Men's Journal

A party-ready iPod speaker designed to make your neighbors jealous. Or angry.

by Terry Noland

I have a theory that the difference between a killer party and a lame party comes down to the tunes. And there is a corollary to my theory: the difference between killer party music and lame party music is largely a result of how loud that music is played. Crank up Perry Como enough and you’ll bob your head.

Enter the Ion Audio Block Rocker, a little powder-keg of a portable iPod speaker that will saturate your backyard with music — though, with a 150-foot maximum sound reach, the name is a bit of a stretch. (The “Three-Lot-Radius Rocker” probably didn’t have the same ring to it.) The $299 Block Rocker is immensely practical for parties: It’s ruggedly built, manageable in size (18 inches high by 16 inches wide), and easy to move around thanks to its luggage-style recessed wheels and telescoping handle. And it can play for up to six hours on an integrated, rechargeable battery.

The Block Rocker has two built-in jacks — one for the included microphone and the other to allow the device to double as an amp. We didn’t test either, since I want no karaoke at my barbeque. What I can certainly testify to, though, is that the Block Rocker delivered in a big way when it came to blasting the soundtrack for my last backyard party. Guests said they could hear the tunes as soon as hit the driveway. I heard more compliments on the music then at any party I’ve ever thrown — despite the fact that the playlist is almost always the same.

For most of the evening, I kept the volume at 75 percent, hesitant to incur the wrath of uninvited neighbors. (Note to Guy Next Door: Trim your hedges and maybe next time you can come by.) But as the night wore on and the empties piled high, I had to try it at full volume. That led to my only real disappointment with the Block Rocker: Turning it up those two last notches, with the hold-out party crowd gathered around as if I were about to enter the launch code of a nuclear missile, produced barely any more volume. Mostly, it just distorted the bass a bit.

But that’s a small quibble. When it’s in its sweet spot, The Block Rocker kicks out the jams with aplomb. In full disclosure, I bought the review model, for which Ion gave me a discount. But here’s another testament for good measure: My friends down the street have already asked if I can bring it to their upcoming party — which, sadly, will be karaoke-themed. [$299; ionaudio.com]