Review: DOSS asimom Bluetooth speaker DS-1168

On a recent trip to Shanghai, I came across this cool looking speaker called DOSS asimom. The store owner was raving about it and persuaded me to test it out. I'm usually skeptical when it comes to electronics made in China, but upon holding this bad boy I felt it's quality: it's heavy and feels very solid. I purchased one unit in chrome to review.

It actually consists of  two parts, the speaker and the base. The base doubles up as a portable charger for the speaker unit, as well as any other electronics which charges through a USB. The speaker is equipped with a 500mAh battery while the base 1020mAh. The main body is made from metal while the top portion plastic.

Upon switching it on, a voice speaking in Mandarin tells you that it is ready to be paired which is then followed by an English version saying the same. Pairing it with my laptop was relatively easy and fuss-free. It does it automatically once they are both switched on.

The sound produced by the speaker is loud and crisp, with a hint of punchy bass which surprised me. The controls on the asimom allows me to pause a song/movie and continue playing them as well. the volume functions worked equally well too.

The asimom does come with a built-in microphone, and I have tested it out with Skype on my laptop. I had trouble getting Skype to use the speaker initially and later found out that I have to set it manually within Skype's settings, so do take note of this. The capabilities of using this as a VoIP is really good. The voice from the other side could be heard loud and clear, and vice versa. It also auto-pauses my music when I received a call from Skype. It behaves similarly when connected to my cellphone.

The only thing I wished was different is the ability to connect multiple Bluetooth device at once. As for now, I use it for my laptop, but wished it would connect to my cellphone as well when I'm nearby.

All in all, I loved the fit and finish of the DOSS asimom, enough for me to return and purchased another unit in red before I left Shanghai. Before I forget, it comes in three different finishes: Chrome, Red and Silver.

(Please excuse the messy table)

I would recommend this to anyone who likes portability without compromising on sound/mic qualities. If DOSS were to come out with a new model which supports multiple Bluetooth pairings, I will not hesitate to pull the gun on another unit.