Review: Nokia MD-8 portable speakers

I was a bit surprised by the Nokia MD-8 speaker set that was included with the Nokia 5530 XM (see my review) evaluation unit. By the way, if you pre-order the Nokia 5530 XM from Nokia USA you get the MD-8 speakers included with your purchase. The Nokia MD-8 speakers have a $39.95 retail value and as I understand it this unit has been around for a while, but I never had a chance to check them out. As a person who travels on the road for my company, I can truly appreciate having a set of speakers like this to enjoy my music content and podcasts in my hotel room and rental car.

The retail package includes the Nokia MD-8 speakers, Nokia Audio Adaptor AD-52 (2.5mm adapter), 3-AAA batteries, and User Guide. The audio adapter is present so you can use the speakers with a phone that has a 2.5mm headset port. The end of the 29.5 inch cable contains a 3.5mm headset jack so you can plug in the speakers to just about every MP3 player and most new Nokia smartphones. I tested the speakers with the N97, Nokia 5530 XM, and my new Zune HD.

The Zune HD does not have any external speaker so you need to plug in a set of headphones. Also, to use the FM radio on the Zune HD and Nokia phones you need a headset to act as the antenna so you can use these speakers for FM antenna purposes as well. I actually used the Nokia MD-8 most of the time with my new Zune HD and may purchase this speaker to use on the road because I found the sound to be good and the form factor/design to be attractive.

There are two speakers in this unit with a bright white indicator light in between them and a power switch on the top. The whole unit is white (black is also available) and feels very solid in your hand. On the bottom you will find small rubber feet that do an amazing job at keeping the MD-8 speakers from sliding on the table. On the back you will find the cable wraps around a slot with a place to secure the 3.5mm headset male end in the center.

The speakers are powered by 3-AAA batteries (included) and you just pull out one end of the back and swivel it around (the other end is attached) to access the battery compartment. The Nokia site states you get up to 40 hours of playing time with the three AAA batteries. The MD-8 measures 4.76 x 1.65 x 1.14 inches and weighs in at 4.2 ounces.

For you audophiles out there (not me) here are some stats on the sound from the speakers:

Frequency response: From 300 to 15,000 Hz
Speaker output: 2 x 1 Watt
Signal-to-noise ratio: 90 dB
Max sound pressure level: 78 dB

You can hear samples from the speakers in my video above and check out some photos in my gallery below. If you are looking for a set of portable speakers, these appear to be a nice set to consider. Anyone else try these out yet?