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I reviewed the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro wireless speaker, and this beauty is the best one-box wireless speaker you can get for this price
2:00 pm | February 14, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Speakers | Comments: Off

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition: Two-minute review

The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition is part of a great lineage. It’s been almost 20 years since the first Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin launched – back then it was an iPod dock with a 30-pin connector. It’s moved with the times, of course, so now this version offers aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec compatibility and the ability to host numerous music streaming and internet radio services within the ‘Music’ control app it has in common with other Bowers & Wilkins wireless audio products.

The look of the Zeppelin Pro is, of course, the look. The Zeppelin line is very much its own thing, and build quality and the standard of finish are predictably good. And when it comes to business, the Pro Edition features a reworked tweeter array and uses the titanium dome unit found in the class-leading B&W 600 S3 series of passive speakers. That's along with a couple of mid-range drivers and a relatively large (150mm) bass driver, plus 240 watts of power to drive them; the on-paper specification is promising to say the least.

And in practice, the Zeppelin Pro Edition makes good on that paper promise. It’s simple and quick to get it up and running, and once the listening starts in earnest there’s next-to-nothing to take issue with.

It’s a detailed, spacious and vigorous listen, able to tease out the finest details yet hit with real determination at the same time. The tonal balance is convincing, the frequency range is integrated smoothly, and there’s an openness to the presentation that’s far superior to any other one-box option among the best wireless speakers at this budget. It’s not the last word in dynamic expression, true – but nevertheless, the ‘plus’ column is far, far longer than the ‘minus’ where sound quality is concerned.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition review: Price and release date

  • Costs $799 / £699 / AU$1,349
  • Launched in late 2024

The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs £699. American customers will have to part with $799, while in Australia it’s more like AU$1,349.

You’re not short of choice where wireless speakers at this sort of money are concerned, of course. The excellent Naim Muso Qb Gen 2 is down to this sort of money nowadays, and things like JBL’s Authentics 500 are well worth considering too…

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition review: Features

A close up of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition wireless speaker and the B&W logo

(Image credit: Future)
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX Adaptive codec compatibility
  • 240 watts powering a five-driver array
  • 35Hz - 24kHz frequency response

In most respects, the Zeppelin Pro shares a feature-set with the 2021 incarnation of the Zeppelin. Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX adaptive codec compatibility, 240 watts of Class D grunt powering a five-driver array, compatibility with the exemplary Bowers & Wilkins ‘Music’ control app, a claimed frequency response of 35Hz - 24kHz… so far, nothing has changed.

In fact, the only major difference where features are concerned is regarding 40 percent of the driver array. The Zeppelin Pro uses the same 150mm low-frequency driver and the same pair of 90mm ‘FST’ (fixed suspension transducer) mid-range drivers as the 2021 model – although the mid-range drivers have had their cone damping upgraded in an effort to minimize cone break-up.

The tweeters in the Zeppelin Pro, though, are 25mm versions of the titanium dome design that’s currently in use all across the company’s 600 S3 range of full-size passive loudspeakers. This, it’s fair to say, is an upgrade on the double-dome tweeters fitted to 2021’s Zeppelin. Revised digital sound processing is deployed to take account of the new and improved tweeter line-up.

As with previous Zeppelins, the Pro features built-in multi-room functionality - it can be paired with other Zeppelins or members of Bowers & Wilkins’ ‘Formation’ range of wireless speakers (in case anyone remembers them). The Pro can also be used in conjunction with any of the company’s current (and excellent) line-up of wireless headphones and earbuds.

And as with previous Zeppelins, the Pro is only part-smart. Bluetooth connectivity is all well and good, of course, and the fact that it can sit on your home network and access your favourite streaming services (or, at least, some of them) is good news too – but there’s no DLNA or UPnP compatibility, so network connectivity only takes you so far, and the speaker has no truck with voice assistants either.

  • Features score: 4.5 / 5

The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition from above on a wooden shelf

(Image credit: Future)

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition review: Sound quality

  • Wide and organized presentation
  • Punchy and detailed in equal measure
  • Dynamic, but not to the extent separate speakers

Everything’s relative, of course, but while the idea that the Zeppelin Pro creates a true sense of stereo separation is hard to get behind, there’s no denying it generates a wider and more spacious sound that pretty much any other price-comparable single-unit wireless speaker is capable of.

It’s this openness that’s the most immediately striking thing about the way the Bowers & Wilkins performs. You’d never confuse it for the sound of two stereo speakers, of course, but whether it’s playing a 16bit/44.1kHz file of The Wedding Present’s Dalliance or a 24bit/96kHz equivalent of Summon the Fire by The Comet Is Coming, the Zeppelin Pro musters a big, well-organised and entirely convincing soundstage on which a recording can fully express itself.

There’s a gratifying amount of attention paid to the spaces between instruments and voices, and the amount of elbow-room each element of a recording enjoys makes for a coherent and easy-to-follow presentation.

Low-frequency impact is significant, and there’s good control of the attack of bass sounds at the same time – so the low end doesn’t blur, and rhythms are confidently described. The mid-range benefits a great deal from the overall spaciousness – vocalists of all types and all competences get the chance to properly communicate, for better or for worse.

And at the top of the frequency range, the reworked tweeter arrangement allows for plenty of substance to accompany the top-end bite and attack the Zeppelin Pro can muster. Integration of the frequency range is smooth and unobtrusive, despite the numerousness of the drivers here.

The Pro maintains a nicely neutral tonality throughout, and manages to invest every part of the frequency range with plenty of broad and fine detail. It does good work with high-frequency transients, and gives the bottom end lots of texture and variation where lesser speakers can just thump along monotonally. And the mid-range is absolutely alive with personality – there’s an eloquence to the way the Bowers & Wilkins hands over a voice that is never less than engaging.

Only a slight inhibition during the bigger dynamic shifts in volume and/or intensity prevent the Zeppelin Pro from scoring full marks here. If ever a band indulged in the ‘quiet/LOUD/REALLY DAMN LOUD’ dynamic, it’s The Wedding Present – but when the angst really gets into full swing the Bowers & Wilkins just can’t quite breathe deeply enough to give it the fullest expression.

It’s not that everything happens at a fixed level of attack, you understand – it’s just that there’s greater distance between the most contemplative and most fierce moments in the recording than the Zeppelin Pro is able to describe.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition review: Design

A close up of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition

(Image credit: Future)
  • Choice of two new finishes
  • Choice of 15 (!) downlight colors
  • Still looks like a Zeppelin

If you’ve seen one Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin, you’ve seen 'em all – which is not meant to be any kind of a put-down. In one guise or another, it’s a product that’s been in production for almost two decades, and it’s rapidly approaching ‘classic’ status – and the way it looks hasn’t done any harm in this respect.

So the Zeppelin Pro is recognizably a Zeppelin, and at 210 x 650 x 194mm it’s the same dimensions as the 2021 model. You’ll need a decently sized surface to stand it on, although at 6.6kg it’s hardly a burden where weight is concerned.

The speaker wears its relative bulk quite lightly, though, and this is helped in no small way by the two finishes – both new – in which it’s available. My review sample is in ‘solar gold’, and ‘space gray’ is also available. And within the stable, logical and extensive control app, there are no fewer than 15 different ‘ambient light’ colors with which to illuminate the speaker’s foot (and, if you’re anything like me, expose exactly how long it’s been since anyone did any dusting around here). Or you can turn it off altogether, of course.

  • Design score: 5 / 5

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition review: Usability and setup

A close up of the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition controls

(Image credit: Future)
  • Bowers & Wilkins ‘Music’ control app
  • Some physical controls
  • Swift and stable wireless pairing

The Zeppelin Pro is ‘just’ a wireless speaker, and as such it doesn’t take long to set up – unpack it, plug it in, let the ‘Music’ control app (free for iOS and Android) discover it, connect it to your local network, and you’re in business.

The control app is fairly thoroughly specified. As well as Bowers & Wilkins’ curated content, it’s also able to let you integrate your favourite music streaming service(s) – as long as they’re Amazon Music, Deezer, NTS, Qobuz, SoundCloud or TIDAL. Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2 provide alternative ways of getting music over to it. Internet radio is available via Last.fm and TuneIn.

EQ adjustment (or, more accurately, bass and treble adjustment) is available, and the app also lets you update firmware as and when, and for some reason has a switch to allow aptX Adaptive reception to be switched on or off.

There are a few physical controls at top of the rear of the speaker, too. ‘Bluetooth pairing’, ‘volume up/down’, ‘play/pause’ and ‘power on/off’ are all available.

  • Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition review: Value

  • Bowers & Wilkins devices are always of a very high standard
  • Not as pricey as some B&W devices, but just as impressive
  • Excellent specs and sound

If you know Bowers & Wilkins, you know there’s seldom any issue regarding the standard of build and finish of any of its products – and that’s as true of the Zeppelin Pro Edition as it is of a pair of its passive speakers costing tens of thousands of pounds.

Add in thorough specification, nicely executed control options and an intangible, but definite, pride of ownership and we’re well on the way to calling this wireless speaker ‘very decent value for money’. The way it sounds simply confirms things.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition?

Buy it if...

You know an icon when you see (and hear) one
There aren’t all that many current audio products around that can genuinely be referred to as ‘classic’. The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin is one.View Deal

You enjoy spacious, detailed and lively sound
By the standards of speakers in a single enclosure, the Zeppelin Pro sounds gratifyingly open – and it’s a perky, informative listen at the same time.View Deal

You think synesthesia is pretty cool
You won’t see colors because of the sound the Zeppelin Pro makes, but you get a choice of colors to accompany it.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You don’t have significant shelf space
The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition remains one of the larger wireless speakers around, and it needs a correspondingly large shelf space in which to operate.View Deal

You want a fully smart speaker
The lack of wider networking compatibility, voice-assistant interaction and so on means the Zeppelin Pro Edition is not quite PhD ‘smart’.View Deal

You want to hear every bit of dynamic variation in a recording
The Pro Edition is a strong performer, but it lacks the lung capacity to give complete expression to the biggest shifts in intensity and/or volume.View Deal

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition: Also consider

Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen
The closest smaller equivalent to the Zeppelin Pro, also made by a hi-fi legend. Far more compact, still a hugely impressive performer with tons of connectivity options. Here's our full Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen review.View Deal

Cambridge Audio Evo One
A magnficient speaker that's also pretty wide, like the Zeppelin Pro – but it has a flatter and more traditional design that may suit some people. The screen on the front is nice too, and the built-in phono stage makes it well-suited to turntables.View Deal

How I tested the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition

I positioned my review sample on the top shelf of my Blok Stax 2G equipment rack, and then because it was preventing my turntable from sitting there I also positioned it on a necessarily large bookshelf.

I used my Qobuz and TIDAL accounts to stream music of many different varieties and file sizes, and I also checked out some favorite internet radio stations using TuneIn.

I can’t pretend it was any kind of hardship to do this for well over a week…

  • First reviewed: February 2025
The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is a bass-heavy Bluetooth speaker that I love for blasting party bangers
4:00 pm | February 11, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Tags: | Comments: Off

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus: Two-minute review

The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is a Bluetooth speaker that does exactly what it says on the tin. It blasts onto the scene with booming bass output, high volume levels and blaring LED lights – this thing is by no means subtle! And at $249.99 / £199.99 / AU$359.99 it’s by no means cheap, either – so let’s find out if the Boom 2 Plus is worth the cash.

It only seems right to start with the main attraction: bass. With BassUp 2.0 activated you’re going to get deep pumping low-end output, ideal for genres such as EDM or hip-hop, and for occasions such as house parties. Without it, you may find that bass is a touch underwhelming, so it’s worth toggling it on for when you really want to ramp up any low-frequency audio. Still, I didn’t find the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus could offer quite as ground-shaking bass as the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2.

All-round sound quality is up-to-scratch, too. I found mids and highs to be clear and free of tinniness – a big relief. On top of that, there’s a nine-band EQ so you can get a more neutral sound if that’s what you’re after. The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus isn’t going to supply the phenomenal attention to detail that some of the best Bluetooth speakers can offer, but it does include the AAC codec this time around, so it's a little better for Apple users in particular.

This speaker comes with a nice set of features, all of which can be accessed via the free-to-download Soundcore app. You can pick from preset or custom EQ calibrations, toggle BassUp, and alter light settings. The LED lights attached to the side of the speaker can sync up to audio output for a more immersive listening experience, and watching them rumble as the speaker pumps bass is highly satisfying.

The lights were one of many features already included in the original Anker Soundcore Boom 2. Now, don’t get me wrong, the standard-sized model is a decent budget option, but the Boom 2 Plus is an upgrade in almost every way. You get more power – as much as 140W for hitting high volumes – a more curved, quality-looking design, and a strap for carrying the speaker over long distances.

But the Boom 2 Plus isn’t without its drawbacks. Of course, its far more expensive – yet still only has the IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning it still lacks a dustproof score. On top of that, the Boom 2 Plus actually offers less playtime than the standard Boom 2, with just 20 hours on offer. Now, that’s not too bad, but considering rivals like the Earfun UBoom X can muster 30 hours, you may be left wanting more.

But overall, the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is still an adept party speaker. You’re getting plenty of bass and plenty of ways to personalize both its sound and appearance. If you can grab it at a cut-price, I’d argue it's an option well-worth considering, but unfortunately there’s some really stiff competition in this price range. And if you’re able to stretch your budget a little bit further, I’d recommend going for the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 instead, which ultimately packs more of a punch and better protection against the elements.

Reverse side of the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus

(Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: Price and release date

  • $249.99 / £199.99 / AU$359.99
  • Launched in May 2024

The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is significantly pricier than the standard Boom 2 model, coming in with a list price of $249.99 / £199.99 / AU$359.99. That’s compared to the usual Boom 2’s launch price of $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$219.99. I’ve spotted it on sale for around $200 / £170, though, so keep your eyes peeled for a bargain.

This 2024-issued model is available in a number of color options – all of which cost the same. The colorways available to you are: Adventure Green; Explorer Green; and the variant I tested, Phantom Black.

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: Specs

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus with strap attached

(Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: Features

  • Nine-band custom EQ
  • Customizable LED lights
  • 20-hour battery life is decent, but nothing special

In terms of features, the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is almost identical to its standard-sized sibling. Button controls enable you to toggle on the low-end-boosting BassUp option, sift through light show settings and pair to a second speaker via PartyCast 2.0. And once again, there’s a USB-C port which enables the Boom 2 Plus to become a power bank.

If you download the Soundcore app, however, you get access to even more features. The standout is EQ adjustment, which grants access to a nine band equalizer and a small selection of presets: Soundcore Signature, Voice, Treble Boost and Balanced (as well as BassUp). I would maybe have liked to see a few genre-specific options, but there’s still plenty of customizability here.

The app also lets you personalize the Boom 2 Plus’ lights remotely. There are six effects available: Flash, Flame, Lightning, Scan, Cyclone and Bounce. On top of that, you can play around with a color wheel to get an even more tailored look to the speaker’s LEDs. The lights are on passive radiators which rumble violently during bass-heavy tracks, and this was enjoyable to watch, especially in dark rooms. They sync up to sound output, which makes for an immersive audiovisual experience, but if that’s not to your taste, you can switch them off entirely.

One benefit of going lightless is that you’ll save some battery life. And that might be useful, because the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus actually offers less playtime than the standard Boom 2. That’s a little disappointing and given rivals such as the Earfun UBoom X can serve up an impressive 30 hours, its fair to say this speaker’s battery life is a bit unimpressive. 20 hours is by no means bad, but it’s worth noting that BassUp – like the lights – will contribute to faster drainage.

One thing you do get over the standard edition, however, is an aux-in port, which enables wired listening – pretty neat. Otherwise, you’ll be relying on Bluetooth 5.3, which is plenty good enough, and there’s also Google Fast Pair for a speedy setup.

