We've been testing out the Nokia 5800 of late, so Nokia sent along a set of Nokia MD-8 Mini Speakers to test out.
Now, the built-in speakers on the 5800 are fine if you want to play music to yourself or a friend or two, but what happens when you want something along the lines of a mob-flash party?
The Nokia MD-8 Mini Speakers are a cheap (around £14) way of adding extra sound to your Nok. Being rather basic they use a cable instead of Bluetooth but that doesn't detract from their usability.
The unit is small and compact, consisting of twin speakers and little else. We'd like to have seen a carry case supplied but the speakers easily stow away in your kit bag. The speakers use a standard 3.5mm audio jack to plug into the audio output on your Nokia 5800. This doesn't limit you to using the speakers with your Nokia, as it will readily work with any MP3 player or phone. There is also an adapter in the box for using the set with mini-audio jacks.
The stereo speakers have 1-Watt of power and when you play the 5800 through them the sound quality is clear and strong. With only an On/Off switch and small LED light on the unit, you control volume using your phone, which works exceedingly well. We've been cranking them up to full and still found little or no audio uzz, which makes a refreshing change for mobile speakers.
It's powered by three AAA batteries, with a set shipped in the box. Getting the batteries in is the most cumbersome part of this device, as you need to peel the back of the unit off to get at the battery compartment. A word of warning, be careful that you don't pull too hard as you'll run the risk of pulling out the wire that feeds through the cover.
At around £14 (inc. VAT), the Nokia MD-8 Mini Speakers are a good way to make the music on your Nokia 5800 go a little bit further.
Nokia MD-8 Mini Speakers specification:
Dimensions: 121 x 42 x 29 mm
Weight: 120g (including batteries)
Cable length: 750mm
Connectors: 3.5mm audio connector
Power supply: 3 AAA batteries
Operating time: Up to 40 hours
Speaker output: 2 x 1-Watt
Signal-to-noise ratio: 90dB
Max sound pressure level: 78dB
