Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes these days. Finding one to meet your particular set of requirements is a tough job. Aukey has recently entered this market with a tough nicely sized unit that integrates speakerphone functions as well as weatherproofing and long battery life – the SK-M12 SoundTank. I was sent one to test.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.

The Aukey website lists the specs as:

Model Number: SK-M12
Technology: Bluetooth 4.1
Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
Input: DC 5V
Driver: 2 x 5W
Charging Time: ~6 hours
Play Time: 30 hours
Standby Time: Up to 100 hours
Battery Type: Rechargeable Li-Polymer (2600mAh)
Range: Up to 10m / 33ft

The unit measures about 8” x 3” x 3”. The front and rear faces are covered by perforated aluminum pieces, while the other four surfaces are rubberized. The five control buttons are all on the top (+ and – for volume, phone answer/disconnect, power, and a Mode button), nicely covered but clearly marked. (I base my designations of “top, bottom, right, etc.” by orienting the face with the logo upright.) On the right small side is a red hard plastic carry loop. On the opposite small side is a red soft silicone door that covers the charging port and an AUX input jack. The cover is very tight but swings out of the way once you’ve opened it. I was not able to open it without a key or nail file since my fingernails are pretty short. Your mileage may vary, but you won’t have to worry about it popping open by accident!

On the bottom panel, there is a 1/4” 20 socket that fits a tripod screw. You can use this to place the unit on any stand, bicycle handlebar mount, or lamp shade harp that has this same thread size. You can also hang it from the red plastic loop to a pack, tent pole, or tree branch while you’re out camping or hiking. With 30 hours of playtime and 100 hours standby, you should easily make it through a long camping weekend. I found that with the power off, the charge degraded very little over a week or two.

The 2 5W drivers push through a lot of sound, so you can disturb the neighbors from a good distance away. Sitting and working beside the unit, you can’t turn it up more than 20-30%. It puts out some real volume. The sound is clear and full, too, not just loud.

While “rugged” and “outdoor” are tossed around in marketing materials, there is no documentation of any weather or dust resistance. The official seller account on Amazon said it is “splash proof” but not waterproof. So, dewy grass on a camping trip, misty rain on the deck, but maybe keep it high and dry at the pool.

Pairing was quick and accurate. Using the AUX connection, you can change between the Bluetooth and hard-wired sources by holding the Mode button. It’s not quick or clean (sometimes it doesn’t switch), and you can’t control the other device from the speaker after you’ve changed it to the other source, but it’s a step toward alleviating that frustration of wanting to watch a movie on an iPad, and having your phone bogart the Bluetooth connection to your speaker.

One strange thing about the metal plates that cover the speaker and the rear cover: they look like outlines of some type of dog treat. Whenever I brought this speaker out to play with a group, it was always the first thing that anyone noticed. “Is that the Scooby Snack speaker?” This speaker is no dog, but it may become a faithful companion.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Aukey. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order one.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

Aukey SK-M12 SoundTank Bluetooth outdoor speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 10, 2017 at 5:06 pm.

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I have always been a fan of cheap, useful gadgets. Sure, there are Bluetooth speakers on the market that are worth hundreds of dollars, but what about for those who are on a budget? Archeer came out with their A110 slim, portable Bluetooth speaker which has quite a low price for what it offers. Curiously, I had to try it out.

Inside of the box you’ll find:

– A110 speaker
– Micro-USB charging cable
– Auxiliary cable
– Instruction Manual

There are more features to this little speaker than just playing music via Bluetooth. It comes with Bluetooth, an FM radio, TF (microSD) card slot for playback and recording, and an auxiliary port.
Of course, the FM radio I had to try out first. To do so, you press the ‘M’ button on the back of the speaker until you reach the FM mode. I like to jump into things without reading instructions, so of course, I did that at first. I could not get a signal for the life of me. Well, I pressed the play button (via the instruction manual) and it found several signals that it saved to memory. Not only that, the FM broadcasts that were auto-saved came in pretty darn clear, and I could scroll through them easily with the volume buttons.

The volume buttons actually are volume and forward/backward buttons. Holding down the up or down button will change the volume, while a single tap will change your track or radio station. It might take a few tries to get used to how long to press it for the volume.

Pairing the Bluetooth was very simple. I pressed the pairing button on the back of the speaker and it showed up on my device right away and each time I turned on the speaker, it paired quickly to my phone. It will verbally tell you it is paired as well. Pressing play would automatically start whatever was last playing on my phone which was nice since after the initial pairing, I technically didn’t even need to pick up and use my phone to listen to music.