  • Features score: 4/5

Button controls on the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus

(Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: Sound quality

  • Booming bass with BassUp 2.0 on
  • But won’t offer massively sophisticated all-round audio
  • Impressive volume levels thanks to max 140W power output

Just by hearing this speaker's name, you probably know exactly what you’re going to get here. And if you guessed big, booming bass – congrats, you were right. Well, that is if you have BassUp 2.0 turned on – without this bass isn’t actually that impactful for a speaker of this size. But don’t get me wrong, having BassUp 2.0 on will definitely mean the low-end soaks up most of the limelight. For a party speaker, though, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

When tuning in to Favorita by kryptogram, I was impressed by the speaker’s bass output with impactful, deep drum kicks instantly grabbing my attention. Similarly when listening to a house track, Dasha - Tour Maubourg Remix by Fusion Affair, the speaker showcased solid low-frequency response, with dominant, pumping bass. When I threw on Diva Bonita by bbno$, the track’s imposing sub-bass came through with authority, something that you’ll miss out on from a lot of cheaper models.

When I put the Boom 2 Plus next to the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2, however, I did find the latter offered considerably weightier power in the low end – even with its XBass feature turned off. Of course, that model is a little more expensive, but if you want ultimate bass performance, I’d recommend it over this Soundcore speaker.

Regardless, the Boom 2 Plus can get very loud. That’s in part thanks to its high maximum power output of 140W – 100W of which comes from the two 50W woofers, with the remainder stemming from the speaker’s dual 20W tweeters. Pair that with the Boom 2 Plus’ competence in the bass department and you’re looking at a speaker that’s primed for parties or outdoor events, where you want to power through excess noise.

If you want a speaker capable of delivering a highly nuanced listen, though, this isn’t a top option. Sure, you get AAC this time (meaning any tracks played in AAC on a compatible device will be played without conversion or other inteference – most notably for Apple Music users on Apple devices) rather than SBC (the standard Bluetooth codec) alone, and there’s a nine-band equalizer that can help you tune a more balanced sound – but I still found there was a lack of detail, particularly in the mid and treble frequency range.

When listening to I Want You by Molko, I wasn’t struck by a true-to-life cymbal crash or particularly natural-sounding, breathy vocals. The speaker also wasn’t highly capable of managing this track’s densely layered mix, so you may want to turn to a model like the Edifier D32 if you’re looking for stronger instrument separation.

Of course, that’s not something this model has to excel in. Ultimately, this is designed to be a party speaker that leans into its low-frequency talents and it does that well. Also, even if they’re lacking a bit of detail, mid-range and treble frequency sounds rarely sound tinny or harsh, even at higher volumes. I also found that I could get a fairly balanced sound profile out of this speaker after turning BassUp off in Soundcore Signature and slightly tweaking EQ.

  • Sound quality score: 4/5

Soundcore logo on the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus

(Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: Design

  • More curved, premium looking design this time out
  • Still only IPX7 rated
  • Eye-catching LED lights

In terms of looks, the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is a huge upgrade on its standard-sized sibling. It’s less stubby and blocky looking, now donning a wider, more curved look. On top of that, the metallic speaker grille has a more premium feel and appearance, creating a far cleaner aesthetic overall.

Of course, much has remained the same – the LED lights on the side of the speaker are still bold and vibrant – they can also sync up to bass output for a more immersive listening experience. And the button controls on top of the speaker are again well-proportioned, clear and responsive.

But with this speaker’s added length comes added bulk – meaning Anker has had to make a change here. That’s right: this model comes with a strap included, which can be attached to hooks on the handle. This is pretty basic; there’s no shoulder pad or anything, but it’s still a nice addition if you’re going to carry the Boom 2 Plus over longer distances. This is also welcome as the Boom 2 Plus is more than twice as weighty as the standard model, coming in at 8.4lbs / 3.8kg – though this is still fairly lightweight overall.

Something that, perhaps disappointingly, has remained much the same, though, is this speaker’s ingress rating. Like the standard Boom 2, this is IPX7 rated. Now, the positive here is that the speaker can be submerged in up to a meter of water for as long as 30 minutes – something we’d expect from all of the best waterproof speakers. It's floatable too if you want to take it into the pool with you, for instance.

The bad? This thing skips on a dustproof rating again, meaning it might not be the best beachside companion. If you want a more rough and ready model, look for the IP67 rating, which a ton of competitors have, including the fantastic Bose SoundLink Max.

But enough moaning. I did like the small rubber tab on the reverse side of the Boom 2 Plus. Simply flick this up or down and you get access to the USB-C charging port – which can be used to charge the speaker or external devices – as well as the aux-in if you want wired listening.

I was also a fan of the multiple color options available. You can grab the Boom 2 Plus in Phantom Black, Explorer Blue or Adventure Green – all of these look neat and are discreet enough to bring out the best of light features in dark rooms.

  • Design score: 4/5

LED lights on the side of the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus

(Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: Value

  • Considerably more expensive than standard model
  • But does offer improved audio and design
  • Unfortunately rivals offer better bang for your buck

The Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has a list price that’s almost double that of the standard model. So, with added price, you’re going to expect a massive improvement. Do you get that? In many ways, yes. I would argue that this model is far better looking and, perhaps unsurprisingly, has bassier, cleaner audio. If you want an all-out party speaker, it’s no contest – the Boom 2 Plus is far superior.

At the same time, you get a smaller battery life and there are some lingering issues such as the lack of a dustproof rating. Perhaps a larger problem for the Boom 2 Plus, though, is that it’s sitting in an awkward spot price-wise. If you go cheaper, you can grab the Earfun UBoom X, which also packs plenty of bass, as well as highly customizable audio. And if you can push your budget just a little more you can get the mighty Tribit Stormbox Blast 2, which is a top-tier party speaker in my book – it can also double up as a karaoke machine if you’re into that kinda thing!

In its own right, though, the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus is still a solid Bluetooth speaker and plenty good enough to keep the party moving. If you can get it for less than $200 / closer to the £150 mark, it’s a model well worth considering. Nonetheless, there is some stiff competition, which can’t be ignored.

  • Value score: 3.5/5

Rubber tab open to expose USB-C and AUX ports on the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus?

Buy it if...

You want a bass-heavy party speaker
If you want a Bluetooth speaker for house parties or events, the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus has you covered. With a maximum power output of 140W and BassUp feature for booming low-end output, you’re certainly going to keep your guests entertained.

You want a lightweight option
Some boombox-like speakers can be heavy. Really heavy (I’m looking at you Tribit Stormbox Blast 2). But much like the standard model, the Boom 2 Plus bucks that trend, coming in at 8.4 lbs / 3.8kg. Combine that with the included strap and this speaker is pleasingly easy to take with you on the go.

Don't buy it if...

You want premium all-round sound
If you want a nuanced, supremely separated sound, this speaker isn’t for you. With the right tuning, you can get clear, decently balanced audio, but still, you’re not going to uncover the finest details.

You want a speaker that can brave any environment
The Soundcore Boom 2 Plus skips on a dustproof rating, meaning it’s not totally primed for all outdoor environments. There are a ton of options with the coveted IP67 rating, but you can go a step further with the LG XBoom Go XG8T, which actually has military-grade protection against the elements.

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: Also consider

Earfun UBoom X
Like this Anker speaker, the Earfun UBoom X won’t offer the most detailed, revealing sound quality. But it does still pack quite the low-end punch, has some integrated LED lights and a wired connectivity option. The real win is that this model has a 30 hour battery life and super-low price for a speaker of its size, making it a very viable candidate to be your next party speaker. Read our full Earfun UBoom X review.

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2
I’ll keep it simple: the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is one of the best portable party speakers money can buy. It’s only a bit more expensive than this Anker model, but has superior bass output, more playtime and an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating. It doesn’t get much better than that. Read our full Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review.

Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus review: How I tested

Hook on the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested over the course of one week
  • Mainly used at our music testing facility at Future Labs
  • Predominantly listened to tracks via Tidal

I listened to the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus for hours at our music testing facility at Future Labs. I blasted a bunch of tracks from my own music library alongside tunes from the TechRadar testing playlist, which we use to assess audio performance across a variety of genres. I connected to the Stormbox Blast 2 with the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and mainly listened to songs via Tidal.

Further to this, I played a podcast episode on Spotify and watched video content on YouTube in order to assess vocal clarity across different platforms. When appropriate, I used the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 to compare elements like sound, design and ease of use.

  • First reviewed: February 2025
  • Read more about how we test
I reviewed Sony’s LinkBuds Speaker, and it’s the Bluetooth speaker that best fits into my real home life, thanks to unique features
5:00 pm | February 6, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Tags: | Comments: Off

Sony LinkBuds Speaker: Two-minute review

Sony has released a fair few speakers in its day but the new LinkBuds Speaker is the first to be released under its LinkBuds branding; the original Sony LinkBuds were novel for having open-ring designs so you could hear your surroundings while also streaming music, but the name now just seems to be used for a range of lifestyle audio options instead of applying to that particular open design, so here we are.

I often having to get name whingeing out of the way early when I review products like the Sony LinkBuds Speaker, because I want to save the rest of the review to focus on compliments on the device (and because I love a good name-whinge).

Don’t make the mistake I did when I first started using the speaker – unlike many other entries into our annals of the best Bluetooth speakers, this creation isn’t designed for house parties or loud gatherings. Instead, it’s a svelte house-trained pet that does its best work when you keep it domestic.

That’s most evident from the charging cradle, which was my favorite aspect of the entire speaker. It charges the speaker when you’re not using it (or when you are), acting as a hub that you can easily whisk the speaker away from when you’re marching into another room.

But there’s more evidence as to the LinkBuds Speaker’s introverted state. Its understated design means it fits snugly into your home decor, but it's not as rugged as the best waterproof speakers. Its microphone means you can use it as an ersatz home assistant (via your phone, at least) and a range of other features such as a programmable musical alarm clock and hourly time alerts all indicate that this is a housebound gadget.

That doesn’t mean you’ll be left in the lurch if you take it outside, especially with a surprisingly big 25-hour battery, but you might not find the audio fits parties or summer cookouts. That’s doubly the case with audio which proves quite directional, and doesn’t quite equal some rivals on the market in terms of energy and vibrancy – if you’re looking for a party speaker, the Sony will disappoint.

I was pleasantly surprised with the feature set offered by Sony, with its Sound Connect app boasting quite a few handy features – some are ones I haven’t seen on rival devices, which is a neat touch. Admittedly some of these features are hidden deep in the app – I still have no idea how I enabled the aforementioned hourly notification – and not all of them work wonders.

But it’s another illustration of how the Sony offers brains over the raw brawn of some of its rivals. It’s no slouch in the audio department, but it’s found a different way to best the likes of the JBL Flip 6: the features.

I should cap this intro by saying one more thing if you like the ideas of these extra features: only buy this if you use Spotify, Amazon Music or Endel. Loads of the extra features require a subscription to one of these three streaming services so you're not going to be able to use all the features if you use Tidal, Apple Music or YouTube Music.

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Price and release date

  • Released in October 2024
  • Officially priced at $179.99 / £139 / AU$249

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker was announced in October 2024, alongside two new earbud additions to the brand: the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open.

You can buy the speaker for $179.99 / £139 / AU$249 so it costs a little more than rivals in the area such as the JBL Flip 6, Ultimate Ears Boom 4 or Bose SoundLink Flex, but it roughly matches the Sonos Roam 2 which we rate as the best Bluetooth speaker.

I should point out that at the time of testing, three months after the LinkBuds Speaker’s release, it’s already on offer from some retailers, so it’s worth hunting around to find a discount as they're easy to find.

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker on a shelf beside a bed.

(Image credit: Future)

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Specs

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker on a shelf beside a bed.

(Image credit: Future)

Sony LinkBuds Speaker: Features

  • A 25-hour battery life
  • Lots of features thanks to Sound Connect app
  • Many tools require Spotify, Amazon Music or Endel

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker offers a surprisingly admirable 25 hours of battery life, which laps most of its close rivals – you can expect between 10 and 15 hours of listening time on its competitors.

Thanks to how the aforementioned charging cradle fits into my real-world experience, I never actually had to test this figure the hard way, but that’s not the end of the world – it just goes to prove that you’ll never have battery anxiety with the LinkBuds Speaker.

You can get many more features from the LinkBuds Speaker by using Sony’s Sound Connect app – until recently called Headphones Connect.

One useful feature is auto-play, so you can set your speaker to start auto-playing from Spotify, Amazon Music or Endel at certain times on certain days, basically like an alarm clock. In my testing, I was unable to choose which playlist Spotify auto-played from, and it default to carrying on whatever I last listened to, but the writing in the app suggests that I should be able to pick them. Hopefully a software update will change this.

As I'll discuss in the Design section of this review, the speaker has a quick access button. Using the app, you can map this to use two of: Spotify Tap, Amazon Music Play Now or Endel Quick Access (all three bring up a curated playlist from the app of choice). As you can tell, these are the only three apps supported by Sony’s app – sorry, Tidal fans – but you can use other streaming platforms for standard speaker playback. You just can’t use the extra features.

Audiophiles will also be pleased to hear that there’s an in-app equalizer. It’s a five-band one with an extra Clear Bass dial to increase or decrease bass prominence between -10 and 10. You can save two different custom EQs, and there are no presets. In my experience I didn’t find that the equalizer made much of a difference on the sound quality.

Sony’s auto-EQ mode is back, but I’ve not previously been impressed by this, and the LinkBuds Speaker didn’t change that. The way it works is that the app presents you with five different EQ mixes and you have to choose your favorite; you do this twice and the app creates a custom mix for you. The problem is that the mixes it suggests to you are often so indistinct that I can never tell the difference between them, so it’s not a good way of gauging my actual tastes.

I was impressed by a few of the quality-of-life features Sound Connect offers. You can choose the auto-power-off length, toggle on a battery-saving mode that stops you overcharging the speaker, connect two multiple devices (including LinkBuds earbuds, which can automatically switch your music from the buds to the speaker when you get near) and can enable a Sony-made audio decompression feature to improve the sound of music on lossy streaming services. They all just improve the way you use the speaker in small but meaningful ways.

A feature I got really close to liking is the ability to set hourly reminders. This was surprisingly convenient to help mark the passage of time through the day, reminding me that it was lunchtime or that my working hours were finished… except there's no way in the app to silence it for certain hours. I was woken several times by the speaker announcing that it was 2am or 3am and so turned this otherwise-handy feature off.

I’ll briefly touch on pairing: when I first started using the LinkBuds Speaker, I simply couldn’t connect to it via Bluetooth pairing. However as soon as I opened the Sound Connect app, it immediately recognized and paired. So if you’ve just bought this gadget and can’t get it to connect, download the app now!

  • Features score: 4/5

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker on a shelf beside a bed.

(Image credit: Future)

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Design

  • Black or gray squoval
  • Has a hook for hanging; charging pad in box
  • A fair range of buttons

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker basically looks like a small furry squoval. (It's a real word! A portmanteau of square and oval!) Compared to lots of other portable speakers it’s a little plain looking, but I liked how it blended into the background of my home more than other speakers I test. Sometimes nondescript is good. The fabric cover also gives it a premium look that many other rivals lack.

It’s not a huge speaker, measuring 11cm tall and with body dimensions of 8.4 x 9cm, but it’s a little heavier than you’d think at first glance at 520g.

The ‘back’ of the speaker – a word I use because the sound is pretty directional, as I’ll get into in the sound quality section – has its power button as well as the USB-C charging port (which you can use instead of the included base plate, another feature I’ll explain later on). It also has a hook that you can use to hang the speaker on a hook in the bathroom, on the back of a chair or wherever works – but it’s not that big so it was hard to clip onto certain objects, plus the way the speaker hangs has problems with the directional sound (yet another tease about a future point to discuss).

On top of the speaker are buttons: volume up, volume down, play/pause/accept phone call, and the quick access button. There’s also a small light: white when the speaker is on and red when it’s off, and purple sometimes… for some reason? If there’s a way of turning the LED off, I couldn’t find it, which was a little annoying at night.

