Boom speaker booster for MacBook review

Provides: Speaker volume booster
Developer: Global Delight
System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.5.8
Review Device: 2.26GHz 13″ Macbook Pro, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM
Processor compatability: Universal
Price: $4.99 (Demo available)
Availability: Out now

Boom makes your speakers louder. Now, this is a pretty remarkable achievement for laptops which often sacrifice sound for size. Showing off YouTube videos in noisy rooms? Want to watch (and hear) a movie on your Macbook without having to sit it on your lap? Maybe you’ve got an audio file that’s simply too soft? Boom can help you.

Boom works simply enough; it adds another switch to your menu bar that “goes to 11,” with a longer volume control. It doesn’t replace the OS X volume controls, though—you set the two independently, giving you much more control over the sound. For even more control, you can open the Boom control panel, which lets you set the equalizer (using presets or manual tweaking).

If you have a song or other piece of audio that’s too soft, Boom has a Boost Audio function (also in the control panel) that lets you bump up the volume of just that file. It’s a nondestructive process that creates a duplicate. The Boost menu also has the ability to play a short preview of the file with a live preview of the new volume. Drag the slider while playing file, and you’ll hear what it will sound like before you convert it.

At five bucks, Boom falls into that dead useful category of utilities. The ones you expect Apple to implement itself. Not everyone will need Boom, but everyone can think of a use for it.

Appletell Rating:

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