One reason I enjoy reviewing portable Bluetooth speakers is that it’s fun to watch how companies try to one-up the competition with materials, innovative features or just plain ole’ audio quality. And sometimes, a company will come along and introduce all three elements into a single speaker. The V-Moda Remix Wireless Speaker contains more like two-and-a-half rather than all three elements. I’ll explain later.

V-Moda has been a pioneer in the headphone market because they don’t rest on their past success. The sound signature of their original Crossfade headphones was crowdsourced and the result was a warm, pleasing and fun headphone. Things only improved with subsequent Crossfade headphones. Soon, I will review the new Crossfade 2 Wireless headphone as V-Moda dips deeper into the Bluetooth market.

Speaking of Bluetooth, V-Moda has ventured into the portable speaker market in a big way. They didn’t just settle for a me-to speaker—they had to be different. The Remix is a rather petite, but weighty Bluetooth speaker. It’s solid build reeks of quality with aluminum housing (also available in vegan leather). The stock design is modern and understated—by V-Moda standards. It comes with black and red square silicone “bands” that provide a good base for the speaker and help keep it stationary if the volume gets too loud.

However, if the Remix’s out-of-box look doesn’t fit your style, you can opt for a 3D option and customize the grill, housing and sides—literally every surface of the speaker depending on taste and budget.

There are many 3D choices of parts and materials available, from affordable plastic on up to stainless steel, gold or even platinum costing thousands of dollars. However, regardless of how affordable or expensive these options can be, all Remix speakers operate and sound identical. V-Moda didn’t offer a platinum version for review—darn it!

Let’s discuss volume for a minute—both speaker volume as well as the volume of the audible prompts. When I review speakers, I take them to my office for tryouts because it’s a multi-person environment—important for real-world use. Unfortunately, I can’t test the Remix in my office because the prompts are too loud—as in LOUD. Everyone around me can hear when the Remix is turned on, paired or shut down. It’s both annoying and embarrassing.

Then there’s the volume of the speaker itself. Even the lowest settings are loud enough for people in nearby offices to hear unless my door is closed. When I’m listening to the Remix speaker in my backyard studio building, there’s no problem because I’m alone. However, the volume issues are something to consider if you plan to use the Remix in an environment with other people nearby.

Having said that, the Remix is almost a perfect companion around the house, bedroom—or in my case, my studio building.

From mid to loud volumes, the Remix offers sound quality that fits its price range. Bass is way more potent than most other speakers this size. It’s both beefy and deep, That’s a good thing except at max volume—which I’ll get into later in the review.

At the top of the speaker, you’ll find a status light along with an on/off, volume down, multifunction, volume up, and labeled PAIR button next to a built-in mic for hands-free calling. Bluetooth pairing is both easy and painless. The multifunction button performs a few tasks: It will pause, play and fast forward or repeat a tune as well as access Siri on an iPhone or Google Now on an Android phone.

The Remix has some tactile inconsistencies: When the multifunction button is pressed to pause a song, there’s a slight delay just long enough to make me wonder if I pressed it correctly. Also, turning on the Remix requires pressing and holding the on/off button for a couple of seconds, but to turn it off requires only a short button press.

Hands-free calling using the Remix’s built-in mic is passable at best. I could hear who I was talking to just fine and they could hear me—but although the sound quality was understandable, I was told it was rough sounding. I was also told I sounded better using just the iPhone by itself.

V-Moda has future-proofed the Remix speaker by utilizing the newer USB-C connection for charging. The back of the speaker has the usual AUX port (for wired connection). There’s also a built-in headphone amp (V-Moda calls it a VAMP) with lighted mini plug port. This amp is interesting because it will drive headphones that require more power than a smartphone can usually deliver. This simply means that power-hungry headphones will sound clearer and louder using the VAMP. Note that to get the benefit of better audio from the built-in amp, headphones must be hard-wired directly to the Remix via the VAMP port.

How does the V-Moda speaker sound? For its size, the Remix sounds great, with one caveat: If you like plenty of bass, this is the speaker to get. If you prefer a more accurate bass, you may be happier with a different speaker. How good it sounds to you depends on what music you prefer. Bassier hip-hop, alt-rock or trance help make the Remix sound bigger than its size. Older rock or jazz audio has a bit more clarity and punch in the middle and higher frequencies.

John Lennon’s excellent Plastic Ono Band debut album brims with biting lyrics (and primal screaming) laid over incessant beats that rachet up the tension as the album progresses. The result is an unleashing of raw emotion not often heard in music. The Remix speaker captures Lennon’s angst and pain almost perfectly, making you feel what Lennon feels.

England’s Joy Division is another example of the pain of living being laid bare in the music. “Isolation” from their “Closer” album has high frequency synth notes competing with a low beat that you can almost feel as well as hear when listening with the Remix speaker at louder volume. The song is both disconcerting and terrific.

The remix shines with vocal music. Jimmy Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks at Forty” is a bittersweet look at how our priorities change as we age. The tonal quality of acoustic guitar playing along with Buffett’s vocals are captured accurately on the Remix giving the song a timeless quality.

