Product Name: Libratone Zipp 360° Bluetooth + WiFi Speaker with Airplay 2
Model: LH0032010NA
Condition: New
Dimensions:
Height: 26.1 cm / 10.3 inches
Width: 12.2 cm / 4.8 inches
Weight: 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs
Portable design with 10 hours of active use
FullRoom® technology sends rich sound in every direction no matter placement or position
Pair up to 6 speakers for even bolder sound
Intuitive controls for music control, hush gesture detection and 5 presets of playlists or radio stations
Use ZIPP as a speakerphone. Works through Bluetooth
Inputs:
3.5 mm mini-jack (analog)
USB play in
USB charge out (charges your phone while plugged into the speaker)
Drive units:
4” Neodymium Woofer
2x 1” soft dome neodymium tweeter
2x 4 low-frequency radiators
Amplifier: Full digital Class D amplified adaptive DSP sound optimization and speaker protection system. 100-watt total power across 3 DSP enhanced amplifier channels
100-240V AC 50/60Hz input
19V 1.8A output
Play anything through AirPlay, Spotify Connect and more
Product Name: Libratone Zipp 2 360° Bluetooth + WiFi Speaker with Airplay 2 & Alexa
Model: LH0031000NA
Condition: New
Dimensions:
Height: 26.1 cm / 10.3 inches
Width: 12.2 cm / 4.8 inches
Weight: 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs
Portable sound with up to 12 hours of active use
New audio tuning and enhanced acoustic system achieve an increased maximum sound level, punchy bottom end, and crisp vocals
ZIPP 2 is Amazon Alexa enabled with far-field mic array with 6 mics – simple and handsfree
Connect up to 10 speakers and stream music using AirPlay 2, or SoundSpace Link®
Store and play any 5 playlists or radio stations with a tap when your ZIPP 2 is connected to WiFi
Onboard Room EQ automatically adjusts for best sound, no matter position or placement
Enhanced UI responsiveness with the functions music control, hush gesture, 5 preset playlists or radio stations, SoundSpace® link, voice mic, room EQ and firmware update
Noise isolating microphones ensure clear calls. Works via Bluetooth
Built-in voice prompts will guide you through the ZIPP 2 experience
Works with Siri voice service and Apple HomeKit through AirPlay 2
Inputs: 3.5 mm mini-jack (analog), USB play in
Drive units:
360° reflector
4” Neodymium Woofer
1x1” Soft dome neodymium tweeter
2x4”Low-frequency radiators
Available through Apple Store and Google Play
Up to 12 hours of active use
100-240 V AC 50/60 Hz input
High res audio 96 kHz/24 bit
Frequency range of 50 Hz — 20 kHz
Amplifier: Full digital Class D amplified adaptive DSP sound optimization and speaker protection system
Product Name: Libratone ZIPP Mini 2 360° Portable Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa
Model: LH0021000NA
Condition: New
Dimensions:
Height: 22.4 cm / 8.8 inches
Width: 10 cm / 3.9 inches
Weight: 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs
Wireless portable design with up to 12 hours of active use
New audio tuning and enhanced acoustic system achieve an increased maximum sound level, punchy bottom end, and crisp vocals
Includes Amazon Alexa voice service with far-field mic array with 3 mics
Connect up to 10 speakers and stream music using AirPlay 2, or SoundSpace Link®
Save and play 5 playlists or radio stations with a tap when your ZIPP MINI 2 is connected to WiFi
Onboard room EQ automatically adjusts for optimal sound, no matter position or placement
Enhanced UI responsiveness with functions like music control, 5 preset playlists or radio stations, SoundSpace® link, hush gesture, voice mic, room EQ and firmware update
Clear calls with noise isolating microphones. Works via Bluetooth
ZIPP MINI 2 comes with its own voice prompts to guide you through
Works with Siri voice service and Apple Homekit through the AirPlay 2 integration
Inputs: 3.5 mm mini-jack (analog), USB play in
Drive units:
360° reflector
3” neodymium woofer
1” soft dome neodymium tweeter
2 x 3.5” low-frequency radiator
Amplifier: Full digital Class D amplified adaptive DSP sound optimization and speaker protection system
Available through Apple Store and Google Play
100-240 V AC 50/60 Hz input
Updated 360° FullRoom® sound
Link speakers for individual left/right stereo channels
High res audio 96 kHz/24 bit
Frequency range of 50 Hz — 20 kHz
ZIPP MINI 2 is Amazon Alexa enabled with far-field mic array with 3 mics – simple and handsfree
@username on the back side there is a pin plug for the charger, a mini plug direct audio connection, and a usb port.
The direct connection is nice - you can use them for external speakers for the TV or your phone/tablet and not have to deal with any lag.
@robson I think from the past times they have sold someone said these that it is just to cover it in a color. I have no clue if you can buy just the fabric cover to change the color outside if you want.
I’m resistant to anything with internal batteries or built-in microphones (don’t want my conversations beamed to Amazon). Has anyone tried to replace the battery in one of these? Is the phone app necessary for normal operation? Is wifi playback (as opposed to bluetooth) a worthwhile feature and does that need the app?
I’ve sometimes thought of buying a speaker from a power tool company (Milwaukee Tool has some nice ones) since they run on the same batteries that cordless tools use, so at least you can easily swap batteries in and out. These Libratones do seem nice in other regards though.
Do they come with an AC adapter something like a laptop brick? That’s not really clear from the specs. Any idea of the internal battery capacity and type?
@phr just get the regular Zipp w/o the mic and Alexa stuff - I hate having to talk to things. I have two regulars and two minis, with the wifi I can get them all to sync up so you’re not dealing with BT lags. Also gives you more range to wander around the house than being tied to within 25 ft of your music source. There is an app you need to futz with to get them setup, but it’s not that bad.
They have a special adapter. It has a typical outlet plug in and male adapter plug. It can charge while being played and charges very quickly. Need the app to set up the wifi but haven’t tried deleting the app since then. Don’t know a lot about the battery. I just know it lasts a long time even with the volume loud.
Two questions for folks who have these, from more-dumb to less-dumb:
If I’m playing on WiFi, do I have to go through their app, or can I broadcast from my phone’s music app (I use Plex, but whatever) to multiple linked speakers?
