Where pushing the boundaries in sound quality often comes at the cost of increasing size and reduced portability, and where reigning in the bulk of the product design allows the quality of the sound to suffer, portable speakers in their very nature are, quite frankly, more often than not atrocious excuses for speaker systems. With little to no low bass range to sort our Mcfly-friendly tunes from our dubstep, dance and drum and bass while on the go, the inherent design issues associated with portable speakers has seemingly not escaped the team at WOWee One.

With its now quite fruitful range of portable speakers – from the boxy 'Classic', to the gorgeous 'Slim' and all-rounder 'Pro' – that use WOWee's patented gel driver and “works with surfaces rather than against them” to enhance the quality of the sound, particularly within low-to-mid range frequency, an ideal solution appears to be in sight, and at a fairly inexpensive price at that.

Demonstrating the WOWee One product range to ourselves at the Gadget Show Live 2012, a true review of the quality of sound granted through the use of either the Classic, Slim or Pro is one that we can't deliver as of yet – it would be unfair, since our experience of the devices was amongst the ear-deafening surroundings of the lively exhibition hall of Birmingham's NEC – though our early impressions did push home just how much of the music-playing experience we're currently missing with the present crop of portable speaker products on the market. Tacked onto the side of a nearby cardboard display with the aid of its grippy rubber back, the WOWee One makes its impression felt immediately, bringing a deeper and more well-rounded sound to the bass-heavy track. Trying out the WOWee on a range of surfaces will be where the speaker really comes into its own – we've heard the slight vibrations of glass is a good starting point – one that walks the line between form, function and practicality ably, especially when you consider the WOWee One purportedly boasts a 20-hour playing time off a single 30-minute charge.

Richard Birkett

See our video demonstration below for a more in-depth look at the WOWee One, including the newly-released (and fully-featured) WOWee One Pro. Visit WOWee One's shop here.