This is a review of the first crowd funding campaign I was involved in.  The product was the NudeAudio Super M bluetooth speaker and it was a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign.  This is a review of the campaign and the final product that was delivered.

Nude Audio have been making their “Move” range of speakers for some time but the development of their new product required additional capital.  They looked to Kickstarter to provide the platform to get the ball rolling on the Super M and raised a lot more money than they expected which is a good thing.  However…. that’s when the weather closed in (metaphorically speaking)…..

The Kickstarter Campaign

The campaign was far from a disaster but a problem with the bluetooth antenna and a rookie error in offering way too many options at fulfilment left the creators with a bit of a headache when it came to delivering the units.  They pushed through and in the end we all got something.  In my case, the colour wasn’t what I’d requested when filling out all the forms but I’m an easy-going kind of chap and the speaker worked fine so it was no big deal.

The NudeAudio Super M

The speaker itself offers pretty amazing sound in its price range.  Now if you’re an audiophile who spends their weekends hanging out in Richer Sounds scoffing in disagreement with the sales staff then you’ll no doubt think this is a tinny, horrible thing.  But the Super M isn’t hi-fi, it’s a portable, water-resistant bluetooth speaker that fits in your back pocket and it’s very good at being just that.  The battery lasts for a good 6 hours plus and it’s impervious to British barbecue weather so if you find yourself suddenly rushing indoors carrying 8 half-cooked burgers and some soggy buns but forget to bring the speaker in, it’ll still be OK in the morning.  Yes, I have tested this.

The best sound you get is indoors and I find that if you put it in the corner of a room then it does tend to fill the space nicely.  I’ve paired this with my phone, an iPad and a computer and it works fine for all of them.  It also got me out of a bit of a hole when I was running a training course and the venue didn’t have any sound on their AV system.  I ran the sound through the NudeAudio Super M and apparently everybody could hear just fine so it was worth every penny just for that.

Bluetooth Pairing

Pairing the Super M with your device is so simple even I could do it without the assistance of my children.  There’s a volume control on the Super M itself but I find it much more convenient to use the volume on my phone unless I’m listening in the shower.  Whilst the Super M is water-resistant, I am reliably informed that my iPhone is not and have no wish to test that.  Incidentally, I did test the water resistance in the video but you will be relieved to hear that this does not involve footage of me in the shower.

Input Connections

Under the flap on the side you’ll find a 3.5mm audio in jack and a USB charging point.  Possibly worth pointing out that this won’t play audio as a USB speaker and that this port is for charging only.

Conclusion

It really does do what it says on the tin and the Super M is slim, lightweight and, in my opinion, has a great battery life.  I think it offers great value in its price class and whilst you won’t get the same quality as you do with maybe one of the Bose sound docks, this little speaker does pack a punch.

Having the drivers on both sides means you need to have it either next to a wall or in the middle of a group to get any real benefit but if you do then obviously this is a nice way of increasing the sound output whilst keeping the unit small.  I’m quite impressed that they’ve managed to squish everything (speakers, batteries and electronics) into such a small space.

Where to Buy a Super M

If you’re looking to get your hands on a Super M then they are available on Amazon:
NudeAudio Super M Wireless Waterproof Bluetooth Portable Speaker

Geist – Memory Lane

If you are interested to know what the music is used I in the test videos it’s a song called Memory Lane by Geist from the album Songs for Your Neighbour.  The tracks are available at CD Baby – http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/geist or you can find Geist on Spotify.  I have used the track completely without permission on this occasion so I must get around to that….

As always, if you have any comments or suggestions please send some feedback.