Review: Ferrari by Logic3 Scuderia FS1 Bluetooth Stereo Dock

Fancy sports cars are a common sight at the trade show booths of tech companies looking to attract attention. But the Ferrari Scuderia at the center of the Logic3 booth at CES was there with good reason: the company offers stereos and headphones carrying the Ferrari logo. The Scuderia FS1 is a stereo dock which offers all the trappings of the Ferrari lifestyle, from the car logo on the front to the angular red highlights winding through the silver and black styling. As the FS1 sits on my desk for testing it’s easily the coolest looking tech item on my desk, which is saying something. The question then becomes whether this $549 stereo dock offers an audio experience to match the stylistic one.

The short answer is yes. Despite being only about a foot wide and less than six inches deep, the audio from the FS1 offers the illusion of a multi unit stereo. In fact it’s really a single-housing 2.1 system, with a pair of tweeters on the front and subwoofer on the bottom. The treble is extremely crisp, and the bass runs deep and wide. In terms of audio quality and stereo separation, it’s the best audio I’ve heard from a unit of this size.

In terms of connectivity, the FS1 aims to please. Front and center is a dock connector port for previous iPhone and iPod models, while a line-in port and USB port on bottom allow for the audio connection and charging of other mobile devices. But the built in bluetooth connection is the most versatile, allowing almost any smartphone, tablet, Mac or PC to be connected wirelessly. The included remote control features the same Ferrari logo and styling of the unit.

The only regret with the FS1 is that it’s still relying on Apple’s old dock connector port for devices like the iPhone 4S and hasn’t yet been updated for Lightning devices, meaning that iPhone 5 users will only be able to connect via bluetooth and not docking. But that’s not a factor in the star rating of the product.

If I wanted to be picky, I’d point out that Logic3 would have done well to include play-pause buttons on the unit itself and not merely on the remote, but would be perhaps too picky. The bottom line is that the FS1 offers the kind of exquisite audio experience that’s worth every penny of its hefty price tag. The fact that it looks like a Ferrari is just a free bonus.

Rating: five stars out of five • Price: $549 • ferrari-by-logic3.com