August MS425: Can it compete with the big brands?

After spending some considerable time with the August MS425, I thought I'd have some problems to point out, but in fact I only have one that I'll get to later.

First, the sound quality, for £25 (RRP) it delivers a very satisfying clear crisp noise even at high volume, and depending on what sort of surface you have it on, the bass isnt bad either.

Now, onto build quality, I knew from experience with August products that it wasn't going to have poor build quality, but my expectations were greatly exceded. The MS425 has a great weight to it that's created by the coloured aluminium ring which makes it feel very sturdy. The rest may be made of plastic, but cheap plastic? No. There's no bending, rattling, or shaking from any of its plastic components what so ever. Even the plastic buttons feel amazingly well made which must contribute to the clear noise made by the speaker itself.

Compatibility, another area where this device excels. Now it can be charged via mini USB which a lot of devices are, which means no extra cables are most likely needed. In terms of audio, its pretty standard, you get the AUX cable option or the Bluetooth option, and I suspect that those audiophobes may laugh at Bluetooth speakers, but give this a chance. Firstly, the speaker will connect straight to your phone as soon as its turned on, (providing your phones bluetooth is on as well) and as far as I can tell, there's no quality difference between the AUX function, and the Bluetooth function.

Finally, does it get my seal of approvment? Hell yes! This is a great mini speaker for the £25 RRP, and the fact that on Amazon (UK) it's usually priced around £10-15 makes it even better for those family outings or holidays.