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Akaso Trace 1 dash cam review

 

REVIEW – I have tested several dash cams lately. Most have been OK, but cameras in general are improving at quite a clip. Witness the current dash cam under review, the Akaso Trace 1.

What is it?

A small box with both a front- and rear-facing camera that takes high-quality videos, with time stamping, and fantastic low-light resolution.

What’s in the box?

  • Camera unit
  • Suction mount
  • Power plug with captive miniUSB plug and pass-thru jack
  • Mounting clips and tool
  • Quick start guide

Hardware specs

(From company website)

  • FRONT AND INSIDE RECORDING: Trace1 dual dash cam is equipped with dual lenses to capture exterior and interior of the car simultaneously at 1080p30 (340-degree field of view combined). When inside recording is not needed and turned off, the front lens records 1080p60 for crisper and smoother image.
  • UNPARALLELED NIGHT VISION: Thanks to the state-of-art Sony STARVIS at both lenses, which extends the sensitivity of sensor beyond visible light to near-infrared range, and WDR technology, Trace 1 dash cam excels capturing every detail of your surroundings regardless of lighting conditions.
  • G-SENSOR & PARKING MONITOR: Loop recording comes standard, and built-in G-sensor locks the recording clip to ensure data integrity when collision gets sensed. Parking monitor protects your vehicle even when parked – it enables the car dash cam to turn on if any impact is detected, record for 30 seconds and turn off again.
  • OTHER FEATURES: Trace 1 dash camera supports up to 128GB of mircoSD storage (class 10 or above and at least 16GB recommended, memory card NOT included); efficient heat dissipation design; internal microphone with on/off option; auto LCD off to save power.
  • PERFECT DASHCAM FOR EVERYONE: With so many tech and safety features packed into an affordable package, this dash cam front and rear is a perfect option to everyone – beginners and seasoned taxi and rideshare (Uber, Lyft) drivers alike. All AKASO car camera – dash cam comes with 30-day hassle free return and 1-year limited warranty.

Design and features

The Trace 1 is small, even by today’s miniaturized standards. At 3” x 1.75” x 1”, it’s barely as large as an action camera. There’s a 2” (diagonal) screen on the rear side, and an f1.8 camera with a .5” diameter lens pointing out both sides. On the rear, there’s a 4-element IR light that allows for great night-time video of the car interior, as well as your blind spots to either side. Both cameras sport a 170º field of view.


The suction mount has a sticky silicone gripper 2.25” in diameter, with a quarter-turn locking mechanism. I only had it fall off once, after sitting out in the sun all weekend. When I brought it in for this review, however, I noticed that I had left the protective film on the silicone! It wouldn’t have slipped at all if I’d removed that film and actually stuck the bare gripper to the glass.


There are four function buttons across the bottom, as well as an on-off button above the card slot on one end. The miniUSB power port is on the top, and there’s a pin-hole mic between the card slot and the power button.


There are various protected grills/vents on several sides, at least some of which is for sound. For a tiny little unit, it’s easy for me to review my last drive home, with a podcast playing, over the noise of lawnmowers and kids that I’m hearing on my back deck writing spot.
The default setting for the firmware is for English, with no parking mode, incident mode (where the clip being recorded will be locked if a jolt or collision is detected based on the motion sensor), with a time-stamp on the videos. This is pretty standard. The four buttons across the bottom of the unit change function when you press them. They are used to replay captured video, format the data card, change the date, turn off the beeping sound, etc.

Setup

Setup of the Trace 1 was minimal. Other than installing a TF storage card (not included), affixing the suction cup mount to the windshield and routing the wire and attaching it to a power plug, there’s really nothing to it. (I didn’t set the time/date at this point, which shows in the video clips.) By default, it’s set to turn on when it has power and stay in “park” mode as long as the battery lasts. Park mode can be set to three levels of sensitivity (as can the normal “incident” mode). This will start recording video and audio if there is a jolt or crash to the vehicle. You can select the length of videos, and in Park mode, the camera will record video until there is no more motion, and then finish the clip. This will allow you to view what happened in case of a parking lot crash where someone hits your car, then drives off.

Here’s a short clip from my exciting commute into work. Note the car passing me on the left at about 7 seconds, which shows in the front camera after the view transitions from rear to front view.

