Yamaha NX-P100 Portable Wireless Speaker Preview

You've probably heard some version of the saying that goes, "Let's throw it all against the wall and see what sticks." This pretty well sums up the state of wirelessly streaming your content from your portable device to somewhere else. We have multiple competing formats. Many of them are brand specific while a few are trying to cross platforms. Some rely on close proximity, others a proprietary streaming solution, and still others need a Wi-Fi network. If you don't know which one is the best, welcome to the crowd. No one seems to be able to really figure this streaming thing out.

But that's not going to stop manufacturers from trying. They know that the public often latch on to a format regardless of its quality. Somehow it gets labeled as "best" and everyone must have it. If you were the one that introduced it, suddenly you are in a very good position.

One of the most popular cross-platform streaming solutions is Bluetooth. Bluetooth will generally give you around a 30 foot range with no interference which translates to somewhere between a couple of feet to around twenty depending on your real-world situation. At first, it seemed like Yamaha had jumped on the Bluetooth bandwagon until we took a closer look at the NX-P100 portable speaker.

Yes, it is Bluetooth and, as you'd expect from Yamaha, it has all the latest codecs. This means apt-X which touts CD quality streaming. The NX-P100 charges via a micro USB cable and has a battery life of around eight hours. It sports dual 1.625" full range drivers with a couple of passive radiators for additional bass. We saw a similar driver configuration with their NX-U10 portable speaker. If the sound quality is similar, it will sound very good for its size.

There are a few additional features of the NX-P100 that set it apart from the competition. It has built in speakerphone functionality so that you can answer calls from the speaker without having to fetch your phone. Using the built in microphone, those with iOS devices with Siri can use it through the speaker.

The NX-P100 is NFC compatible for pairing. This means that if you have an NFC phone, you can simply tap the speaker with your phone and it will automatically pair via Bluetooth. The NX-P100 can remember up to eight different devices and will remember which was the last paired.

One feature we've seen pop up more and more is remote charging. If your phone is dying and you want it more than you want the NX-P100, you can plug your phone into the speaker and use its battery to charge your phone. This is a nice feature for those on the go.

Lastly, the NX-P100 is "splash resistant". Technically, it is IPX4 rated which means it is protected against splashing or dripping water. No, you can't throw it in the pool with you but if someone cannonballs next to it, the NX-P100 should be able to handle it. 

Conclusion

The Yamaha NX-P100 is a Bluetooth speaker from Yamaha that is meant to be taken with you wherever you might go. It has an eight hour battery that can be used to charge your phone if it gets low. It is splash resistant so you don't have to worry about taking it to the pool. With built in speakerphone and Siri support, once you pair your phone, you won't have to worry about calls interrupting you. For those with NFC devices, the NX-P100 will pair with a simple tap of the phone. We've heard portable speakers from Yamaha and we have always been impressed. While $200 is a lot for such a small speaker, we bet Yamaha will sell more than a few of these.

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

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