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Gem of a product
Boostaroo is an inexpensive solution to two common problems: 1) low audio output from a device such as an MP3 player, DVD player or laptop computer among others, and 2) sharing audio output with others. The Boostaroo is inexpensive: $20 - $25, depending on vendor. It is simple. Add 2 AA batteries and you're ready to to. Plug the 3.5mm into your device and you can then plug in up to 3 sets of headphones. Each of the headphones will receive a separate amplified audio feed. In many cases, the Boostaroo will make the difference between being able to comfortably listen to your device's output in loud environments such as airplanes and resturants. Team the Boostaroo up with noise-cancelling headphones and its a slice of paradise. One added benefit of using the Boostaroo is that you don't have to crank up the device's audio gain, thus reducing distortion in many instances. The Boostaroo is particularly useful with devices produced in nanny-state European countries where the level of audio output is mandated by "you're not smart enough to think for yourself and realize that you're destroying your hearing" legislation. Obviously with the added audio gain, you want to be careful not to crank it up too high. But for people like myself who are, to put it bluntly old, and have hearing loss, the Boostaroo is a blessing when used with devices like the Archos 504 personal multimedia player that have crippled audio gain. On the whole this is the kind of thing that you should keep in your backpack, messenger bag or wherever you keep your mobile gadget. Get stuck in a noisy airport waiting area for a few hours and you'll be able to enjoy your music, movie soundtrack or whatever despite the clamor and noise around you. Jerry Works as advertised I bought this because I'm a drummer and I play drums along with my iPod through a stereo system in my drum room. The iPod dock I bought didn't put out enough signal so the amp overheated because it needed to run it at full volume (the music needs to be loud enough to hear over the drums!) I found this Boostaroo and gave it a try. Sure enough, it works great. I put this between my iPod dock and my amp and it gives the signal just enough boost so the music isn't distorted and the amp doesn't have to work as hard. So I definitely recommend this product. It works well and amplifies the signal from your portable device as advertised. Connection problems...design flaw! I purchased the Boostaroo at Best Buy a little over a month ago. It's a great little amplifier which does significantly boost the sound, esp an asset with the weak output from my minidsic player. But this past week my left channel was cutting out. This wasn't the 1st boostaroo I've owned, it's actually my 3rd. And it breaks in the same way everytime, a wire break near the jack that plugs into the audio device. It is not visible, but can be heard easily when sound cuts in and out of one side. This problem could be solved simply by designing the boostaroo with a removable cable. It would have a jack where you would plug the 1/8'' stereo cable from your audio device into the boostaroo. This time it is in the warranty period. So I should be able to get another boostaroo free of charge or a refund. But it will happen again. The short wire (1 foot) and the way it is designed is just asking for trouble. But since no one else has mini portable headphone amplifiers on the market, boostaroo feels it can dupe customers into buying a new one every time it breaks, by the design. Too bad they just cant make a product that would last. So I really cannot recommend this product, unless you like throwing money away every year for a new one when the wire breaks. Good, but not good enough for NYC subways I bought this to boost the volume on movies I compressed from DVD to my PSP. (Store bought UMD movies for PSP have perfect volume, but it seems like they're being faded out--low sales). It's nice to be able to watch movies while commuting on the subway, but even the boostaroo didn't boost the volume enough to cut through the rattling, humming, dinging noises on a moving NYC subway train. While I haven't tried it yet, I have to believe it won't work very well to rise above the din on an airplane in flight either. If you're using it to split the signal of one source to many headphones, it's probably a good buy. But 4 Db is just not enough volume boost to overcome a noisy environment. Not Compatible with adapters. Do not use this device if you use a 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter. The standard stereo adapter used to adapt ear buds to cell phone/mp3 players. It does NOT work. Very dissapointed. I tried two types of adapters and both do not work. | |