Performance

What I like

  • Single unit takes front and rear-facing video
  • 170º coverage on both front- and rear-facing cameras totals 340º of coverage
  • Both cameras capture high-def video
  • Light and small
  • Runs on battery power for a good while.

What needs to be improved

  • I can’t think of anything.

Final thoughts

As noted in previous dash cam reviews, I have a very short commute and most drivers obey the rules of the road and tend to not try to make me hit them for insurance fraud like in some countries. But, given the nature of changes in our society, there seem to be increasingly many incidents that could be helped by having a video camera on and running all the time. If you’re feeling that vibe, this is a pretty nice little unit to consider.

Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Akaso.

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Akaso Trace 1 dash cam review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 30, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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E-WIN Champion Series gaming chair review


REVIEW – Gaming; it’s something we are capable of doing for hours at a time, but don’t give any thought into the chair we sit in! I’ve recently started to get back into PC gaming after a bit of a hiatus and realized that the chair I have is not all that comfortable. I wanted something that would give me more back and bottom support, as well as keep me happy while working or gaming for a few hours. I recently got the chance to review one of E-WIN’s gaming chairs, so I chose the awesome looking E-WIN Champion Series Gaming chair. Let’s take a look!

What is it?

The E-WIN Champion Series Gaming Chair is ergonomic, padded with a racing seat design and PU leather material. It has vertical adjustments along with adjustable armrests, and a quilted surface. It comes with both a neck and back pillow for comfort.

What’s in the box?

  • Disassembled chair
  • Screws, bolts etc
  • Instruction manual
  • White gloves

Hardware specs

The E-WIN Gaming Chair’s frame construction is metal, with high-density separated foam. The rolling wheels and base are made of aluminum, and the cover of the entire chair is PU leather with a quilted pattern down the middle. The height of the chair goes from 14.6 in – 18.9 in, and the width is about 29.6 in including the armrests. The angle at which the chair tilts forwards and back is between 85 – 155 degrees. The max supported weight is 330lbs.

Design and features

The E-WIN Champion Series Gaming Chair is designed for comfort in mind while gaming or office work. The armrests have front, back, left and right sliding buttons, which are great for someone like me who is constantly adjusting the comfort level of the chair. The seat height is adjustable and the back can recline between 85 and 155 degrees.
The lowest height setting of the chair is a slight problem for someone my height (5’4″) who has shorter legs (26″ inseam) since my feet don’t hit the floor flat. While this isn’t a deal breaker, I sometimes had trouble getting up without the chair tiling forward a bit. I’d love for it to be an inch or two lower like other office chairs.

There are adjustable and removable neck and back pillows attached with straps. I liked the support of having the back pillow the best since it fits my lumbar region nicely.

Setup

Set up was pretty easy compared to traditional office chairs. E-WIN provided white gloves to protect your hands, which was a nice touch. The instructions were pretty clear and it took me a couple of hours to assemble. The parts weren’t too heavy so I was able to lift and put it together myself.

What I like

  • Sturdy feel
  • PU leather has a decent feel
  • Very comfortable for many hours (4+) of sitting

What needs to be improved

  • Height adjustment should go lower

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed using the E-WIN Champion Series Gaming Chair for everyday use. I love the back support/pillows, how wide and tall the chair is, and is breathable. It’s very ergonomic and has great support for the lower back. I’d probably recommend it a bit more if you’re a bit taller or have longer legs, but overall it’s extremely comfortable!

Price: $309.00
Where to buy: ewinracing.com and Amazon. If ordering from the EWIN site, you can use the
code “Gadgeteer” for 20% off
Source: The sample of this product was provided by E-WIN Racing.

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E-WIN Champion Series gaming chair review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 29, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Roborock Xiaowa E35 robotic vacuum/mop review

REVIEW – Robotic vacuums suck.  Well, that’s their job, right?  They suck all the dust bunnies, hair, and dirt up from your floors so you don’t have to. Roborock’s new Xiaowa (pronounced ZY-o-wa) E35 robotic vacuum ups the ante by adding wet mopping to its repertoire.

What is it?

The E35 is a fairly standard looking robotic vacuum in the familiar Roomba round design. It has multiple cleaning modes, including wet mopping, and multiple suction levels based on floor material and desired sound volume. Before robots become our evil overlords and while they are still in servant mode, let’s take a look and see if the E35 deserves a place in your home.

What’s in the box?

