iON Tailgater battery speaker

June 2009

Listening to music when you are parked up can mean your car audio system drains the battery. But the new Tailgater from iON allows you to keep on enjoying the sounds without having to start your engine.

It looks like a guitar amplifier, and is effectively a speaker that runs on its own battery power. We had no trouble connecting a range of devices, although our iPod Nano wasn’t held very securely, so could easily have lost the connection. Sound quality was good, and even at higher volumes, our music was clear and undistorted.

We were happy to leave the Tailgater in the car’s boot when driving, as it’s so solidly built there’s little chance of damage. It even survived a muddy and wet camping trip! However, this does make it quite heavy, and it was awkward to move round with the carry strap. A single mains charge provided more than 12 hours of use – the
battery indicators suggested there was still more to come.

This is a great device for drivers who like to picnic. And you’re not limited to listening to music – you can make your own, too. Start a car park party with the supplied microphone, plus there’s an electric guitar input!

In detail:
iON Tailgater battery speaker

* Price: £149

* Rating: 4/5

* Contact: www.iwantoneofthose.com
* Problems? A little heavy to carry around and didn’t hold our smaller iPod securely.
* So why buy? Good sound quality, truly impressive battery life and sturdy construction.

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