Loewe is looking to disrupt the portable Bluetooth speaker market with the launch of the Loewe Speaker 2go, a premium speaker that will cost only £269.

At the UK launch of the new speaker, which incorporates advanced features like apt-X and NFC, James McConnell, managing director of Loewe UK, said the company would accept "no compromise" in bringing its speaker to market.

Using high-quality machined aluminium for the finish of the Speaker 2go, Loewe brings what it's best known for - premium-quality build and performance - at a price that's highly affordable.

McConnell reflected that if it were priced higher, the speaker simply wouldn't sell and, as it is, it competes with the likes of Philips Fidelio P9 or the Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile speaker II.

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In the flesh the Loewe Speaker 2go is slightly smaller than you might expect, measuring 24 x 10.5 x 5.1cm, but the quality of the finish is excellent, even on the hand-built preproduction sample that we saw.

There's 40W of power coming from a 2.1 stereo arrangement and in the brief test we witnessed at the UK launch of the new speaker, it certainly sounds impressive. There's a little spring-loaded foot on the bottom of the speaker so you can set the best angle to have it project music into the room.

Looking to ensure you have the highest quality Bluetooth audio possible, Loewe has turned to the apt-X codec, which claims go give the highest fidelity for your Bluetooth music. Using Bluetooth means the Speaker 2go will be compatible with a huge range of smartphones and tablets.

To simplify pairing, the Speaker 2go is equipped with NFC (near field communication), so if you have a device like the Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One, you'll simply have to present the speaker with your phone to start the process of pairing, which couldn't be easier.

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Loewe claims the battery life of the Speaker 2go will be around 8 hours, typical for this type of device, or you can plug it in and run it off the mains if you prefer.

There's an external input to connect a device if it doesn't have Bluetooth and a USB port allowing you to charge your device so you're not left with a dead phone.

In addition, the Speaker 2go offers full speakerphone functions for taking those important calls.

Yours for a £269 and available in June 2013, if you're looking for something with the iconic Loewe name on it, this is going to be the most affordable way to get it.