Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen nowadays. For such a speaker to stand out, it has to have something to differentiate it from competitors. While exceptional sound quality is always the goal, it is sadly not enough anymore.
The onanoff SoundCover for iPad Air piqued my interest because it offered a unique design. Quite frankly, the concept was so odd, that I didn't even understand it at first. As you can see in the below unboxing video, I assumed that it would prop up the iPad Air with a Surface-like stand, while sending the sound through the rear. This is not the case.
Actually, the cover aspect is strictly to protect the iPad Air's screen. When traveling or moving about, you would put the tablet face-down into the SoundCover. While the display is protected, the rest isn't. It is not designed for the iPad to be used in the cover, so it will not protect against drops or scratches to the rear.
While 14mm sounds reasonably thin, it adds considerable bulk to the iPad. It's also not terribly light either; it will make your iPad much heavier if used as a cover. With that said, the materials are fantastic -- while mostly plastic, the rear feels like a durable aluminum -- cold to the touch -- which adds to an overall premium feel. My unit is gold, but it also comes in other colors such as gray and black.
Ultimately, while the iPad cover aspect is appreciated, it is a bit gimmicky. It will only work with a naked iPad Air (both first and second gen), meaning a case will render the feature unusable. When I did snap my iPad Air in to the cover, I found it extremely difficult to get out too.
You now know its shortcomings as a cover. However, cover aside, it is just a Bluetooth speaker that will work with any such device, including iPhone, Android and Windows Phones. Hell, it has a 3.5mm jack and included cable for connecting non-Bluetooth devices.
With all of that said, the speaker can be considered a Bluetooth speaker like any other. Guess what? It really excels as such. The audio quality is very nice, offering very clean highs and decent lows. If you are a fan of bass-heavy music, such as Hip-Hop, you may be disappointed. Still, I was so impressed by the clarity that I overlooked the lack of bass.
Even though the speaker sends audio at the user, it is designed to offer 360 degree sound. This actually works well, but quality differs based on where the listener is positioned. Having it facing towards the listener is ideal, while side and rear listening offers lesser quality. For a party, however, it is entirely passable offering loud volume regardless of position.
The front of the speaker is home to volume controls plus an on and off switch. The unit will also power on and off automatically pulling out the rear stand. One annoyance is that whenever you power the unit on it loudly speaks (in a computerized female voice) "Power is On". When you power it off, it says "Power is Off". At first it is sort of a cool novelty, but as you use it regularly, you just want it to shut up.
While listening to some tunes from my Android smartphone paired to the device, a call came in. It spoke the caller ID, which I thought was rather nifty. Yes, besides being a speaker, a microphone is embedded, making it also a speaker phone. Calls sound remarkable on it too, making it a smart choice for a business traveler.
The company promises 15 hours of use out of the 3300mAh battery and that is probably achievable. I have tested it for about 10 hours for my review (on and off, not straight) and I have not yet needed to charge. When it does need to be charged, it is done so with a traditional micro USB.
What I particularly like about the onanoff SoundCover is that it folds flat. This makes it very easy to slide in and out of a bag without adding bulk. If you use a messenger bag, for instance, it will respect the fairly flat nature of the bag.
Overall, I find the onanoff SoundCover to be a good Bluetooth speaker, but its $199 price tag is a bit high -- I'd prefer to see it $50 less. While I think Android users will be hesitant to purchase anything designed for the iPad, it will work well nonetheless. iPad Air owners in particular looking for a Bluetooth speaker should take notice, but keep in mind the limitations of the protection.
