The Soundcore Motion X600 speaker gives off some retro “boombox” vibes from the 80s and 90s with it rectangular shape and built-in (albeit non-foldable) handle. We’re testing the “Lunar Blue” color, which is a pleasing shade of light blue on the metallic finish.

The controls are located across the top and tilted towards you slightly at a convenient 15° angle. The power button is indented, which makes it easier to locate by feel. The rest of the buttons are flat and include these functions:

• Bluetooth: This button places the speaker back into pairing mode, so you can connect a different phone
• Spatial Audio: This toggles the Spatial Audio feature, but you’ll likely want to leave it enabled.
• Bass Up: Another toggle that you will want to likely leave enabled for enhanced bass.
• Volume controls: The – and + buttons decrease and increase the volume.
• Play/Pause button: This button can also skip forward with a double-press and rewind with a triple press

Performance

Soundcore Motion X600 vs Bose Revolve+ II

The Soundcore Motion X600 has excellent sound and gives my Bose Revolve+ II a run for its money. The bass is strong without being overly powerful, but if you find it to be too much, you can turn off the Bass Up feature. The bass isn’t quite as strong as the Bose Revolve+ II, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: the Bose Revolve+ II almost sounds a little “muddy” with the bass compared to the Motion X600’s Spatial Audio feature.

Soundcore Motion X600 Spatial Audio

The Spatial Audio feature further enhances the higher frequencies, providing some separation for the percussion and vocals for an impressive sound stage. In fact, after listening for a while with the Spatial Audio feature on, turning off will suddenly make your music sound almost anemic, even though this speaker still sounds great with the Spatial Audio feature off. However, please note that this speaker doesn’t specifically support spatial audio formats such as Dolby Atmos Music, but instead provides a sort-of spatial audio “enhancement” for all music.

If you have an Android device compatible with LDAC, you’ll be happy to know that this speaker also supports LDAC for Hi-Res Audio, but I found the “regular” Bluetooth audio streaming from my iPhone to still sound impressive on this speaker.

If you want to tweak the sound some more, the Soundcore app allows you to pick from a handful of pre-built equalizer settings and also gives you the ability to create your own.

The Motion X600 doesn’t have any LED lightning effects (other than the backlit buttons) like the Soundcore Flare 2, but the X600 does get louder with its 50 watts of power (compared to 10 watts on the Flare 2).

Features

• Spatial Audio: Enabling the Spatial Audio feature provides additional separation in your music, making it sound as if the music is surrounding you. You don’t need to use a special audio format; just play your music as normal.
• IPX7 water resistance: This speaker can actually be submerged in water briefly and survive, but just make sure the rubber cover on the back is in place and protecting the charging port. Looking for free music for listening poolside? Check out our list of best free summer stations.
• Built-in mic: The X600 has a built-in microphone, so you can use it to accept a quick phone call.
• Aux input: If you don’t want to use Bluetooth, you can connect an Aux cable (not included) to the Aux port on the back.
• Soundcore app support: The Soundcore app gives you some additional functions, such as customizing equalizer, disabling the voice prompts, and upgrading the firmware.

Battery Life

The Soundcore Motion X600 can last up to 12 hours with the volume around 25% and the Bass Up feature turned off. It takes up to 6 hours to recharge the speaker with a 5V 3A USB-C wall charger (not included).

Video Review

Soundcore Motion X600 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with Wireless Hi-Res Spatial Audio,50W Sound,...

Soundcore Motion X600 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with Wireless Hi-Res Spatial Audio,50W Sound,...

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The Roam speaker from Sonos is compact and lightweight, making it easy to pick up and take with you around the house. It has a triangular design that can either be set horizontally or vertically on a flat service (and I just realized that the SONOS logo looks the same upside down).

There are 4 buttons on one end of the speaker: play/pause, volume up, volume down, and a microphone mute button. On the back of the unit is the power/standby button and a USB-C charging input.

Performance

I was very surprised by the strong musical performance of the Sonos Roam speaker. While it doesn’t get as loud as the Sonos One speaker for example, highs and mids come through clearly and the bass is very good! The bass isn’t as strong as Sonos larger speakers, but you can use the EQ setting in the Sonos app to increase it somewhat if you like.

