INTRODUCTION

   Inside June we received over a dozen of emails by some readers asking about which portable speaker we think it would be best for them to purchase in order to accompany them in their summer vacations. Now of course some of you asked about portable speakers with superior audio quality and plenty of volume while others chose to ask for something really small in both size and weight with good battery life. As you all know the answer is not a simple one and normally large portable speakers produce better and more powerful audio compared to smaller ones while at the same time they also feature larger rechargeable battery packs. If however there's one thing I’ve learned over the years using and testing countless electronics is that there are always exceptions (never say never basically) and the Cube high performance portable speaker by NuForce seems to have what it takes to be part of that small club.

   NuForce was founded with a singular vision: to provide consumers, audiophiles, and audio pros stunning sound with classic and elegant design. Since then NuForce products have earned the loyalty and passion of consumers while getting top marks from the most prominent publications and press in the world. NuForce is more than just products - it's about making highest-quality sound part of an everyday lifestyle. Our growing array of home and portable products bring music and movie sound to life while providing inspiration, transporting you to another place, and making you feel more connected to your recordings and soundtracks, wherever you are. As music is a universal language everyone can appreciate and enjoy, NuForce products are sold around the world. We remain firmly committed to providing the highest-performance consumer electronics adhering to the most stringent quality standards, and ensuring integrity and value in every product.

   Unlike most portable speaker manufacturers Nuforce started from the size of the unit and then based on that they moved forward with the development of the Cube. The somewhat funny part is that at first glance the Cube is so small that the first thought that will certainly come to mind is that they couldn't have placed many things inside and that's where the fun begins. You see not only did Nuforce equip it with an 50mm speaker driver but they also managed to squeeze an USB DAC (16Bit/48KHz) for improved audio, an tiny headphone amplifier for more power if it so happens you decide to use headphones to listen to music and finally a rechargeable lithium battery capable of providing the Cube with up to 8 hours of life. The only downside is that the Cube does not feature Bluetooth connectivity so in order to use it with your smartphone or tablet you will need to rely on the typical 3.5mm connectivity which in the long run is not really bad since that means you will also be saving battery power on your devices. So time to see how well these translate to real world use.