With support for Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR you can pair this wireless speaker with any phone, tablet, PC or laptop that supports the standard, allowing you to achieve louder volume and better sound than what is available from their own built-in speakers. Pairing is a cinch, but you can further simplify the process if your phone or tablet supports NFC. Simply turn on the Roverbeats T12 and place the back of your device against its base. The T12 will automatically establish a connection, and you can immediately begin playback over Bluetooth. If your device doesn’t support Bluetooth, the Roverbeats T12 also has a 3.5mm AUX connection, and a short cable is supplied in the box. Used in this way you’ll need to leave your phone or tablet beside the speaker; when used over Bluetooth the T12 has a 33ft range. We experienced the odd dropout when walking from room to room, so keep in mind that thick walls and obstructions can limit its operating distance. Another thing found in the box is a mains Micro-USB charger, which is a rare occurence these days. Rated at 5V 1A (5W), it’ll take around three hours to charge the Roverbeats’ 2200mAh internal battery, which should then average 10 hours playback. That’s excellent for a budget Bluetooth speaker that costs just £29.99 from eBay. The Roverbeats T12 has a lot more to offer than NFC and a mains adaptor, of course. We love its funky red design with black speaker grille and, far from the plasticky case we were expecting to find, out of the box we were met with a soft-touch, silky-feeling speaker box that looks more expensive than it costs. We weren’t so keen on the always flashing LED on its top, however. This is either alternating between blue and green if no devices are paired, flashing blue when connected over Bluetooth, or flashing red to show you the battery is running low. There’s no other way of knowing how much power remains. On the base are two large rubber pads to prevent the Roverbeats T12 vibrating on a hard surface. Etekcity says these are also heat-resistant, and you’ll find air vents at the device’s base. We didn’t find any problems with excessive heat in our testing. Three buttons top the T12, allowing you to play and pause audio, adjust the volume and skip tracks. There’s also a power button on the bottom, so don’t forget to switch it off when not in use – it won’t automatically enter standby mode. With two 3W speakers inside the sound quality is better than that of many portable Bluetooth speakers, and placed at the front of the unit at slightly different angles the T12 also does a good job of sending that sound around the room. It’s not going to be audible in every corner of the house, but for use in a bedroom or on the beach it’s ideal. The Roverbeats T12 is also said to support enhanced bass and we found it pretty good in this respect, given the price. Going camping? Also check out our best power banks round-up. Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