Like the other speakers in the Sonos ecosystem, you can group the Sonos Roam with other Sonos speakers for synchronized playback.

Features

• WiFi: The Sonos Roam speaker connects directly to your home WiFi to stream music. You can use the Sonos app to play virtually any music you might have: Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, LiveXLive, and many more. What I like about the Sonos app is that you can set what you want to play and close it if you want. The speaker will connect and play the music on its own, so it doesn’t tie up your phone or pass along any text notifications or phone ringtones.
• Bluetooth: When you move out of range of your home WiFi, you can instead use Bluetooth to connect your phone directly to the speaker to stream music and podcasts.
• Alexa or Google Assistant: You can configure Alexa or Google Assistant on the Roam and then use voice commands to play music or do other tasks such as check the weather. Microphone performance seems to work well and can typically “hear” me over the music that is playing.
• Automatic Trueplay: This feature uses the devices built-in microphone to get a “feel” for the space it is playing in and adjusts the sound accordingly. For example, when I place the Roam speaker against a wall in a corner, which tends to overemphasis the bass, the Roam adjusted and backed off the bass slightly, which made it less “boomy”.
• Qi charging: I was surprised to learn that the Roam can be set vertically on a Qi charger to recharge! This is slower than the USB-C wired charging, but it’s a nice bonus that doesn’t require the purchase of a special base (although one is available if you so desire). Qi charging performance has been hit or miss for me: sometimes the speaker will charge up to about 70% and then seem to stall out, while other times it charges up to 100% without issue. I guess it depends on the charging pad you use and whether you hit the “sweet spot” as far as matching up the charging coils.

Battery Life

Sonos states that the speaker can provide up to 10 hours of playback on a single charge. You can press the power button on the back to place the speaker in “standby” mode, but the battery continues to drain, losing about 10-20% overnight. If you leave the speaker on standby when not in use, you’ll likely need to recharge it daily. Turning off the microphone seems to help extend battery life somewhat.

Sonos - Roam Smart Portable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Speaker with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant - White

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The Soundcore Mini 3 Pro is about the size of a cup of coffee. The dimensions are 2.8 x 2.8 x 3.6 inches.  The buttons are located towards the bottom of the speaker and can be a little difficult to see as the symbols are black on a black background, so you may find yourself holding the speaker up to a light in order to find the power button.

There is an LED light ring on the top of the speaker, along with a very convenient carrying strap that is permanently attached to the speaker. This makes it easy to carry the speaker with you or hang it to something like a hook or tree branch.

The round design of the speaker allows you to enjoy your music from any angle.

Sound Quality

The Soundcore Mini 3 Pro sounds surprisingly good given the small size! The mids and highs come through best, but when the speaker is sitting near a wall, it really kicks up the bass and enhances the lows nicely.  The bass also sounds good sitting on a table or other flat surface.  The bass decreases a little bit when you’re carrying the speaker or hanging it up, but music still sounds great.  If you find that the bass is too strong when it is sitting up against a wall, you can turn off the “BassUp” feature with the Soundcore app.

Obviously, it’s not going to sound as good as a much larger speaker, but it’s more than adequate for personal listening at home or for a small group of friends having dinner on the deck, for example.  I’m still surprised that this speaker is only 6 watts!

Features

• Carrying strap: I owned the original Soundcore Mini 1 speaker and bought a case for it that had a carrying strap so I could hang it from my backpack while hiking. I’m happy to see that the Soundcore Mini Pro 3 has a built-in carrying strap, so no additional accessory is needed to hang it!

• Lighting modes: There are several lighting modes for the two LED light rings: Party Time, Phasing Beats, Bouncing Beats, Circle Beam, and Cool Breath. The lighting modes can be changed by using the Soundcore app.  The app also gives you some additional options for the built-in animations, which are mainly just selecting different color options. You can also turn off the lights by quickly tapping the power button.

• Water resistant: The Soundcore Mini Pro 3 has an IPX7 rating, which means it can be submerged in water (up to 3.3 feet) for up to 30 minutes, so it’s safe to use pool-side.

