Until fairly recently, the only speakers I’ve kept around the house are compact and portable enough to toss into my bag. Compact and portable are both great for summertime beach hopping or just out and about, but I usually hang indoors under the AC. So when I heard about the Korus portable wireless speaker system from Core Brands LLC, I knew I needed them in my life.
What caught my attention about the Korus speaker system initially was their claim to have exceptional audio performance and ability to stream audio to up to four speakers simultaneously, without using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. After hearing my interest in their system, Korus was gracious enough to send over both the V400 and V600 Premium Wireless speakers so we can get the full experience
Korus Design
In person, the Korus speaker system is sleeker than expected. The V400 and V600 look identical; the only visual difference is the size. The V400 is 11in x 6in x 5.5in and weighs 4.4lbs making it ideal to fit almost anywhere. The V600 is larger at 17in x 9in x 7in weighs 11 pounds and allows you to switch to battery power making it ideally more portable than the V400.
The V400 and V600 sport a curved black grill along the front and sides of the speaker while the rest of the housing, including the rear handle, is made up of black glossy plastic. The rear handle can be used to carry each speaker from room to room and/or wrap the power cable when stowing away.
Both have a brushed aluminum control panel along the top, where you will find 5 buttons – On/Off, Sync, Mute, Volume Up and Volume Down. The brushed aluminum really pops against the glossy black plastic, making the buttons easy to find. The buttons have virtually no give when pressed giving it a touch pad feel.
Some may interpret the words glossy and plastic to mean cheap, but the Korus sound system is anything but. As with most glossy surfaces the Korus system attracts dust and fingerprints, but not often enough to be a deal breaker. Aesthetically speaking the V400 and V600 easily fits into and complements almost any décor.
Korus Features & Specs
Korus makes it a point to remind us that both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming are unreliable. Bluetooth wireless speakers can sometimes drop their signal, causing the music to stutter, lag, or even stop completely. Wi-Fi can also lag causing all kinds of issues when streaming audio, movies and/or playing video games. This is where patented SKAA wireless audio technology comes into play. SKAA not only prevents clicking, popping and dropouts, it also allows you to roam further (up to 65’) without sacrificing audio clarity and detail. Letting you listen to the audio exactly as it is meant to sound.
Using the patented SKAA technology the Korus speakers allow you to wirelessly stream music from your Windows/Mac computer or Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad devices (USB, 30-pin or Lightning) using the included proprietary “Baton” wireless audio transmitters. When connected to the audio source each Baton can stream the same song to as many as four Korus speakers simultaneously. With perfect synchronization this allows you to spread your Korus system throughout your home. If your family isn’t on the same page with music you can use an unlimited number of Korus speakers separately.
Korus is designed with a unique, proprietary acoustic signature called LiveStage. LiveStage is used to project a multi-dimensional sound platform with the vocals up front and other instruments like guitars and drums in the back. LiveStage Acoustic Signature offers a richer audio experience that aims to make you feel like you’re at a live performance. The dual side-firing tweeters and 100-Watt internal amplifier on the V600 makes full use of it.
The Korus Experience
I placed the V600 in the family room in the front of the house and the V400 in the bedroom located in the very back. The transition was seamless and the sound is pretty fantastic. As a standalone speaker the V600 fills a room. When combined with the V400, the music envelopes the entire house.
Setup was the easiest I’ve come across. I started off using the Lightning Baton, once connected, it was as simple as turning on the speaker then choosing which app I wanted to stream from. Then I tried the 30 Pin Baton, which is where I struggled. Not due to any fault of the speaker or baton, but because I never read instruction’s and tried to use my iPod Classic. The good news is that there is a 3.5mm audio-in port for older devices.
I was able to stream from my iPhone 5/5S, iPhone 4, iPad 3, MacBook Pro (mid 2012) and Asus Chromebook C300 without a hitch. I was also able to take turns streaming with friends by simply passing them a Baton so they can connect and stream. I did find that sometimes when introducing a new device it didn’t always automatically connect. In those cases simply hit the sync button (next to the power button) 6 times in rapid succession until it blinks red then reattach the baton and voila. I’ve only had to do that once and didn’t seem to come across that problem again.
Depending on the type of device you use, once connected it will prompt you to download the free Korus app. The Korus app allows you to independently control the volume level on up to 4 speakers. You can also use the app as a master control to adjust the volume level for a group of speakers together. The app allows you to name each Baton and each speaker. This came in handy when on the phone and needed to mute the V400 in my bedroom without interrupting the V600 being used in the living room.
Wrap Up
The Korus experience overall has been very impressive, but don’t let the word “portable” fool you. Yes the V600 can run on battery power for up to 90 continuous hours, but it’s 11 pounds. This may not be an issue for some, but even if the V400 could run on battery power I still couldn’t do it.
Sonically the Korus speaker system is superb. This mids are clear and the lows and highs fully detectable even at full volume. I didn’t find the bass to be overtly deep but pronounced enough appreciate it. Balanced enough to enjoy all the instruments used in a classical piece and the musicality of a hip-hop piece. I spent all summer with the Korus system and I have no idea how I’ve been listening to music before. Now that I am no longer using them music doesn’t quite fill my house the same so I’ll be looking out for other multi room systems. I will say that one of the downsides of being able to stream from any app is the fact that every ping and ding alert I received on my phone was heard via the speakers. It took a little to get past that but can be a tad annoying.
The V600 all in one bundle will run you $449.99 and it includes the V600 speaker, a Lightning, USB and 30 Pin Baton and 2 charges cables. The V400 bundle consisting of the same extras will run you $349.99. Is it worth it? If you’re in the market for a home sound system I would definitely suggest the V600 and if you can afford it add on the V400. It’s one thing to fill a room with music but to be enveloped with music is a whole other experience.