  • Xiaowa vacuum
  • Charging home
  • Charging home guide plate
  • Charging cord
  • Extra dust bin filter
  • Bruch cleaning tool
  • Mopping reservoir with pad
  • Extra mopping pad
  • Four extra mopping reservoir filters
  • Troubleshooting guide
  • Installation guide
  • User manual
  • Accessory discount card

Hardware specs

  • Dimensions: 13.7 x 13.8 x 3.6 inches
  • Weight: 7 pounds
  • Battery: 14.4V 5200 mAh

Design and features

As I mentioned above, the overall design is pretty standard for robotic vacuums.  It is round, with a side sweeper brush and collision-sensing bumpers.  It also has an optical collision sensor that sounds good on paper.  More on that later.

Setup

Set up was pretty straightforward.  You unbox everything, snap the clear plate onto the docking station and plug in the cord. Then, you power up the vacuum by holding the power button down for a few seconds.  Once it powers up, hit the button for return-to-dock and it self-parks and charges – a voice prompt reports “charging”. You can also just place the vacuum on the dock manually, but what fun is that?

Downloading the app was a little more difficult because I made it that way. I looked for the app in the Google Play store.  I couldn’t find it.  I tried “Roborock”. I tried “Xiaowa”.  Neither worked. Then I got creative and scanned the QR code on the included setup guide.  It turns out that app control is handled through the Mi Home app. So, live and learn. I guess directions do help at times.  After creating a Mi Home account, I waited for the vacuum to completely charge.  It arrived with about a 35% charge.

The charging base is pretty standard for a robotic vacuum.  It has a status light on top when the vacuum is trying to find it.

I installed the Mi Home skill for Alexa as well so I can be so lazy that I don’t even have to pick up my phone to start vacuuming. I went through the app looking for customization options.  You can name your location and the robot.  I tried “Jeeves”, but when I tried to initiate it via Alexa, she kept hearing me say “GPS” and not Jeeves. So I opted for “Rosie”.  Since the vacuum’s voice is female, Rosie makes more sense than Jeeves, anyway. I can tell Alexa to “turn on Rosie” and the vacuum starts up.  “Turn off Rosie” sends it back to the charging dock.

Performance

Vacuuming

I decided to let Rosie go to town and vacuum. I let her loose and she immediately got hung up on the track to my sliding door.

She couldn’t extricate herself and she said she had an error code 3.  A pop-up on my phone indicated her wheels were stuck and to please free her.  I did, and she happily continued on.

I was surprised how relatively quiet the vacuum is. To my ear, it is noticeably quieter than our Roomba. The other thing that surprised me was how fast it was.  Our home is roughly 2,000 square feet.  We usually have the two guest rooms closed off, bringing the square footage to clean down to perhaps 1,200 – 1,400 square feet.

The shot above shows the cleaning map from the Xiaowa on the left and the Roomba on the right. As you can see, they are essentially the same.  The Xiaowa cleaned the area in 134 minutes.  The Roomba did it in 295 minutes.  The Roomba had completed it before in 225 minutes.  To me, this is a significant difference.

The Xiaowa is designed for a very efficient vacuuming pattern. As best it can, it goes in straight lines to complete an area.  Once it has covered the entire area, it runs around the perimeter.  Contrast that with the Roomba that will move in straight lines, but also a fair amount of random movement, making it more inefficient.

The E35 will also automatically adjust suction based on whether it is on hard flooring or carpeting. That’s a nice touch as it keeps the noise down.

I was impressed with the amount of dust, hair, and dirt the vacuum picked up.  Unfortunately, I was so impressed, I forgot to take a photo. I did take one after another clean, however, which still shows a fair amount of debris captured.

Getting to the dustbin is really simple – just lift the top door. The little blue light shows it is connected to Wi-Fi.

Grab the bin by the finger tabs in the front and back and it lifts right out. A voice prompt mentions that the bin has been removed. This is so much better than our Roomba that always drops debris on the ground.  This bin lifts out very cleanly.

Open the large door, and the debris dumps out easily into the trash can.  Then, snap out the filter and give it a bang or two on the trash can side.

Once debris-free, snap the filter back in, close the bin door and drop it back in place in the vacuum.  The voice tells you it is properly installed and you’re ready to clean again. The filters can be rinsed, dried and used again.