• PartyCast: You can link this speaker up to 100 other Soundcore speakers with “PartyCast” technology, which is mainly limited to Soundcore’s newer speakers. Please note that this is not True Wireless Stereo sound as all of the linked speakers will play the same thing (not one specific audio channel).

How to User PartyCast with the Soundcore Mini 3 Pro

1. First, pair one speaker to your phone as normal and leave it on and connected. This will be your “primary” speaker.
2. On this primary speaker, hold down the Bluetooth button for at least 2 seconds, until you hear two tones that sound like an echo.
3. Power on one of your “extra” Soundcore speakers. Hold down the Bluetooth button on it for 2 second until you hear the same two tones that sound like an echo.
4. On the “extra” speaker, DOUBLE TAP the Bluetooth button (don’t hold it down this time). The extra speaker will then connect to your primary speaker and when you play music to the primary, you should hear it on the secondary speaker.

Battery Life

The Mini Pro 3 can last up to 15 hours on a single charge with the lights off.  The speaker can be recharged with a USB-C cable (which is included) and a powered USB port or charger (not included).

Soundcore Mini 3 Pro vs Soundcore Mini 3

So what’s the difference between the Soundcore Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro version? The main difference is that the Mini 3 Pro has an LED light ring on the top of the speaker. The regular Mini 3 speaker does not.

Availability

It appears that the Soundcore Mini 3 Pro (with the LED light ring) is only available at BestBuy at the time of this review. Amazon has the non-Pro version.

Anker - Soundcore Mini 3 Pro Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black

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Video Review

Sound Quality

The sound on Soundcore Flare 2 is impressive, much like the Flare 1 model. Not only do you get crisp highs and full mids, but bass is also enhanced more on the Flare 2 compared to its predecessor. In addition, the sound is noticeably louder on the Flare 2:

Highs still become distorted at high volumes (when you reach about 80-85%), but the speaker still gets loud enough to fill a medium-sized room before hitting that point.

If you need to fill a large room or an outdoor party, you’ll likely want to look at pairing multiple Flare 2 speakers together, or check out one of Soundcore’s larger offerings such as the Soundcore Trance.

Bass Performance

As noted earlier, the bass on the Flare 2 is even better than it was on the Flare 1. It’s not quite as bass-heavy as the Sony SRS-XB32 speaker, but it will likely satisfy most listeners. If bass is not your thing, the bass boosting effect can be turned off by pressing the “Bass UP” button located on the back of the speaker.

Design

Probably the main difference you will notice on the new Flare 2 is the addition of an light ring on the top of the speaker, which the LED-lighting nerd that I am really enjoys! The light ring on the Flare 1 was located on the bottom and was sort-of hidden, especially if you set the speaker on a dark surface. Now, the LED lights are a lot more noticeable on the Flare 2.

Other than the LED rings, the cylinder shape is very much the same as the first generation of the Flare speaker.

The buttons have also been changed around a bit. You’ll now find the power button on top of the speaker and the Bass Up button on the back of the speaker.

The dimensions for the Flare 2 are very similar to the first generation: 3.5 x 3.5 x 6.3 inches.

Features

• Additional lighting modes: Now that the Flare 2 has two LED light rings, Soundcore has added some additional lighting effects to the speaker. You can access most of them by pressing the “light” button on the top of the speaker. They can also be accessed and further customized by using the Soundcore app.
  The lighting modes are: Party Time, Phasing Beats, Bouncing Beats, Circle Beam, Cool Breath, and “Who’s Next?” (which is a bit of a “spin the bottle” game).
• Party Chain: On the Flare 1, you could only pair the speaker to one other Flare 1 speaker. With the Flare 2, you can pair the speaker to up to 100 other Flare 2 speakers. However, please note that the Flare 2 cannot be paired to the Flare 1.
• Water Resistant: The Flare 2 has an IPX7 rating, meaning that it can be submerged in shallow water (up to 3.3 feet) for up to 30 minutes. Oddly, there is no “dust” rating (hence the “X”) on the Flare 2 whereas the Flare 1 had an IP67 (dust-tight) rating.

Battery Life

Battery life is still rated up to 12 hours on the Flare 2, which is the same as the Flare 1. Normal usage (with the lights) tends to net about 9-10 hours of play time.