I’d be remiss not to include mention of the LinkBuds Speaker’s base plate, because it became an integral part of the experience during my testing. Included in the box is a charging cradle, which you plug into a USB-C charger, and it holds the speaker firm and slowly charges it up. Once I set this up in my office, it became a ‘home’ of sorts for the speaker – when I was listening during work, it would power up so that there was charge for when I was taking it out and about. Super convenient, two thumbs up from me.

You can buy the speaker in black or light gray, and your choice will affect the base plate as well as the speaker itself. It has an IPX4 rating so it’s protected against splashes of water but not solid jets or submersion, so it may not be at home at a pool party.

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker on a shelf beside a bed.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Design score: 4/5

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Sound quality

  • Good, not great audio quality
  • Volume fine indoors but not loud enough for outdoors
  • Directional audio poses a problem

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker combines a tweeter and woofer in a classic two-way system; I couldn’t find much information on either component from Sony's materials.

There’s no use beating about the bush; the LinkBuds Speaker doesn’t quite sound as great as rivals I’ve tested at this price point from Ultimate Ears and JBL. It offers a balanced audio mix, but lacks the 'oomph' that portable Bluetooth speakers generally need.

For example: there’s ample bass, but not as much as you’d get on an outdoor speaker; clear treble, but a distinct lack of shine to some instruments; the same lack of soundstage that you get on smaller speakers like this thanks to mono audio. The maximum volume is sufficient if you plan to use the speaker exclusively at home or in your garden, but in wider open spaces, it might prove hard to hear. Unlike its rivals, Sony hasn't turned any one element up to 11.

The mono audio problem can be fixed, according to the Sony website, by simply buying a second speaker and pairing them together to get stereo sound. That will, of course, double the amount you’re paying to listen.

My main concern when I started listening to the LinkBuds Speaker was simply that audio didn’t sound as energetic or exciting as on many other portable speakers I’ve tested; lots of rivals are designed as party devices and going in with the same expectations here will leave you disappointed.

This was underlined when I used the LinkBuds Speaker to play music at a gathering; after a few drinks, balanced audio isn't as important as vibrant bass. However once I figured out that the Sony is designed for a different use case – namely home listening – I could appreciate it a little more.

The LinkBuds Speaker’s sound depends a lot on the direction you are to it – that’s not uncommon in speakers, as 360-degree audio is a rare treat. But it makes a marked difference in the LinkBuds Speaker, and it’s doubly annoying for two reasons.

Firstly, due to its design, it’s pretty hard to glean which way the front is from a glance – close up, you can see the way the buttons are facing and where the hook is. If the speaker is in the corner of a room, you’ll have to guess if you’re getting the full experience. Secondly, when you use the hook to hang the speaker up, its positioning means that the tweeter and woofer point downwards – the only person getting optimal audio is the downstairs neighbor.

Sony boasts about its Sound Diffusion Processor in the LinkBuds’ web post, which is supposed to spread sound from the speaker out into a wide area, but I can only assume this listing was written on opposite day because my experience was that music sounded so much better when the speaker was facing you.

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker on a shelf beside a bed.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Sound quality: 3.5/5

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Value

I can't go so far as to say that the Sony LinkBuds Speaker is outstanding value for money, but it ticks all the boxes that you want when you're paying this much.

The range of features, the audio quality, the design; I'm pretty sure I'd be able to accurately predict the LinkBuds' price because it's in line with expectations.

That changes a little if you can find the speaker discounted, though, and if you find it nearing the $100 / £100 / AU$180 mark, it may tip more into 'must-buy' territory.

  • Value score: 3.5/5

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker on a shelf beside a bed.

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Sony LinkBuds Speaker?

Buy it if…

You're a homebody
Looking for a Bluetooth speaker that you plan to use at home, rather than in outdoor events? Look no further.

Battery life is important
No-one likes that most gadgets take constant charging. You can put it off for 25 hours at a time with the LinkBuds Speaker, and top it up super-easily.

You want to be woken up by music
The LinkBuds Speaker's musical alarm clock feature has woken me up for the last week, and I'm all for it.

Don’t buy it if…

You're a party planner
The LinkBuds Speaker lacks the max volume, overwhelming bass or rugged design needed to make it a real party speaker.

You're not an app fan
Some people don't like having to use an app to control their speaker or headphones, and that's a fair stance, but you won't like the LinkBuds Speaker in that case.

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Also consider

JBL Flip 6
It's been around for years, but it remains a stalwart rival in the Bluetooth speaker space. It has a balanced sound and a hardy design, though it lacks some features (and the long battery life) that the Sony has – you can dig into it in our full JBL Flip 6 review.

Bose Soundlink Flex Gen 2
Another well-received rival from Bose, this gadget takes some party speaker DNA but not as much as some other rivals. It provide balanced audio, but perhaps doesn't quite have the charm of the Sony, but you can read more in our full Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2 review.

The Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 shook me to my core and became my new go-to Bluetooth speaker for parties
7:20 pm | January 28, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: two-minute review

The Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is a true bass-heavy behemoth. This is the sequel to Tribit’s massively successful boombox speaker that won plenty of plaudits here at TechRadar (and beyond). But this speaker is much more than just a refined version of its predecessor, packing in a new, curved design and even karaoke functionality.

Let’s run through a few new sparkly additions and upgrades here. Yes, you’re getting karaoke, with dual-wireless or wired mic support, as well as built-in volume and reverb controls. On top of that, the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 has an improved IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating, meaning it's suitable for almost any environment, from beachside to pool party. That’s not to mention you also get Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity and incredible 200W power output this time around.

But let’s drill down into the most important area – sound. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is another hit in the audio department, supplying controlled, earth-shaking bass that even beats out many of the best Bluetooth speakers. And thunderous bass is certainly the main attraction here, with an XBass option available if you want to go crazy with low-end output, maybe excessively so.

All-round audio quality is strong too; you’ll be able to hear individual instrumental elements clearly, with commendable levels of separation. You may find that the soundstage can get a touch cluttered at the highest of volumes, but otherwise, you’ll be in for an enthralling, bass-heavy listen, ideal for parties or outdoor events.

Even running on battery power, this speaker has double the output power of its predecessor, the Tribit Stormbox Blast, meaning you’ll get some serious volume. For those who crave more power, or perhaps want left/right channel stereo separation, you can pair a second model up to this speaker, too. And there are a bunch of other excellent features accessible via the Tribit app, including broad EQ options and LED light customization.

Speaking of the Stormbox Blast 2’s lights, they’re a tad classier in this iteration, but similarly illuminate the speaker’s drivers and edges. The overall look of this speaker is certainly an improvement on its predecessor, though, thanks to a curvier look – it’s not quite as blocky or clumsy looking in my view. But something that’s going to be divisive here is this speaker’s hefty nature. It’s a whopping 19.2lbs / 8.7kg, meaning it’s even weightier than the already heavy Stormbox Blast – an achievement in itself.

But there are some more practical elements to its design, including a USB-A port for charging external devices, the choice to charge with an AC adapter or USB-C cable and an incredible 30 hour battery life. There’s no voice assistant once more, meaning you won’t be able to bark orders or take calls hands free and there’s no option to connect over Wi-Fi either – perhaps to be expected at this price point – but overall, this is a well-designed speaker with plenty of nifty features to keep you entertained.

So, then, is the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 worth its $299 / £257 (about AU$490) price tag? I’d say so. The true highlight is its excellent bass output, which is perfect for elevating the atmosphere at a house party or similar setting. It's a heavy beast and audio quality takes a bit of a dip at top volumes, but these issues aren’t dealbreakers as far as I’m concerned. In terms of value, it’s hard to look past the original Tribit Stormbox Blast, which you can grab for around $150 / £150 on sale, but if you want the additional power and karaoke functionality, I can certainly recommend the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2.

Left passive radiator and LED light strip on Tribit Stormbox Blast 2

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: price and release date

  • $299.99 / £257 (about AU$490)
  • Launched in October 2024

The Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 was released in October 2024 and carries a list price of $299.99 / £257 (about AU$490). However, I’ve already spotted it going for a little bit less. For instance, at the time of writing, the Stormbox Blast 2 is on sale for less than $240, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for price cuts.

At the $200-$300 range, the Stormbox Blast 2 is something of a mid-range option. It’s certainly not the cheapest Bluetooth speaker out there – the Anker Soundcore Boom 2, for instance – is often available for less than $100 / £100. But some similarly sized speakers can set you back significantly further. Take the JBL Boombox 3, for example, which commands a high list price of $499.95 / £373.

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: specs

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: features

  • Microphone ports
  • Generous 30 hour battery life
  • Customizable lights

There’s a lot to like when it comes to features on the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2. A lot of that comes down to the easy-to-use Tribit app, which opens the door to a bunch of options. For instance, there are a bunch of EQ presets: including XBass (which can be activated on the speaker) and genre specific options like Jazz or Rock. There’s also an X-3D preset for those seeking out more expansive, spatial audio. If you’d rather curate your own sound, you can save multiple personalized EQ calibrations and use a five-band equalizer to get your preferred tuning.

In addition, you can customize the lights on the Stormbox Blast 2 and set up three personalized looks. You can adjust which lights illuminate – including the side lights, light bars or middle light, which colors appear, brightness and whether they’ll flash to the rhythm of bass, treble or bass and treble. Alternatively, you can turn them off altogether if you’re hoping to save battery or want a more low-key listening sesh.

Speaking of battery, you get plenty here. You can expect as much as 30 hours of playtime if you listen at 50% volume with XBass and lights switched off. That will be more than enough to keep the party running into the early hours. In addition, this speaker can function as a power bank thanks to a USB-A output port. There’s a USB-C port for charging too, but it will take 12 hours to get to 100% using this, instead of the far superior 5 hours required when AC charging.

All of this is good and well, but there’s an elephant in the room here. Yes, that’s right, the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 can double up as a karaoke machine. You can connect two microphones up with the 6.35mm wired ports, or just go wireless if you really want to show off. You can adjust volume and add reverb with built-in controls too. It’s worth noting, however, that there were no microphones to be found in the box here – you’ll need to purchase them yourself, separately.

There’s even more on offer with the Stormbox Blast 2 – an AUX port for wired listening, nice and up-to-date Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity and voice prompt options. Really, there’s not much I can criticize here. Tribit has again opted to exclude voice assistant compatibility with this model, which would be a nice-to-have feature at the least. And maybe I’d prefer the USB out port to be upgraded to USB-C for speedier external charging. But otherwise I was delighted with what the Stormbox Blast 2 had to offer. No moaning session required.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

Ports and karaoke controls under rubber tab on the reverse side of the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: sound quality

  • Booming bass output
  • Decently clear mids and controlled highs
  • Not quite distortion-free at high volumes

As soon as I turned this giant of a speaker on, there was one thing that struck me instantaneously: gigantic bass, which hit with ground-shaking impact. Now, in part, that’s because the XBass feature – for enhanced low-end output – was on by default. I opted to switch this off to start with, however, so I could get a slightly more balanced sound out of the Stormbox Blast 2. And sure enough, I kept this speaker in the XBass Off EQ preset for the majority of testing, as it provided a huge helping of bass without overshadowing other sonic elements.

I started my testing by listening to Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon and the bass thump was extremely rhythmic and deep. However, vocals were still nicely defined in the mix and the looping guitar riff running throughout had a pleasing degree of subtlety. Similarly, when tuning into Disco Ulysses by Vulfpeck, I found the decay of snare hits to be agile and the tone of the choppy electric guitar to be accurate at mid-volumes. The commanding, groovy bassline was deliciously deep and high-pitched piano trills were separated nicely, making for a surprisingly nuanced, cohesive and straight up enjoyable listen.

Despite offering solid all-round audio, it really is about bass with this speaker. I could make out every deep, dark note in The Boys Are Back In Town by Yung Gravy – something that a lot of cheaper competitors won’t be able to accomplish. And with XBass on, the imposing boom of the track’s sub-bass was mesmerizing – still, I’d recommend using this feature sparingly as it’s very bass dominant.

More generally, you’ll struggle to find a similarly-sized competitor that can outdo the Stormbox Blast 2 in the bass department, but I tried putting it side-by-side with the Earfun UBoom X for comparison. I sifted through a ton of House tracks, such as Relentless by Grant Nelson, but the UBoom X was no match for the Stormbox Blast 2, which had more controlled, deep low-end output, as well as better overall balance. Specifically, percussion and intermittent vocals were slightly muffled with the UBoom X, with its domineering bass taking all of the limelight, whereas the Stormbox Blast 2 offered more adept separation, despite maintaining well-needed emphasis on the low-end.

You won’t experience perfect audio output with the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2, however. At high volumes, clarity can take a slight dip. For instance, I listened to I Want You by Moloko – which had intoxicatingly deep bass and breathy vocals when listening at low-medium volumes, but when I cranked things all the way up to 90-100%, the soundstage got a little bit bloated, with sounds in the mid-range and low-end getting slightly muddied. I didn’t experience tinny or abrasive audio, however, not to mention the fact that this speaker gets extremely loud, meaning you’ll rarely listen with volume turned up this high.

Given its not-so-budget price, some may also hope to find ‘hi-res’ audio codec here, such as LDAC for Android users. However, there’s no such thing available with the Stormbox Blast 2, which only supports SBC – not even AAC. Don’t let that put you off, though, as plenty of budget audio tech includes fancy codecs, but with little to show in terms of quality.

This Bluetooth speaker combines an 80W subwoofer with dual 45W mid-range drivers and 15W tweeters. That means you’ll be able to get a maximum power output of 200W here, that’s if you’re using it while connected to a power source – otherwise you’ll get 180W. Either way – it gets loud, really loud. So much so, that you almost certainly won’t need to double up for added volume – though pairing to a second model is handy for those seeking out stereo sound.

Ultimately, this is intended to be a party speaker and it serves that purpose incredibly well. You get ground-shaking, yet well-regimented bass and enough loudness to send your neighbors into a frenzy. And although you won’t get the most detailed listen in the world, especially at top volumes, that’s a pretty small sacrifice to make for the boom that will bless your eardrums.

  • Sound quality score: 4.5/5

'Tribit' written on the front of the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: design

  • Still chunky, but more curved this time around
  • Lights look classier too
  • IP67 rated

When we reviewed the original Tribit Stormbox Blast, design appeared to be its Achilles heel. Why? Well, our reviewer wasn’t a huge fan of the in-your-face LED lights or chunky build – fair enough. So, does the Stormbox Blast 2 make up for such shortcomings? Well, sort of.

The LED lights haven’t disappeared, but I’d argue that they look a bit classier this time around. The side bars go for a smoother look, rather than LED strips reminiscent of health bars. And generally, the lights illuminate this speaker’s drivers nicely while syncing up to audio output, making for a more immersive, exciting listening experience. If you still aren’t a massive fan, you can turn them off and save yourself some battery life – win-win, right?

As far as build goes, this is still a very hefty and, admittedly, fairly plasticky speaker. It’s not got the most gorgeous looks to its black casing and has a decently chunky handle once more, perhaps to be expected given its weight. However, this time around, you’re getting a smoother design overall. The speaker has a more curved look, making it far sleeker than its predecessor. The bass radiators still don’t go crazy, unlike those on the JBL Xtreme 4 for instance, but they do rumble when things get bassy.

So, you do get an upgrade in the looks department, but you also get a highly practical product. The Stormbox Blast 2 is a step-up on its IPX7 predecessor – this one’s IP67-rated, meaning it now has a high dustproof rating and can compete with some of the best waterproof speakers. That makes it a great candidate for beach-side listening, for instance, while its waterproofing also means it can withstand being submerged under a meter of water for up to 30 minutes – pretty cool, right?

And to top it all off, the Stormbox Blast 2 has some nifty controls and ports built-in. There are buttons for adjusting power/volume, pairing with another speaker and toggling XBass/Lights on and off. Behind a rubber panel, you can access the charging and microphone ports, as well as karaoke controls. This speaker really does have it all.

