In the 80’s, every teen movie and music video contained break-dancing and huge ghetto blasters that played hip hop. They quickly became popular due to their relatively portable size and impressive sound. The link to the hip hop culture was strong, and groups like The Beastie Boys were strongly associated with them. Then came the …
As the name suggests, Braven XXL is the largest of Braven’s outdoor speakers. It is splash proof, which means it can handle a little water hitting it. However, you cannot throw it in the pool. It not only looks like an armoured vehicle, it also feels really sturdy. This means it also weighs a lot. …
If Braven XXL is somewhat reminiscent of military hardware, the Superstar Monster Blaster looks like it was taken from a secret lab of an intelligence agency. With its metallic soft, yet sharp forms, it resembles something that could be used to neutralise escaped aliens in Men in Black. Its ease of use is just as …
When you unbox the Vooni Boombox, it is mildly amusing. It’s so big, you think it’s a joke. When you try to lift it out of the box, you end up hurting your back, and then you stop laughing. They can’t seriously believe that this is a portable music device? Party speakers in the same …
We have tested many of the JBL’s portable speakers, like the bass heavy JBL Flip 4 and the smart JBL Charge 3. With the JBL Boombox, they’ve taken everything they’ve learned from travel speakers and taken it to the extreme. The Pringles-size has increased to more than double in all aspects. Despite that, this is …
LG SJ8 is the widest of the test and looks great with big TVs. It is sleek and elegant and is user-friendly with a clear and straightforward display in the front. Besides the HDMI input that supports all video formats, SJ8 has both wireless and wired network functionality. Spotify customers can enjoy direct streaming with …
HW-N660 supports 4K-video from Blu-ray through the HDMI input, and it also extends the sound in height in order to give an additional dimension. Unlike Sony there is no decoding of 360 audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Instead, Samsung scales the volume in height from regular two-dimensional audio formats. The usability is …
The Panasonic SC-HTB250 is a narrow soundbar, which fits with small TVs. The wireless slim subwoofer fits under the couch, and you can hear and feel the bass even at low volume. Good for neighbourly relationships among flat residents! As for connections, there is an optical digital input and an HDMI output with audio return …
Creative is best known as the inventor of the Sound Blaster soundcard, which dominated the PC market in the 90’s. Fittingly, the soundbar Katana can also work as a PC sound card via USB. A straightforward display makes the soundbar easy to use. Unfortunately, it lacks an HDMI input. You can solve this by connecting …
Yamaha has a long history of creating soundbars that simulate real surround sound and some of their creations have impressed us immensely. With the YAS-207, Yamaha use DTS Virtual:X for the first time as a surround simulator, which attempts to convince us that the soundscape also has a height dimension. The HDMI input fully supports …
With its 40 cm width, Fidelio B1 will never look obtrusive, regardless of which TV it is placed below. The subwoofer is flat enough to slip under the couch, but wide and deep enough to accommodate a fine cabinet volume. This gives you a rather awesome bass after all. And with the bass directly under …
This is Sony’s most affordable soundbar that simulates sound in height, to provides extra size of soundscapes from movies with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtrack. The HDMI input supports all video formats, including 4K with Dolby Vision. This means you won’t risk your display going black if you play a 4K Blu-ray movie (something we …
Devialet Silver Phantom blew us away when we tested it in 2015. Not because it was the most user-friendly high-end product we had ever seen – which it was! What captivated us was the fact that it breached the boundaries of what we thought was possible. A small wireless loudspeaker that can fit in a …
Last year Charge 2+ was a pleasant surprise, with good sound, long playing time and water resistance. The new Charge 3 takes this to new heights. It is now waterproof down to a depth of a metre and has an additional few hours of playtime. As a result, it is noticeably larger and heavier than …
Just a few years ago, there was a low level of interest in party speakers in Scandinavia. It was associated with beach parties around the Mediterranean, with Ibiza as a top destination. But something has happened, and every year the sales of these gaudy and somewhat vulgar speakers have actually increased here too. Perhaps it’s …