Will it remember the speaker pairing overnight? Let’s say I want a multi-room home speaker system but I don’t want to have to pair the whole thing every time I want to listen to a podcast. Is this that?
I lied, here’s a bonus question: do I have to physically turn them on (heyo) every time I want to use them? Or will they be hanging out waiting for me to play a song?
The app is for setup, to get them linked up to your wifi. After that they will play from any other app. You can use the app to control individual volume and stuff or you can do it manually at the speaker.
They remember their settings, and will sit there in standby waiting for you.
I don’t doubt these things sound excellent, but I do have my doubts that any of them have onboard amplifiers capable of 100 real RMS watts of output power. That’s a very respectable power rating for a high quality 2-channel standalone stereo receiver, let alone a self-contained Bluetooth speaker.
@EvilTuna
#1. No, 24
#2. If you don’t like the garbage, then stop visiting the site
#3. I look forward to when you start up your own version of a ‘meh-like’ site and show them the right way to do it.
#4. Happy New Year…
@alternatetheory Meh used to have great things a couple years ago. Current days, mehrathons contain the same stuff each time, sometimes pretty much the same product being sold at different times during the same event. I’m just saying, how many times have you seen this product for sale?
The Zipp 2 sounds good with a variety of music and is plenty loud in a 20x20 room; bought it at $100 and am very happy with it. For this price it’s an even better deal on versatile speaker.
Airplay works well but expect a little lag between input and response. Alexa implementation is so-so and may not have all the newest features; seems like I have to repeat myself half of the time even when it lights up to acknowledge it heard me. I turned off Alexa and just use it as a speaker via Bluetooth for an Echo or via Airplay with my Apple toys.
App is meh, but you only need it for set-up; once it’s on the network you’re good to go.
@jerry559@swarthytype I still use Alexa but I often have to play with the buttons that aren’t really buttons to get her to listen to me. Still worth it.
@MrNews Yes. You can pair two speakers and assign them left and right channels to act as a set of stereo speakers or you can create groups for multi-room audio (up to 6 speakers for Zipp 1, 10 for Zipp 2) like Sonos.
@belden@MrNews I just re-read MrNews’ question and I see the joke there that we missed. The question was if you could play only hippie liberal socialist political commentary on your Left speaker, and only ultra-conservative neo-fascist anti-democracy rants on your Right speaker. See, Liberal-tone, get it? The resulting Cacophony at the end was the giveaway, which I missed the first time.
I have two Zipp 2s. Want to expand my soundstage with a Zipp or Mini. The Alexa implementation is very old and can’t be updated. It’s ok with Spotify or Amazon Music, but if you want to play Apple Music through them via Alexa, you’re SOL. If you want to use them with Alexa you’re better off connecting it to a Dot via the AUX. I’d been sort of planning on doing this and may still, but they sound so great when set up as a Soundspace in Airplay 2, I may leave them as is. Pairing them as stereo works great. It took awhile for them to stop dropping out over WiFi (as a Soundspace), but one day magically they were fine. It seems impossible to get Alexa to use Airplay. I may still go with the Echo/Aux route, but that would require having as many Echos in a room as speakers and so many headaches. Oh, def in for 2 Zipps. Was about to pull the trigger on them yesterday from Morningsave. So glad I waited. Also mat try Libratone‘s Lightning earbuds. Oh, and Airplay or AUX sounds noticeably better than BT, so I would rather wire them into an Echo rather than use BT.
@rlux I bought two of the Zipp 2 mini’s a while back (just like 2020, it seems like the Zipp deals on Meh just go on forever and never end. Does tomorrow mean the last day we’ll ever see these? They haven’t sold out yet, so I guess they will still haunt us in 2021).
Anyway back to the “minis” even they are quite big compared to most small bluetooth speakers that often sell here for $20-40. They’re clearly just the slightly smaller version of the fairly-large Zipps. But I’d recommend getting the minis if you want something a bit smaller. (you can always use your larger one for something else).
I’ve gone the other way and just ordered two of the larger Zipp (not mini) because I want to try them as semi-permanent speakers while I’m setting up things in a new house and will try to do the Left/Right pairing.
Hey Ho, y’all. Mehrry Happy to all. I saw after the fact where I kicked up a bit of ruckus about the high alcohol content of a pre xmas wine sale. While my main point was really about the awful modding of trad grape/wine maturation to boost alcohol levels (several michelin rated NYC restaurants won’t even stock Cali wine unless they maintain OG standards that date back a millennia) which is FACT… I got hung up on a much more subjective take concerning very high proof and sweetness. My experience is WAY too limited to make declarative statement like that. So, sorry. I hope those that bought that vino are happily buzzed about it. But I urge y’all to read up on the real focus.
IN OTHER NEWS RELATED TO THIS LIBRATONE MEGA CLEARANCE…
The front office is leaving out a YUGE difference that some of the Zipp Mini 2 reviews pointed out.
#1 while the Zipp 1& 2 are both 100 watt class D amped
the ZMini 1 is rated at 60 watts
the ZMini 2 is rated at 75 watts
That alone should make the choice of a mini 2 a no brainer. One review I can’t recall precisely went so far as to rate the Mini2 over the Zipp2 b/c the overall effect of the DSP signal processing was more subdued and more accurate w/the 3” mini woofer over the zipp’s 4”.
Cheers and HNY
@jerry559@Octomeh I had my Zipp 2 mini first and got a Zipp 2. It was super boomy. But I changed the sound profile on the app to easy listening or something like that.
@sammydog01 “Easy listening” LOL. I remember my father would listen to that on an AM radio about 40 years ago. But yeah as a sound profile that makes sense. Thanks for the tips I just ordered the larger Zipp after having the minis, so now I’m not sure but wanted to try the bigger ones. I’m glad to know that the boominess can apparently be adjusted. It probably depends a lot on the source you are using, too. A lot of devices and apps will artificially crank that stuff.
@pmarin My father listened to the dulcet tones of WEZO back in the day. I still find it relaxing and play the easy listening channel on Sirius in my car.
@Octomeh FWIW I appreciated the wine discussion! We are all just here reading this and replying for entertainment. It’s not like we have anything better to do.
