Buy Now...

click image to enlarge

Released with the tag line of “Twist, Pair and Play”, the Damson Twist is a wireless speaker unit.  For those perhaps not aware of Damson, a relatively new company, I should explain that this is a Yorkshire-based consumer electronics company founded in 2012 (I said it was a new company) by James Talbot.  As a frequent traveller in the normal course of business, James is passionate about music and felt short-changed by the performance delivered by the earphones and speakers that were currently available for those constantly on the move and so he designed the Cisor speaker which launched the Damson brand.  The Twist product is the company’s follow up offering.

The Twist is a small speaker device that supports both Bluetooth and a physical connection to an audio source while making use of a flat surface to boost the audio output.  I should also mention that the Twist product has been responsible for a number of hotel receptionists ringing up to complain about the level of music being played by James during his stays at various hotels.

Cylindrical in shape, the Twist has dimensions of 56 x 74mm including the sticky pedestal on which the unit stands.  With this compact size, the unit could be easily slipped into a pocket although its weight of 333g might dissuade you from using this mode of transport.  You do get a draw-string soft pouch to help with carrying this product.  Also included in the box are a micro-to-standard USB lead (94mm) for charging the built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery a standard audio lead with 3.5mm jack plugs for either linking a non-Bluetooth audio source or daisy-chaining devices.

See also: Speakers

more

Connection sockets for audio in and audio out plus microUSB are located at the rear of this solid cylinder.  Options for BT (Bluetooth), Off and On are clearly labelled at the front.  You make your selection by twisting (hence the product’s name) the top of the unit to the left or right so that your chosen option lines up with a pin-hole marker.

Although the device arrives partially charged ready for use, I always prefer applying a top up before checking out a product.  Once this stage was completed, I could then move on to the pairing process using both Android and iOS devices.  When pairing the Twist with an audio source you need to turn the top of the unit to the BT option.  A pulsing blue light will indicate that the pairing mode is activated and ready to link with your smartphone or tablet. 

You will also need to select the BT option when playing audio via Bluetooth.  In such instances the blue light will hold steady rather than pulse.  The On setting is for use when the audio is being delivered via the supplied lead from whatever device it is connected to such as an MP3 player.

As mentioned earlier, the Twist needs to be placed on an appropriate flat surface in order to fulfil its potential.  When placed in such a position, the Twist uses “Incisor Diffusion Technology” which was originally developed by the US Navy.  This technology is built around a resonator that has the ability to turn whatever is the mounted surface into a de facto speaker to deliver a more rounded audio sound output.

Through the use vibration the sound quality can be enhance.  By touching the surface on which the Twist is placed you can feel the sound vibrations.  Some experimentation will be required to find the type of surface that can deliver the best results.  With some surface I tried, the level of vibration was such that the resulting music was distorted to a degree that it was unlistenable while other surfaces were capable of delivering the promised rich sound with deep bass.  Generally I found that solid surfaces, rather than those that formed part of a box or container, were best suited for the optimum performance.  Depending upon whether you are using a Bluetooth or wired connection, you should get either 4 or 9 hours of use from a full charge.

The review sample of this product is predominately black in colour with some silver highlights.  Blue, red and silver versions of the product are also available.  Damson has priced this product at £79.99.

http://uk.damsonaudio.com/shop/speakers/damson-twist/