The Bad

The speaker itself sounds and looks great, but one thing that agitated me was the accompanying Soundcore app. The first time I launched the app in order to explore the features of the Flare 2, the Soundcore app displayed a full page ad for Soundcore’s new wireless headphones. While I can appreciate the discount it advertised, disrupting my workflow to show a full screen ad that I need to manually close in order to get to the speaker settings is a big no-no in my book.

Anker Soundcore Flare 2 Bluetooth Speaker, with IPX7 Waterproof Protection and 360° Sound for...

Anker Soundcore Flare 2 Bluetooth Speaker, with IPX7 Waterproof Protection and 360° Sound for...

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Sound Quality

If you need to fill a large area with sound, you’ll have no problem doing that with the Soundcore Trance. The speaker’s app has settings for both indoor and outdoor environments, boosting the sound a little more to help spread music a little further when outside.

The highs and mids sound great, except for some distortion when the speaker volume is around 85% or above. However, with the volume at around 60%, the speaker is loud enough to fill a large room or a back yard.

Bass Performance

Bass performance on the Soundcore Trance is very good and provides a decent “thud” to all those nearby. Soundcore’s “Bass Up” feature is on by default, and the speaker does sound a bit anemic without it. The Bass Up feature can be controlled via a dedicated button on the top of the speaker, or via the Soundcore app.

However, I didn’t find the bass to be as strong as the Sony SRS XB-32 which is a lot smaller than the Soundcore Trance. So if you’re “all about the bass,” you may be slightly disappointed by the Trance’s bass performance.

Features

• LED Lights: Besides the sound, one of the features you’ll likely notice right away are the two LED light rings on the front of the Trance. There are different animations you can select by tapping the lighting button on the top of the speaker or via the Soundcore app. Quick note: there actually is not a speaker behind the bottom LED light ring; it’s just there for show.
• Party games: The Soundcore App can act as a “spinner” for Truth or Dare or Spin the Bottle. You can spin the virtual dial in the app and the lights on the speaker will animate in a spinning motion as well, along with some sound effects. You can also play “Light DJ” and spin the virtual turntables in the app and see it reflected in the LED light rings on the speaker. Totally a gimmicky feature, but it’s a nice inclusion for this party speaker.
• USB Charging port: The speaker has a massive battery that can be used to top off your phone by using the full-sized USB port under the rubber flap on the back of the speaker.
• Waterproof: The IPX7 rating means this speaker can resist water splashes and even submersion in water up to 3 feet deep for up to 30 minutes. So no worries if it accidentally gets dropped into the shallow end of the pool.
• Carrying handle: This speaker is large (7.05 x 6.97 x 13.35 inches) and weights almost 8 pounds, so the attached carrying handle at the top is appreciated.
• AUX input: You don’t need to use Bluetooth if you would rather use the AUX input to play your music.

Check out my Instagram post to see the party features in action!

Bluetooth Range

I was able to walk around my house and even into other rooms without interrupting the music. I would say I could get about 40 feet away from the speaker indoors before I started to notice the music breaking up.

Reception outdoors and line of sight between your phone and speaker can reach ranges up to 66 feet.

Battery Life

A speaker this large has room for a large battery (OK, maybe not that large as it’s only 4900mAh) so you can get up to 18 hours of playtime with this speaker. The speaker takes about 4.5 hours to recharge.

Recharging the speaker requires the use of a proprietary charger, so be sure not to loose the wall charger as it may not be easy to get a replacement. Unfortunately, it utilizes a barrel connector instead of the more standard USB-C connection.

Soundcore Trance Bluetooth Speaker, Party Speaker with 18 Hour Playtime, BassUp Technology, Huge...

Soundcore Trance Bluetooth Speaker, Party Speaker with 18 Hour Playtime, BassUp Technology, Huge...