@sirrief In a previous discussion on the Zipps, someone said you could do this (at least a Zipp with a Zipp 2). The idea being that if you just buy the “2” for the Alexa support, and want to use 2 speakers, you only need it in one of them. But, if you want to use them as Left/Right, I’m not sure that’s ideal because they are configured differently. (ignoring mixing minis with full-size – even more different). The Zipp has two tweeters and the Zipp 2 has one tweeter of different construction. So in an ideal stereo setup this wouldn’t be ideal (but it might be perfectly OK).
@pmarin Thanks! Much appreciated. Have you by chance heard both the Zipp and Zipp 2? I’m curious of the difference. I have the Zipp and it sounds pretty amazing.
@sirrief Sorry, no, I had two of the Zipp 2 mini. I decided I wanted to get the bigger ones also for a second setup, and just ordered the Zipp (not 2, not mini) today, so I don’t have it yet. I decided I don’t need the Alexa support.
So my info is based on previous deal discussions. I think a main thing is if you want to just have them all in separate rooms (which should be fine), or if you want to do left/right stereo pairing. If you want the stereo pairing, that’s where I suggested it would certainly be better to have two of the same model.
@pmarin I came to the same conclusion and ended up ordering a Zipp, since I already have one. Alexa would be nice, but I’d rather be able to do left right pairing without the sound differentiation bugging me.
Appreciate the note about the second tweeter in the original- didn’t realize that.
I’m sure the minis sound good, but I think you’ll probably be impressed with the Zipp. It’s a little buggy sometimes, but they really nailed the sound.
@pmarin@sirrief Yes, the Zipp has two tweeters (1") and the Zipp 2 has one (1.5") but they are both of soft dome neodymium construction per the Libratone site:
I got two of the Zipps a few weeks back from Side Deal with a 15% off coupon from a previous meh purchase (these new prices essentially have that same discount now) because I liked the idea of two vs. one tweeter and read the sound was better. Going from two tweeters to one sounds like a cost cutting measure IMO. They also eliminated the Zipp’s ability to charge a device from the USB port with the Zipp 2 - more cost cutting? I wasn’t interested in having Alexa built in since you can add it with an Echo input/dot/etc. without any functionality restrictions (like Pandora someone else noted in this thread).
@iggy71@sirrief Yes, that’s what I ordered: two of the large Zipp (not 2). I agree that there are plenty of Echo devices that can be added for better voice control if you want that sort of thing. It’s funny I was going to order from Side Deal with that same 15% coupon over Black Monday week, and forgot to order before the coupon expired. So yesterday’s deal was welcome for me.
@blaineg Well you can unzip, apparently, and then put on a new cover of a different color. So if for some reason you stopped after the unzip and barenakedness, and never got to the second part, wouldn’t that be the streaker option?
Remember, we are all naked under our clothes, and so, presumably, are these speakers.
I have the original Zipp and it’s nice. My only gripe is the startup and shutdown tones are annoying and I can’t figure out how to disable them. The volume control is kind of a pain, but overall I’m happy with it!
@sirrief Admittedly it is a pretty cool sound. I use it in the morning before some house members are awake and I can’t figure out how to turn it on or off without it making a loud noise though!
I keep wanting to buy these because I hear they’re great, but then I think of all the Bluetooth and wifi speakers I’ve already bought from Meh and realize I’m set for speakers for a long, long time.
Glad I missed these (was tempted a little) but will watch for them next time, depending.
Back in my day everyone was into stereos, i.e. two speakers. Does anyone care about that any more? I.e. if I buy one of these should I really buy two? They would be the bigger non-Alexa version.
It won’t surprise me if there’s a mehrathon tomorrow night. I’ll be around then, staying inside since everything else will be superspreader events. I almost want to order some of those crappy KN95 masks. Just no more powerbanks please.
@djslack Thanks, yeah, yesterday’s meh was a decent price break though. I’d want the full size non-Alexa which I think was $65, and I’d want just 1 or sort of conceivably 2, but definitely not 4. But, I’m gonna resist based on the comment above saying there is some kind of sound effect when you shut it off, that is impossible to disable. I hate that type of thing.
@djslack@phr It makes a tone when it powers off. Didn’t bother me. It let me know if was done/off. Plus, I’d be leaving it plugged in to use the alexa skills; would rarely power it off.
@djslack@dlchatham Hmm ok, I was imagining some annoying musical alert. If it’s just a quick and not-too-loud beep that’s not too bad.
Meanwhile, if anyone cares, I found some teardown photos of the big model. It looks like it has a wrapped pack of four 2400-mah 18650 cells inside, so a reasonable amount of battery energy and not TOO much hassle if the pack has to be replaced. I’d still much prefer a removable pack.
Some more info!!! I got a couple of regular Zipps. I added one of them to the soundstage I’d set up with my two current Zipp 2. So, three-speaker soundspace or whatever. Works nicely with AirPlay 2. You can use the Libratone app to experiment with 360 sound or left/right channel stereo and see which you like most. Either way sounds pretty damn good.
Warning: when you activate your regular Zipp, the Libratone software wants to install two firmware updates. Necessary for AirPlay 2. You might try the first update and skipping the second. One of them makes the Zipp go into standby mode after thirty minutes, and, contrary to the manual, you need to physically turn the thing back on. Annoying first thing in the morning.
HERE’S THE COOL PART. I was getting tired of having to use AirPlay 2 to play music from my Apple Music account, as the ancient build of Alexa on these things won’t play much of anything except Spotify and TuneIn Radio. I figured that if I wanted to use Alexa to play Apple Music (and many others) to these speakers, I’d have to use either Bluetooth (NO!), or the AUX ports. I’d figured I’d have to plug each speaker into its own Echo device, and set up my home Alexa implementation to have them function as a speaker group. So, three speakers in my living room? Three Echos. What a pain.
NOW HERE’S THE COOL PART: I have three speakers linked in a Libratone soundspace. Plug ONE Echo into the AUX of ONE Zipp (I used my Zipp 2; I imagine the Zipp will work the same), and ALL THREE SPEAKERS play whatever I send to that one speaker. Even though the others aren’t wired to anything. THIS IS WONDERFUL, as it solves my Apple Music and other problems. I have all three speakers set up to do 360, mono, whatever. Sounds nice. I’ll experiment with assigning different channels and see if I can get real stereo separation. I’m pretty happy and pretty excited (I know I need to get out more.)
