Blue Aura WS80i Wireless Active Stereo Speaker System Review

Music can be such an enjoyable part of our lives. But sometimes, location and installation can be difficult. Putting a pair of speaker at a location not already prewired can be difficult. It could mean running a lot of unsightly wire. Enter the Blue Aura WS80i. They are wireless stereo indoor speaker system. With them, there is no need for the wire runs for the speaker wires.

Their features and specs:

Description
2-Way Powered Active Speaker
Product Height: 235 mm
Product Width: 150 mm
Product Depth: 215 mm
Product Weight: 4.0000
Frequency Response: 45 Hz - 22k Hz
Tweeter: 1" Soft Dome Ferro-Fluid Cooled
Woofer: 4.5" Pa;per Cone
Crossover Frequency: 3k Hz
Amplifier Power: 2x25 W + 2x25 W
Amplifer Type: Class D
Wireless: Yes
Wireless Range: 25 m
Sub Out: N/A
Connector Type: N/A
Remote Control: Yes
Impedance: 8 ohm
Enclosure: MDF Enclosure Covered in Faux Leather
Grille: Aluminum

The quality was very good. The Blue Aura WS80i came shipped double boxed. The product box was a standard attractive looking printed box. It had pictures of the product and also included some specs. Opening the box revealed a styrofoam top, with slots for the other parts such as the remote, and wireless dongle. Taking the styrofoam top off showed the two speakers wrapped in plastic. Taking off the plastic wrapping revealed.

Pulling the speakers out revealed a very unique speaker. The sides of the speakers were wrapped in faux black leather and stitched. I liked the elegant look it gave. The bottom had a black foam pad, so as to not scratch any surface you set the speaker on. On the rear you can see the metal plate of the built in amp, and on the front is a black aluminum grill. That protects the 4.5 inch and 1 inch drivers. Build quality as well as fit and finish was very good. Set-up was very simple, and the included instructions were easy to follow. I had the WS80i set up, plugged in, and linked up with the Bluetooth dongle in no time. One item to note, was there was a missing cable. Depending on the configuration, and source material being used, the Bluetooth dongle will need to be plugged in. There was a power adapter included for it, but there was no usb cable to go from the power adapter to the Bluetooth dongle.

I must say I was very impressed with their performance. Fresh Aire III: Tocatta was very crisp and clean with very good resolution. The flute had a good amount of air, and the drums were tight and provided good bass extension. Twilight soundtrack: Super Massive Black Hole, provided a lot of energy. Vocals sounded a tad warm but still natural. This track has a lot of energy, and the WS80i delivered it well. There is a lot of midbass and bass in the track. And while it was apparent that no subwoofer was being used, the 4.5 inch driver did extremely well for its size. Michael Jackson: Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, had great resolution in the guitar. Vocals came through natural with sufficient depth and texture. Imaging was pretty good.

I was equally impressed with their wireless performance. They are listed at 25m distance, and they went well above that! Having a 3600 square foot home, I set it up in the master bedroom in the upper corner of the house. Not only was I able to get signal anywhere in the upstairs, I also got signal anywhere in the downstairs as well!

At the end of the day, I was pleased with the Blue Aura WS80i. Their build quality was very good, and they gave an elegant look and styling with the faux leather sides. And for wireless speakers, they gave a nice full sound that had a lot going. Mids and highs were crisp and clean, and the bass output was very good for their size. And they liked to play loud! At an MSRP of $599 I think they are fairly priced for what you get. Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, they have earned our Highly Recommended award. They are definitely worthy of being on your short list of models to heck out. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at blueaura-audio.com.