But let’s start with our kudos, which aren’t insignificant. At 1 pound, 10 ounces, the Pure-Fi is imminently portable. With its smart cushioned carrying pouch, it’s a cinch to take it wherever you go, whether that’s room to room or to a picnic. And because the Pure-Fi boasts a whopping 10 hours of play time from its rechargeable battery, it can serve your audio needs from morning to night. Battery-level indicators will alert you when it’s time to plug the unit back into AC power, and when you’re running on AC, the Pure-Fi will charge your iPod or iPhone (begging the question, why would you ever buy a one-trick-pony charging dock, when you can own one that doubles as a speaker system?). A clean, simple remote that mirrors all the controls of Apple’s hardware interface and an aux-in for compatibility with iPhones and other players rounds out the amenities list. All in all, the Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 is a package of ample convenience.
It's got portability in spades, but the sound is kind of "meh."
Sadly, however, audio quality just isn’t wowing—and that’s a problem for any speaker system, no matter how small and accommodating it may be. Each stereo channel is serviced by two drivers, one 2-inch, one 3-inch. Volume is impressive in small, closed environments, but washes away outside. Hitting the StereoXL button—which, according to Logitech, “widens the stereo image dramatically, creating an immersive audio experience”—doesn’t seem to do much of anything (though this isn’t surprising, as few similar imaging enhancement tricks have ever impressed us).
We give the Pure-Fi 2 props for maintaining distortion-free audio even at its highest volume levels, but there’s no escaping the fact that the overall tonal range lacks oomph and punch. Yeah, yeah—we know: You can’t expect much bass from 3-inch drivers. Still, all its portability and amenities notwithstanding, we’d rather spend more money on a truly breathtaking speaker dock, something that not only serves as a functional stand-in for a home stereo system, but also looks a lot cooler than the Pure-Fi’s pedestrian chassis design.
Great battery life. Extremely portable. Doubles as a device charger. Doesn't distort. Supports the full complement of iPods and iPhones.
Blah sound. Blah looks.