So I can have ONE Echo drive EVERY Zipp in my home (if that’s what I want). Nice. These may not be super duper audiophile speakers, but they sound pretty damn good for the money.
@manhattnik wait, this changes everything! It is the holy grail that all the other wireless speakers sold here have failed to achieve. If you can feed live audio into one and have it broadcast to the others you can do things like live dj a house party (or karaoke) with whole house sound. Play the game on the TV but listen to it everywhere.
This is a capability I did not think would exist in a wireless speaker, and I know just about every wifi speaker that’s been sold here someone asked about it.
@djslack I’ve found that sometimes you need to “remind” a speaker with the app to use the AUX if left alone for awhile. I imagine unplugging and replugging could work, too. Then there’s the standby mode for the Zipp which doesn’t want to wake up until you do it manually. So there are some rough edges. Anyway, also see my comments below if you haven’t yet. It’s a mixed blessing Libratone went under. On the one hand there will be no more development and bug fixes for these surprisingly nice speakers. OTOH, we get to buy them for a third or less of original retail.
Thanks! I can confirm that changing the AUX connection to a different speaker in the group works just fine. I have found I need to turn off Alexa on the two Zipp 2s so only my Echo is listening. The Libratone app allows you to set the volume for each speaker, and whether it’s L, R, or S (for stereo which I guess is really mono 360). It will be a huge pain if and when that orphan app becomes obsolete. I’m not sure if there is another way to set up each speaker’s WiFi, although you can set up multi speaker soundspaces without the app; the speakers can talk to each other. It’s worth using AUX instead of Bluetooth; the sound is noticeably better. Can’t guarantee this will all work the same for you. YMMV, of course. However, for the price these are spectacularly well made and sounding speakers. I kinda want to get a mini, although I can’t imagine why.
Got mine last night, charged until this morning, then attempted setup.
Long story short, love the speaker, hate the App. I’m well over twenty attempts to connect to the WiFi network in the house. On those rare occasions that I get all the way through the setup, I get an error, something to the effect of “The WiFi has no internet connection” which is impossible as every other connected device in the house works fine.
So, at this point it’s a very nice Bluetooth speaker, but not any more than that.
@rythmrogue@sammydog01 Not yet. I had surgery on my left hand on Wednesday, so I’m learning to live one-handed for a little while. Couple this with with a display issue on my laptop and my “digital life” is moving a little slow. lol
I’ll try to get the update applied in the near future. I’ll report back with my results.
So I have 2 Zipp 2s and a Zipp combined in a Soundspace, driven by an echo going into the AUX of one of the Zipp 2s. When everything is working, it’s fantastic. All are in sync, and I can set each speaker to L R or S (both) however I please. Only problem is the things do go to sleep after awhile, so it’s necessary to tap each to wake it up, and remove and reinsert the 3.5 mm jack. And sometimes one or another “forgets” where it is, so some fixing with the app is required. I don’t mind, because, for the price, they sound fantastic. If I’d shelled out $250 each I’d be pissed. Already have another Zipp in the box waiting to be set up, and may get mi is for bedroom and bathroom. Basically very happy.
I bought a zipp 2 mini and absolutely loved it. Bought a Zipp 2 so I didn’t have to track the first one down. I also bought a Zipp and have a zipp mini on order for stay put music.
My one resolution was to listen to more music. I have an easy listening channel I love. It relaxes me. I call it up on Alexa and carry my speaker around the house with me. So pleasant.
Until yesterday. My zipp 2 told me it was connected to the wifi but not the internet. But your little brother still works, WTF?
This morning instead of listening to calming music with my coffee I tried to fix it. Nope. NOPE I’M CONNECTED TO THE WIFI BUT NOT THE INTERNET. YOU FUCKING FUCKER TRY HARDER. NOOOOOOO!
So I pulled out the mini. What does he tell me? NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.
Reset the speaker, reinstall the app, NO IT DOESN’T WORK AND I HATE THEM NOW AND I HATE EVERYONE AND FUCK YOU ALL.
@sammydog01 I found an old echo dot, bluetoothed it to to speaker and plugged it in the UBS port. I’m back to listening to oldies. Sorry for the fuck you all.
@sammydog01 I have this happen sometimes first thing in the morning. Only on one particular speaker, though. Using the app to remind the speaker of its WiFi network usually works, or turning off and on. Yes it’s a pain.
I just was in the Libratone app that there is a new firmware update for the Zipp 2 which allegedly “fixes” Alexa functionality. This could address any number of Alexa problems, like, no Pandora or Apple Music. If Libratone is out of business I don’t know where the heck the firmware update is coming from. But if it really updates Alexa properly, wow. Will apply update. Fingers crossed.
@sammydog01 What did the update fix for you? I was hoping it would allow the built-in Alexa to work with Apple Music, but no joy. Spotify does work very very well with it, though. Always has. Didn’t check for Pandora. The big annoyance with all the Zipp speakers is how after awhile they’ll go to “sleep,” and waking them up is a pain and some don’t really wake up until you cycle the power. My four speakers sound great when they’re all behaving properly, but they’re annoyingly temperamental. Why the firmware puts the speakers to sleep when they’re plugged into AC power makes no sense. It should only happen when running on batteries. Hmm. I have to try using an AUX from my TV to one of the speakers and see what happens.
@sammydog01 Oh. You mean the not connected to the Internet message? I have that on the speaker I haven’t updated and it’s nice to know it will be fixed because I end up screaming at it to shut the duck up already.
@manhattnik I keep mine turned off when I’m not using them but I can see where that would be annoying. And they take forever to bring Alexa up once you do turn them on. But at least for now it’s all working.
@sammydog01 The Alexa implementation is still half-baked, but of you don’t need newer stuff like Apple Music support it should be fine. It supports Spotify really well. Also you can use the crappy Libratone skill to set Alexa-enabled Zipps up to be used as remotely addressable speakers. If you feel like taking the trouble. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been using an old Echo (Spot) and AUX cable, and I’ve turned Alexa OFF on my Zipps. So I need to physically remove and insert the cable for the Zipp to recognize it, and also have to goose speakers awake if they’ve fallen asleep.
I like the excellent sound and relative cheapness of my setup, but I think I may find myself going for Sonos or HomePod just for the ease of setup and use.
