One of my favorite, most awesome things to feel is the vibrations that come from deep, resonating bass. The bigger the better. Even your standard floor-standing subwoofer is good enough to thunder out sound with that kind of power. You just need the right placement and volume, of course.
So when Woojer launched on Kickstarter in 2013, I paid some close attention to the campaign. It's a silent, wearable "woofer" that provides that physical feeling you get from big bass sound. Just recently, the company has finished all of its backer shipments so consumers can purchase one straight from the Woojer website. The team behind this new device were good enough to send me one to test out!
Design & Connectivity
The Woojer is advertised as being the size of a matchbox. Well, it's more like two to three matchboxes if you're stacking up and comparing side-by-side. Either way, this device is small enough to tuck away in a pocket without creating too much of a bulge. The Woojer is also touted as "woofer", which (to be more accurate without quotations) really means tactile transducer. Or, just simply, a rumble pack.
This is the whole kit, complete with stickers!
There aren't much for controls. All you have and need is power, output level, audio ports for connectivity, and the Micro USB input to recharge the internal battery. Aside from a separate set of speakers or headphones, the package includes everything one would want: wall plug with adapter, drawstring carrying bag, USB and audio cables, the adjustable chest strap, manual, and, of course, stickers. Ya gotta have the stickers.
Right out of the box it's easy to notice how the Woojer is well-made. It's got a nice heft to it, the magnet clasp has excellent power, and there are no loose or unfinished ends. It's a pretty solid gadget that also has smart circuitry inside. The Woojer won't charge from sources exceeding its power requirements. I noticed this from using some of my standard cables and wall adapters. It's a good thing, since one wouldn't want to burn out this rumble pack in such a way.
Woojer works by being the middleman between an audio source and headphone/speaker. You wear it, and as the music plays your body gets to enjoy the physical representations of low-end beats. While audio passes through the Woojer, regardless of it being on or off, voice from a microphone does not (e.g. a headset audio cable). So if you're one who likes to play mobile games that allow trash-talking through a headset, you'll have to choose between feeling chatty or feeling the Woojer.
No matter how you wear it, you're going to look and feel a little silly to varying degrees. Essentially, the Woojer is one additional device with a brace of wires connecting to a smartphone/tablet and headphone. But who cares? It does deliver on the fun and punch.
Wearing Woojer
There's three ways you can wear the Woojer, and the choice is significant in terms of how you can feel it. You can clip it on your belt, magnetically attach it to clothing, or use the chest strap. And it's all about location location location while keeping pressure in mind. If the Woojer is pressed up against a body part firmly enough, it won't really matter where you put it. Sort of. You won't feel the vibrations as much/well with it on your elbow versus some other, more sensitive area of the body. It likely varies from person to person, too.
It's a bit more than the size of a matchbox
Personally, I don't prefer using the belt clip. My hip is not a favorite spot to put things, especially some rumble pack. It is, however, a good place if you want to have cords the least in your way. I find that using the Woojer's magnet is better, since it allows for a much greater range of positioning.
As long as the clothing layers aren't too thick, then the Woojer stays in place. The drawback is that it's heavy enough to pull down on lighter fabrics. If you're wearing a cotton t-shirt, it's…
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