Panasonic SC-NA10 Bluetooth Portable Speaker Preview

Not everyone likes headphones is what manufacturers are trying to tell you. Just look at the products that are hitting the market right now - my inbox is full of portable speakers. Oodles of them. Taking your music with you has never been easier and manufacturers aren't really sure how you want to go about it. So they are putting out headphones, portable speakers, and everything in-between.

Panasonic has two new wireless speakers coming to the market soon but the first that will hit (and is shipping now) is the SC-NA10 Bluetooth speaker. The SC-NA30 will be the larger brother of this speaker but won't be out for a few more weeks. The designs are very similar so I'll point out how the SC-NA30 will differ near the end of this preview.

The SC-NA10 is a flat, silver speaker with an integrated stand/cover reminiscent of the one Apple announced with their iPads a few years past. The cover is described as "purse-like" which, while perhaps accurate, it is an unfortunate adjective choice for a portable speaker that should appeal to both sexes. The SC-NA10 has a large volume knob on the side and stylings that seem very high-tech and art deco at the same time. Personally, when the cover is closed, the speaker looks to us like a closed leather-bound book. Panasonic, feel free to use that next time.

Book or purse - you decide

As mentioned, the cover doubles for a stand which is very convenient. There are controls for power, play/pause/answer/hang up on the side as well as a few indicators on the top. The SC-NA10 is Bluetooth compatible and Panasonic has ensured it has all the latest technology including low-latency apt-X and NFC. With NFC, if your phone is capable, pairing is a simple matter of tapping the phone to the speaker. Panasonic has its own streaming app. It has also included what they call XBS Master which is a DSP for getting the most (and best) sound out of this small speaker.

Inside, there are two 1-5/8" drivers on either side of a 3-1/8" passive radiator (the pictures on the Panasonic website show it to be oval shaped so that number if approximate). On the side there is a 3.5mm input for a direct connection and a USB port. The USB port will not stream content but instead is designed to charge your phone from the battery of the SC-NA10. And the battery is where it is at on the SC-NA10. According to Panasonic, in "Long-Play" mode (there is a button for that), the SC-NA10 has an industry leading 20 hours of playtime. That's an awful long time for such a small speaker. Add to this the built in microphone and ability to use it as a speakerphone, and the SC-NA10 looks to be a very nice little speaker.

The SC-NA30 is the larger brother that has yet to be released. This speaker has larger drivers (2" each) along with an integrated "subwoofer". It has dual passive radiators as well for additional bass output. While the SC-NA10 comes only in silver, the SC-NA30 has a black option as well. The cover on the SC-NA10 is not mentioned for the SC-NA30 likely because of what is sure to be a larger housing. The SC-NA30 sports a $100 increase in price over the smaller SC-NA10.

Conclusion

Panasonic's SC-NA10 is the first of two portable Bluetooth speakers from the AV giant. The SC-NA10 has two 1.625" drivers and a 3.125" passive radiator. With a mic for answering calls, Bluetooth, NFC (for easy pairing), low-latency apt-X, and Panasonic's own XBS Master DSP for maximizing the sound output and quality, the SC-NA10 is a speaker you won't mind taking with you. The cover doubles as a stand (aped from the iPad covers), it has a 3.5mm input, and it will charge your phone. The real claim to fame of the SC-NA10 is the battery. In long-play mode, it will last up to 20 hours - an industry best. At $200, it isn't a cheap option but it does have a lot of technology in it. If you want something bigger (and with a lot more bass), you can wait for the SC-NA30 which will be larger, have more and larger drivers, and all the same features for $100 more.

For more information, please visit www.panasonic.com.

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