Specs
Zipp
Zipp Mini
Zipp 2
Zipp Mini 2
What’s in the Box?
Price Comparison
$231.99 at Amazon for Zipp
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ for Zipp Mini, Zipp 2, and Zipp Mini 2
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Friday, Sep 17 - Tuesday, Sep 21
Again?
@yakkoTDI this is our life now.
@yakkoTDI would you prefer more masks?
@yakkoTDI They’re Bluetooth speakers. This is vintage Meh.
@Fuzzalini Vintage Meh is speaker docks and knives.
@yakkoTDI True. Bluetooth speakers is 2018-2019 Meh.
if meh is making profit on these it should say “usually a lot more overpriced”
also with all the photos, couple could show charger plugged in or usb ports
@username on the back side there is a pin plug for the charger, a mini plug direct audio connection, and a usb port.
The direct connection is nice - you can use them for external speakers for the TV or your phone/tablet and not have to deal with any lag.
Got an original Zipp in my IRK. Sounds great and battery lasted over 8 hours playing Xmas music from an internet radio station. Thanks Meh!
I have a Zipp 2 and a Zipp 2 mini. I’m really happy with them- too bad I don’t need a third.
The strippers make the appearance again,
And now they brought their next of kin.
what’s the purpose of the zipper on these? is some compartment in there?
@robson I think from the past times they have sold someone said these that it is just to cover it in a color. I have no clue if you can buy just the fabric cover to change the color outside if you want.
@robson You can unzip the cover and take it off. I bought a pretty light blue replacement at Amazon. It was a bitch to put on.
I’m resistant to anything with internal batteries or built-in microphones (don’t want my conversations beamed to Amazon). Has anyone tried to replace the battery in one of these? Is the phone app necessary for normal operation? Is wifi playback (as opposed to bluetooth) a worthwhile feature and does that need the app?
I’ve sometimes thought of buying a speaker from a power tool company (Milwaukee Tool has some nice ones) since they run on the same batteries that cordless tools use, so at least you can easily swap batteries in and out. These Libratones do seem nice in other regards though.
Do they come with an AC adapter something like a laptop brick? That’s not really clear from the specs. Any idea of the internal battery capacity and type?
@phr it does come with an AC adapter and runs on just the adapter (ie I drained the battery and it still played). I have a Zipp.
@phr just get the regular Zipp w/o the mic and Alexa stuff - I hate having to talk to things. I have two regulars and two minis, with the wifi I can get them all to sync up so you’re not dealing with BT lags. Also gives you more range to wander around the house than being tied to within 25 ft of your music source. There is an app you need to futz with to get them setup, but it’s not that bad.
I think they are just keen …
@phr you can connect via BT without the app.
You need the app to configure wifi, set internet radio stations, and to control remotely. If you don’t want to do that, you don’t need the app.
@phr @rmeden So when the app is discontinued the speakers are bricked then?
@Kidsandliz Without the app, it should still work with bluetooth, and the existing programed stations and wifi should continue to work.
They have a special adapter. It has a typical outlet plug in and male adapter plug. It can charge while being played and charges very quickly. Need the app to set up the wifi but haven’t tried deleting the app since then. Don’t know a lot about the battery. I just know it lasts a long time even with the volume loud.
Two questions for folks who have these, from more-dumb to less-dumb:
If I’m playing on WiFi, do I have to go through their app, or can I broadcast from my phone’s music app (I use Plex, but whatever) to multiple linked speakers?
Will it remember the speaker pairing overnight? Let’s say I want a multi-room home speaker system but I don’t want to have to pair the whole thing every time I want to listen to a podcast. Is this that?
I lied, here’s a bonus question: do I have to physically turn them on (heyo) every time I want to use them? Or will they be hanging out waiting for me to play a song?
@stephenobent
The app is for setup, to get them linked up to your wifi. After that they will play from any other app. You can use the app to control individual volume and stuff or you can do it manually at the speaker.
They remember their settings, and will sit there in standby waiting for you.
This is how these should have been sold in the first place. As a group of options, not individually for weeks on end like they were…
I don’t doubt these things sound excellent, but I do have my doubts that any of them have onboard amplifiers capable of 100 real RMS watts of output power. That’s a very respectable power rating for a high quality 2-channel standalone stereo receiver, let alone a self-contained Bluetooth speaker.
Same garbage I’ve seen over, and over, and over, and over again. Does this site not have more than 23 products to sell?
@EvilTuna yes
@EvilTuna
#1. No, 24
#2. If you don’t like the garbage, then stop visiting the site
#3. I look forward to when you start up your own version of a ‘meh-like’ site and show them the right way to do it.
#4. Happy New Year…
@alternatetheory Meh used to have great things a couple years ago. Current days, mehrathons contain the same stuff each time, sometimes pretty much the same product being sold at different times during the same event. I’m just saying, how many times have you seen this product for sale?
Bluetooth candy corn
How do these compare to the Cavaliers sold a few weeks ago? Sound better? True multi-room setup via the Alexa app? Seems as speakers in Alexa?
The Cavaliers didn’t sound great and didn’t work in Alexa app as true speakers. You could talk to them, that’s it.
The Zipp 2 sounds good with a variety of music and is plenty loud in a 20x20 room; bought it at $100 and am very happy with it. For this price it’s an even better deal on versatile speaker.
Airplay works well but expect a little lag between input and response. Alexa implementation is so-so and may not have all the newest features; seems like I have to repeat myself half of the time even when it lights up to acknowledge it heard me. I turned off Alexa and just use it as a speaker via Bluetooth for an Echo or via Airplay with my Apple toys.
App is meh, but you only need it for set-up; once it’s on the network you’re good to go.
@swarthytype This is my review as well. Thank you for saving me the typing.
@jerry559 @swarthytype I still use Alexa but I often have to play with the buttons that aren’t really buttons to get her to listen to me. Still worth it.
@jerry559 @sammydog01 @swarthytype She’s just pretending not to listen…
Does anyone have direct experience comparing this with the cavalier maverick that was sold a few weeks ago? Was tempted by the maverick
Realized too late that this may be a naive question which benefits some more research on my part. Apologies to all
Can you pair these for stereo, say with Libratone on the Left and Conservavoice on the Right, for full cacaphonic sound? Asking for a fiend…
@MrNews Yes. You can pair two speakers and assign them left and right channels to act as a set of stereo speakers or you can create groups for multi-room audio (up to 6 speakers for Zipp 1, 10 for Zipp 2) like Sonos.