  • Design score: 4/5

Handle and button controls of the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2

(Image credit: Future)

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: value

  • More of a mid-range price tag
  • Significantly more pricey than the original Stormbox Blast
  • But for the audio quality and features on offer, it’s still worth it

I’ll get to the point, you can find plenty of rival speakers for considerably less than the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2. This is no budget option, carrying a list price of $299.99 / £257 (about AU$490). There are a ton of large options available for around $100 / £100, such as the aforementioned Earfun UBoom X and Anker Soundcore Boom 2.

But will they offer as much quality and versatility as the Stormbox Blast 2? No, not in my view. There’s the obvious – this speaker can double up as a karaoke machine if you want to belt out some of your favorite tunes. But there’s also the fact that this model delivers more regimented, powerful bass, cleaner all-round audio and a rock-solid build.

Those factors make it worth the extra cash in my view and if you can catch it for closer to $200 / £200 in a sale, you’re getting excellent value for one of the best party speakers around. It is worth noting, however, that its excellent predecessor can be found for around $150 / £150 – that’s an incredible deal well worth considering if you’re not all-in on karaoke and don’t need quite as much power output.

  • Value score: 4/5

Reverse side of the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2?

Buy it if...

You want to take your parties to the next level
If you’re looking for a big and bold party speaker, it’s not going to get much better than the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2. With phenomenal bass output and excellent battery life, you’ll keep everyone moving into the early hours, without needing to charge this speaker up.

You’re looking for a durable speaker that can brave the elements
The Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 has an IP67 rating, meaning it's well protected against water and dust. It’s also got a solid build and heavyweight feel that will make it hard to break down over the years.

Don't buy it if...

You want an incredibly detailed listen
The audio on offer from the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 is often impressive, but it’s not going to offer you the most elegantly balanced, nuanced sound on the market. If you’re willing to lose a bit of that low-end power, you’ll have plenty of high-grade options to choose from, including the Bose SoundLink Max – see ‘Also Consider’ for more on this.

Portability is the most important thing for you
Let’s not beat around the bush: this is one chunky lad. At 19.2lbs / 8.7kg, you should take the term ‘portable speaker’ with a pinch of salt. Seriously, this thing takes quite a bit of work if you’re taking it for a long walk. A whole host of competitors are considerably lighter – take the Anker Soundcore Boom 2, for instance, which is just 3.66 lbs / 1.67kg.

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: also consider

Earfun UBoom X
If you’re looking for a bass-heavy Bluetooth speaker but the Stormbox Blast 2 is a little bit out of budget, the Earfun UBoom X is a very solid alternative. Bass isn’t as controlled or imposing here, but it’s still very impactful. You also get excellent EQ options, a whopping 30 hour battery life and IP67-rated build. Not bad at all! Read our full Earfun UBoom X review.

Bose SoundLink Max
This robust Bluetooth speaker may cost a tad more than the Stormbox Blast 2, but you’ll still get plenty of bang for your buck. The Bose SoundLink Max plates up big and punchy yet deft audio, a beautiful design and Class D amplification. It’s not quite as big and booming as the Stormbox Blast 2, but if you want a more technical listen and subtle look, this may be more up your street. Read our full Bose SoundLink Max review.

Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 review: how I tested

  • Tested for one week
  • Mainly used in our music testing space at Future Labs
  • Predominantly tested using Tidal

I listened to the Tribit Stormbox Blast 2 for hours on end in our music testing space at Future Labs. During my time with the speaker, I played a ton of tunes from my own music library as well as tracks from the TechRadar testing playlist, which I use to assess performance across a variety of genres. When listening to music, I connected to the Stormbox Blast 2 with the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and mainly played songs via Tidal.

In addition, I listened to a podcast on Spotify and watched video content on YouTube in order to judge vocal clarity across different platforms. When appropriate, I used the Earfun UBoom X to compare audio quality, design elements and usability.

  • First reviewed: January 2025
  • Read more about how we test
KEF LSX II LT review: the best small hi-res wireless stereo speakers you can buy for
2:32 pm | January 27, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

KEF LSX II LT: one-minute review

The KEF LSX II LT is an attempt to democratise (a little) the sound and tech expertise that has put KEF has among the front-runners where the ‘entire hi-fi system in a pair of speakers’ category is concerned for almost a decade now.

The KEF LSX II LT is a streaming sound system contained in two compact, good-looking and beautifully finished loudspeakers. A system that’s capable of handling high-resolution digital audio information from any source you care to mention – including your TV. A system that sounds detailed and organized, dynamic and rhythmically adept. A system that digs deep into the frequency range and summons quite startling low-frequency presence while it offers clarity at the opposite end to rival any of the best wireless speakers.

It’s not perfect, of course – how could it be? Its dimensions dictate that it struggles to fill larger listening spaces with sound, which is understandable. It goes without any analog inputs, which means it may not be suitable for some people – its bigger brother, the LEF LSX II, has them (and see the Kanto Ren for a vinyl-friendly alternative, just without Wi-Fi). But as long as these shortcomings don’t impact on your specific use case, it’s hard to raise meaningful criticism here – this absolutely ranks among the best stereo speakers for wireless hi-res fans.

KEF LSX II LT review: Price and release date

The KEF LSX II LT speakers showing the name

(Image credit: Future)

The KEF LSX II LT wireless active speaker system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it sells for £899. It goes for $999 in the United States, while in Australia it’s yours for AU$1,699.

Thanks in no small part to KEF's efforts in the wireless stereo area, the LSX II LT is not without competition. DALI, Klipsch and Q Acoustics (to name just a few) have similarly specified alternatives with which to tempt you.

Probably most notably, for slightly less than the KEF, you can get the Kanto Ren or the larger floorstanding Q Acoustics M40 HD cost around the same as the tiny KEFs. So even though these are KEF's cheapest option, they're not super-cheap still.

KEF LSX II LT review: Features

The KEF LSX II LT speakers' connections

(Image credit: Future)
  • Uni-Q coaxial drivers
  • 200 watts of Class D power
  • Plenty of input options

Higher up its model ranges, KEF is now onto the 12th generation of its distinctive Uni-Q speaker driver arrangement. The LSX II LT, though, uses the same 11th generation unit as is fitted to the larger KEF LSX II. This means a 19mm aluminium dome tweeter is positioned in the center of a 115mm magnesium/aluminum mid/bass driver – this arrangement precisely positions the acoustic center of each unit in an effort to deliver optimum time-alignment. Each tweeter receives 30 watts of Class D power and each mid/bass driver 70 watts, delivering a claimed frequency response of 54Hz - 28kHz.

There’s a hierarchy of units in each pair of LSX II LT speakers, of course. The primary unit is home to dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC and AAC codec compatibility, as well as an Ethernet input, an HDMI ARC socket, digital optical and USB-C inputs as well as a pre-out for a subwoofer and a power connection. Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and UPnP devices are all available, and the KEF Connect control app can host Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz and internet radio too. A second USB-C slot, grouped with all the other socketry below the neat bass reflex port on the rear of the speaker, is for connecting this primary speaker to its partner – which gives you flexibility in terms of cable length.

Digital audio file compatibility is extensive, and the LSX II LT can deal with file resolutions of up to 24bit/384kHz via a network connection. The USB-C and digital optical inputs can handle 24bit/96kHz stuff, and the HDMI ARC tops out at 16bit/48kHz. Incoming audio information is pored over by KEF’s ‘music integrity engine’ signal processing algorithms before resampling to 24bit/96kHz resolution.

This is a pretty thorough line-up of features for a product of this type, it’s true - but I can’t help hankering after an analogue input or two. Apparently the best record players are all the rage again, and it might be nice to be able to incorporate one with a wired connection… they'll work with a Bluetooth turntable, though.

  • Features score: 4.5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Sound quality

The KEF LSX II LT speaker against a pink background showing the Uni-Q drivers

(Image credit: Future)
  • Deft, entertaining sound
  • Plenty of detail and frankly unlikely dynamism available
  • Lacking a little where sheer scale of sound is concerned

The KEF LSX II LT is hardly the only digital audio system that does its best work when given some nice big hi-res audio files to deal with; so as long as you have some appropriate content on network-attached storage or via one of the best music streaming services that offers meaty quality, the KEF will give you everything it’s got.

Which, in the final analysis, turns out to be plenty. A 24bit/96kHz FLAC file of Arooj Aftab’s Last Night streamed via TIDAL Connect is agile, entertaining and utterly convincing – tonality, from the top of the frequency range to the bottom, is nicely neutral and consistent, and the LSX II LT never understates or overcooks any aspect of it; the sweep from top to bottom is smooth and believable. Detail levels are high at every turn, and the KEF has plenty of relevant observations to make about the timbre and texture of instruments or voices at every turn.

Despite the speakers’ unpromising dimensions and the bog-standard amount of power available, the system manages quite impressive low-frequency punch and substance. Bass sounds hit respectably hard, dig impressively deep, and are never less than properly controlled where the leading edge of sounds is concerned – and so it never has any problems expressing rhythms or handling tempos.

The LSX II LT communicates unequivocally through the midrange, which means vocalists of all types have their character and disposition made obvious. And at the top of the frequency range, the speakers attack with crisp determination (although without ever threatening to get splashy or hard, even if you like to listen at the upper limits of the volume the KEF is capable of).

There’s a fair amount of dynamic headroom available too, so even when a recording (or a movie, if you’re using the HDMI ARC socket) shifts it up from ‘basically silent’ to ‘all-out attack’ the system is able to make the differences obvious. Lower-level dynamic harmonic variations get the same sort of attention, too, so there’s convincing expression of the fluctuations evident from note to note when listening to a solo instrument.

That the LSX II LT is short of outright scale can’t be denied, but it creates a fairly extensive soundstage and organizes it really well. There’s adequate room for even more complex recordings to be laid out coherently, and the system demonstrates positivity and confidence in this regard. There's more than enough space for each element of a recording to stretch out without being impacted on by any other element – but, at the same time, the LSX II LT presents recordings as a unified whole.

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Design

The KEF LSX II LT speaker against a pink background showing the bass port

(Image credit: Future)
  • Choice of unusual finishes
  • 240 x 155 x 180mm (HxWxD)
  • Mildly interesting cabinet shape

As with its more expensive wireless speaker systems, KEF has commissioned Michael Young to see if a bit of mild ‘designing’ might be in order – and he’s created a speaker cabinet with very few parallel lines. All by itself, this is enough for the LSX II LT to stand out among all its boxy rivals – the fact that the shape is acoustically optimized doesn’t do any harm either.

At a tidy 240 x 155 x 180mm (HxWxD) per speaker, the LSX II LT will sit happily on a shelf or desktop, as long as power is reasonably close by – or there are stands available if you prefer. The available finishes (sage green, stone white and graphite grey) only add to the decorative quotient.

  • Design score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Usability & setup

The KEF LSX II LT speakers' remote control

(Image credit: Future)
  • App or remote handset control
  • Primary speaker needs power connection
  • Speakers must be connected by a cable

Between the KEF Connect control app (free for iOS and Android) and the little remote control handset that comes as part of the system, getting what you want from the LSX II LT is easy. The app covers off all the obvious stuff, and more besides – you can finesse EQ settings, integrate your LSX II LT into a smart-home system, designate the primary speaker as the ‘left’ or ‘right’ channel (great flexibility in the placement), access your local media servers, set volume limits and plenty more.

The remote control, meanwhile, just takes care of the obvious ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’ ‘volume up/down/mute’, ‘power on/off’ and input selection stuff.

As far as ‘setup’ goes, there’s really nothing to it. The primary speaker requires mains power, and needs connecting to the secondary speaker using a length of USB-C /USB-C cable. After that, it’s simply a question of making physical connections to your source devices and integrating your favourite streaming service(s) into the app if the ‘Connect’ version isn’t already supported.

  • Usability score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Value

  • Superb sound for the price
  • Easy and flexible to set up
  • Small size and lack of analog may be limiting

There’s unarguable value on offer here, no two ways about it. As a combination of facilities and functionality, industrial design, usability and out-and-out sound quality, it’s hard to lay a glove on the KEF LSX II LT.

Unless you have analog sources you’d like to listen to, or you live in an aircraft hangar, it’s difficult to raise a meaningful objection to what your money buys you… these are premium speakers that can satisfy audiophiles, at a very fair price for that quality.

  • Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the KEF LSX II LT?

The KEF LSX II LT speaker against a pink background

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…

You want great sound with next-to-no effort
If you can’t get the LSX II LT up and running is next-to-no time, you’re not trying hard enough.

You admire good industrial design
It’s hard to make a product like this look distinctive, but between the coaxial drivers and the unusually shaped cabinet, the KEF gets closer than most.

You’re a ‘digital only’ sort of listener
Pretty much every source of digital audio content is catered for here, whether it’s connected wirelessly or physically.

Don't buy it if…

You have an analog source or two
The lack of analog inputs is the KEF system’s biggest shortcoming.

You want to fill a big space with sound
Look elsewhere. And be prepared to spend more money.

You have big bass concerns
The low frequencies available here are deep, detailed and very nicely controlled – but they’re not about to make your curtains flap. Again, you'd need something larger.

KEF LSX II LT review: Also consider

KEF LSX II
We've mentioned them already, but the bigger (and more expensive) sibling of the LT have the analogue connections that this one lacks, and a little more power for filling larger spaces.

Q Acoustics M40 HD
Now this is how you full a room. Active floorstanding speakers, for slightly less money than the KEF. However, there's no Wi-Fi (just Bluetooth), so they're not quite as smart as the KEF. Read our five-star Q Acoustics M40 HD review for more what makes them so good.

Kanto Ren
If you want something compact like the LSX II LT, but with analog connections, we love these. Again, there's no Wi-Fi – just Bluetooth for wireless – but they do an excellent job, and come in fetching finishes. Here's our five-star Kanto Ren review for the all the details.

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: a Bluetooth speaker that offers meaty bass but not-so-meaty battery life
1:35 pm | January 3, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Tags: | Comments: Off

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: two-minute review

The LG XBoom Go XG8T has a pretty tough task – standing out in a field with extremely strong competition from some of the biggest names in audio. That’s right, this large portable speaker finds itself pitted against some tough rivals from the likes of JBL, Bose and Ultimate Ears. So, how does it fare in its battle for supremacy?

Well, firstly, LG has looked to focus on this speaker's design – specifically its phenomenal durability. The LG XBoom Go XG8T is said to have "military grade" protection against the elements, having passed seven different durability tests. It also has an IP67 waterproof rating and high-quality build, protecting it against impact and underwater submersion.

As well as that, this has neat, customizable LED lights, an attractive wraparound speaker grille and conveniently adjustable handle/strap. It's looking good so far, right? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but outside of its looks and design, the LG XBoom Go XG8T really struggles to outdo some of its similarly-priced competitors that have made our list of the best Bluetooth speakers.

There are some standout reasons for that. First, battery life. This is the XG8T's fatal flaw. LG says you get up to 15 hours of playtime – but there’s a real emphasis on the ‘up to’. If you’re playing at 50% volume without EQ adjustment or LED lights, sure, that might be attainable. But with lighting on and the booming Sound Boost feature activated, you’re going to see that battery percentage fall way faster. 15 hours isn’t particularly impressive anyway, so given depletion happens much faster with core features like Sound Boost is a real shame.

Next, let’s talk sound – another area where the XG8T can’t quite usurp some of the best waterproof speakers around. Bass, thankfully can get pretty deep and hits with impact, especially with Sound Boost on. Generally, elements like vocals and percussive elements in the treble range are clear too, although you may sense a bit of harshness at top volumes. However, this isn’t going to offer a massively detailed listen and there are no fancy audio codecs – think LDAC – to play with, so you end up with solid, yet fairly unremarkable sound in the end.

There are a couple of other smaller issues that arise too: slightly outdated Bluetooth connectivity, lacking EQ presets and a hefty AC adapter stick out. When you combine all of that with a high list price of $379.99 / £400 (about AU$600) it’s hard to justify buying this portable speaker.

