The Yuento Balloon is a compact and stylish ballon shaped speaker made from a sponge-esque material, and are sure to turn heads with their distinct look and feel. For a gadget smaller than the size of a palm, this speaker packs a punch.

The speaker itself is about the size of a toddler’s fist; fairly small. Included with the speaker balloon is the audio cable (necessary to connect the speakers to the your MP3 player or computer), a USB cable to charge the speakers, a Japanese/English operating manual, and a small orange bag to hold the speakers when you aren’t using them. The speaker charges via USB from your computer and takes about 2 hours to reach a full charge. Once charged the speakers last about 5 hours. The speaker automatically turns on once connected to the audio cable. The design is practical and adorable. I’ve received  many compliments about the intriguing design.

One major disappointment is that if you leave the audio cable plugged into the speaker when the speaker is not in use the battery will drain. Another annoyance is the flimsy audio cord; it’s thin and seems as if it could easily break under stress.

The volume is loud enough and can be changed manually on your audio player. The sound would probably carry well within a group 4-5 people (think small), but is definitely not intended for party use.

The sound quality itself is surprising for such a small device. Sometimes if tilted at the wrong angle, the volume becomes very low or slightly muted, which can be very annoying, nonetheless, the speakers produce sounds clearly and vibrantly.

I would highly recommend these speakers if you are traveling with a small group of friends or maybe when mingling with buddies at a small gathering. They’ll be  impressed by the looks and maybe by the sound quality.

[rating:77/100]

The speaker will set you back $40 and is available at New People World in San Francisco and on their website.