@belden @MrNews I just re-read MrNews’ question and I see the joke there that we missed. The question was if you could play only hippie liberal socialist political commentary on your Left speaker, and only ultra-conservative neo-fascist anti-democracy rants on your Right speaker. See, Liberal-tone, get it? The resulting Cacophony at the end was the giveaway, which I missed the first time.
@belden @pmarin Give me Libratone or give me meth!!
@belden @MrNews Mehth
I have two Zipp 2s. Want to expand my soundstage with a Zipp or Mini. The Alexa implementation is very old and can’t be updated. It’s ok with Spotify or Amazon Music, but if you want to play Apple Music through them via Alexa, you’re SOL. If you want to use them with Alexa you’re better off connecting it to a Dot via the AUX. I’d been sort of planning on doing this and may still, but they sound so great when set up as a Soundspace in Airplay 2, I may leave them as is. Pairing them as stereo works great. It took awhile for them to stop dropping out over WiFi (as a Soundspace), but one day magically they were fine. It seems impossible to get Alexa to use Airplay. I may still go with the Echo/Aux route, but that would require having as many Echos in a room as speakers and so many headaches. Oh, def in for 2 Zipps. Was about to pull the trigger on them yesterday from Morningsave. So glad I waited. Also mat try Libratone‘s Lightning earbuds. Oh, and Airplay or AUX sounds noticeably better than BT, so I would rather wire them into an Echo rather than use BT.
I got one of the Zipps back in October for my work studio. It’s a little bigger than I wanted but it does the job.
@rlux I bought two of the Zipp 2 mini’s a while back (just like 2020, it seems like the Zipp deals on Meh just go on forever and never end. Does tomorrow mean the last day we’ll ever see these? They haven’t sold out yet, so I guess they will still haunt us in 2021).
Anyway back to the “minis” even they are quite big compared to most small bluetooth speakers that often sell here for $20-40. They’re clearly just the slightly smaller version of the fairly-large Zipps. But I’d recommend getting the minis if you want something a bit smaller. (you can always use your larger one for something else).
I’ve gone the other way and just ordered two of the larger Zipp (not mini) because I want to try them as semi-permanent speakers while I’m setting up things in a new house and will try to do the Left/Right pairing.
Hey Ho, y’all. Mehrry Happy to all. I saw after the fact where I kicked up a bit of ruckus about the high alcohol content of a pre xmas wine sale. While my main point was really about the awful modding of trad grape/wine maturation to boost alcohol levels (several michelin rated NYC restaurants won’t even stock Cali wine unless they maintain OG standards that date back a millennia) which is FACT… I got hung up on a much more subjective take concerning very high proof and sweetness. My experience is WAY too limited to make declarative statement like that. So, sorry. I hope those that bought that vino are happily buzzed about it. But I urge y’all to read up on the real focus.
IN OTHER NEWS RELATED TO THIS LIBRATONE MEGA CLEARANCE…
The front office is leaving out a YUGE difference that some of the Zipp Mini 2 reviews pointed out.
#1 while the Zipp 1& 2 are both 100 watt class D amped
the ZMini 1 is rated at 60 watts
the ZMini 2 is rated at 75 watts
That alone should make the choice of a mini 2 a no brainer. One review I can’t recall precisely went so far as to rate the Mini2 over the Zipp2 b/c the overall effect of the DSP signal processing was more subdued and more accurate w/the 3” mini woofer over the zipp’s 4”.
Cheers and HNY
@Octomeh Dude, so much good information buried in a chaotic wine review.
@jerry559 ok. i’ll repost the wine whine on the wine sale page
@Octomeh Quite a long “wine” but saved the best for last.
@jerry559 @Octomeh I had my Zipp 2 mini first and got a Zipp 2. It was super boomy. But I changed the sound profile on the app to easy listening or something like that.
@sammydog01 “Easy listening” LOL. I remember my father would listen to that on an AM radio about 40 years ago. But yeah as a sound profile that makes sense. Thanks for the tips I just ordered the larger Zipp after having the minis, so now I’m not sure but wanted to try the bigger ones. I’m glad to know that the boominess can apparently be adjusted. It probably depends a lot on the source you are using, too. A lot of devices and apps will artificially crank that stuff.
@pmarin My father listened to the dulcet tones of WEZO back in the day. I still find it relaxing and play the easy listening channel on Sirius in my car.
ack. too late. wont let me edit this long after
@Octomeh FWIW I appreciated the wine discussion! We are all just here reading this and replying for entertainment. It’s not like we have anything better to do.
URGENT QUESTION: Is it possible to pair the Zipp with the Zipp 2?? (Or mini with Zipp, or Mini 2 w/ Zipp, etc)
@sirrief In a previous discussion on the Zipps, someone said you could do this (at least a Zipp with a Zipp 2). The idea being that if you just buy the “2” for the Alexa support, and want to use 2 speakers, you only need it in one of them. But, if you want to use them as Left/Right, I’m not sure that’s ideal because they are configured differently. (ignoring mixing minis with full-size – even more different). The Zipp has two tweeters and the Zipp 2 has one tweeter of different construction. So in an ideal stereo setup this wouldn’t be ideal (but it might be perfectly OK).
@pmarin Thanks! Much appreciated. Have you by chance heard both the Zipp and Zipp 2? I’m curious of the difference. I have the Zipp and it sounds pretty amazing.
@sirrief Sorry, no, I had two of the Zipp 2 mini. I decided I wanted to get the bigger ones also for a second setup, and just ordered the Zipp (not 2, not mini) today, so I don’t have it yet. I decided I don’t need the Alexa support.
So my info is based on previous deal discussions. I think a main thing is if you want to just have them all in separate rooms (which should be fine), or if you want to do left/right stereo pairing. If you want the stereo pairing, that’s where I suggested it would certainly be better to have two of the same model.
@pmarin I came to the same conclusion and ended up ordering a Zipp, since I already have one. Alexa would be nice, but I’d rather be able to do left right pairing without the sound differentiation bugging me.
Appreciate the note about the second tweeter in the original- didn’t realize that.
