October 16th, 2009 
Kris Saelen 
Nowadays, both mp3 players and docks for them come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. The Vestalife Ladybug Portable Speaker Dock for iPod is just the latest example of this trend, sporting the shape and style of a rather irritated looking insect that definitely catches the eye. When folded up, it looks more or less like a ball – the black speaker grills acting as wings, the drivers as eyes, etc. It’s abstract enough not to be in your face, but just present enough to make the whimsical smile.
When you open the unit, you reveal the iPod dock itself, with snap on adapters for various iPod models. The back of the unit holds most of the special features – a subwoofer, an AV out jack, and even an auxiliary line input so you can use the Ladybug with non-iPod mp3 players. The battery option makes this speaker truly portable, which is a nice change from a lot of iPod docks that promise portability and forget details like power.
For the relatively low price, the sound quality is not bad at all. While it’s not the best audio you’ve ever heard, it’s generally of fine quality for the casual listener. The bass can be a bit off-putting and the harder genres of music get a bit messy in translation, but in otherwise, it’s certainly an improvement over similarly sized and priced products.
The design is the real seller here – clever and cute, with plenty of options, seeing as it comes in four main color schemes plus an extra two “stylized” options with a little more flare. For the iPod savvy teen or the occasional adult who likes a touch of the fanciful in their décor, the Ladybug is a good speaker option at a great price.
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