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Price history for Bose® - Portable Home Speaker with built-in WiFi, Bluetooth, Google Assistant and Alexa Voice Control - Luxe Silver
Latest updates: $399.99 - May 18, 2023 $319.99 - May 9, 2023 $399.99 - May 9, 2023 Since: May 9, 2023	Highest Price: $399.99 - May 9, 2023 Lowest Price: $319.99 - May 9, 2023

Setup

Unfortunately, setting up the Bose speaker required two things that annoy me: a separate account and a separate app. After installing the special “Bose Music” app, which is a different app from the “Bose Connect” app needed for headphones, I was prompted to sign in with my Bose ID (or I could have linked it Facebook instead, grrrr…).  Apple’s brand new “Sign In With Apple” was nowhere to be found at this time.

However, after jumping through those hoops, the device’s discovery and connection to my home Wifi was easy.  I was also happy to fine that the Bose Portable Speaker can connect to 5Ghz Wifi networks.

Setting up the voice assistant was straight forward (I had to sign in to Amazon to link it), but annoyingly, I was also prompted to enter my brand new Bose ID credentials again.

Sound Quality

All of the setup hassles are worth it in the end: the sound quality on this speaker is incredible.  Often, I wonder how so much sound can be coming out of a speaker this size!  It can definitely fill a medium to large size room and would be adequate for backyard gatherings as well.

The speaker has excellent bass, which can be further adjusted by using the audio controls on the app (-100 to 100 in increments of 10).  When carrying the speaker, the bass diminishes somewhat until it is set on a solid service, which seems to reflect the bass back at you.

Design

The cylinder shape of the unit provides 360 degree sound, which in theory would mean that everyone sitting around the table should have a similar listening experience.  However, I have found that sitting directly in front or behind the speaker seems to be the “sweet spot” for sound.

The speaker is splash proof but not completely waterproof.  So while a light rain shower or splash from the garden hose should be fine, the speaker cannot be fully submerged in water.

On the back fo the unit is a single USB-C port for charging, which I was happy to see it was not Micro USB.  There is not Aux input (nor does the USB-C port accept audio input). A wall charger is included.  An optional charging base is also available as a separate purchase.

Features

• Amazon Alexa: I was happy to see that Alexa is onboard the Bose Portable Speaker as I already own several Echo devices and I’m familiar with the commands.  This Bose speaker supports the Alexa ESP feature, meaning that the Bose speaker will not respond if another Alexa device is closer to you (i.e. you won’t have multiple Alexa devices responding at once, which is sometimes an issue on 3rd party speakers). 
  There are some limitations with Alexa on the Bose Portable Home Speaker: at launch time, Alexa calling and “drop-ins” are not supported, nor is Apple Music supported via Alexa (although, you could use AirPlay 2 instead).
• Google Assistant: If you prefer Google’s voice assistant, you can set the speaker to use it instead.
• Apple AirPlay 2: This allows you to stream music from your iPhone, iPad or Mac computer without needing to pair the speaker to your device first.  As long as both devices are on the same WiFi network, the Bose speaker will show up as an AirPlay device.
• Bluetooth: Of course, you can use the Bose Portable Speaker as a regular Bluetooth speaker for times when you’re away from WiFi.

Battery Life

Depending on how loud you play your music, the battery can last up to 12 hours of music playback.  It can also last up to 24 hours on standby where the speaker is not actively playing, but it is still “listening” for voice commands.

The post Bose Portable Home Speaker Review appeared first on Technically Well.

Sony - SRS-XB32 Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black

Wireless Speaker enabled for: Bluetooth 4.2 and NFCRechargeable battery that lasts up to 24 hoursWaterproof

$149.99

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What’s New in 2019?

So what’s new with the 2019’s Sony SRS-XB32 compared to 2018’s Sony SRS-XB31?

• Exterior: The XB31 had a fabric coating covering the entire unit. The XB32 only has fabric on the front where the drivers are located. The rest of the unit is a rubberized plastic. The “Sony” logo was also moved from the front of the speaker (XB31) to the top.
• Lights: The lighting features are basically the same, except on the XB-32 the LED strips come together into one line on the side. The colors and white LED flashes are still the same.
• Dedicated “LIVE” button: The “Live Sound” feature is more easily accessible on the XB-32 thanks to a button dedicated to the feature.
• Sound Quality? The sound quality is essentially unchanged from last year.

The rest of this review may look very similar to the XB31, since they are essentially the same speaker.

