Think Outside BoomTube H201

With a design that lies somewhere between a Thermos and a pipe bomb, the metal encased BoomTube is one of the most rugged portable speaker systems around.

The exterior hasn't changed and the volume knob still goes to 11 but the company modified the power button so that it has to be held down for a few seconds before the unit turns on.

(In the original BoomTube EX, it was too easy to turn the power on inadvertently while carrying the unit around.) The internal rechargeable battery still lasts for around 5 hours of continuous playback.

The company claims it improved the internal wiring of the BoomTube, but when we tested it side by side with the original, we didn't detect any audible differences. In fact, aside from the power button, the only significant enhancements we found had to do with the accessories.

The carrying case is now slightly bigger, so it's not such a tight fit anymore. This should be welcome news to those who tried in vain to squeeze the AC adapter into the old BoomTube case.

The speaker also comes with a 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm adapter so you can hook up a music enabled cell phone. Think Outside also has a sense of humor The BoomTube comes with a pair of foam earplugs in a capsule labeled "for your neighbors."