I also used its scheduling feature to run in silent mode overnight.  We woke up in the morning to find the robot sitting on the small black rug we have in front of the front door.  It seems that the Xioawa does not do well with black rugs.  It has both an impact bumper and an optical obstacle avoidance sensor.  It appears that the contrast between the rug and floor confused the optical sensor.

One feature of most robot vacuums is virtual walls, where you can block off an area for the vacuum not to enter. Unfortunately, the E35 doesn’t come with any.  You have to purchase them separately.  The virtual wall is a black magnetic strip that you place at a boundary that you don’t want the vacuum to cross. Not including some of the material is a bit of an oversight. Plus, who wants to put black magnetic tape all over the floor?

Mopping

One of the attractions with this model is that it also can mop. To test out mopping, I closed Rosie in my master bathroom.  You have to block access to carpeted areas and take up any throw rugs or you will wind up with mopped carpet.

To mop, you put a mopping pad on the mopping reservoir and fill the reservoir with water.

The reservoir fits under the back of the robot.  Here it is sticking out as I slid it into place.

And, here it is snapped in place.

Because it installs in the back, and the vacuuming area is in the front, the robot does a cursory vacuum before dragging the mopping pad over the area to be cleaned.  Here is Rosie, happily mopping away.  Note the complete lack of a wet streak behind the vacuum.

I watched it mop the entire bathroom.  It covered the main areas, including entering the toilet room and the doorway.  Then, it went around the perimeter before completing the cleaning and stating that I needed to take it to the charge station as it couldn’t find it. Of course, that’s because it was locked in the bathroom.

At one point, I did see a slight wet streak behind it, but essentially, the floor was dry immediately. It took 16 minutes to clean the bathroom, but I figured since I never really saw any moisture, it didn’t really do anything. I was wrong.

There was a fair amount of dirt removed.  Pretty impressive, and perhaps a little embarrassing. Of course, there would be no point in mopping a perfectly clean floor. The pads slide in a channel and then use velcro to stick to the reservoir, making them easy to remove and clean.

Other points

The Mi Home app provides status for the vacuum.

You can choose from cleaning several modes:

  • Pure mopping
  • Silent (really: quiet – it isn’t silent)
  • Standard – standard suction
  • Strong – stronger suction for heavy dirt
  • MAX – maximum suction for really heavy dirt

You can also do spot cleaning by placing the vacuum in a dirty area and choosing spot cleaning.  The vacuum will clean in a spiral, covering about a five-foot circle.

Finally, if you are so inclined, you can run the vacuum by remote control.

Of course, that negates a lot of the benefits of having a robot to do the cleaning for you.

Like most robot vacuums, it will find its way home at the end of the cleaning cycle, or, in the middle, if it needs to recharge.

You can also check cleaning logs to see how the vacuum has been doing.

Xiaowa also allows for scheduling so it can clean when you aren’t around.

What I like

  • It’s quiet, relatively speaking
  • It’s fast
  • It mops
  • Large debris bin
  • Alexa integration
  • Nice voice prompts

What needs to be improved

  • Gets stuck too easily on a sliding door track
  • Gets stuck on a black throw rug
  • No included virtual wall
  • Virtual walls have to be stuck to the floor

Final thoughts

I really like the Roborock Xiaowa E35 robot vacuum with some reservations.  As I wrote this, I had it mopping the large living area.  It got stuck three times on the sliding door track. Grr…

Still, it mopped the roughly 750 square foot area in 93 minutes while I sat, watched golf and wrote this review.

With its excellent debris removal, great bin design and mopping, it looks like Rosie will have a permanent place here.

Price: $359.99 ($305.99 with Prime)
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Roborock.

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Roborock Xiaowa E35 robotic vacuum/mop review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 29, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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Lecone wireless charger and desk caddy review

REVIEW – Wireless charging is included in almost every smartphone these days. Since they all use the Qi charging protocol, the market is being flooded with chargers in all shapes and sizes. The latest one to pass through my hands is the Lecone Wireless charger and desk caddy.

What is it?

A fabric-covered wireless charger with a captive USB cable and a desk caddy in a single piece.

What’s in the box?

Just the charger.