I decided to do a direct comparison between the Remix and the slightly more expensive Bowers & Wilkins T7 Bluetooth speaker. I prefer the B&W speaker’s more accurate bass. Plus, at full volume, bass on the Remix distorts. It doesn’t on the T7.

Note that I try not to do comparisons for many reasons, but I wanted a younger person’s take on the Remix.

I performed a blind listening test on my 24-year-old son who is a professional musician and worship leader. He much preferred the Remix, even if the bass did distort at full volume, which he acknowledged. He said the T7 speaker sounded anemic by comparison. While I don’t agree, this highly non-scientific test made me realize that younger people want more bass in their audio and that quantity will trump accuracy almost every time.

It also proves that reviewing audio is never an exact science. These are subjective observations of both my son and me. You shouldn’t ever let one review (even mine) influence a buying decision. Read many reviews and do your homework. If a speaker sounds good to you, then it sounds good … period.

The V-Moda Remix will please many listeners, even picky old me.

The V-Moda Remix Wireless Bluetooth speaker sells for $300 US and is available from Amazon.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by V-Moda. Please visit v-moda.com for more information and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

V-Moda Remix Speaker review: V-Moda goes from inside your head to an out-of-body experience originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 13, 2017 at 10:13 am.

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First off let me proudly say that my college days of throwing obnoxiously loud house parties where the sheer volume of the party may or may not have attracted the presence law enforcement are far behind me.  Because of this, I no longer need the biggest, loudest most industrial looking speakers that appear that they were taken out the back door of a Pearl Jam show.  I now look for speakers that are portable, have crisp sound with a balanced range of highs, mids, and lows, have a long battery life and pair easily with my phone.  Check, check, check and check. 

Out of the box, the Tronsmart Element T6 is attractive and has a nice weight to it.  Not too heavy to be a burden if you want to put it in a bag for an outing but heavy enough to have that good feel in your hand…you know what I’m talking about, right?  The size comes in at 7.68″ tall with a 2.95″ diameter with a weight of 19 ounces.  All about the same as a small water bottle.  The body of the speaker is wrapped in a soft woven mesh that has a nice texture but doesn’t interfere with the sound of the speaker. Color options for the mesh covering are black as shown in this review and also red.

Pairing with my iPhone 7 plus was a breeze, just turn it on and it is already in Bluetooth pairing mode and quickly showed up on my phone’s Bluetooth menu.  Once paired, it will pair with your phone automatically the next time you want to use it.  It also supports voice calls with its built-in microphone should you receive a call while listening to music.  Simply short press the phone button to answer and long press it to hang up and resume listening to music.

The design is very simple and elegant.  All of the controls are on the top of the speaker.  The gray, bezel-like ring at the top is actually the volume control, making it easy to adjust with a simple turn when needed.  The bottom of the speaker houses the subwoofer and is slightly raised by 3 rubberized feet to allow the sound waves to escape.  This feature gives a great low end if you are listening to anything with a little or a lot more bass.

Powered by a 5200mAh battery, Tronsmart claims that the speakers will run up to 15 hours…I did not test this, I will take their word for it though.  Charging time is 3-4 hours for a full charge and is accomplished through a micro-USB cable (included).  The T6 does not support data transfer through the micro-USB so if you want to plug it into a device, you must use a 3.5mm audio cable (included).  Both of these ports are found in the same place on the side of the device and are protected by an attached rubberized cover.

The 360° surround sound makes listening to music uniform, no matter your position in relation to the speakers.  I was pleased with the sound quality and range of sound I experienced both inside and out.  Are there crisper sounding speakers or ones that will direct sound further in an outdoor environment?  Sure.  But for the price point of $45.99 on Amazon, these would be hard to beat in my opinion.

Pros: Affordable price; very respectable sound quality, volume, and range; long battery life; simple controls and Bluetooth pairing; automatically reconnects to your device after initial pairing; attractive design.

Cons:  Does not support digital data transfer through the micro-USB, and instead relies on an analog 3.5mm audio jack, which reduces audio quality in the occasion you don’t have Bluetooth; not water resistant; the User Manual recommends keeping the device out of direct sunlight or hot places (I don’t know if this is just a precaution for an electronic device or if it is a real problem.  I know most of the time I am outdoors, I am in the sun but I still plan on using this).

Overall I think the T6 from Tronsmart is a great option for those looking for a very solid portable Bluetooth speaker but don’t want to break the bank.  If you are in the market for a portable, easy to use Bluetooth speaker with very good sound quality, I would definitely recommend you consider the T6.

The sample for this review was provided by Tronsmart and can be purchased on Amazon.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

Tronsmart Element T6 Wireless Speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 29, 2017 at 12:53 pm.

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You gotta love promotional videos for outdoor Bluetooth speakers. There always seems to be young, beautiful people in great shape running and laughing near water. Reality is more like an overweight guy (me) plopping himself down on Cocoa Beach and sweating in the humidity and heat while my beautiful wife complains that the music is too loud. Oh well, at least the Braven Stryde 360 portable Bluetooth speaker I’m testing sounds good.