Having said that, there’s another factor to consider. Since it’s release, the XG8T has frequently been available on sale, sometimes even for around half price. This, of course, changes the game significantly. Is the battery life still a big issue? Sure. But the power and bass on offer here would certainly be a lot more impressive in this context. So, if you can grab it at a massively cut price, it could possibly be worth considering the XG8T.

But all in all, this speaker just misses the mark. It’s not by any means a bad option, with impressive low-end power, generally clear all-round audio and incredible durability. But unless you’re a massive LG fan specifically, you’re likely to be better served elsewhere. Some of 2024’s big hitters like the Bose SoundLink Flex and JBL Xtreme 4 are regularly on sale for well under the list price of the XG8T and they are some top alternatives – so why not read more about those in the ‘Also Consider’ section below…

Person holding the LG XBoom Go XG8T by its handle

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: price and release date

  • $379.99 / £400 (about AU$600)
  • Launched in March 2024

OK, so if you buy the LG XBoom Go XG8T at its list price, you’ll have to shell out a fair amount of cash. Its usual price is $379.99 / £400 / AU$600, pitting it against competitors like the JBL Xtreme 4 and Ultimate Ears Epicboom.

However, as you may expect for a speaker that launched early in 2024, you can regularly find the XG8T available at a cut-price. In fact, this model can be as low as half price. I've spotted it going for less than $200 / £200 with some online retailers. It’s also worth noting that this speaker is only available in Black.

Button controls on the LG XBoom Go XG8T

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: specs

LED lights on the side of the LG XBoom Go XG8T

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: features

  • LG XBoom app compatibility
  • Sub-par battery life
  • Outdated Bluetooth version

The LG XBoom Go XG8T has a pretty tidy set of features and it owes this, in part, to the LG XBoom companion app. Using this, you can access some fairly typical options: multi-point connectivity, Party Link for pairing multiple speakers and EQ adjustment, for instance.

And on the topic of EQ adjustment, this app offers a pretty mixed experience. One key positive is that there’s a fully customizable, six-band equalizer available through the app, so you get a decent amount of control over the sound you get here. But I was frustrated at the real lack of presets available here. You can use Sound Boost, which provides a boost to volume and low-end power, but this counts as a preset in itself. Other than that, there’s only Standard mode. I would’ve liked to have seen some gene-specific presets, for instance, to make it easy to get your preferred sound from the offset.

Another cornerstone feature is LED light customization. There are three main categories to switch between – Ambient, Nature and Party. Within these are three preset choices, such as ‘Passion of youth’, ‘Cheerful celebration’ and ‘Gorgeous night view’ in the Party category. However, you can also save a custom pick within each of the three groups – making for a user experience that’s not only highly customizable, but highly convenient. If only EQ settings were this fully-fledged!

One more nice touch here is Healing Therapy. This provides access to a set list of calming sounds, all of which have to be downloaded separately. A few examples include ‘A Still Summer Night with Insect Sounds’ or ‘The Sleepy Sounds of the Deep Sea’, which I really enjoyed listening to. You can also set a sleep timer with Healing Therapy, just in case you find that you’ve nodded off. I think it’s fair to say that this feature is a bit of a gimmick, but gimmicks can still be fun. I still liked it, anyway.

But alas, there are a couple of issues I have with the XG8T, feature-wise. First of all, it doesn’t have the most up-to-date Bluetooth version. This speaker harnesses Bluetooth 5.1, even though a handful of speakers are already using version 5.4 now. But that’s not a deal-breaker, in my view.

The killer issue here is battery life. LG says you get up to 15 hours, that is if you keep volume at 50% or lower and have EQ and lights off. Activate Sound Boost and crank up the volume and battery depletes way too quickly. I’d lost 20% in about an hour with an average of about 50-60% volume, intermittent Sound Boost use and LED lights turned on – that’s pretty poor for a modern Bluetooth speaker of this size. So, if you want to get the best out of the XG8T, expect sub-par battery life. In fact, it may not even last an entire event without dying unless you’re conservative with volume and lighting.

  • Features score: 3/5

Handle of the LG XBoom Go XG8T

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: sound quality

  • Impactful bass
  • Mighty volume levels
  • No ‘hi-res’ codecs for more detailed listening

In the audio department, the LG XBoom Go XG8T puts in a pretty solid performance, with the main attraction being… you guessed it, bass. Now, out of the box, you may feel low-frequency audio output is a touch underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, it’s by no means pathetic, but it could definitely do with a leg up. And that’s where Sound Boost mode comes in, an essential option for bass-heavy bangers or if you want to flood large or outdoor spaces with your favorite tunes.

When listening to Voyager by Daft Punk, I was impressed by the pumping deep bass on offer, which produced a ground-shaking, head-bopping performance ideal for a party setting. The funky guitar playing throughout the track didn’t sound distorted either, even at about 70% volume. Getting higher than this was quite the task though – not because it sounds terrible, but because this thing can get very loud, thanks to its 60W woofer. And that certainly improves its credentials as a capable outdoor speaker.

One complaint I had when listening to Voyager and a host of other tracks, such as Moloko’s I Want You, was that higher-pitched percussive elements didn’t have perfect clarity and sharpness. This was emphasised more at top volumes, where this could get a bit grating – something that wouldn’t typically bother me too much, but for the price you're paying here this level of critique is valid.

Another slightly disappointing aspect of this speaker is its lack of support for more ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth codecs, such as LDAC. And this was a contributor to some songs occasionally lacking, or underplaying details in tracks. For instance, when I listened to Didn’t Cha Know by Erykah Badu, smaller percussive and string elements were kept under wraps, making for a slightly constricted listen.

Sure, vocals sounded decently balanced and overall audio was clean, but in all honesty that’s to be expected at this price-point. If you want a more detailed, nuanced listen for the money, this speaker is not your best option. You can pair it with another Go XG8T speaker (in dual mode, or multiple speakers in multi mode) via LG's Wireless Party Link, however, if you’d at least like access to even bigger sound.

Ultimately, this speaker’s success hinges much more on its talents in the bass and loudness departments. This is designed more for outdoor or party use and it works very nicely for that. Just make sure you have Sound Boost on to really add some meat in the low-end. You get great volume levels too and although things can get a little edgy at the top of the speaker’s range, it will still be capable of filling a larger room or cutting through pesky background noise in an outdoor setting.

  • Sound quality score: 3.5/5

'XBoom' written on front of the LG XBoom Go XG8T

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: design

  • Military-grade durability
  • Decent looks with classy LED lights
  • Adjustable strap can work as handle

The LG XBoom Go XG8T has a pretty standard look about it – which is by no means a bad thing. It’s a large, black Bluetooth speaker with passive radiators on each side, lined by LED lights and a wraparound speaker grille. I found this to be an attractive looking speaker, with its build quality perhaps being indicative of a higher price point.

But this is more than a classy-looking speaker, it’s super practical too. First of all, one of the speaker’s main selling points is that it offers military-grade durability. LG says that the XG8T has passed seven tests against: dust, high temperatures, rain, salt fog, shock, vibration and water immersion. On top of that, it’s IP67 certified, so it can even survive being submerged under a meter of water for up to thirty minutes.

Another big win in terms of practicality is the inclusion of an adjustable strap. The attached strap is more of a handle at first, which is ideal for carrying this fairly hefty speaker over short distances. But let’s say you’re going for a beach trip and have to carry the XG8T over a bit more ground. Fear not! You can extend the attached strap to a considerable length, in order to sling it around your shoulder.

This speaker also has some useful button controls just below the handle. These are all well-sized and serve their purpose well. You have the obvious inclusions, play/pause, volume controls and power on/off. But there’s also a Bluetooth button to swiftly connect devices and a Sound Boost option to crank up volume and boost the low-end. On top of that, there’s a tab on the reverse side of the speaker to access the USB-A port or the charging slot.

And that leads onto the only design element that bothered me with the XG8T: charging it up. The included AC adapter gives off the vibe of an oversized laptop charger from about 15 years back – not a good look. This really juxtaposes the high practicality of every other aforementioned element – and as much as it’s no deal breaker, I would’ve preferred slightly more lightweight charging equipment for the XG8T.

  • Design score: 4/5

Tab on the reverse side of the LG XBoom Go XG8T undone to reveal ports

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: value

  • List price is high
  • But it's often available at a reduced price
  • Outdone by too many competitors

If we are judging the LG XBoom Go XG8T’s value on list price alone, things aren’t looking too good. You’d need fairly deep pockets to pick up this speaker without a discount – for reference its official price is $379.99 / £400 (about AU$600). And this speaker doesn’t do a ton to set itself apart at that price point.

Audio, although good, isn’t massively detailed or perfectly clear all the time. Combine that with a disappointing battery life and unimpressive EQ presets and its clear: this speaker isn’t worth its list price, especially when you consider the incredible quality of competitors in this price range, like the JBL Xtreme 4 or Bose SoundLink Max (more on those in ‘Also Consider’).

But luckily, there’s more to the story here. Since its release this speaker has been heavily discounted on a number of occasions – even for as little as half price in the UK and US. Even still, it's not free of competition. There are speakers like the Tribit Stormbox Blast, for instance that offer booming, talented audio for under $200 / £200.

Even if the XG8T is a solid speaker in its own right, it's hard to justify its list price. And even at a cut-price, I wouldn’t argue it's best-in-class either.

  • Value score: 2.5/5

Extended handle of the LG XBoom Go XG8T

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the LG XBoom Go XG8T?

Buy it if...

You want booming bass
I wouldn’t necessarily argue that the LG XBoom Go XG8T has the most impactful bass in the game, but it certainly offers a healthy serving of low-end power. If you’re hosting a house party or outdoor event, there’ll certainly be enough bass on offer to fill a larger space with big, booming audio.

You want ultimate protection against the elements
If durability and reliability are at the top of your priority list, this speaker is sure to serve you well. Not only does it have the IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating, but it offers military-grade protection against impact and harsh weather conditions.

Don't buy it if...

You want top-tier audio quality
If you want an elegantly balanced, beautifully detailed listen, you could do better than the LG XBoom Go XG8T. Audio quality is by no means bad here, but I didn’t get an amazing sense of nuance from this speaker, with the lack of ‘hi res’ audio codecs holding it back further.

You want a top value pick
If you’re paying the list price for this speaker, you’re not getting great value, unfortunately. Of course, it’s often available at a significantly cut price now, but there are so many fantastic, low-priced speakers out there, including the Tribit Stormbox Blast, for instance.

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: also consider

JBL Xtreme 4
For me, the JBL Xtreme 4 was one of 2024’s best Bluetooth speakers, bringing fantastic audio quality, high build quality and fantastic features to the table. When I initially reviewed it, my main issue came with its high list price, but you can regularly find it for far less now, making it a top-tier option for speakers in this size and weight class. Read our full JBL Xtreme 4 review.

Bose SoundLink Max
Another one of 2024’s big hitters was the Bose SoundLink Max – a speaker that offers punchy, agile and ultra-clean audio. It also has beautiful looks, an IP67 waterproof rating and a handy two-way USB-C socket, making it the perfect marriage of style with practicality. Read our full Bose SoundLink Max review.

LG XBoom Go XG8T review: how I tested

  • Tested for one week
  • Mainly used at our music testing space at Future Labs
  • Predominantly tested using Tidal on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

Passive radiator of the LG XBoom Go XG8T

(Image credit: Future)

I dedicated hours when listening to the LG XBoom Go XG8T and tried it out in a range of spaces. However, I did predominantly use it in our music testing room at Future Labs to assess audio quality in a quiet, controlled environment. I also conducted a battery test to validate LG’s claim about playtime.

When I listened to music, I mainly harnessed the power of Tidal via the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, from which I streamed tracks within our expertly curated TechRadar reference playlist. But that's not all – I also tapped into tunes from my personal music library as well as podcast episodes. Finally, I used the similarly-sized JBL Xtreme 4 as a point of comparison across areas like sound quality, features and battery life.

  • First reviewed: January 2025
  • Read more about how we test
LG XBoom Go XG2T review: a hardy yet small Bluetooth speaker primed for all environments
4:00 pm | December 28, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: two-minute review

The LG XBoom Go XG2T is an ultra-durable mini Bluetooth speaker that’s ideal for taking out on the go. This mini waterproof speaker offers military-grade protection against the elements – pretty hardcore. But how does it sound? Let’s find out…

With a lot of small speakers, audio quality can be middling at best. But the LG XBoom Go XG2T puts out a pretty solid sonic performance. Is it the most talented-sounding speaker on the market? No. But it offers commendable all-round clarity and impressive volume levels, especially with the Sound Boost EQ option enabled.

You may expect a big, bass-heavy sound from the LG XBoom Go XG2T – I mean, it's literally in the name – but you won't actually find booming bass here. Bass is adequately punchy, but it’s not the most controlled or deep sounding. Again, that’s pretty common with these mini speakers, but still, it may be a little underwhelming for those expecting a hard-hitting low-end output. If big bass is what you’re after, check out our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers for a punchier alternative.

Of course, sound is always number one, but it's not everything. Thankfully, this speaker is extremely strong on the design front. It has a unique build, which includes a lace for attaching the speaker to a bag and four feet on its reverse side so the speaker can play upfiring audio. It’s also passed a series of tests that render it military-grade protected, not to mention an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating, which makes it fit for any outdoor space, even the beach or pool.

Another nice inclusion is companion app compatibility, which enables EQ adjustment and Healing Therapy, which lets you listen to calming sounds – don’t worry, there’s a sleep timer included if you start to feel a bit drowsy while listening. One slight hiccup features-wise is battery life. The 10 hours maximum may sound good, but with Sound Boost on – which gives a serious leg-up to the speaker’s power – and volume above 50%, the battery will deplete considerably quicker.

Overall, this is a good small-sized speaker. Sure, you may have to charge it up semi-regularly, and sound quality isn’t top-tier, but you get generally clear audio, incredible durability, and an attractive design. Price-wise, this is great value if you can grab it on sale – but its list price of $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$89 may be slightly high against some competitors.

So, is the LG XBoom Go XG2T a speaker worth considering? Absolutely – that is if you want a travel-friendly small speaker that can slip into a bag for excursions. The biggest problem with the XG2T has more to do with the quality of its competitors. Options like the JBL Clip 5 and Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 are absolutely fantastic small speakers, with awesome audio and equally mighty waterproofing. If you’re all in on the XG2T’s design I’d say it’s worth buying on sale, otherwise, the aforementioned alternatives may just edge it out. More on those in the ‘Also Consider’ section.

Speaker grille of LG XBoom Go XG2T with power and play/pause buttons

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: price and release date

  • $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$89
  • Launched in March 2024

The LG XBoom Go XG2T was released back in March 2024 with a fairly moderate list price of $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$89. However, if you’re in the US or UK you shouldn’t expect to pay anywhere near as much as that for it now. I’ve already spotted this lil’ fella available for less than $35 / £40.

That price is very much in line with some top-tier small portable speakers, such as the JBL Clip 5, which I’ve seen go on sale for less than $50 / £40 in recent months. Sometimes, this speaker can be found in a 2-pack at retailers such as Costco, which may be an even more cost-efficient option for those seeking louder, more room-filling sound.

Volume wheel on the side of the LG XBoom Go XG2T

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: specs

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: features

  • Nifty companion app
  • Pairing, multi-point and all essential options are here
  • Average at best battery life

As is often the case with LG, you get a very solid companion app to assist you in your experience with the XG2T. It’s equipped with all the crucial tools you’d want from a modern Bluetooth speaker, including multi-point for connecting two devices at once and Party Link for connecting multiple speakers at once.

Another inclusion you’d expect to see is EQ settings, which are also here. Unfortunately, I found them to be a bit mixed, quality-wise. I did like the inclusion of a six-band equalizer, which offers a bit more customization than the slightly larger Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2, for instance. But other than that things are a bit thin. The only other presets are Standard or Sound Boost. I wish there were a few more presets for particular moods or music genres, as you see with a lot of Sony’s speakers, for example.

