Again in 2019, Denmark's Soundboks despatched us a pair of loopy loud Bluetooth audio system to check out which, although actually transportable, every proved an excessive amount of for one individual within the lengthy haul. Now a smaller and lighter – however virtually as highly effective – model has launched.
At a look
- Moveable audio powerhouse at a premium value
- Rugged design constructed to take life's knocks
- Cell app for customized EQ tweaking
Whereas not but a family identify in the identical sense as Bose or Denon, the Danish transportable audio firm has made a little bit of a splash amongst those that prefer to reside it loud – having shipped out greater than 150,000 audio system to of us in 40+ international locations, and boasting an energetic on-line/offline neighborhood with 30,000 members.
The Soundboks story started with Jesper Theil Thomson constructing audio system as a summer time pastime with two pals, earlier than founding the startup in 2014 with Christoffer Nyvold and constructing fewer than a thousand first-gen audio system in a storage by the next yr.
This Era Zero construct wore the form of road-ready housing of a PA cupboard, might output 119 dB, accepted wired enter solely and had a 20-hour per-charge battery life.
The corporate refined the general design, boosted battery life and made the battery unit swappable, supplied a bass enhance characteristic and added Bluetooth connectivity earlier than launching on Kickstarter in 2016.
That profitable marketing campaign was adopted by a direct-to-customer launch for the second era speaker in 2017, the place quantity and battery life had been raised once more, and a brand new black powder-coated end launched.
The New Soundboks – or Gen 3 – elevated the output to a loopy 126 dB courtesy of three 72-W amps driving two woofers and a tweeter, added a pulse reflex port, up to date the Bluetooth tech, included XLR/TRS ports and launched swappable speaker grilles.
Every time I hear the identify Soundboks, I am reminded of the time myself and a buddy struggled up a steep hill hauling a kind of third-generation "transportable" audio system again to base after a sound check on the seashore. Sure, it was very, very loud out within the open. And sure, it was very heavy too.
Constructed for music on the transfer
The Soundboks Go is roughly half the scale of its massive brother, give or take, and is available in just a little over 6 kg (13.2 lb) lighter – which suggests this mannequin may be carried in a single hand to a discipline occasion, neighborhood basketball court docket, seafront hearth pit or forest camp.
It is nonetheless a reasonably heavy beast although in case you've bought a methods to journey, and there is an non-obligatory carry strap out there for individuals who'd fairly shoulder the burden.
Inside its 459 x 316 x 266-mm (18 x 12 x 10-in) bolstered ABS/poly unibody are two 72-W Merus Audio Class D amplifiers that drive a 10-inch woofer and 1-inch dome tweeter for an efficient frequency vary of 40 Hz to twenty kHz. The electronics are IP65-protected to make the entire shebang splashproof, although the three bass ports within the cupboard imply that it may well't be submerged within the drink.
The 99.84-Wh LiFePO4 battery unit is reckoned good for as much as 10 hours of per-charge battery life at full quantity, or 40 hours at mid-volume. This 150 x 65 x 65-mm (6 x 2.55 x 2.55-in) Batteryboks 2 unit may be charged whereas the Go is pumping out tunes, or can slide out and one other popped in whereas the unique is being juiced up elsewhere.
The Soundboks Go ships with the one battery solely although, however in case you already personal a Gen 3 Soundboks, the battery from that can be utilized for both mannequin. In any other case, a second battery may be had for an additional US$149. Charging time is between three and 4 hours, extra if the unit is powered on and enjoying music whereas charging.
The sound of Soundboks
We discovered the low finish to be fairly a power to be reckoned with on the Gen 3 speaker we reviewed in 2019, at which period a cellular app was within the works. That app is now out there, and although fundamental Bluetooth 5.0 speaker performance may be had with out it – together with the flexibility to wirelessly chain as much as 5 Go or Gen 3 audio system collectively through cooked-in SKAA wi-fi expertise – this cellular toolkit is really useful for getting the very best from the Go expertise.
Once more, the Go proved just a little bass-heavy for our tastes by default, however the sound profile out of the field was rather more balanced than earlier than with distinct enhancements in readability for the mids and highs.
If thunder is your factor although, there's much more low finish out there by means of the app – whereas additionally bumping up the decibels to 121, at the price of battery life and a few readability within the larger reaches. For reference, the max output of the flagship Gen 3 Soundboks is reported to be 126 dB so the Go is one highly effective transportable bundle.
There is a preset sound profile for indoor use too (for 112 dB and as much as 14 hours at max vol), in addition to one other Energy mode (119 dB and 10 hours) and a really helpful EQ mode for private tweaking and saving of customized sound profiles for simple recall.
Customers may also set a passcode for the Bluetooth connection and app controls to keep away from hijacking at events, and the system is future-proofed to some extent as upcoming efficiency and sound upgrades may be utilized through the app.
An unique dance membership on the Go
Soundboks customers are additionally being invited to occasion through one thing known as Direkt streaming, although it would initially solely be out there for iOS customers. Basically, wherever you and your Go are on a Friday or Saturday night time you'll be part of a digital membership night time of types.
Soundboks is busy teaming up with labels, golf equipment and artists across the globe and can stream weekend units direct from membership decks and studios in locations like Copenhagen, Barcelona, London and Los Angeles by means of the Direkt platform. This streaming service shall be unique to homeowners of flagship Gen 3 Soundboks audio system or the brand new Go mannequin, and listeners who tune in can count on "an eclectic mixture of genres, tempos, many years, origins and sounds."
The underside line
Although actually much more transportable than all different Soundboks earlier than it, the Go nonetheless weighs in at 9.2 kg (20lb) so is just a little heavy for a one-handed carry of quite a lot of hundred meters, however a lot simpler to lug about when used with the non-obligatory shoulder strap. It's extremely a lot designed for the outside life, with a bolstered unibody and rubber bumpers, and the construct high quality is great, although its seems to be will not be for everybody.
Given our experiences with its greater brother, the pretty properly balanced default sound over Bluetooth or through the included 3.5-mm aux enter got here as one thing of a pleasing shock. And the speaker has sufficient presence to supply the tunes at small(ish) outside gatherings or reduce by means of the noise at indoor events. Even higher if a bunch are wirelessly chained collectively (there's additionally a bolstered high hat mount on the underside for elevating the Go excessive above the dance ground on a speaker stand).
Sound presets can be found through the cellular companion app, and customers can create and save customized EQ profiles to go well with preferences. The UI is easy up entrance with extra complicated features a display or two away.
This go-anywhere boombox cannot fairly match the superior output prowess of its bigger stablemate, nevertheless it packs a helluva quantity punch and would show a greater than succesful streaming companion for seashore events or camp cookouts. The Soundboks Go is out there now for a steered retail value of US$699.
Product web page: Soundboks Go
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