Hardware specs

(From company website)

  • Textured fabric charging stand: High quality fabric design not only provides good touch experience, but also adds a clean, modern and stylish look to your home or office
  • Upgraded Fast Charging: Save you about 30 minutes than standard wireless charging stand. Charging times vary based on different adapter and device
  • Versatile Viewing Experience : Upgraded Dual-coil design allows you to charge your phone vertically or horizontally while using FaceTime or watching videos
  • Safety Guarantee: Temperature control, foreign object detection, power input monitoring, and more ensure safe operation
  • Non-slip Pad: Anti-slip rubber pad on bottom can efficiently keep your phone more stable in place and preventing the charger itself from slipping or being knocked out

Design and features

The Lecone Wireless Charger and desk caddy is a simple concept with great execution. It’s a phone cradle that’s 3.25″ wide with a 4.5″ resting surface for the phone that is 56º from the desk. There’s a .75″ lip to hold your phone, which will handle all but the thickest cases – which probably won’t work with the Qi charger anyway! This places your phone in the perfect position to glance at when, say, an alert message displays. It’s also the perfect angle for video calls.
The caddy is a box on the left side of the unit with a 10º sloped front (from vertical) and an opening of 3.5″ x 3″. At 4.25″ deep, you can easily reach your hand in, if you lose something small inside.
Every surface of the caddy except the bottom is covered by a tight, grey-patterned linen-like cloth, that feels very nice under the hand. The bottom is made from a dark leather-like material, not exactly grippy, but a smoother texture than the other material, so as not to scratch wooden tables. All edges are turned under and tightly stitched, and the fabrics are glued to the underlying materials.
There is only one visible piece of branding – a small white logotype on the lowest edge of the caddy. There is also an LED centered on the charger cradle that lights up to indicate charging (green), power with no device present (blue), or goes out when the device is fully charged.
A ~5 foot USB cable comes from inside the unit and passes through a hole behind the cradle. There’s a small compartment created by the cradle and the vertical back (also lined with the fabric) where small items could be placed (a file drawer or desk key, perhaps?) or excess cable pulled in for those who love hidden cables.

What I like

  • Very attractive linen-like surface
  • Captive cable means it won’t get disconnected
  • Perfect size and angle for phone charging, video calls and desk/nightstand
  • Qi certified – Compatible with a wide range of devices

What needs to be improved

  • I can’t think of anything

Final thoughts

I’ve not been a fan of desk caddies personally since I left the graphics world and paper behind. At home by my TV loveseat, however, this caddy has been a great find. I plop my phone in, grab the TV glasses from the caddy and store my “walking-around” glasses, and always know where the remote is. It looks great, which means it won’t cause any – um – “discussions” with the Lovely Bride. Five stars.

Price: $27.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Lecone.

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Lecone wireless charger and desk caddy review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 28, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Audioengine 512 portable wireless speaker review

REVIEW – As I’ve reviewed a few Audioengine speakers over the years, one thing stands out as much as the audio quality, and that’s integrity. Audioengine doesn’t BS the customer with hyperbole or inflated specs. They are honest and deliver good to great audio products for a fair price. Even if I find fault with anything they make, it’s not because they cut corners or used some off-brand part. Which brings us to their first portable Bluetooth speaker—the Audioengine 512 Portable Wireless Speaker.

What is it?

The 512 is Audioengine’s first portable speaker. It’s relatively small, easy to carry and is built tough. Two custom 2″ transducers with advanced voice coils on one side and a 3″ x 1.75″ passive radiator on the other side provide a 360° soundstage with plenty of bass—especially when you consider its size. The shell is a combination of a tough, thick plastic band that wraps two rounded-metal perforated grills. The 512 is a speaker that is as tough as it looks—as long as it doesn’t get wet. More on that later.

 

Specs

  • Amplifier type: Class D
  • Power output: 20 watts total (10 watts per channel)
  • Drivers: 2” full-range transducers, 3″ x 1.75″ passive radiator
  • Inputs: Wireless Bluetooth, 3.5mm stereo mini plug
  • Battery life: (up to) 12 Hours
  • Charge time: 5 hours to 100%
  • Frequency response: 60Hz-20kHz
  • Protection: Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection
  • Bluetooth 5.0 audio
    Wireless operation range: (up to) 100ft (30m)
  • Weight: 2.5lbs
  • Dimensions: 3”(H) x 7.75”(W) x 3”(D)

What’s in the box?