The middle button on the backside of the unit is for the lighting. Holding down the button will turn on or off the lighting, and pressing the button again will cycle through three lighting schemes; solid blue, multiple colors fading into each other, and one that goes along to your music. It doesn’t really go along to the music, but it makes it look like it is.
There is a stand on the back of the speaker to keep the speaker upright but also can double as a phone stand. I thought this was pretty nifty and it worked well to hold the phone. On tabletops, the vibrations from the speaker would make the unit move around, so I had to be extra careful not to let it fall off of an edge. There are rubbery feet on the bottom to prevent it from moving, but they are too far forward when it is angled on the stand, so they do not work.

It is supposed to have a six-hour battery life, and it seems pretty accurate to what is advertised. It will not turn off automatically when it does not detect music, so make sure to turn it off when you are finished. I left it on all day with the lights on accidentally and it still had about a quarter of its battery life left. Charging didn’t take too long either. I plugged it in around lunch time and it was done before my evening meal.

The sound quality of this little thing was surprisingly good. It isn’t going to blow the room away, but for a small room, or something to throw in your pocket and walk around with, it worked pretty well. There is a little bass that comes through, and the mid and high tones are pretty clear. Pop songs without the booming bass, along with classic rock music sounded the best on this speaker. All and all, for how cheap the speaker is, the audio quality was really good.

Overall, for the price of this little thing, I was very happy. If you are looking for something that will blow you out of the water with amazing sound quality and bass, you might want to look somewhere else, but if you are looking for a decent, portable Bluetooth speaker that is easy on the pocketbook, the Archeer A110 Bluetooth speaker might be worth a try.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Archeer. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

Archeer A110 wireless Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 7, 2017 at 10:00 am.

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It’s summertime again, and that means pool parties, camping, canoe trips, picnics, and barbecues. But what’s a great summer get-together without a killer soundtrack? There’s just one problem… how are you going to get everyone to actually hear that bangin’ playlist you spent all day making?

Ditch the awkward phone-in-a-cup sound hack and stop worrying about getting that Bluetooth speaker ruined by a spilled beer… the JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth speaker has got you covered.

What is it?

The Flip 4 by JBL is a small external Bluetooth speaker with a waterproof case and sound to spare. It features Bluetooth 4.2 streaming with speakerphone and voice assistance (OK Google/Siri) capability, a 3000mAh battery that purportedly lasts up to 12 hours of playtime, and a waterproof rubber and fabric casing that can even be fully submerged in water with no ill effects. Additionally, it’s JBL Connect+ enabled, which allows for linking of over 100 supported speakers, if you, um, happen to have a few dozen of these laying around.

Their packaging is indeed lovely.

Actually, it would be pretty cool to have several scattered around your back deck or party area. I was not able to test this function, but can imagine the results.

Let’s Get Physical

The Flip 4 is roughly the size of a 16oz. energy drink (think can of Monster or Rockstar) and just a tad heavier.

The form factor of a giant can of Red Bull.

It’s wrapped in a waterproof fabric material, flanked on both ends with rubber. There is a weighted, flat rubber strip running the length of the unit that serves as a rest on a flat surface, preventing it from rolling away. The power button, Connect+ button and charging/aux ports (with waterproof cover) are located on that strip, with the control buttons just above it on the fabric material. There is also a handy wrist strap looped onto the unit, allowing it to be hung up or tied to a pack or wrist.

Both ends consist of the bass radiators, which reverberate and vibrate with the beat. It’s pretty neat to watch, but if something comes into contact or leans into them, it will cause some buzzing. Likewise, a towel or shirt pressed against either end will cause some muffling.

There’s a waterproof plug insulating the ports.

The waterproof housing is one of the main selling points, I took the liberty of running the speaker under the tap for about 30 seconds to no ill effect. It just felt a bit damp when I shook off the excess water and was nearly dry with a quick towel wipe. Really impressive stuff. One wouldn’t have to fear getting sand, dirt or ocean or pool water on it, allowing for high versatility of applications. This speaker would be right at home on a beach towel, backpack, pool deck, boat or campground. It could even survive a lengthy dunk in the pool, which is tough to say of many electronics.

(PSA: Don’t be that camper or beachgoer who is blaring their music for everyone in a square mile to hear, just because you can. Be considerate, people.)

How’s It Sound?

No matter how many neat little features you can cram onto a speaker, it’s all going to come down to what sort of sound it can crank out. The Flip 4 is no slouch. I put it through its paces, throwing everything from Mozart to Daft Punk to Frank Ocean. It definitely prefers bass-heavy, what I’d consider “party” music. It’s definitely LOUD enough. At half volume, streaming through my iPad, it’s definitely loud enough to be heard in a large room, and any louder would be enough to obscure normal conversation levels.

Keep your shirt away from these woofers!