But allow me to loop back to Sound Boost. This is a feature you can activate on the speaker itself or via the LG XBoom app. Essentially, it amplifies volume output and provides a bit more of a kick, especially in the low-frequency range. I’ll go into more detail about sound later, but for such a small speaker, the added power is very much a welcome addition.

On top of all the classic inclusions, the XG2T has some fun stuff to play around with. Healing Therapy plays from a set list of calming sounds, such as ‘A Still Summer Night with Insect Sounds’ or ‘The Sleepy Sounds of the Deep Sea,’ which did entice me, I can’t lie. You can set a sleep timer alongside these, just in case you drift off before an important meeting. Is this gimmicky? Sure, a little bit. Did I like it anyway? Yes, I did.

But let’s finish by tackling one of the key areas for any speaker – battery life. This speaker won’t be able to survive too long, although that’s pretty common for models of this size. LG says you get a maximum of 10 hours of playtime, which is pretty average. But here’s the thing – that’s only if you’re playing at 50% or lower with Sound Boost or EQ settings off. Fine-tune your audio and crank the volume up and you can expect the battery to drain much faster, meaning you’ll definitely want a full charge before taking it out and about.

  • Features score: 3.5/5

Sound boost and Bluetooth buttons on the reverse side of the LG XBoom Go XG2T

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: sound quality

  • Clear overall audio
  • Bass isn’t booming
  • Can get impressively loud, but you’ll compromise on quality

With a lot of these small-sized portable speakers, you get pretty disappointing quality in exchange for a highly compact build. Is that the case with the LG XBoom Go XG2T? Not exactly, but you’ll certainly have to make some sacrifices.

First, I thought the overall audio quality was solid, with decent mids audible from the offset. For instance, I tried Nothing Can Come Between Us by Sade and found that vocals were clear in the overall mix at around 50-60% volume and didn’t get distorted or drowned out by other mid-range or low-frequency sounds. If anything, I thought that bass was lacking. There was, thankfully, a part-solution here – Sound Boost mode. This amps up the volume and adds a bit more meat in the low end, which was very much needed. With this mode on, the bass was okay for a small-sized speaker, but still not exactly “booming” as LG has advertised.

I compared the XG2T to the JBL Clip 5 and found the latter offers meatier and clearer bass output. For instance, the drum machine in Black Eye by Allie X was replicated with more depth and impact with the Clip 5, even when utilizing Sound Boost mode on the XG2T. What the XG2T did offer, however, was a bit more clarity in the mids – vocals sounded clean and overall output was nicely balanced, especially with the speaker placed on its feet.

However, the vocals sounded a touch harsh when the speaker was hung up and angled toward me, and that wasn’t the only time I felt the audio quality suffered. When I cranked up the volume to the 80%-100% mark, songs got swamped by an almost underwater effect, marked by muddied, tinny audio output. Don’t get me wrong, this mini speaker can certainly get loud for its size, but it won’t sound great at the top of its range.

Having said that, I do want to give the XG2T its flowers. It may not sound the best at top volumes or certain angles, but this is pretty standard for a small-sized speaker. And when I compared it to the Sony SRS-XB100, the XG2T outperformed it by a significant margin. For example, I tuned into Everyday by Jamiroquai on the XG2T and found that strings were well-balanced in the mix and hi-hats sounded sharp and responsive. When I listened to it on the XB-100, bass levels were stronger, but the low end wasn’t too clear, making for a bloated, messy overall sound.

So, you do get fairly nuanced, clear sound from the XG2T compared to some small-sized competitors, but you still can’t expect amazing audio. Bass is pretty underwhelming, even when using Sound Boost and detail is lacking – especially at top volumes.

  • Sound quality score: 3.5/5

Side profile of the LG XBoom Go XG2T

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: design

  • Unique, rugged-looking speaker
  • ‘Military-grade’ protection against the elements
  • Lace can be used to hang or attach it

Something that's sure to instantly grab people’s attention is the XG2T’s unique-looking design. It comes in a diminutive, curved, square-shaped shell, with a lace attached to the side. This lace can be adjusted and attached to anything from a bag to a hook – you could even sling it on a tree branch when out in the woods. A lace isn’t something I’ve seen from a whole lot of speakers before, so LG scores well for originality.

The speaker's outer casing is pretty hardy, after all, LG claims that the XG2T meets US military standards. To back up this claim, the speaker passed seven durability tests against: dust, high temperatures, rain, salt fog, shock, vibration, and water immersion. It'll be unsurprising, then, that this speaker holds the IP67 dust and waterproof rating, meaning it's well equipped for any outdoor space, even the sea or a swimming pool. That's a staple design feature of any speaker that wants to make it into our list of the best waterproof speakers.

Another unorthodox design choice is a volume wheel on the side of the speaker, as opposed to buttons or similar. I found this to be pretty cool-looking and responsive too. Notably, there’s a power button and a play/pause button on the front of the speaker. Practicalities aside, I also found the black and red color combination to be very appealing – the relatively low-key color coding suiting the speaker’s ruggedness to a tee.

One small criticism, though. I would have loved it if the speaker could stand upright without my hand supporting it. It can sit on four feet for upfiring sound, but this isn’t always ideal. The option to have forward-firing audio would be the icing on the cake here, but I’m fully satisfied with the design otherwise.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Bluetooth button on the reverse side of the LG XBoom Go XG2T

(Image credit: Future)

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: value

  • Great price when on sale
  • Solid sound for the money you pay
  • Not worth it at full price, in my view

Is the LG XBoom Go XG2T worth your cash when it’s at full price? Perhaps not. That’s not to say it’s way overpriced, but there are far too many small-sized options with lower price tags out there.

Consider the discounted cost it’s regularly available for and the picture totally changes, though. If you can nab this for less than $40 / £40 / AU$70, I think it's a decent option. Audio is by no means perfect, but for a tiny Bluetooth speaker like this, it’s more than passable. You also get an ultra-durable, attractive design and a nice assortment of features to play around with.

So, again, if you can grab the XG2T on sale – which shouldn’t be a rare occurrence at this stage – then it is a very strong value option.

  • Value score: 4/5

LG logo on the reverse side of the LG XBoom Go XG2T

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the LG XBoom Go XG2T?

Buy it if...

You want an audio travel companion
This is an ultra-portable speaker that you can easily attach to, or carry inside, a small bag for your travels. It's also IP67-rated, meaning it's perfectly suited to any outdoor environment.

You’re searching for an attractive, unique-looking speaker
There aren’t many speakers that look like the LG XBoom Go XG2T. With its practical lace, rounded square shape, and red/black colorway, it has an aesthetic that neatly fits its rugged build.

Don't buy it if...

You’re looking for premium audio
A lot of mini speakers struggle to offer impressive audio, and although the XG2T puts up a valiant effort, it's not exactly premium-sounding. If you’re an audiophile, it could be worth considering a slightly larger, yet still portable option, like the Sonos Roam 2, for instance.

You need long battery life
A 10-hour battery may seem like a decent amount, but if you’re listening at higher volumes or have Sound Boost active, you’ll get less playtime than that out of the XG2T. If battery life is a top priority, it's worth considering other options, such as the two alternatives below.

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: also consider

JBL Clip 5
The JBL Clip 5 is a super-impressive small speaker with punchy bass, solid volume levels, and a convenient carabiner-like design. It even has Auracast Bluetooth tech and an IP67 rating – not bad at all. In my view, it’s still the best-in-class for speakers of this size and it's regularly available at a cut price, so it’s a top-tier option. Read our full JBL Clip 5 review.

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2
Another excellent small speaker is the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2. It offers strong sound quality, a fantastically compact build, and even the ability to charge external devices. It's also very well-priced and regularly available at a discount, so it’s a top-tier value pick in my book. Read our full Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 review.

LG XBoom Go XG2T review: how I tested

  • Tested for one week
  • Predominantly used in music testing space at Future Labs
  • Mainly listened with Tidal on Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

I spent hours listening to music on the LG XBoom Go XG2T. I tried the speaker in a few environments but mainly used it in our music testing room at Future Labs to best judge the audio quality and assess the accuracy of battery life claims.

When listening to tunes, I predominantly tapped into Tidal on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, where I streamed tracks from our carefully curated TechRadar reference playlist, as well as my personal library. I also used a range of small-sized speakers for comparison, including the Sony SRS-XB100 and JBL Clip 4.

  • First reviewed: December 2024
  • Read more about how we test
Bluesound Pulse M review: a wireless speaker that fails to justify its substantial price tag, sonically speaking
1:30 pm | December 22, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

Bluesound Pulse M: two-minute review

The Bluesound Pulse M is a mid-market multi-room speaker that promises wide, immersive sound. It's compatible with both lossless streaming and hi-res audio over a wired connection, and is clearly aimed at audiophiles who are looking for a compact yet versatile speaker. On top of this, its angled tweeters are billed as providing a broader stereo effect than many single-unit setups are capable of.

The Bluesound Pulse M’s audio is impressively detailed, as you’d expect from a speaker capable of lossless streaming. I was impressed by how Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon managed to sound both warm and crisp, with his voice rising above the mix and that tight, noodly guitarwork cutting right through. And its stereo effect is genuinely impressive – while you won’t hear two distinct channels for left and right per se, there’s still a separation to its sound that feels broader than a single speaker should be able to deliver.

Unfortunately, this is somewhat undermined by how unbalanced the audio can be. Like a lot of speakers in recent years, the Pulse M bets big on bass, which would normally be a pretty safe bet for a fan of sub like myself. However, in the process it neglects other frequencies, with mids in particular suffering compared to many of the best wireless speakers. With its sub and kicks, a slice of warm tech like Burst by Kiasmos should really shine on a bassier speaker, but instead that dusty arpeggiated synth and lush strings came off as slightly foggy here.

It is possible to rectify this using some of the speaker’s sound profiles. Personally, I found Front Row, Bluesound’s enhanced profile, to be a bit of a damp squib – it absolutely has an impact on the sound, giving it a bit more urgency, but that comes at the expense of a compressed feeling overall. Instead, I found using the BluOS app’s settings to boost treble and duck the bass achieved better results – although I did find myself wishing it had proper EQ settings to give me even more direct control over the sound.

When it comes to setting up and controlling the Pulse M, Bluesound’s BluOS app is easy enough to use, although it has some odd issues here and there. When setting up the speaker, multiple steps would fail, only to immediately succeed when I retried. And these glitches extend to its Alexa voice control skill as well. I found I was able to pause, play and skip music, but every time I asked my Echo Dot to select a specific track the Pulse M remained obstinately silent – so if voice control is your thing, you might be better off with one of the best smart speakers instead.

Design is probably the area where the Pulse M shines most. It’s well built, feeling sturdy without being overly heavy or bulky, while its white matte finish feels suitably premium to the touch. A built-in proximity sensor only lights up the buttons when you wave your hand near, which feels appropriately sci-fi. However, I’d personally prefer the touch-sensitive buttons to have some haptic feedback; offering that immediate feedback when pressed would make it much more obvious when the speaker has registered your input.

All in all, the Bluesound Pulse M is a quality mid-range speaker that's able to produce detailed, hi-res audio. Ultimately though, it lacks the nuance I’d expect from a speaker that costs $399 / £399 – powerful bass shouldn’t come at the expense of lush, expressive mids. Coupled with the fact that similarly priced speakers offer more – the JBL Authentics 200 offers fuller, more rounded sound for $349.95 / £299, while the spatial-audio-equipped Sonos Era 300 costs just $449 / £449 / AU$749 – this makes the Pulse M harder to recommend.

Bluesound Pulse M review: specs

Bluesound Pulse M review: price and availability

  • Released October 26, 2022
  • Costs $399 / £399 / AU$899

Launched on October 26, 2022, the Bluesound Pulse M is available to buy now. It retails for $399 / £399 / around AU$899, which puts it firmly in mid-market territory – it costs a fair way north of the Sonos Era 100 at $249 / £249 / AU$399 but doesn’t quite cost as much as its premium cousin the Sonos Era 300 at $449 / £449 / AU$749.

In return for your spend, you’ll get a compact speaker with 80W of combined amplification, a single woofer and two angled tweeters. There’s not a huge variety in terms of options. It comes in just two colorways – black or white – but that’s pretty common with more premium speakers.

The rear of the Bluesound Pulse M showing its power and Ethernet ports, as well as analog and digital optical inputs.

(Image credit: Future)

Bluesound Pulse M review: features

  • Great range of connectivity options
  • Occasional app gremlins
  • Limited EQ options

The Bluesound Pulse M rocks a decent number of features for a wireless, multi-room speaker, without necessarily ripping up the rulebook. It offers a combined 80W total amplification power, with 50W going to its upfiring 5.25-inch woofer and 15W to each of its 0.75-inch tweeters. The latter two are offset at 45 degrees from each other to give what Bluesound describes as an ‘immersive’ soundstage. Combined with an inbuilt acoustic reflector, this helps to radiate higher-frequency sounds in a 360-degree pattern, reducing the impression that the sound all emerges from a single point in space.

Getting started with the Pulse M is relatively straightforward. Once you’ve downloaded the BluOS app you just need to connect your mobile device to the speaker’s hotspot so it can piggyback on it to join your local Wi-Fi network. This process is pretty simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely smooth sailing – at multiple points I would find the connection process would time out, only to connect instantly when I retried. This did add a bit of friction to the process, particularly given that the Pulse M seemed to need setting up afresh every time it was unplugged.

Once the BluOS app is connected, it enables you to connect to the speaker via Bluetooth or AirPlay 2, as well as connecting specific apps like Spotify, Tidal and Amazon Music directly to the Pulse M. The app also allows you to pair it with other Bluesound speakers to form a multi-room setup, or pair two Pulse Ms with the Pulse Soundbar+ or PowerNode to create an effective surround sound setup for your home cinema.

The BluOS app is also where you’ll find options to tweak the Pulse M’s sound profiles. On top of its default profile, it also offers Front Row, a setting that, according to Bluesound, enhances "richness in the lower frequencies (<60Hz)" and "openness and expansiveness in the higher frequencies (>5kHz)". It also offers access to the Tone Control settings, although these are unfortunately pretty limited: plenty of budget price Bluetooth speakers like the Tribit Xsound Plus 2 offer full nine-band EQ, whereas this speaker only allows you to boost or reduce treble or bass by 6dB either way. The BluOS app also offers ‘Replay-gain’, essentially an auto-gain adjustment that tweaks different tracks or albums to make sure they play back at similar volumes. I can’t say this is a problem I have very often these days, given that many streaming services standardize recordings to be at the same volume, but it’s nice to have I guess.

Naturally, the BluOS app isn’t the only way to control the Pulse M. If you want to control it as part of your smart home network, you can connect it to an Amazon Echo speaker using the BluOS Voice Control skill in the Alexa app. Unfortunately though, the skill seems to have a few holes here and there. Try as I might, I couldn’t get Alexa to select specific songs and artists – it would happily chirp that music was playing through my named speaker and then nothing would start. When I manually selected music though, Alexa was at least able to pause and play, as well as adjust the volume and skip backwards and forwards. So it’s a mixed bag: you’ll still have to reach for your phone a fair amount.

Should you prefer using your own digits to digital controls, the Bluesound Pulse M has a range of touch-sensitive controls on top of the speaker itself. These are invisible most of the time, but wave a hand over them and they’ll light up – you can then tap them to play and pause, skip forwards and backwards, set the volume, and pick one of five audio presets you’ve assigned in the app.

  • Features score: 3.5

The Bluesound Pulse M in profile

(Image credit: Future)

Bluesound Pulse M review: sound quality

  • Over-liberal with its bass
  • Front Row audio profile lacks finesse
  • Genuinely impressive breadth to its soundstage

When you actually fire up the Bluesound Pulse M, the first thing you’ll likely notice is its bass. In fact, that’s probably the only thing you’ll notice. When listening to Black Eye by Allie X, I was immediately impressed with how punchy the kick sounded and how warm the low subby end of the bass sounded – but the mids sounded set quite far back in comparison. I tried switching things up to Rosewood by Bonobo, a track that very much shines on a warmer speaker and, once again, it felt like the bass overshadowed the rest of the mix, which is pretty disappointing.