  • Micro USB – USB charging cable, 2.67 feet
  • Quickstart guide

Design and features

Audioengine has stated that they waited on making a portable speaker until they could get it right. I don’t doubt that because they got many things right with the 512. The speaker looks like a large pill—similar to Beats “Pill” speakers, but shorter and higher. It comes in two color choices—black or forest green. There’s no handle, but it’s not needed. It’s easy to grip for carrying. Beware of dropping it because the protective metal grill can dent, although the speakers underneath should still be protected. Four small rubber tabs help keep the speaker in place and upright so it won’t roll around on its tubular shape.

 

There are a series of straight-line buttons along the top of the 512 speaker. From left to right are Play/pause; AUX (bypassing Bluetooth), Volume down, Volume up, Bluetooth pairing and finally the On/off button. There are tiny LED lights on top that indicate how much battery power is left.

The 512 speaker uses Bluetooth 5.0 which gives the best Bluetooth audio quality possible. Bluetooth has come a long way in just a few years and the 512 takes advantage of that. Plus the Bluetooth range is 100 ft.—three times the average range of 32 ft. 

At one end is a rubberized cover that protects the AUX and charging ports. At the other is a place for looping a strap. However there is no strap included, so you’re on your own if you want to hang the speaker anywhere.

I’m conflicted about the design of the 512 speaker. The speaker is rugged and looks like it’s built for the outdoors. However, it’s not water resistant. In other words, don’t get it wet. It just looks like it can survive a rainstorm. Even the ports are covered with a waterproof seal. So, if the 512 is technically an indoor (or outdoor good-weather) speaker, why not design it as a classy indoor portable speaker and save the rugged look for a future speaker that can fall into a pool? 

To be fair, Audioengine has said that they can easily make a waterproof speaker, but to do so compromises the audio, so they made the hard decision to forgo a waterproof rating. Here is their statement, “This is something we struggled with when developing the 512. Our engineers choose materials based on what will provide a high quality sound, and using water-resistant materials would have a negative effect on that. It was a tough decision to make, but if we have to compromise on something, sound quality is not going to be it.” I get that—it just looks waterproof.

Enough nitpicking. What’s most important is how the 512 speaker sounds. Good news: it sounds really, really good. There are specific things you listen for when reviewing any audio product. Portable Bluetooth speakers require some compromises, but the 512 hasn’t compromised at all in a couple of areas. One is stereo separation. When the 512 is centered in front, there is definite left and right stereo going on. True, this is heard in many dual driver Bluetooth speakers, but it’s much more pronounced on the 512. 

Which brings us to soundstage—that feeling of being in the music rather than off to one side of the stage. This is something almost no portable Bluetooth speaker has. It’s just not there. It’s shocking how “spread out” music on the 512 sounds. Sometimes it seems that there is more than one speaker playing. It can be eerie. This may sound like hyperbole, but it’s not. The 512 speaker’s soundstage is flat out amazing! You have to hear it to appreciate it.

Audioengine states that they voiced the 512 speaker to sound like, well—an Audioengine speaker. To my ears, this means that the speaker leans a bit to the warm side with slightly boosted bass. The advantage of this audio approach is that a speaker can be listened to for hours with no aural fatigue. The 512 does exactly this. Any style of music I want to hear sounds warm and full with no harshness in the upper frequencies. That goes for classic rock, jazz, modern music and even audiophile recordings that may contain more upper range than people may be used to.

I discovered one interesting advantage while listening to the 512 speaker. I play music all day while at work and it can never be played loud (NO one I work with likes my taste in music). So, the volume has to be set quite low. I discovered that the 512 still sounds great—even at a lower volume. Many portable speakers tend to just disappear if the volume is set too low. Not the 512. Plus, when centered between my keyboard and monitor, the magic of the 512’s soundstage becomes quite apparent.

Of course, the 512 can get loud, but it’s never loud to the point of distortion. I have other portable speakers that can get louder, but they cost 3 times what the 512 speaker costs. For its price, the 512 holds its own, thank you very much.

What I like

  • Heft and build quality
  • Easy on the ears audio
  • Clear and easy button layout
  • Easy Bluetooth pairing with extended range
  • That soundstage!

What needs to be improved

  • It looks waterproof, but isn’t

Final Thoughts

The Audioengine 512 Portable Wireless Speaker has a lot going for it. It’s easy on the ears at any volume and worth its price on soundstage alone.

If you’re wondering why the 512 speaker is called the 512, it’s simple. Audioengine is located in Austin, TX and the area code is … 512.

Price: $169 US
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this product was provided by Audioengine.

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Audioengine 512 portable wireless speaker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 28, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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