Sound Quality

You’re likely most interested in the sound quality of the Sony SRS-XB32.  If you love bass, it definitely does not disappoint. Highs and mids come through clear and bass has some kick to it (more on that in a second). Streaming music from Apple Music and Pandora both sounded great, but the speaker does tend to over emphasize low frequencies and can sound “muddy” at time, expecially with the “Extra Bass” feature on (which is enabled by default).

There is a dedicated “Live” button on the top of the unit for the “Live Sound” feature (this feature was somewhat hidden in last year’s model). When the LED light above the button is “white”, the feature is on. Sony states that the “Live Sound” feature will provide a more realistic, 3D experience with “festival vibes.”  Well, I’m not sure about the festival vibes, but what I found is that it does is maintain the bass of the “Extra Bass” mode while increasing the volume and enhancing some of the mids.  It definitely sounds good and I actually prefer it over the “Extra Bass” feature alone, so I’m glad they’ve added a dedicated button for it.

Confused by these different sound modes and how to tell when they’re on? Me too. This table breaks it down.

Bass Performance

Sony’s Bluetooth speakers tend to be bass heavy and that’s definitely the case with the SRS-XB32.  There’s no dedicated “EXTRA BASS” button as there was on the XB30.  You can turn the Extra Bass feature on and off using the Sony Music Center app, or by holding down the Volume Down and Play buttons for 3 seconds, until the power indicator changes colors.

Features

• Lights: This is one of my favorite features of the speakers, although some people may find it gimmicky.  There is the outer ring that surrounds the speaker on the front and the sides that changes different colors.  There are also two white LED “strobe” lights on either side. You can set the lights to dance with the music, set a more calming lighting effect or turn off the lights completely by using the Sony Music Center app. The lights really do add a bit of a party atmosphere and helps this speaker stand out from other brands. If you don’t like the lights, you can hold down the BATT/LIGHT button inside the cap on the rear side of the speaker for about 3 seconds.
• Party Booster: You can add some sound effects to the music that you’re playing on the speaker by tapping it in different places.  Depending where you smack it, you can add a snare scratch, kick drum or cowbell.  The harder you hit it, the louder the sound.  You can turn this feature on/off by holding the the volume + and – buttons for 3 seconds.
• Rustproof, Waterproof, Dustproof: The IP67 rating means you can take it to the beach and not worry about salt water ruining the speaker.  So you take the party virtually anywhere.
• Wireless Party Chain: You can sync this speaker with other compatible models to play the same music simultaneously (but not in stereo sound). Works with SRS-XB22, SRS-XB32, SRS-XB21, SRS-XB31, SRS-XB41, SRS-XB20, SRS-XB30, SRS-XB40, GTK-XB60, GTK-XB90. More details on this feature below.
• Stereo Mode: You can pair the SRS-XB32 with another exact SRS-XB32 model for stereo sound. Please note that the speaker must be another XB-32 for stereo sound (it will not work with earlier models like XB-31 and XB-30).
• Micro USB charging input: My biggest complaint of 2017’s SRS-XB30 was that it used a proprietary charging cable.  Both this year’s SRS-XB32 and last year’s SRS-XB31 solve that issue with a standard Micro USB input (although, USB-C would have maybe future-proofed this speaker a little more).
• USB charging port: If your phone runs low on power, you can grab your phone’s charging cable and plug it into the full-sized USB port on this speaker.  The speaker then serves as a power bank for your phone (but reduces the runtime of the speaker).
• Phone and Siri support: This feature has come in handy while the speaker was poolside and my phone was tucked away in my bag.  You can answer a call on the speaker by tapping the Play button.  You can also access Siri or Google Assistant by holding down the Play button for about 3 seconds and you hear the activation sound. You then use the speaker’s built-in mic to talk to the caller or Siri.

Pairing/Linking Instructions for Non-Stereo Sound (Wireless Party Chain)

You can link the SRS-XB32 with any of the following speakers for Wireless Party Chain (not stereo sound): SRS-XB22, SRS-XB32, SRS-XB21, SRS-XB31, SRS-XB41, SRS-XB20, SRS-XB30, SRS-XB40, GTK-XB60, GTK-XB90

• With the XB32 paired to your phone, lift the flap on the back and tap the WPC button. You’ll hear a beep, then about 6 seconds later you’ll hear another beep. The Bluetooth LED should flash.
• On the other speaker, press the “WPC” button (if you don’t have this button, hold down the ADD and Volume + buttons for about 3 seconds) until you hear a beep.
• Wait about 6-10 seconds and the two speakers should find each other and link together. Start playing music on your phone and you should hear it on both speakers.

