Product review: Cambridge Audio YOYO

‘A British Speaker for a British sound’

Doesn’t that sound fantastic? Cambridge Audio have created a Bluetooth speaker that gives the impression it was made by your grand parents, as sarcastic as that sounds, it isn’t. The world of Bluetooth speakers has become so saturated with miniscule pieces of noisy plastic, that the only benefit in buying one is watching it vibrate off your desk towards the nearest bin. And its not just the cheaper generic brands who are to blame, even some of the larger more respected manufacturers (not naming anyone in particular) seem to have sacrificed their very ethos in a bid to knock out a speaker that’s shaped a little like a handbag.

Well thank goodness for those who say enough is enough, and put function first and fashion second, because its about time we had some decent sounding affordable Bluetooth speakers, built by people who know what they’re talking about. Our friends at Cambridge Audio have really stepped up their Bluetooth game recently, and released the YOYO Range, featuring a small, medium and large speaker, each one crammed with high end Hi-Fi components and each lovingly wrapped in world renowned Yorkshire fabrics from the nice chaps at Marton mills.

Lets start with the “S” or small model, which first and foremost boasts a very impressive 14 hour battery life, or as Cambridge refer to it, 2x 7 hour long shindigs – happy days! Inside what looks like an oddly itchy little housing there are two full range drivers, a subwoofer and a passive bass radiator, which is seated very nicely around the back of the unit. This is located alongside a USB charger which will be very handy for when you’re caught short, and then of course there is a 3.5mm input for those of you still rocking old school iPods or MP3 players.

Moving on to the “M” Medium speaker, Cambridge have gone in a slightly different direction with this model. When you think of Bluetooth speakers, you usually have an image in your head of a little one box system, which is all well and good, but music is designed to be heard in stereo. This is exactly what you get with the YOYO M, an actual wireless Bluetooth stereo left and right speaker, and I’ve already picked out a place on my desk for these beautiful little numbers.

The YOYO S features USB charging

Each pair of speakers features two full range drivers and two subwoofers, so don’t expect a below par stereo experience, and here’s the best bit; these nifty little numbers can be separated. Can’t decided whether or not to listen to your smooth beats or your partner’s latest hit single from whatever awful X Factor ‘artist’ is topping the charts this week? Then fight no more! Plonk one speaker in the bedroom and one in the living room and you can both listen to whatever music you love.

And here’s the best part… Cambridge Audio are claiming the built in battery will last for 24 hours which is incredible, and hats off to them – I’ll be testing this out very soon!

As well as those key features there’s also USB charging as expected, and gesture control, allowing you to swipe across the unit for different commands. It’s hardly a huge selling point, but is a very nice little touch, and as with the whole YOYO series, all of this is nestled in that itchy looking Yorkshire worsted wool.

And finally we have the “L” Large speaker (not the most imaginitive product names!) which is not designed for portability or to be tucked out of sight. It’s an all-in-one speaker combination, featuring HDMI and optical inputs, as well as three speakers up front, a centre, and stereo for a truly immersive experience. Now at the time of writing this speaker is still in the pipeline and will be coming soon, so I shall reserve my judgement for when I get my hands on it!

I constantly see Bluetooth speakers in all shapes, sizes, and prices coming though the Richer Sounds doors, and I’ve all but given up on anything ever catching my attention again, but for the first time in a while, I’m genuinely excited to get my hands on these, and to see whether they will be enough to tear me away from my precious SONOS Play:1 speaker. Will they be enough to restore my faith in Bluetooth? I’d really like to say yes, but its going to take some serious convincing before I can commit.

If you would like to see if these speakers are right for you, then why not give us a call and book an in-store demonstration.

To find out more about the YOYO range from Cambridge Audio, click here.

Author: Garrett, Plymouth store