The Pioneer XW-SMA1 wireless speaker system is undeniably cool. When it arrived in the office we opened it up like it was Christmas morning, pulled the sleek black device out of the box and, beaming with anticipation, plugged it in.
Twenty minutes later, my colleagues lost interest and went back to their oh-so simple computers leaving me to sit in front of an instruction sheet about the same height as me, prodding touch-sensitive buttons, and becoming increasingly despondent.
How easy is it to use?
Theatrics aside, it isn’t too difficult. It is admittedly confusing initially, though for good reason as there is a range of ways to use the speaker so there are several different instructions and it takes a while to identify the right one.
Once you have found the version that instructs you how to connect an iPod (iPhone or Laptop) to the speaker wirelessly, the pictures and written instructions are relatively simple, but understandably fiddly.
Setting up the WiFi connection via Airplay takes around 30 seconds of waiting, but after that, you’re ready to go.
How could it be used in a caravan?
Basically your device, whether it is an MP3 player, smartphone or laptop, acts as a remote control to select the music and volume, giving you the advantage of a portable source of music rather than having to change it at the source.
It is time-saving, and would be great in a caravan as the connection from the device to the speaker proves excellent as I was able change the music from another room.
Caravanners would have no problem sustaining connection in and around the ‘van, which would be handy if you were outdoors, having a barbecue or relaxing in the awning and wanted to change the music.
The speaker also boasts a low 1.6A ampage, more than reasonable to use in a caravan with no concerns that it might monopolise the electricity limit.
Another positive is that the speaker can also charge your device if it is running low on battery. Obviously this would mean plugging it into the speaker, but it is a useful addition that allows you to continue listening to music whilst the device is charging.
The verdict
After a sticky start, I enjoyed the Pioneer speaker. Once you’ve worked out how to set it up the first time, there are no problems using it again, and there are some obvious perks of using a wireless device on a caravanning holiday.
But the retail price of £199.99 begs the question of how wise an investment this would be for a caravan holiday, when changing the music manually would be relatively effortless, especially when there are many more cost-effective speakers available with similar sound quality.
On the other hand, the Pioneer XW-SMA1 is stylish, it’s small enough to pop on a shelf, and would certainly make you a source of envy for your vacationing neighbours.