I’m sure the minis sound good, but I think you’ll probably be impressed with the Zipp. It’s a little buggy sometimes, but they really nailed the sound.
@pmarin @sirrief Yes, the Zipp has two tweeters (1") and the Zipp 2 has one (1.5") but they are both of soft dome neodymium construction per the Libratone site:
https://www.libratone.com/us/products/speakers/zipp/product-details/
https://www.libratone.com/us/products/speakers/zipp-2/product-details/
I got two of the Zipps a few weeks back from Side Deal with a 15% off coupon from a previous meh purchase (these new prices essentially have that same discount now) because I liked the idea of two vs. one tweeter and read the sound was better. Going from two tweeters to one sounds like a cost cutting measure IMO. They also eliminated the Zipp’s ability to charge a device from the USB port with the Zipp 2 - more cost cutting? I wasn’t interested in having Alexa built in since you can add it with an Echo input/dot/etc. without any functionality restrictions (like Pandora someone else noted in this thread).
@iggy71 @sirrief Yes, that’s what I ordered: two of the large Zipp (not 2). I agree that there are plenty of Echo devices that can be added for better voice control if you want that sort of thing. It’s funny I was going to order from Side Deal with that same 15% coupon over Black Monday week, and forgot to order before the coupon expired. So yesterday’s deal was welcome for me.
Still no streaker option?
@blaineg Well you can unzip, apparently, and then put on a new cover of a different color. So if for some reason you stopped after the unzip and barenakedness, and never got to the second part, wouldn’t that be the streaker option?
Remember, we are all naked under our clothes, and so, presumably, are these speakers.
I have the original Zipp and it’s nice. My only gripe is the startup and shutdown tones are annoying and I can’t figure out how to disable them. The volume control is kind of a pain, but overall I’m happy with it!
@a13z
The shutdown tone is one of the most amazing sounds that has ever graced my mortal ears
@sirrief Admittedly it is a pretty cool sound. I use it in the morning before some house members are awake and I can’t figure out how to turn it on or off without it making a loud noise though!
@a13z lol, I suppose that’s fair. Just checked the settings, you’re right, no way to disable
I keep wanting to buy these because I hear they’re great, but then I think of all the Bluetooth and wifi speakers I’ve already bought from Meh and realize I’m set for speakers for a long, long time.
/giphy angelic-magnificent-angel
Zipp2 works with Alexa, however it does not play Pandora. Sad
@dlchatham
@dlchatham @iggy71
/giphy sad panda
Glad I missed these (was tempted a little) but will watch for them next time, depending.
Back in my day everyone was into stereos, i.e. two speakers. Does anyone care about that any more? I.e. if I buy one of these should I really buy two? They would be the bigger non-Alexa version.
It won’t surprise me if there’s a mehrathon tomorrow night. I’ll be around then, staying inside since everything else will be superspreader events. I almost want to order some of those crappy KN95 masks. Just no more powerbanks please.
@phr
You’re
Not
Too
Late
The four pack is especially impressive. Get in on that quadraphonic sound!
@djslack Thanks, yeah, yesterday’s meh was a decent price break though. I’d want the full size non-Alexa which I think was $65, and I’d want just 1 or sort of conceivably 2, but definitely not 4. But, I’m gonna resist based on the comment above saying there is some kind of sound effect when you shut it off, that is impossible to disable. I hate that type of thing.
@djslack @phr
@djslack @phr It makes a tone when it powers off. Didn’t bother me. It let me know if was done/off. Plus, I’d be leaving it plugged in to use the alexa skills; would rarely power it off.
@djslack @dlchatham Hmm ok, I was imagining some annoying musical alert. If it’s just a quick and not-too-loud beep that’s not too bad.
Meanwhile, if anyone cares, I found some teardown photos of the big model. It looks like it has a wrapped pack of four 2400-mah 18650 cells inside, so a reasonable amount of battery energy and not TOO much hassle if the pack has to be replaced. I’d still much prefer a removable pack.
Loved it. Can’t wait for it to come up for sale again so I can get more
@Bunnymiller you can still get some if you click the links above.
Some more info!!! I got a couple of regular Zipps. I added one of them to the soundstage I’d set up with my two current Zipp 2. So, three-speaker soundspace or whatever. Works nicely with AirPlay 2. You can use the Libratone app to experiment with 360 sound or left/right channel stereo and see which you like most. Either way sounds pretty damn good.
Warning: when you activate your regular Zipp, the Libratone software wants to install two firmware updates. Necessary for AirPlay 2. You might try the first update and skipping the second. One of them makes the Zipp go into standby mode after thirty minutes, and, contrary to the manual, you need to physically turn the thing back on. Annoying first thing in the morning.
HERE’S THE COOL PART. I was getting tired of having to use AirPlay 2 to play music from my Apple Music account, as the ancient build of Alexa on these things won’t play much of anything except Spotify and TuneIn Radio. I figured that if I wanted to use Alexa to play Apple Music (and many others) to these speakers, I’d have to use either Bluetooth (NO!), or the AUX ports. I’d figured I’d have to plug each speaker into its own Echo device, and set up my home Alexa implementation to have them function as a speaker group. So, three speakers in my living room? Three Echos. What a pain.
NOW HERE’S THE COOL PART: I have three speakers linked in a Libratone soundspace. Plug ONE Echo into the AUX of ONE Zipp (I used my Zipp 2; I imagine the Zipp will work the same), and ALL THREE SPEAKERS play whatever I send to that one speaker. Even though the others aren’t wired to anything. THIS IS WONDERFUL, as it solves my Apple Music and other problems. I have all three speakers set up to do 360, mono, whatever. Sounds nice. I’ll experiment with assigning different channels and see if I can get real stereo separation. I’m pretty happy and pretty excited (I know I need to get out more.)
So I can have ONE Echo drive EVERY Zipp in my home (if that’s what I want). Nice. These may not be super duper audiophile speakers, but they sound pretty damn good for the money.
@manhattnik wait, this changes everything! It is the holy grail that all the other wireless speakers sold here have failed to achieve. If you can feed live audio into one and have it broadcast to the others you can do things like live dj a house party (or karaoke) with whole house sound. Play the game on the TV but listen to it everywhere.
This is a capability I did not think would exist in a wireless speaker, and I know just about every wifi speaker that’s been sold here someone asked about it.