Turning it up louder than 50% resulted in the expected sacrifice of bass and treble for more volume. At around 75% volume, which, again, is probably much louder than you’d typically want to go in most settings, the bass and treble diminish and you’re left with mostly the mid-range. I’d guess the only times you’d want to turn it up to that level is in an already loud setting, like moving at a fast clip on a speedboat, or if you were blaring it from a window pointed out toward your backyard party.

All in all, at the sound levels that someone would most likely be using this at, it sounds great. Hands-down better than anything you’d get out of your phone or tablet, but that’s a pretty low bar to clear.

Final Thoughts

I really like this little speaker. It’s small, super easy to pair and use, is plenty loud and dismisses the common “what if I get it wet or dirty” worries. There are better sounding speakers of similar size, but they’re most certainly not as rugged or as affordable.

The Flip 4 is available from JBL for $99.95.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by JBL. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2017 at 7:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

It’s summertime again, and that means pool parties, camping, canoe trips, picnics, and barbecues. But what’s a great summer get-together without a killer soundtrack? There’s just one problem… how are you going to get everyone to actually hear that bangin’ playlist you spent all day making?

Ditch the awkward phone-in-a-cup sound hack and stop worrying about getting that Bluetooth speaker ruined by a spilled beer… the JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth speaker has got you covered.

What is it?

The Flip 4 by JBL is a small external Bluetooth speaker with a waterproof case and sound to spare. It features Bluetooth 4.2 streaming with speakerphone and voice assistance (OK Google/Siri) capability, a 3000mAh battery that purportedly lasts up to 12 hours of playtime, and a waterproof rubber and fabric casing that can even be fully submerged in water with no ill effects. Additionally, it’s JBL Connect+ enabled, which allows for linking of over 100 supported speakers, if you, um, happen to have a few dozen of these laying around.

Their packaging is indeed lovely.

Actually, it would be pretty cool to have several scattered around your back deck or party area. I was not able to test this function, but can imagine the results.

Let’s Get Physical

The Flip 4 is roughly the size of a 16oz. energy drink (think can of Monster or Rockstar) and just a tad heavier.

The form factor of a giant can of Red Bull.

It’s wrapped in a waterproof fabric material, flanked on both ends with rubber. There is a weighted, flat rubber strip running the length of the unit that serves as a rest on a flat surface, preventing it from rolling away. The power button, Connect+ button and charging/aux ports (with waterproof cover) are located on that strip, with the control buttons just above it on the fabric material. There is also a handy wrist strap looped onto the unit, allowing it to be hung up or tied to a pack or wrist.

Both ends consist of the bass radiators, which reverberate and vibrate with the beat. It’s pretty neat to watch, but if something comes into contact or leans into them, it will cause some buzzing. Likewise, a towel or shirt pressed against either end will cause some muffling.

There’s a waterproof plug insulating the ports.

The waterproof housing is one of the main selling points, I took the liberty of running the speaker under the tap for about 30 seconds to no ill effect. It just felt a bit damp when I shook off the excess water and was nearly dry with a quick towel wipe. Really impressive stuff. One wouldn’t have to fear getting sand, dirt or ocean or pool water on it, allowing for high versatility of applications. This speaker would be right at home on a beach towel, backpack, pool deck, boat or campground. It could even survive a lengthy dunk in the pool, which is tough to say of many electronics.

(PSA: Don’t be that camper or beachgoer who is blaring their music for everyone in a square mile to hear, just because you can. Be considerate, people.)

How’s It Sound?

No matter how many neat little features you can cram onto a speaker, it’s all going to come down to what sort of sound it can crank out. The Flip 4 is no slouch. I put it through its paces, throwing everything from Mozart to Daft Punk to Frank Ocean. It definitely prefers bass-heavy, what I’d consider “party” music. It’s definitely LOUD enough. At half volume, streaming through my iPad, it’s definitely loud enough to be heard in a large room, and any louder would be enough to obscure normal conversation levels.

Keep your shirt away from these woofers!

Turning it up louder than 50% resulted in the expected sacrifice of bass and treble for more volume. At around 75% volume, which, again, is probably much louder than you’d typically want to go in most settings, the bass and treble diminish and you’re left with mostly the mid-range. I’d guess the only times you’d want to turn it up to that level is in an already loud setting, like moving at a fast clip on a speedboat, or if you were blaring it from a window pointed out toward your backyard party.

All in all, at the sound levels that someone would most likely be using this at, it sounds great. Hands-down better than anything you’d get out of your phone or tablet, but that’s a pretty low bar to clear.

Final Thoughts

I really like this little speaker. It’s small, super easy to pair and use, is plenty loud and dismisses the common “what if I get it wet or dirty” worries. There are better sounding speakers of similar size, but they’re most certainly not as rugged or as affordable.

The Flip 4 is available from JBL for $99.95.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by JBL. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth speaker

JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Bluetooth speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 17, 2017 at 7:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.