Comparing it to the Sonos Era 100, it became much easier for me to diagnose the problem. In our original Sonos Era 100 review, we criticised it for its over-emphasis on bass and yet it comes across as far better integrated and more coherent. In contrast, the Pulse M pulls way too many punches when it comes to its mids. Weighing up the two while listening to Young Blood by The Naked & Famous, there’s a real slam and thud to the bass kicks and snares to the Pulse M but, like the weightlifter who overlooks their core to focus on their arms and legs, all this flexing only serves to draw more attention to its soggy middle in comparison to its trimmer rival.

That’s not to say it completely lacks all precision. In sparser mixes, things feel like they have much more room for expression. Listening to the sparser ballad-y composition of Rains again by Solji, I was impressed with how polished and detailed her voice sounds, while the drum beats and piano are granted plenty of room to breathe – when the bass isn’t hogging all the limelight, other elements are given their chance to shine.

Given the default sound is a bit of a mixed bag, you might expect Front Row, BluOS’s inbuilt frequency tweaking, to step in and save the day. In practice, it’s a bit of a blunt tool, akin to using a pocket knife for micro-surgery. Some tracks definitely shine more with it on – originally White Dress by Lana Del Rey sounded a bit demure and lacklustre to me but Front Row boosted the breathy edge to her voice and made that light cymbal work a bit more crisp. Conversely, it brought the beat and vocals in Baby It’s You by London Grammar forward a lot but at the expense of making things sound a bit too compressed.

In my personal experience, you’ll get better results getting your hands dirty and tweaking the Tone Control settings according to your own tastes. Upping the treble by 6dB on London Grammar’s track gave its hats and Hannah Reid’s honeyed vocal that little more immediacy, while dropping the bass just a fraction by 6dB tamed the Pulse M’s worst impulses. Ultimately, this setting felt much more balanced for me and I ended up using it as standard pretty much from there on out.

One place I will commend the Pulse M however is for its soundstage. Thanks to those angled, stereo tweeters, this speaker offers a much wider sound than the narrow point of origin that many single speakers are capable of. Playing Manchild by Eels, there was genuinely an impressive sense of separation between the vocal and the guitar in the left and right channels, especially the further back I was sat in the room. While I’m not convinced I would describe this as true stereo, as Bluesound has, there’s no doubt it feels immersive and broad – although it’s not quite as impressive as the Dolby Atmos a speaker like the Sonos Era 300 offers.

  • Sound score: 3.5/5

The top of the Bluesound Pulse M with its touch-sensitive buttons lit.

(Image credit: Future)

Bluesound Pulse M review: design

  • Gorgeous, refined design
  • Solidly built but not bulky
  • Controls could offer more feedback

For the most part, I’m a big fan of the Bluesound Pulse M’s design. The brand has nailed the nexus of minimal and premium that’s absolutely appropriate with a speaker at this price point.

Essentially a cylindrical oval shape, it gives off slight Sonos Move 2 vibes, while still being distinct enough to feel like its own beast. It comes in both black or white colorways; for me the latter has the definite edge here, feeling much cleaner and more futuristic. Its plastic body has a pleasing matte finish, while the fabric-covered grille has a curved bottom edge giving the whole thing a nice aesthetic balance. When it comes to the pure look of the device, I – unusually – have nothing negative to say.

Again, in build quality, the Pulse M occupies a Goldilocks zone of both solid without being overly bulky. The absence of a battery helps here, of course: moving it from room to room requires considerably less exertion than something like the Move 2. While it’s close in size to the Sonos Era 300, it's significantly lighter, weighing in at 2.54kg compared to the Era 300’s 4.47kg. While you’re not likely to be repositioning it very often, it’ll definitely be less cumbersome when you do.

One slight niggle centers around the touch-sensitive controls on top of the device. Given they aren’t physical buttons, I’d personally have preferred it if they’d included some haptic, or at least aural, feedback to confirm a successful finger press – I wasn’t always clear when it had actually registered a finger-press on the volume bar, meaning I’d often stab at it several times to be sure. But more of an issue for me is the lack of labelling: minimal buttons sure look cool until you’re trying to work out what half of them do, at which point you start to appreciate why almost all speakers follow certain conventions, like pluses and minus for volume or numbers for presets.

All things considered though, this feels more like splitting gossamer than splitting hairs – the overall style and build of the Bluesound Pulse M is aesthetically pleasing, and creates a decent impact in any room it’s situated in.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

A closeup of the rear of the Bluesound Pulse M showing its power and Ethernet ports, as well as analog and digital optical inputs.

(Image credit: Future)

Bluesound Pulse M review: value

  • Looks and build match its premium price
  • Sound can’t compete with similarly priced speakers
  • You’ll likely get better value for your spend elsewhere

Weighing up how the Bluesound Pulse M compares in terms of value is a tough undertaking. On the one hand, it looks stunning, works as part of a multi-room setup and can stream true lossless audio. On the other, its bass out-of-the-box is seriously overblown, its app can be periodically frustrating and it’s a bit lacking when it comes to audio optimisation features.

Those kinds of compromises would mostly be fine if the Pulse M was cheaper or the competition wasn’t so good at this price range. But this is not an affordable wireless speaker: at an MSRP of $399 / £399 / around AUS899, it’s reasonable for you to expect more than you’re getting here. For that kind of money, I want a speaker to sound great right out of the box, ideally with algorithms that optimise the sound depending on the surroundings. And the Pulse M just cannot clear that bar, which feels like a missed opportunity.

So while this is a very capable speaker in a lot of ways, it’s still not enough to quite justify the high price tag: there are simply too many speakers out there that will give you better sound for your spend. For example, the JBL Authentics 200 is available for $349.95 / £299 / AU$299 and offers both the full bass and crisp treble of the Bluesound, while providing full, convincing mids. Alternatively, the Sonos Era 300 doesn’t retail for much more, at $449 / £449 / AU$749, and it rocks both full sound as well as that awesome spatial audio effect.

  • Value score: 3/5

A closeup of the top of the Bluesound Pulse M with its touch-sensitive buttons lit.

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Bluesound Pulse M?

Buy it if...

You want wide, immersive sound
The Bluesound Pulse M can definitely fill a room. Its soundstage is much wider than many single speakers are capable of and its ersatz stereo effect is strong enough to give decent separation between various elements in the stereo field.

You want a speaker that looks the part
Looking suitably futuristic, with its matt white finish and buttons that only light up when you wave your hand near, the Pulse M will definitely make an attractive centerpiece in any living room.

Don’t buy it if...

You want unimpeachable sound balance
The Pulse M is far from a neutral listen and even unreformed bass addicts might find its subby brew a little too intense. It’s definitely salvageable with some tweaking but should you have to ‘salvage’ the sound from a $399 / £399 speaker?

You want the best value for your money
In many ways, the Pulse M is a quality product but it has an awful lot of competition at this price point. With multiple wireless speakers offering more features and more nuanced sound for not much more cash, it is worth asking whether another product might give you more banging tunes for your buck.

Bluesound Pulse M review: also consider

Sonos Era 300
Coming in at a little more than the Bluesound Pulse M, the Era 300 costs $449 / £449 / AU$749. But in return it offers so much more: on top of the stereo effect you get from Bluesound’s speaker, you also get a sensation of height with its true Dolby Atmos sound. On top of this, its sound is detailed and rich, although it does pull some punches when it comes to bass. Check out our full Sonos Era 300 review.

JBL Authentics 200
If you’d like to go in the other direction and save a bit of cash, the $349.95 / £299 /AU$299 JBL Authentics 200 is a quality multi-room wireless speaker that sounds great right out of the box. It offers well-rounded bass, rich mids and crisp, discerning treble and, while it doesn’t offer as wide a soundstage, it does offer great features like automatic room calibration. Read our full JBL Authentics 200 review.

Bluesound Pulse M review: how I tested

  • Tested for two weeks
  • Used in a range of rooms and settings
  • Played a wide range of music over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and wired connections

I spent many hours testing the Bluesound Pulse M over the course of several weeks. Not only did I try it out in multiple different sized spaces, I also compared it to the Sonos Era 100 and hooked it up to a variety of devices, including my iPhone 16 Pro over AirPlay 2 and the Fiio M11S hi-res music player via analog stereo 3.5mm input.

In terms of music, I used our curated TechRadar testing playlist, as well as a wide array of tracks from my personal library. This allowed me to try out how the speaker handled everything from deep pulsing bass to delicate vocals. I also used a variety of different quality sources, whether that was Spotify’s standard tier, Apple’s lossless tier or Tidal’s hi-res tier.

I’ve been testing audio kit like headphones and speakers for many years now. I’ve also spent decades making music in my free time, which has given me a lot of insight into analyzing the frequencies of music, composition and soundstage.

  • First reviewed: December 2024
  • Read more about how we test
Kanto Ren review: a powered speaker system that’s as smart-looking as it is smart-sounding
6:14 pm | December 17, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Speakers | Tags: | Comments: Off

Kanto Ren: Two-minute review

The Kanto Ren powered speaker system is, basically, ace. Designed with multi-functionality in mind, Ren is a broad-strokes stereo hi-fi that can speak to most anything you’d want it to. With HDMI ARC, optical, USB-C, RCA and 3.5mm aux inputs, and with strong Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity besides, this is the does-everything bookshelf hi-fi system that most people spend a long time putting together piece by piece – and it sounds brilliant, as well.

These active speakers are relatively low-profile against similarly-powered hi-fi and AV systems, but pack a punch with their 100W RMS of auditory juice. There’s nothing lacking frequency-wise, with a rich and compelling responsiveness across the spectrum. This, coupled with its incredible dynamic response, makes it a supple system for TV and video games, as well as an impressive and convenient music delivery system.

In short, these are plug-and-play stereo speakers with quality internals and unbeatable I/O, and at quite a competitive price for its unique placement in the audio-tech market. The Kanto Ren should appeal to quite a few different people, whether you’re after a new bookshelf hi-fi, an alternative to a TV soundbar or a no-fuss all-in-one sound system. Some of the best stereo speakers we've tested in a while then? Why, yes.

Kanto Ren speakers on a pine table

(Image credit: Future)

Kanto Ren review: Price & release date

  • $599 / £599 / €719 (around AU$1,199)
  • Launched on December 2nd

Most powered speakers of this ilk exist in the studio monitor space, as reference speakers for audio engineers and music producers – a few popular examples being Yamaha’s HS-series speakers and Adam Audio’s T5Vs (amongst a great many others we haven’t the time to profile here). These, though, are designed as practical utilities, and with music production specifically in mind – meaning fewer consumer-friendly inputs, and a frequency response curve that aims to be as flat and neutral as possible.

The Rens take the operating principles of these integrated desktop/studio solutions and brings them to the world of hi-fi, making for a genius marriage of smart audio-tech design and consumer need. In a market where customers are willing to spend upwards of four figures on a soundbar, this powerful and portable pair of highly-connectible modern bookshelf speakers is sure to stun.

Kanto Ren speakers on a pine table

(Image credit: Future)

Kanto Ren review: Features

  • Wide range of inputs – including USB-C and Bluetooth 5.3
  • Optional subwoofer out for controlled bass
  • 100W amplifier brings the juice

The Kanto Ren active speaker system is a well-featured all-in-one hi-fi dealio, cramming a powerful amp with some peerless connectivity into the chassis of one of the speakers. There’s six inputs to switch between here, including: USB-C, HDMI, optical, RCA, 3.5mm aux and Bluetooth 5.3. All of these are switch-between-able on the handy included remote control, which also gives you immediate control of bass, treble and volume levels (if you don’t feel like controlling any of the latter with the powered speaker’s front-borne rotary encoder, itself a satisfyingly tactile little knob).

The Kanto Ren is a stereo speaker system, and its integrated amplifier circuitry basically follows suit – which means no extending your setup to surround-sound (though why you’d ever want to do so with this particular setup is another question entirely). There is, however, an RCA subwoofer output – which naturally cries out to be paired with Kanto’s existing SUB8 sealed subwoofer. With a subwoofer plugged in, any sounds below 80Hz are neatly and automatically redirected to it; our review is a sub-less one, though, to focus on the merits of the Rens alone.

Inside, there’s some clever digital goings-on alongside the smart convenience displayed outside. There are two digital sound profiles you can engage and switch between – namely, the Vocal Boost and Night Mode algorithms, which respectively solve the two biggest problems facing the modern TV-binger: quiet dialogue and paper-thin party walls.

Another nifty digital feature is the Ren’s auto-wake function, which you can toggle on and off with the remote. This feature ensures the speakers leap to life the moment they detect incoming audio – meaning you can enjoy their enhanced sound soon as you switch your TV on. Everything’s geared to user convenience, and it shows; using the Kanto Ren system has been nothing but a breeze from day dot.

  • Features score: 5/5

Kanto Ren coseup of the main speaker, on a table

(Image credit: Future)

Kanto Ren review: Sound quality

  • Simply: massive
  • Incredible clarity of sound
  • Slightly flabby low end

The Kanto Ren system was first put through its paces via its optical input, connected to my TV. My partner and I had picked an excellent time to rewatch the first two seasons of Twin Peaks together; Angelo Badalamenti’s intro theme was a hugely gratifying listen every time the opening credits swelled in, and every tense spook was robustly supported by the wellsprings of low end these speakers are capable of producing.

Speaking of spooks, the dynamic range of the Rens was thoroughly tested by my tremulous playthrough of mind-bending action-horror Alan Wake II on the PS5 – an excellent game whose subtle nods to the Twin Peaks mythos are more like vociferous headbangs. From subtle tension to outright jumpscares, the game’s sound design is a dynamic delight; the Rens handle every jolt and spike with great humour, even when in neighbour-placating ‘night mode’ setting.

The sonorous bass is supported in no small part by the ported rear, which supplies a lot of air movement – and, naturally, makes for a pumpy, slightly indistinct low-end. With this less-sculpted breathy ‘flab’ at higher volumes, you can see why Kanto went to the trouble of including a subwoofer output. Granted, my corner-alcove placement for TV listening won’t be winning any awards (and neither will my makeshift stacked-book speaker stands, for that matter), particularly with respect to bass response – which is why I tested them elsewhere in my house for their Bluetooth and aux-input musical merits.

Kanto Ren speakers on a pine table

(Image credit: Future)

In testing out the Bluetooth mode, I whacked on Richard Dawson’s 2023 album The Hermit via Spotify – the title track of which is a 45-minute post-folk micro-odyssey through bucolic far-future Northumberland. This album-length song is extremely dynamically rich, and the Rens don’t falter for a moment in representing that richness.

Dawson’s croaked whispers vault into soaring leads, and tactile, distant electric guitars get swallowed by a Talk-Talk-y orchestra of loud-yet-ambient instrumentation; all of this is clear, distinct and well-separated, and as gratifyingly dynamic as the song could ever demand to be, all in spite of the potential throttling either Spotify or the Bluetooth codec can employ. Good work, Ren! That subtle breathiness in the bass is less pronounced without my bass-trappy alcove – but even within, the Rens still retained clarity and purposeful responsiveness practically everywhere else.

To test its handling of transients in a more controlled setting, I also listened to Cool Sounds’ Like That, an irreverent record full of groovy guitars and bright disco drums; Part-Time Punk’s gloriously dead 70s drums are tactile and three-dimensional, dance-y right-to-left tom fill revealing the strength of the Ren’s soundstage.

In all, the Kanto Ren stereo pair is a delightful-sounding array, and great in practically every scenario in which they could conceivably be placed. There are obvious shortcomings with respect to the ultra-low end, but shortcomings overcome by clever design – and which aren’t all that short of the mark to begin with. They’re loud, proud and unequivocally hi-fi, beating out a great many systems built for similar or even greater price-points. For this price, and with their place in the market borne firmly in mind, they’re practically perfect.

