For a product that hasn't even come out yet, there sure is a lot of buzz on the Mass Fidelity Core wireless Bluetooth speaker. And after a fairly extensive listening session with it at CES 2015 last week, I'm pleased to say it looks (and sounds) like it earns that hype. Launched last year as an indiegogo project, The Core generated so many pre-orders and supporters that the campaign raised over $1.1 million on a goal of only $48,000. Company reps tell us that this windfall has allowed them to accelerate the general production timetable on the unit. The company expects general market availability in June, 2015. Early backers should get their Cores significantly sooner than that.
Early supporters of the product were able to pre-order one for under $400 (list price is expected to be $599). Even today, you can still get a discount of $150 by preordering a Core via the Mass Fidelity web site.
So what makes the Core different from other portable wireless speakers? The Core is a technological marvel, using five custom-designed mid/high frequency speakers in three arrays along with a downward-firing woofer, driven by 120 Watts of digital amplification. Advanced DSPs (digital signal processors) create the illusion of a real stereo soundstage no matter where you're sitting or standing in the room. With traditional speakers, you need to be in the "sweet spot," equidistant from the speakers, in order to hear a stereo effect. The Core instead makes just about every place in the room a stereo sweet spot. The soundstage is projected slightly above and to the left and right of the device.
While Mass Fidelity's official CES 2015 booth was on the crowded (and noisy) show floor at the Sands Expo, the company also had a suite at the Venetian Hotel for private demonstrations. While I was there, several excited prospective dealers and even an enthusiastic early indiegogo investor, stopped by to give the little Core a listen. And I can't speak for them, but I can say I definitely left impressed. There are a lot of wireless speakers on the market, but I haven't heard any that can create the convincing illusion of a true stereo soundstage quite like The Core.
The company will also offer a powered subwoofer ($399 list, expected July, 2015) that mates with the Core. The sub is also available at a $150 discount currently ($249) but not for much longer. Adding the subwoofer into the system takes the low bass reproduction duties away from the Core so it can concentrate on midrange and treble while the wireless subwoofer handles the low bass.
Adding the sub into the mix took a couple of button presses and then they were linked and things got a lot more interesting: deep hearty bass supplemented the Core to create a very pleasing sound, particularly from such tiny devices. While the Core can be unplugged, running for up to 12 hours on its internal battery, the subwoofer does require AC power.
You can actually link up to nine devices in your home (any combination of Cores and subwoofers) for whole home audio. The Core creates its own mesh wireless network so any of the speakers in your house can play music from your phone or tablet (connected via Bluetooth), or any device connected to the analog inputs on any Core. Of course, you can also play different music in different rooms, just by selecting a different input on any Core, or pairing a mobile device directly to it.
The drawbacks of the Mass Fidelity Core are also its strengths. Wireless systems such as SONOS or Heos (by Denon) are app-based. This means you have to install apps on any device that you want to use to control the system. With the Core using Bluetooth, no additional app is required. As long as your phone or tablet has Bluetooth capability, you should be good to go. But this does mean that system sounds like notification beeps will come through and your music listening could be interrupted by an incoming phone call (which is not the case in an app-based whole home system). But really this is a limitation of Bluetooth itself and nothing specific to the Core.
If you're interested in getting one for yourself, we'd recommend putting in your order before the price goes up
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