Audio company Soundboks is releasing its latest party-friendly speaker, the Soundboks Mix.
I had the chance to enjoy one for the last couple of weeks, using it as a Bluetooth speaker connected to my phone and laptop.
Compared to the previous Soundboks speaker, the Soundboks Mix is smaller (28 x 34 x 48 cm) and lighter (9.5 Kg), almost 2/3 the weight of the Soundboks 4. This change makes it a much easier device to carry to your parties and events.
Its design is very close to the much larger and heavier speakers in previous generations. It’s basically a black box, with a metal grille on the front, controls on the side and a battery pack on the back.
The 7.8 Ah (12.8V) battery pack is easy to remove, but it can be charged in place, via USB-C. A good power delivery USB charger can quickly bring it to full, if you can provide 65W fast charging. A full battery will give you eight hours of music at max volume (121 dB), or 40 hours if playing at a more modest mid-level.
The battery can also charge your phone, providing 10W (5V 2A) output, so it can keep your party going if you use the phone as a source and it’s running out of power.
All corners are protected from impact with silicone balls, and it’s also water-resistant (IP65), so a few splashes or occasional rain shower shouldn’t impact its outdoor performance.
It’s easy to carry, thanks to a sturdy handle built into the body, but if you want, you can buy a strap or backpack separately. The strap uses a loop on the top and a screw at the bottom for secure shoulder transport.
Usage is simple. You can connect to sound sources via Bluetooth or a 3.5 mm port. The Bluetooth connection uses the default SBC codec. It’s capable of better than CD quality, but it’s not high definition.
In general, the connection was seamless, and I was able to pair it with two devices (my phone and laptop). The speaker will automatically connect to the last device used. Like other Bluetooth devices, you can manually disconnect from your source, and it will automatically connect to the next paired source.
The mobile app is the same as that used for previous models and is still easy to use. It allows you to control volume (which you can also do with a large know on the speaker itself) and customise the sound profiles and equaliser. It comes with presets for Bass+, Outdoor and Indoor, plus a slot for your custom settings.
You can wirelessly connect multiple Soundboks Mix using a feature called TeamUp.
For security, you can create a PIN for your speakers, so only you or friends can connect to them.
The 10” woofer and 1.2” tweeter combination sounds great, and the equaliser does a good job of keeping the sound the way you like it.
As in previous versions of these speakers, Soundboks still have the volume levels from 1 to 11. And it will deliver.
The Soundboks Mix is available from 26 March.