Thanks!
@djslack I’ve found that sometimes you need to “remind” a speaker with the app to use the AUX if left alone for awhile. I imagine unplugging and replugging could work, too. Then there’s the standby mode for the Zipp which doesn’t want to wake up until you do it manually. So there are some rough edges. Anyway, also see my comments below if you haven’t yet. It’s a mixed blessing Libratone went under. On the one hand there will be no more development and bug fixes for these surprisingly nice speakers. OTOH, we get to buy them for a third or less of original retail.
Thanks! I can confirm that changing the AUX connection to a different speaker in the group works just fine. I have found I need to turn off Alexa on the two Zipp 2s so only my Echo is listening. The Libratone app allows you to set the volume for each speaker, and whether it’s L, R, or S (for stereo which I guess is really mono 360). It will be a huge pain if and when that orphan app becomes obsolete. I’m not sure if there is another way to set up each speaker’s WiFi, although you can set up multi speaker soundspaces without the app; the speakers can talk to each other. It’s worth using AUX instead of Bluetooth; the sound is noticeably better. Can’t guarantee this will all work the same for you. YMMV, of course. However, for the price these are spectacularly well made and sounding speakers. I kinda want to get a mini, although I can’t imagine why.
Got mine last night, charged until this morning, then attempted setup.
Long story short, love the speaker, hate the App. I’m well over twenty attempts to connect to the WiFi network in the house. On those rare occasions that I get all the way through the setup, I get an error, something to the effect of “The WiFi has no internet connection” which is impossible as every other connected device in the house works fine.
So, at this point it’s a very nice Bluetooth speaker, but not any more than that.
@un4gvn1 Do you have a Mac? Airplay was the only way I was able to set these up as the app is near useless.
@rythmrogue @un4gvn1 Have you updated the firmware? They just came out with an update that fixed this for me. Like a few days ago.
@rythmrogue No Mac, I’m trying to use the Android app.
@rythmrogue @sammydog01 Not yet. I had surgery on my left hand on Wednesday, so I’m learning to live one-handed for a little while. Couple this with with a display issue on my laptop and my “digital life” is moving a little slow. lol
I’ll try to get the update applied in the near future. I’ll report back with my results.
So I have 2 Zipp 2s and a Zipp combined in a Soundspace, driven by an echo going into the AUX of one of the Zipp 2s. When everything is working, it’s fantastic. All are in sync, and I can set each speaker to L R or S (both) however I please. Only problem is the things do go to sleep after awhile, so it’s necessary to tap each to wake it up, and remove and reinsert the 3.5 mm jack. And sometimes one or another “forgets” where it is, so some fixing with the app is required. I don’t mind, because, for the price, they sound fantastic. If I’d shelled out $250 each I’d be pissed. Already have another Zipp in the box waiting to be set up, and may get mi is for bedroom and bathroom. Basically very happy.
I bought a zipp 2 mini and absolutely loved it. Bought a Zipp 2 so I didn’t have to track the first one down. I also bought a Zipp and have a zipp mini on order for stay put music.
My one resolution was to listen to more music. I have an easy listening channel I love. It relaxes me. I call it up on Alexa and carry my speaker around the house with me. So pleasant.
Until yesterday. My zipp 2 told me it was connected to the wifi but not the internet. But your little brother still works, WTF?
This morning instead of listening to calming music with my coffee I tried to fix it. Nope. NOPE I’M CONNECTED TO THE WIFI BUT NOT THE INTERNET. YOU FUCKING FUCKER TRY HARDER. NOOOOOOO!
So I pulled out the mini. What does he tell me? NOT CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET.
Reset the speaker, reinstall the app, NO IT DOESN’T WORK AND I HATE THEM NOW AND I HATE EVERYONE AND FUCK YOU ALL.
@sammydog01 I found an old echo dot, bluetoothed it to to speaker and plugged it in the UBS port. I’m back to listening to oldies. Sorry for the fuck you all.
@sammydog01 I have this happen sometimes first thing in the morning. Only on one particular speaker, though. Using the app to remind the speaker of its WiFi network usually works, or turning off and on. Yes it’s a pain.
I just was in the Libratone app that there is a new firmware update for the Zipp 2 which allegedly “fixes” Alexa functionality. This could address any number of Alexa problems, like, no Pandora or Apple Music. If Libratone is out of business I don’t know where the heck the firmware update is coming from. But if it really updates Alexa properly, wow. Will apply update. Fingers crossed.
@manhattnik The app was updated a couple of weeks ago and I wonder if that was the problem. I’m installing the new firmware.
On the plus side I figured out how the spotify through wifi thing works and that’s been fun.
Edit: IT’S FIXED! Soooo happy.
@sammydog01 What did the update fix for you? I was hoping it would allow the built-in Alexa to work with Apple Music, but no joy. Spotify does work very very well with it, though. Always has. Didn’t check for Pandora. The big annoyance with all the Zipp speakers is how after awhile they’ll go to “sleep,” and waking them up is a pain and some don’t really wake up until you cycle the power. My four speakers sound great when they’re all behaving properly, but they’re annoyingly temperamental. Why the firmware puts the speakers to sleep when they’re plugged into AC power makes no sense. It should only happen when running on batteries. Hmm. I have to try using an AUX from my TV to one of the speakers and see what happens.
@sammydog01 Oh. You mean the not connected to the Internet message? I have that on the speaker I haven’t updated and it’s nice to know it will be fixed because I end up screaming at it to shut the duck up already.
@manhattnik I keep mine turned off when I’m not using them but I can see where that would be annoying. And they take forever to bring Alexa up once you do turn them on. But at least for now it’s all working.
@sammydog01 The Alexa implementation is still half-baked, but of you don’t need newer stuff like Apple Music support it should be fine. It supports Spotify really well. Also you can use the crappy Libratone skill to set Alexa-enabled Zipps up to be used as remotely addressable speakers. If you feel like taking the trouble. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been using an old Echo (Spot) and AUX cable, and I’ve turned Alexa OFF on my Zipps. So I need to physically remove and insert the cable for the Zipp to recognize it, and also have to goose speakers awake if they’ve fallen asleep.
I like the excellent sound and relative cheapness of my setup, but I think I may find myself going for Sonos or HomePod just for the ease of setup and use.