  • Sound quality score: 5/5

Kanto Ren review: Design

  • Beautiful – if delicate – matte finish
  • Sleek front face
  • A contemporary joy

The Kanto Ren speakers are, in a word, fetching. The MDF chassis combine considered contours with sleek surfaces; the flat front panel and its sharp vertices are offset by how beautifully the speaker cones are countersunk in – the dust covers of which are, themselves, delightfully suave.

This writer’s review set came in a fetching matte blue – but there are four other fetching matte colorways for you to pick from, including a fetchingly nostalgic orange. The slight disappointment of not getting the orange Rens to review was offset immediately by how tastefully – might I say, fetchingly? – the blue ones straddled our rather fetching orange TV stand.

The tasteful nature of the speakers extends to the soft LED dot on the active speaker unit – which smoothly changes hue depending on the audio sources you switch between. The optical source, which was used for the majority of this review, is represented by a shade of lilac I’d only describe as ‘kind’.

A small niggle, though, presents in how stubbornly finger-marks stick to that fetching matte finish. Despite the conclusions you may draw from the pictures supplied with this review, its writer’s hands are not grubby little mitts after all – but rather clumsy ones, the evidence of which is borne out by the near-unmovable streaks of dark across the otherwise-fetching front faces of the speakers. I digress.

As far as practical design is concerned, the Rens serve well. Threaded holes on the rear provide for those that might want to wall-mount their speakers, and rubber feet are provided separately so as not to rob you of choice in any matter. There are even some optional speaker grilles you can place over the front, held in place magnetically so as not to mar the sleek front with anchor slots. All told; the Kanto Ren system is designed beautifully, and considerately too.

  • Design score: 4.5/5

Kanto Ren review: Setup and usability

  • Pretty much plug-and-play
  • Intuitive controls
  • Could stand to ship with more cables

Being active speakers, setting up the Kanto Ren stereo set is an absolute trifle – the hardest part being the safe manoeuvring of the speakers into place without scuffing that fetching (I said it again!) matte finish. There’s no additional hi-fi amp-wrangling or cable-knotting to contend with, past the simple fact of connecting speaker to speaker, and audio source to system. Indeed, setting these up is about as simple as setting up any decent hi-fi system could ever be (and especially so for AV setups).

The remote control is the thing you’ll be interacting with the most by far, and it couldn’t be simpler to operate. Everything’s clearly signposted, and you barely need the remote control ‘map’ to know what you’re pressing. A minor point presents in the occasional unresponsiveness of the volume control to repeated presses, but a little patience goes a long way with smooth control of the Ren’s various parameters (as it of course does with life in general).

The speakers ship with a length of two-core speaker cable for you to connect left speaker with right, via the screw terminals at the rear. Unfortunately, the Rens don’t ship with additional HDMI or optical cables for comprehensive out-of-the-box connectivity; if you don’t already have the requisite cables to hand, you might be ordering in and waiting a day for what you need. This writer had – and most of you will have, at that – cables aplenty to hand, but a spare HDMI wouldn’t have gone amiss as a little out-of-the-box sweetener!

  • Setup and usability score: 5/5

Kanto Ren review: Value

  • Not an inconsiderable expense…
  • But extremely well-priced for what you get
  • Will knock the socks off most, if not all, soundbars

The $599/£599/€719 (so, around AU$1,199) price point is not a trifling one, even if it does technically fall towards the lower end of the price spectrum in a broader field of living-room sound-system solutions. It’s an investment for an integrated hi-fi system, whichever way you slice it – but it’s a great investment too, and in all the same slice-ings.

If you’re wanting a genuine upgrade from the soundbar you got last Black Friday which sounds ‘ok I guess’, you’ll be blown away by the difference these full-throated speakers provide. If you’re looking to invest in better sound for your TV for the first ever time – and looking for a foolproof plug-and-play place to start – you couldn’t spend $599 much better if you tried. Great-sounding integrated systems are hard to come by, but for me the Kanto Ren ticks all the right boxes. As a living-room stereo pair, these are perfectly pitched to handle everything – and pretty darn well, at that.

  • Value score: 5/5

Should you buy the Kanto Ren?

Buy them if...

You want excellent hi-fi sound without the faff
The Kanto Ren system packs a shedload of functionality into the form of two mid-sized bookshelf speakers. You don’t need anything else to guarantee a quality listening or watching experience – save for a decent subwoofer to tack on if you’ve a larger space to serve. With its broad connectivity, it can be your everything-system for anything – whether you connect your laptop via USB-C, your Wi-Fi streaming set-up via optical, or your TV via HDMI.

You’re thinking about buying a soundbar
Yes, soundbars are pretty nifty looking, and yes, some soundbars purport to do pseudo-surround sound really well, but all soundbars are undeniably limited by their form. The Kanto Ren brings controlled richness and huge dynamic range in an unconventional iteration of a conventional hi-fi format, and will resultingly blow any and all consumer-grade soundbars out of the water with consummate ease.

Don't buy them if...

You want a surround-sound AV setup
Being an active stereo speaker array, it should not come as a surprise that the Kanto Ren’s integrated amplifier is stereo through and through, and does not have an additional 3 channels for surround sound. Still, if you’re wanting something that’s more expressly home-cinema-coded, maybe give these a miss.

You value upgradeability
The Kanto Ren is an integrated stereo amplifier system, with all the bells and whistles built right into the speakers themselves. If you like the idea of trying out some new speakers in the future, or eventually investing in some audiophile-grade tube amplifier system, you should be spending your money on a more modular type of hi-fi system.

Kanto Ren: Also consider

Klipsch R-51PM
Klipsch is another vaunted name in hi-fi, on account of the incredible dynamics their speakers are capable of representing (amongst other things). These are an active bookshelf offering, with optical, USB and RCA in amongst other I/O opportunities. There’s no HDMI ARC here, but there is an incredible soundstage – and a built-in phono pre-amp for the budding vinyl enthusiasts in the room.
Read more in our full Klipsch R-51PM review View Deal

KEF LSX II
KEF’s LSXII stereo speakers are similarly impressive in terms of connectivity, with HMDI ARC, optical and USB-C as well as KEF’s own W2 streaming architecture. The cones are a little smaller, and the price a little higher – but there’s some signature KEF quality in these tiny bookshelf powerhouses.View Deal

How I tested the Kanto Ren

  • Tested for 4 weeks
  • Used primarily in living room, as main system for TV and for audio streaming.
  • Briefly tested in other regions of the home as an auxiliary hi-fi system (and to ensure verdicts weren’t skewed by the sound profile of my living room alcove).

The Kanto Ren speakers spent most of their time bookending my TV in the inner alcove of my living room, where they were put to the test, via HDMI ARC and optical input, as the primary audio system for watching TV and playing video games – as well as, in hi-fi terms, for Bluetooth streaming. Phono and Bluetooth were also trialled in my attic office, in order to assess the frequency response of the speakers in different acoustic spaces. I listened to personal-favourite records, the sound of which I could comfortably corroborate against the performance of other systems with which I’m familiar.

First reviewed: December 2024

Read more about how we test at TechRadar

iFi GO Link Max review: a USB-C DAC that’s one of the best ways to get affordable hi-res audio from your smartphone we’ve ever found
2:30 pm | December 14, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi | Comments: Off

iFi GO Link Max: Two-minute review

iFi has taken the proven GO Link formula and, by adding a balanced 4.4mm headphone output and deleting MQA compatibility (which is, let’s not pretend otherwise, no loss), produced the GO Link Max.

It’s a little larger than its more affordable sibling – but that’s not the same as being large. And its relative bulk is mitigated no end by classy metal casework. Only the exposed braided cable that connects the main body of the DAC to the block which plugs into your source device, gives us any cause for concern. And even then, its vulnerability is theoretical rather than actual.

Like virtually every iFi product TechRadar has tested, the GO Link Max performs well and offers significant value for money. No matter if it’s connected to a smartphone or a laptop, with a half-decent pair of headphones at the other end this DAC is capable of putting a rocket up the sound quality you’d otherwise be treated to. In every meaningful respect, it improves on the unassisted sound of your computer or phone – and not in a subtle way. Is it one of the best portable DACs available for this money? You probably know the answer to that…

iFi GO Link Max review: Price and release date

iFi Go Link Max on a wooden desk, plugged into Sennheiser iE900 in-ears and an Apple MacBook

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released November 20, 2024
  • Priced $79 / £79 / AU$139

The November 2024-release iFi GO Link Max USB DAC is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it costs no more than £79. In the United States it will set you back $79, while in Australia it sells for $139.

The world’s far from short of affordable USB DACs, of course (not least from iFi itself – see the admittedly pricier $499 / £449 / AU$769 iFi GO Bar Kensei or the five-star iFi hip-dac 3 at $199 / £199 / AU$349 for starters). But nevertheless, the combination of price and specification looks alluring here…

iFi GO Link Max review: Features

iFi Go Link Max on a wooden desk, plugged into Sennheiser iE900 in-ears and an Apple MacBook

(Image credit: Future)
  • DSD256 and 32bit/384kHz PCM support
  • Twin ESS Sabre ES9219 DACs
  • Unbalanced 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs

Of course, the iFi GO Link Max is something of a one-trick pony – and so consequently it has very few features. Those features it has, though, are designed to get that one job done in some style.

So at one end of the braided cable there’s a little block with a USB-C connector on the end. iFi provides both lightning and USB-A adapters to fit it, so the GO Link Max should be compatible with any smartphone or laptop you care to mention. At the other end of the cable there’s a larger block with unbalanced 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs at its end, and on the inside is everything required to turn digital audio information into analogue as effectively as possible.

iFi has deployed twin ESS Sabre ES9219 DAC chipsets to get the job done – which means the GO Link Max can deal with audio files up to DSD256 and PCM 32bit/384kHz resolution. And fittingly for a company that’s never been afraid of a good acronym or two, iFi has fitted this little device with ‘THDC’ (total harmonic distortion compensation) technology to keep harmonic distortion to a minimum, and ‘DRE’ (dynamic range enhancement, sadly, and nothing to do with the celebrated hip-hop producer) which – hey! – wants to increase the dynamic contrast between the quietest and the loudest moments in your music.

This arrangement, says iFi, results in a USB DAC that can twist out 100mW of power from the unbalanced output and over 240mW from the balanced alternative. Which is a lot by any USB DAC standards, and should allow the GO Link Max to drive pretty much any appropriate headphones without problems.

Features score: 5 / 5

iFi GO Link Max review: Sound quality

iFi Go Link Max on a wooden desk, plugged into Sennheiser iE900 in-ears and an Apple MacBook

(Image credit: Future)
  • Greater dynamism and improved levels of detail
  • More positive, punchier sound
  • Across-the-board improvements

Let’s face it: only the most optimistic customers buy a new laptop or smartphone expecting sonic excellence. These devices are too noisy (in electrical terms) and too feature-heavy for audio quality to be anything other than an afterthought. If you want great sound while you’re out and about or at your desk, a dedicated music player might seem to be the way forward. iFi, though, disagrees – and the way this GO Link Max can make your laptop or smartphone sound demonstrates that as long as the critical stuff is done properly, these can be just as viable a source of music as the most expensive stand-along digital audio player.

The difference in quality between plugging a pair of headphones directly into the headphone socket of an Apple MacBook Pro, say, and plugging the same headphones into the GO Link Max having connected it via its USB-C is really remarkable. The gains are far from mild, and they are wide-ranging. In all honesty, the reproduction is of an entirely different standard.

Take mid-range resolution, for instance. A 16bit/44.1kHz file of Lisa O’Neill’s Old Note is more detailed, more direct, carries greater harmonic variation and is, in the final analysis, simply more communicative and eloquent when heard via the iFi USB DAC. Daft Punk’s Get Lucky as a 24bit/48kHz FLAC file demonstrates greater low-frequency depth and texture, increased dynamic headroom, and an altogether more assured way with rhythm and tempo management. And Lobbo by Vieux Farka Touré et Khruangbin as a 24bit/96kHz file has greater bite and presence at the top of the frequency range, as well as increased substance.

The frequency range hangs together more smoothly and confidently, and the tonal balance is improved too. Soundstaging is more open, better defined and far more effectively controlled than it is when you leave the computer to deal with things. There’s just no aspect of music reproduction that the iFi GO Link Pro doesn’t deal with far more effectively than an expensive, high-end laptop computer.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

iFi GO Link Max review: Design

iFi Go Link Max on a wooden desk, plugged into Sennheiser iE900 in-ears and an Apple MacBook

(Image credit: Future)
  • Braided connecting cable
  • 150 x 15 x 10mm (HxWxD)
  • 14.5g

Just as with the ‘features’ section, the GO Link DAC is a functional, no-frills device where ‘design’ is concerned. This is a product that needs to be as small, light and portable as is realistically possible, and that’s exactly what iFi has delivered.

The metal casework of the two sections of the DAC feel and look good, and give a hint of the premium to what’s a necessarily discreet device. There’s a single LED on the main body of the GO Link Max, which lights up in one of a selection of colours to indicate the size of the digital audio file it’s dealing with – though I can’t help thinking it’s a bit of a shame that the same colour (green) indicates PCM all the way up to 96kHz. A little visual confirmation that 96kHz is a significantly higher resolution than 44.1kHz might be nice…

The only aspect of the design that’s in any way problematic is the braided cable that joins the two sections of the DAC, and even then, this is a theoretical issue rather than anything tangible. iFi reckons the braiding helps shield the cable from outside interference, and I’ve no reason to think that’s not the case – it just feels a bit vulnerable for a product that’s likely to spend a lot of its life in a pocket or a bag.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

iFi GO Link Max Review: Usability and setup

  • Plug into your smartphone or laptop
  • Plug in your headphones
  • Away you go!

“It’s not rocket science” is, I think, too weak a description for how straightforward the iFi GO Link Max is to use. Plugging the USB-C end into your laptop or smartphone at one end, and your headphones in at the other, doesn’t require in-depth instructions - and if you can’t get this device up and running in mere seconds, I don’t think any amount of instructions are likely to help.

Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

iFi GO Link Max review: Value

  • You simply can't argue with the value for money here
  • Does what it does in fine style

The iFi GO Link Max represents unarguable value for money. The latent fragility of the cable aside, it’s robustly made, properly finished, light and portable – and it does what it does in fine style. If you want to maximise your portable and/or desktop audio experience without spending an arm and a leg, you really can’t go wrong here.

Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the iFi GO Link Max?

Buy it if...

You take portable or desktop listening seriously
Getting the best audio quality possible out of your laptop or smartphone really couldn’t be any easier

You own some half-decent wired headphones
A balanced output is particularly welcome, and it makes plain just how serious a device the GO Link Max is

You have access to genuinely hi-res digital audio content
The ability to deal with 32bit/384kHz and DSD256 files is most certainly not to be sniffed at

Don't buy it if...

You’re ham-fisted
It’s not as if the cable connecting the two pieces of my GO Link DAC has failed - it just feels like it might

iFi GO Link Max review: Also consider

If you can live without the 4.4mmm balanced output, the even smaller, even lighter iFi GO Link USB DAC makes a whole lot of sense – especially as it’s usefully cheaper than the already-quite-affordable GO Link Max. If you want to free yourself for the ubiquity of iFi, though, it’s worth considering FiiO’s KA13 – by iFi standards its relatively bulky, but it get the job done in fine style.

How I tested the iFi GO Link Max

  • Qobuz and Tidal; Android smartphone and Apple MacBook with Colibri software
  • Sennheiser IEMs; Austrian Audio over-ears

I plugged the iFi GO Link Max into a Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone using the USB-C connection, and into an Apple MacBook Pro using the same socket. I also connected it to an Apple iPhone 14 Pro via the Lightning adapter. Each device is loaded with Qobuz and TIDAL music streaming service apps, and the laptop also features Colibri software to get around Apple’s inexplicable disdain for truly hi-res digital files. Headphones included Sennheiser IE900 (connected using the 4.4mm socket) and Austrian Audio Hi-X20 (using the 3.5mm equivalent), and music came from every era and every genre. I listened to the GO Link Max for well over a working week this way – and it was no kind of hardship.

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