Geneva Sound System Model XS Speaker Review

This week we review the Geneva Sound System Model XS. The Geneva XS bills itself as the "world’s first portable audio system with true Hi-Fi sound." While it sounds pretty good, considering it's a battery-powered system with dual 1" tweeters and a 2" woofer, I'm not sure I'm ready to deliver the "Hi-Fi" moniker to it just yet. In fact, I don't know that anyone's every really thought of a small portable speaker like this as Hi-Fi... maybe that's why Geneva went after the market.

The radio looks like a 1950's travel alarm clock... or an art deco humidor - I'm not sure which... It comes permanently affixed within a hardshell case with a leather-ish outer coating. The case actually serves as a sort of natural amplifier for the audio and, in fact, the unit won't really work unless the clamshell is opened and secured properly. The model we reviewed here is Red, but it also comes in White or Black. Where it departs from the total retro throwback motif is the control system. The Geneva XS uses impressive backlit capacitance touch controls for Power, Volume, Mode, Navigation and Alarm settings. There's also a red LED display behind the grill that shows you information such as volume, time, alarm and FM radio station.

And there's a lot of functionality in this little portable clock radio. It has Bluetooth connectivity, so - in addition to the 1/8" mini jack on the back and the FM radio, you can also stream music to it from your iPhone or other Bluetooth device. It uses an efficient Class-D amplifier and the stereo speakers did a decent job at reproducing mids and highs, though mid-bass was completely absent, as were any bass frequencies below about 120Hz or so. Geneva claims a frequency response down to 80Hz, but that's not at any level of output that we considered to be relevant.

All-in-all, the Geneva Model XS still remains a glorified battery-powered clock radio - but a good one, and very portable. We're just not sure how many people will be willing to fork out the $250 to purchase it. Our guess is that this will remain an elite luxury product for those who truly appreciate the thought of a retro portable battery-powered solution for audio on-the-go. If that's you, you should check this out.

This weeks' question is: Do you use portable speakers (not just headphones, I means truly portable speakers), and if so, which one? Let us know by commenting on our video in YouTube. And subscribe to our channel at YouTube.com/audioholicslive. To keep up to date you'll also want to Like us on Facebook - Facebook.com/Audioholics or Follow us on Twitter @AudioholicsLive.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.