The ‘Gear4 Duo’ as the name suggests comes in 2 parts which fit together as one. The front speaker is detachable and works independently on it’s own giving 18 watts of output, but when it’s connected to the larger speaker unit it benefits from the 20 Watt Subwoofer giving out 38 Watts in total. Idea being that the front speaker is slim, light, portable and convenient for traveling, whilst the main unit can used at home to give a bigger sound. This patent pending system is the first we’ve seen of it’s kind, a great concept which we put to the test.
The front speaker slides easily in and out of the main unit, with no need for any hassle connecting wires (it connects seamlessly via contact points). Also an impressive touch is that the music still keeps playing when you remove it from the main unit, hence their ad slogan “Never Miss A Beat”.
Powering The Speakers
The front speaker has an internal lithium-ion battery which charges whilst being connected to the main speaker (according to the manual at a 60% volume it has a battery life of 8 hours, but at full volume it lasts 2 hours) there is also an extra compartment for another battery which you can buy from Gear4 to double the battery life. When connected to the main unit it’s automatically powered by the mains and it also charges the iPod when docked. Obviously there would be an issue with battery life if you were planning to take the smaller satellite speaker for longer trips without any access to a mains supply. Gear4 had the foresight to add an adapter connection to the back of the front speaker unit so you can also power and charge the unit by the mains without the need for the bulkier main unit, also when plugged into the mains it gives an increased volume of 20%, which is noticeable. To test the battery life we left the front speaker docked without use for 8 hours. Then we removed the front speaker and left it switched off over night to see how it held it’s charge. We then played an ipod nano constantly through the speaker at a reasonable volume and found that the battery lasted approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Sound Quality 
The front speaker on it’s own, it produces a high volume for it’s size, a lot louder than any other travel speakers we’ve tested in the past. There is definition in the sound of music with no sign of distortion even at high volume levels and the clarity is good enough for the purpose. Being slim obviously means having less of a bass sound, but that’s the compromise for it being portable.
When you connect it the main sub woofer the difference is immediately noticeable, especially with bass heavy music like dance and rock making it fuller bodied and bringing out the bass sound significantly. It definitely makes a big enough improvement in the sound to warrant their use and really fills out a medium sized lounge.
Remote controls
The package includes remote control which controls the volume and mutes the speaker. Also if your using an ipod the control can browse through the ipod's menu system and skip through tracks backwards and forwards. It can also set the music to play at random or repeat.
Conclusion
With the Duo there is both style and substance. Rather than the two separate detachable speakers being just a gimmick, they work well and it could be ideal for certain users. If you need a larger speaker at home and also want a travel speaker which is slim and light enough to pack in your luggage then the Duo serves both purposes well. However if your only need is for a travel speaker, then it's quite an expensive option.
Specifications
* Active Power:Total output 38 Watts, 18 Watts from front speaker on it's own
* Power Supply: Mains 18V, internal rechargeably lithium-ion battery
* Dimensions:Front speaker: 23cm(L) x 13cm(H) x 3cm(W) / Sub Woofer: 23cm(L) x 13cm(H) x 15cm(W)
http://www.mp3speakers.com
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