Battery Life

The SRS-XB32 gives you up to 24 hours with the lights off and with the sound mode set to “Standard”.  However, with the lights on and the Extra Bass feature enabled, you can expect less than half of that.  So definitely keep that in mind if you’re trying to plan an all-nighter.  

You can check the battery status in the Sony Music Center app on by tapping the “BATT” button under the flap. Oddly, unlike many Bluetooth speaker, the battery status does not show in the status bar of iOS.

The post Sony SRS-XB32 Bluetooth Speaker Review (2019 version) appeared first on Technically Well.

Sound Quality

The sound quality on this speaker surprised me. While I immediately noticed that it seems to emphasize highs more than mids, I was at first expecting this speaker to sound a bit “tinny”. However, once the bass kicked in on the song I was listening to, my opinion immediately changed. The bass balances out the sound very nicely for great overall sound.

This 25 watt speaker gets plenty loud at 50% volume, enough to fill a mid- to large-sized room. Go above 50% and the speaker’s sound starts to get distorted, but I believe the 50% volume is sufficient for most uses (except maybe large outdoor gatherings).

Compared to the Sony SRS XB-31, the Sony speaker tends to emphasize lows and mids more and the highs become somewhat suppressed, but would otherwise be comparable to the Douni A5. The bass of the Douni A5 speaker can further be enhanced by sitting it on a shelf or against a wall so the passive bass radiator on the back is projected forward.

When I’m close to the speaker, I do detect a slight background hiss while audio is playing. It’s less noticeable the further you are away from the speaker, but it is there.

Design

Across the top separate volume controls and track controls, as well as the power button, pairing buttons, speakerphone button and an NFC pairing area.

The buttons are also backlit and light up as your hand gets near them (without touching), which makes this speaker handy for using at night or in a dark room.

I was also surprised by how heavy this speaker was when I picked it up: it’s definitely a speaker for the home and not one to bring hiking.

The battery indicator lights up on the top as well with 3 dots to let you know when it is time to recharge. On the back is an AUX input and a standard USB port so you can use the speaker as a power bank to charge your phone in a pinch.

Battery Life

The speaker contains a 6600 mAh battery that gives you up to 12 hours of playtime on a low volume, but I found battery life to be more like 5-6 hours when using Bluetooth with the volume is cranked up. Unfortunately, this speaker’s charger uses a barrel connector. I would have preferred a more standard charging input such as Micro USB or USB-C. You’ll want to make sure not to lose the speaker’s charger as it may be difficult to find a replacement.

Bluetooth Connectivity

The Bluetooth connection works very well as I was able to walk to a different room with my phone in my pocket and still hear the music playing on the speaker. I would estimate you can get about 40-50 feet away from the speaker indoors (through walls) with minimal disruptions. If you have an Android phone with NFC, you can tap your phone on the NFC area on top of the speaker to quickly go through the pairing process. Otherwise, you would hold down the Bluetooth button until the Bluetooth LED flashes blue and red, then pair your phone to the “A5” entry.

Douni 25W Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker (A5) with Power Adapter,Deep Bass Stereo Sound,12H...

Douni 25W Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker (A5) with Power Adapter,Deep Bass Stereo Sound,12H...

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Last updated on October 6, 2023 1:08 am

The post Douni 25W Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker (A5) Review appeared first on Technically Well.

Pricing

Sony - SRS-XB01 Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Black

$34.99

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Sound Quality

At just a fraction of the size of the SRS-XB31, the SRS-XB01 can’t compete with the sound quality of its bigger brothers.  Sound is more “tinny” and bass is lacking.  The speaker can get somewhat loud and can fill a small to medium-sized room, but it won’t be powerful enough for parties or for entertaining a crowd.  Despite this, the sound is still better than my iPhone’s speaker and I find this speaker handy for carrying around the house to listen to music or podcasts.  I would rate the sound about on par with the SoundCore Mini 2 (and better than the Anker SoundCore Nano).

