I get lots of pitches so you can imagine my skepticism when I saw a note cross my mailbox for the “Fauvette,†a cute and sparkly, bird-shaped portable 2-watt speaker…adorned with diamonds. Okay, I’ll admit it, the diamonds caught my eye for sure, but since I work with music and recording artists on a daily basis and I’m constantly playing music from my laptop (and the quality is not that great) I had to check this little puppy…errr…birdie, out for myself.
The “Fauvette†which means “small singing bird†—hence the design—is chicBuds’ latest and greatest gizmo and was designed to produce “crystal-clear sound.†Hmmm. I decided to see how it would hold up to my very own sonic test.
First, I love the look of it, but in addition to its pleasing aesthetic, it’s freaking easy to use—perfect for 
a gal like me who can’t stand to read instructions. Simply plug the connector into your Mac (where the speaker port is) and the other end into the rump of the little bird, making sure to turn on the power switch which is located under the chipper and viola, it’s all set to go.
For the sound test I chose three songs, Dymaxion Vehicle’s “Dreams In Argyle (Blood On My Hands mix)†from the album Re-Design: Fun In Strobes; Rie Sinclair’s “No Way Out†from her newest EP Bee Sides; and an oldie but a goodie, from Bob Weir’s Ace album, “Walk In The Sunshine.†This may seem like a strange cluster of tunes, but I have eclectic tastes and also, I wanted to pull from a variety of genres and technically divergent mixes.
“Dreams In Argyle (Blood On My Hands mix)†from Dymaxion Vehicle was 
up first (www.dymaxionvehicle.com). Dymaxion Vehicle won best Electronic Act at the 2012 Artist In Music Awards, so I knew if the speaker was going to distort in any way this song would challenge its ability to deliver a crisp sound. It surpassed my expectations.
Next up: Rie Sinclair (www.riesinclair.com) with her hauntingly lyrical “No Way Out†a song that was featured on “The Vampire Diaries.†Rie’s got a delicate voice; ethereal and angelic. I wanted to see if I could hear all the nuances on her track. Answer: Yes, indeed.
And last, but certainly not least—I clicked on that old Weir tune; so old in fact, it’s not been re-mastered so the sound quality is poor at best. Good old Bobby. His voice rang out as if he were in my living room. And to a die-hard Deadhead, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Fauvette delivered crystal clear, rockingly loud music regardless of the genre or mix. What a nifty little device these gals, Nikki Carlson and Kailynn Bowling created. The company also offers earbuds that solve issues like keeping cords out of the way and untangled (can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to deal with that!), and…earbuds that fit comfortably in women’s smaller ears. Thank you, ladies.
And one more thing to love about the Fauvette; it’s tiny! No more connecting speakers to an equalizer and a subwoofer, OMG, way too much trouble. I can easily carry this little chickadee around in my purse.
Specs:
• Retails for $35
• Built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery (they include a charging cable)
• Plays up to four hours on a single charge
• Connects to any device with a standard 3.5mm stereo jack (translation: you can plug it into just about anything, iPod, iPhone, MP3 Player, Computer, etc.)
• Comes in a choice of black, gold, pink or silver
• Can also be connected to smartphones for hands-free driving
• And…it’s got a pretty blue light emanating from its beak
www.chicbuds.com