As someone who has reviewed many Braven speakers, I’m always amazed how they come out with so many models priced for anyone’s budget—from the $50 105 palm-sized speaker to the monstrous $300 BRV-XXL—not to mention a line of quality home speakers. The new Stryde 360 Bluetooth speaker fits into the lower-priced range but with a few extra features.

The portable Stryde 360 is made for the outdoors. It has IP67 waterproofing (it can be completely underwater up to 3 ft. for 30 minutes) in a tough, plastic exterior. It’s circular shape can fit into some (but not all) car cupholders—think elongated coke can and you get the picture. The ends are circled in a bright, day-glow yellow/green color which helps the speaker be seen in the dark.

The circular shape allows sound to go in a 360° pattern, so it doesn’t matter where anyone is standing when near the speaker.

The body of the speaker is a neutral silver/gray with black rubberized buttons and port cover which protects charging, AUX and USB charging-out ports. The Stryde 360 has a built-in 2500MAH rechargeable battery that can recharge a smartphone—always a handy option for a portable speaker to have. Opposite the ports are on/off, Bluetooth pairing and play/pause/answer call buttons. There’s also an LED power status light which changes colors depending on the level of charge remaining. Battery life is a respectable 12 hours.

Pairing is simple with the Stryde 360. Just press and hold down the Bluetooth button until an audio signal lets you know it’s looking for a device to pair with. You should then see the Stryde in any smartphone Bluetooth settings. My iPhone 7+ paired without any issues. The Stryde remembers my iPhone, so when I come back to it, It re-pairs immediately. A nice feature is that the Stryde will shut itself down after 30 minutes of no signal. This helps prevent undesired battery drain.

Two passive radiators sit at each end of the tubular shape, giving the Stryde 360 a decent amount of bass for a speaker its size. Unfortunately, bass doesn’t travel far in the big outdoors since there’s not a lot that low-frequency sound waves to bounce off of. That’s not the Stryde 360’s fault, it’s physics. However, the speaker packs a satisfying punch when sitting close to it—as long as it’s placed horizontally. If set up vertically, one of the passive radiators is blocked and can alter the audio quality. There is some bass distortion at max volume, but that’s when the bass is at maximum levels in the recording itself.

Vocals (mostly middle frequencies) sound natural and up front.  This is good for two reasons: Music can sound more personal and talking (whether podcasts or radio) can be both strong and easily understood. Sometimes, larger and more bass heavy speakers can be problematic for spoken sources.

Higher frequencies on the Stryde 360 can border on harsh if the volume is pushed or the recording source is already a bit treble-happy. Most people are not fans of bright-sounding music, so this shouldn’t usually be an issue.

The Stryde 360 has speakerphones capabilities which work okay. The audio quality is much better than using only the iPhone’s speaker, but my voice comes across to the other person clearer using the iPhone’s mic as opposed to the Stryde’s built-in mic. Unfortunately, a lot of Bluetooth speakers suffer from inferior mics.

Music sounds a bit better than you might expect on a similarly sized speaker. Volume is more than adequate unless you’re trying to have a party. The Stryde 360 is better suited to a small circle of friends.

I prefer listening rock and pop on the Stryde 360. The main reason is that these genres usually have little subtlety. More challenging and complex music is too much for the small speaker’s abilities, especially outdoors, where the speaker is expected to be used. Blame that physics thing again.

Quibbling aside, I quite liked the sound of the Stryde 360. Even with the size limitations, music sounded fun and engaging. An extended version of the 80s classic “Cry” by Godley and Creme has an insistent beat with falsetto vocals that give a slightly expanded sound stage despite the restricted stereo of a single Bluetooth speaker. A less appreciated Godley and Creme gem, “Under Your Thumb” also sounds good on the Stryde 360. It sports fast synth playing that remains distinct with no muddiness in the sound.

Just for kicks, I chose a 50s country classic, “Blue, Blue Day” by Don Gibson. Both the vocals and guitar playing were sharp and clear although the drums and bass were a bit recessed due to the recording. The Stryde 360 was able to reproduce the clarity of the recording with ease. Audio from older recordings carries farther outdoors simply because the recordings were made for AM radio and are geared more for middle frequencies than most modern music.

That’s not to say if you like hip-hop or electronica, the Stryde 360 will disappoint you. The speaker will still sound good, it just can’t go as deep into the bass as a larger speaker can. Again, physics.

As I’ve said earlier, I have reviewed many Braven speakers. It’s interesting that they all have different sound signatures, some that I like and some, not so much. I like how the Stryde 360 sounds. It’s musical and extremely easy to operate.

Yes, I may never look as good as those laughing people in the promotional videos (I never did actually), but I still appreciate music everywhere I go. The Stryde 360 portable Bluetooth speaker goes anywhere without worrying about how wet or dirty it may get. And that’s exactly how it should be.

The Braven Stryde 360 portable Bluetooth speaker sells for $99.99 and is available from Amazon.

Source: The samples for this review were provided by Braven. Please visit their site for more information and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

Braven Stryde 360 Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 7, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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