Edifier Sound to Go Plus or the (MP250 PLUS) is a rechargeable multimedia speaker for mobile devices, offered at an affordable price point.

Sleek, stylish, simplistic and an Apple like design, are some words and a phrase to describe this speaker. An attractive machined brushed aluminum runs around the rear of the body, the front speakers are covered with a non magnetic grill. Not one screw or joint is in sight, it's undoubtedly one of the best made and looking portable speakers, far exceeding it's price. The compactness and lightness of the design makes it an ideal travel companion, especially with the inclusion of a bag within the box.

The Edifier Sound to Go PLUS is not the speaker to break out at a party, it's tailored for intimate listening. Its compatible with most devices, having both an auxiliary input and USB input (all cables supplied in the box). I have been using the speaker constantly for just over a week with my iPad, iPhone and iPod's via the auxiliary input without a hiccup. I have also tested the USB interface via my Mac which worked fine but when hooked to a PC running Windows, I discovered that a driver needs installing before use. I loved the plug and play aspect but I felt the inclusion of Bluetooth would have been pleasant, however this would have most likely resulted in an increased price and hurdled the design.

The on paper specs of the speaker are. Three 30mm x 90mm oval shaped sub woofers with built in class-D amplifier, two tweeters and two channel with two 1¼ inch mid range drivers on each channel. This all translates into exceptional audio quality, rich bass, good treble, excellent acoustics, breath taking clarity and loud volume but when fully cranked mild distortion occurs. I was really surprised with individual elements within tracks such as the vocals, drums, guitars, all being very distinguishable, I would have to put this partly down to the length of the unit which definitely contributes but the drivers play the biggest role. The audio output is strikingly better than other portable speakers we've tested, in fact it's the best we have ever used.

The simplistic design also translates into the functionality. Two circular buttons are allocated on each end of the Sound to Go PLUS, the left decreases the volume when clicked and the right raises it, volume can also be adjusted via the device it's plugged into. Pressing both at once will trigger the speaker to turn on or off.

Battery life nearly lives up to the ten hour claim, I got around seven to eight hours per charge, with loud volume output. Charging is done over USB, I use a USB wall plug such as the one that comes with an iPhone.

The superb audio, design/ build, functionality and price make it the best portable external speaker we've reviewed.