Pros
• Powerful & clear sound
• Very good build quality
Cons
• Quite expensive
Let’s face it, the iPad’s speakers suck. If you’ve ever owned one, you know exactly what I’m talking about and the frustration of listening to its weak speakers is probably all too familiar by now.
So what can you do about it?
There’s always the option of buying a portable Bluetooth speaker and carrying it around with you, or you could consider the Belkin Thunderstorm, a “Handheld Home Theater system” made for the iPad 2, 3 & 4.
Retailing at $199.99 (£179.99), it isn’t exactly what I’d call ‘affordable’ at nearly half the price of the iPad itself, but does the improved audio experience make the cost worthwhile? Let’s find out.
Setup
Connecting your iPad to the Thunderstorm is really easy since it docks via the case’s Lightning connector (for iPad 4), or 30-pin connector for (iPad 2 & 3). You simply need to place your iPad in the Thunderstorm’s tray and push in the sliding connector.
There’s no Bluetooth or other forms of wireless setups, you literally just need to plug’n’play.
Design & Build Quality
The Thunderstorm has a very simple look and feel to it, with the metallic speaker grille taking centre stage across the bottom of the device. I like that Belkin kept things simple and the flush design across the front of the Thunderstorm looks nice and clean.
Belkin’s detachable smart cover looks and feels premium, and the origami style positioning system offers three different viewing angles. As well as the conventional upright and flat ‘typing’ positions, the Thunderstorm’s cover offers a third more inclined version too (below) which is great to use on a desk or kitchen counter.
In typical Belkin fashion, the Thunderstorm’s build quality is outstanding. From the sliding dock connector to the thick plastic chassis, all the components feel strong and durable. I really like how comfortable it is to hold too, thanks to the soft grippy surface on the back of the case.
While it isn’t the slimmest of iPad ‘cases’, the strong build will do a good job of protecting the back and sides of your iPad — something useful if you’re the clumsy type.
Considering that its packing speakers inside, the Thunderstorm itself isn’t all that heavy at 665g. With the iPad docked inside the weight starts to add up though, so it’s not something I’d want to carry around on an average day.
Still, it’s nice to know that it’s portable enough to carry in a bag or satchel if you need it.
Thunder App
Although you can use the Thunderstorm’s dedicated button on the side to switch between the different sound modes, Belkin’s Thunder app visually demonstrates the four different ‘soundscapes’ (or width of sound) for music, gaming, video and conference modes.
Music Mode — great, two channel stereo sound for songs
Game Mode — creates a wider soundscape to make your games explode off the screen
Video Mode — uses the same wide soundscape as the Gaming Mode but accentuates the mid-range to add clarity and presence to dialogue
Conference Mode – designed to make your video chats and calls sound like whoever you are speaking with is in the same room.
The Thunder app is nice but very simple, so you could easily go without it once you understand the different soundscapes and know your preferences.
Performance
MOVIES
In the past, I could never watch a full movie on my iPad; the sound quality just made it unwatchable without headphones or another audio device. After using the Belkin Thunderstorm though, that changed completely.
I tested out the Captain America: The Winter Solider and Avengers Assemble movie trailers, and I’m still amazed by how immersive the sound was. The combination of vocal clarity with explosive bass rumbling away in the background honestly makes watching movies on the Thunderstorm a pleasure — especially paired with the iPad’s Retina display.
GAMES
Because of its powerful bass, playing games like Injustice: Gods Among Us and Real Racing 3 was just as awesome. The feeling of the car revving in Real Racing 3 comes through so well with the Thunderstorm’s powerful bass and it makes for a fun and immersive gaming experience.
After a while, holding up the Thunderstorm does become tiring because of the combined weight, but the gaming experience gets completely changed for the better and that makes the arm ache worth it!
MUSIC
Surprisingly, I wasn’t that impressed listening to music on the Thunderstorm — mainly because the vocals and treble sounded muddy and washed out. Switching to Movie mode instead (as opposed to the dedicated Music mode) made a compromise on bass, but improved the sound quality overall.
Still, it wasn’t anywhere near as impressive as using the Thunderstorm for gaming or watching video content.
BATTERY LIFE
Belkin says that you can expect around 10 hours of battery life from the Thunderstorm. Based on my testing with a mix of watching YouTube videos, listening to music and gaming, my battery life was closer enough at around 7-8 hours.
Belkin Thunderstorm: Verdict
Because of the price, you’ll really need to consider whether you’ll be upgrading your iPad any time soon, especially since the newer iPad Air won’t fit in the Thunderstorm.
If you’ll be keeping your current iPad for the foreseeable future though, I can’t recommend the Thunderstorm enough. As well as the superb build quality that’s expected from Belkin, the Thunderstorm’s audio improvements for gaming and watching video are phenomenal and completely transform the way you’re able to use your iPad.
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