Bass Performance

Despite the “Extra Bass” verbiage in this speaker’s marketing, the bass on this speaker is lacking.  It’s not completely absent and, in fact, lows sound fairly good on this speaker.  However, you won’t get that satisfying “thump” heard in Sony’s larger speakers.

That’s not to say that music sounds terrible on this speaker, but at a MSRP of around $35, you can’t set your expectations too high.

The Sony SRS-XB31 compared to the SRS-XB01 (please note that the two speakers can not be connected together for Wireless Party Chain nor for stereo sound)

Features

• IPX5 Water Resistant: It’s not rated as high as some of speaker’s larger speakers, but it is resistant to splashes (just don’t submerge it in liquid).
• Carrying strap: Personally one of my favorite features, the strap makes it easy to hang this speaker from a back pack while hiking or to simply tether the speaker to your wrist while working around the house.  The speaker is very lightweight (5.65 oz).
• Music control buttons: You can play/pause, adjust the volume and skip tracks on the speaker directly without needing to dig out your phone.
• Speakerphone: The speaker has a built-in mic and can be used to answer a quick phone call by pressing the Play button while your phone is ringing.
• Micro USB charging: You don’t need a special cable to recharge this speaker as any Micro USB cable will do, although a USB-C port would have future-proofed it a little more.

Battery Life

The speaker gets about 6 hours of usage while listening at a medium volume.  It definitely seems like Sony could have fit a larger battery inside of the unit and I’m curious as to why they didn’t, as a single charge won’t quite get you through the work day.

The post Sony SRS-XB01 Bluetooth Speaker Review appeared first on Technically Well.

Sbode’s new 12 watt Bluetooth speaker deliver very good sound quality in a 360-degree design that allows everyone setting around the table to hear it clearing.  Testing out Weezer’s cover of “Africa” on this speaker didn’t sound quite as crystal clear as I’ve heard on costlier speakers, but music still sounds great on this speaker.  When raising the volume to about 85%, highs start to become shrill and somewhat difficult to listen to, but at normal listening volumes, this speaker would work great for a evening on the deck on a small house party.

Bass Performance

This speaker has adequate bass and provides a nice balance to the lows so music does not sound tinny.  It obviously does provide the bass performance of larger speakers such as the Sony SRS-XB31, but it does well for its size.  For example, when listening to George Ezra’s “Paradise,” his deep voice and the strong bass line still come through smoothly.

Features

The Sbode speaker can be paired with a second speaker for enhanced stereo sound.  This is accomplished by holding down the Play/Pause button on both speakers and they will search for each other and connect.

Like most speakers, this speaker supports an Aux input for non-Bluetooth devices. It also features a Micro SD card slot that allows you to play MP3 files directly from the card (formatted in FAT32 format), so you don’t even need to pair it with your phone to play music.

The speaker also features an FM radio that can be accessed by doing a quick press of the power button.  Hold down the Play/Pause button and the speaker will start cycling through the local stations.  Use the + and – buttons to then change the station.  Unlike many other speakers, the Sbode does not require a charging cable to be plugged in to work as an antennae.   However, it’s hard to tell what station you are on (since there is no display) and the scanned stations are lost with each power cycle, requiring you to wait through the search process the next time you use the speaker.

The speaker is also water-resistant, so splashes are OK, but you can’t submerge it in water.

Bluetooth Range

Bluetooth range is very good and allowed me to carry the speaker into different rooms of my house up to 20-30 feet away.

Battery Life

The battery can last up 8 hours.
Re-charging the speaker takes about 2-3 hours using a 1 amp charger such as an iPhone charger.

Sbode Bluetooth Speaker Portable Waterproof Outdoor Speakers, 12W HD Stereo Sound, Sync Together,...

Sbode Bluetooth Speaker Portable Waterproof Outdoor Speakers, 12W HD Stereo Sound, Sync Together,...

out of stock

as of October 6, 2023 1:07 am

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Last updated on October 6, 2023 1:07 am

The post Sbode 12W Bluetooth Speaker Review appeared first on Technically Well.