Review: TwelveSouth BassJump 2 portable subwoofer for MacBook

December 1, 2011 by Bill Palmer

by Bill Palmer

The built-in speakers on a Mac laptop aren’t bad, they’re just thin sounding thanks to the lack of a subwoofer to properly handle the lower ranges. Traditional three piece computer speaker systems bypass your built-in speakers in favor of two external tweeters and a subwoofer. In contrast, the BassJump 2 from TwelveSouth goes for a more simple approach: instead of bypassing your built-in tweeters, it offers a subwoofer which pairs up with them.

Things aren’t supposed to work with this way, so the BassJump 2 gets around it by connecting to your MacBook’s USB port instead of its audio port. A small piece of free software is required to allow the subwoofer to work at all, and also allows its relative volume and bass level to be fine tuned. Because the unit gets its power via USB, there’s no separate power cable involved.

What you end up with is 2.1 stereo sound coming from your MacBook by only adding a single small speaker unit which is about two inches tall and about four inches deep and wide. If you’re looking to save desk space or travel light, and the fact that you bought a laptop suggests that you are, then the BassJump 2 will serve you well on both fronts. It even comes with a zippered travel pouch.

In purely sonic terms, you can get your hands on external tweeters which will sound better than the ones built into your MacBook. And you can find (much larger) subwoofers which sound better than than this one. But if sticking to a small package is a priority, then the BassJump 2 offers a lot of bang for the buck for its size. The difference between listening to your MacBook’s speaker by themselves, and your MacBook’s speakers paired with the BassJump 2, is astonishing. As a bonus, its brushed silver metal sidings and black trim make it stylistically compatible with Mac computers.

Notes: the primary difference between the new BassJump 2 and the original BassJump is in the software; if you already have the latter, you can grab the new software for free here. This product is clearly aimed at Mac laptops like the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, but also works with any Mac. It’s not compatible with Windows. Be sure you set the unit right side up on your desk, as its symmetrical design makes it easy to accidentally place it upside down. Use the “12″ logo on the front for guidance as to which side is up.

Price: $69 • twelvesouth.com