, I have tried other music docks of other brands and I can say that this Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform is the top of the line for audio system,well not entirely an audio system but a perfect audio companion for your iPhone and iPhone, mostly Apple products. I read on the manual that can serve bluetooth A2DP to any Android devices, but the setting is very complicated for my side and I just used an Apple product and I didn't even encounter any problem. The Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform is best fit for Apple gadgets, no more excuses...I want that way ahhahaha. With its size and easy to carry, I just hope that this Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform have its own battery pack so that I can carry it and play it using its own battery, it will be more wireless, but the design fits for indoor and classy style. Not okay if you plan to use this in your garden or by the pool.

Here in the Philippines, it is a new key player for audio and dock players and a new friend to Apple users.

you can buy this Soundfreaq SFQ-01A Sound Platform unit at:

Beyond the Box
Digital Hub
Digital Walker
Gadgets in Style
Gui – Davao
Heima
iCenter Davao
iStudio
Mobile 1
Power Hub Davao
Power Mac Center
Switch
Technoholics
Xcite Mobile