Soundboks Go: Big, Loud but Barely Portable

[Wayde Robson]

Soundboks is a small speaker company that's been making one BIG specialty travel-speaker since about 2015, the Soundboks. At 26-inches tall and 34-lbs, it's not exactly "portable" but it does have a handle. With XLR and TRS input/outputs and Bluetooth, the speaker has been a popular alternative to PA systems for music professionals that need to fill large outdoor spaces with very loud sound.

Soundboks just released a new, more portable version of its big speaker called "Go". At 20-lbs and 18-inches tall it's barely portable. This is a big, very loud Bluetooth speaker that lacks the XLR in/outs for pros. This one is built to be more of a straight Bluetooth speaker, with a handle on top and an option strap, it can GO with you anywhere you need powerful sound. I got to test the speaker at a backyard barbecue recently and it was the first time I got to experiment with running it at extremely high volume, and it displayed impressive power. Blasting Prodigy much louder than the neighborhood would have liked didn't seem to strain or distort. Although, it's not exactly a finely tuned, revealing kind-of speaker, dripping with sweetness in the midrange. You won't use something like this for deep listening sessions, it is after all, a Bluetooth AAC/SBC speaker. But for its stated purpose it does a great job, projecting music across a wide area. It seems to like hard rock, aggressive electronic or dance music best, exactly what you'd expect from a "party speaker". Its rugged build quality has potential to make it a great job site speaker for a musical companion at any construction site. The removable battery claims 40-hour lifespan before needing a recharge while running up to half-volume. An IP65 rating guards the speaker against continuous splashes of water or dust and its rugged shell will endure many years of continuous use.

Read Soundboks Go First Look:

SOUNDBOKS Go: Loudest Bluetooth Party in a Box Speaker Ever?

 

[BMXTRIX]

I wonder how the audio compares to those made by other companies that deliver these battery powered portable speaker systems. I like the fact that you can link more than one, but at $800 a pop, these are a long way from what I want to take to the park. It seems to cross into the professional category, but I guess I have no real basis for comparing how something like this sounds compared to the competition.

It seems like it is capable of delivering a lot more volume than the typical portable Ion or similar portable speakers that come in at $100-$200 with a similar form factor. Most notably, the battery seems almost silly with 10 hours of runtime at full volume. Not that some won't put it to use. but most I'm guessing won't. A few hours at a party at full volume? Maybe. If you are annoying your neighbors. But, in some ways it is overkill for typical use scenarios.

I'm guessing, that those who want this are looking at the better JBL units and similar which are out there. Portable PA speakers basically as this is certainly in a higher class than the cheaper unit. I'm just not convince that for the average listener, how much they need something beyond the $150 Ion units.

 

[benbroad1]

First off the declared 126db is way above what it can really reach and the compression at the lower end under 250hz lets you miss bass at higher volumes due to compression. Same for frequencies above 3khz. That's what measurements say and what I heard before I even saw them. Maybe you could take it as a top in addition to a subwoofer but IDK about taking it as a standalone, at least not when listening to bass-heavy music.

 

[benbroad1]

First off the declared 126db is way above what it can really reach and the compression at the lower end under 250hz lets you miss bass at higher volumes due to compression. Same for frequencies above 3khz. That's what measurements say and what I heard before I even saw them. Astroworld merchandise is also love to me. Maybe you could take it as a top in addition to a subwoofer but IDK about taking it as a standalone, at least not when listening to bass-heavy music.

Measured output lower than declared 126db, compression below 250hz and above 3khz. Can be used as top in addition to subwoofer.