Bluetooth Shower Speaker BTS-06
Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary:
Battery: |
Internal 3.7V Li-Po 400 mAh |
Switch: |
5 Front buttons |
Modes: |
Speaker and speaker phone |
LED Type: |
Red/Blue to indicate pairing and charging |
Tailstands: |
Yes, with rear suction cup |
Price Paid: |
Review Sample (Currently 9.99 USD) |
From: |
GearBest.com (http://www.gearbest.com/speakers/pp_2569.html) |
Date Ordered: |
19 May 2014 |
This speaker was provided by gearbest for review. I used this speaker for 1 week prior to review.
Pros:
- Water resistant
- Loud for its size
Cons:
- Need to use specific cable to charge via USB
- No memory of last volume setting
Features / Value: ★★★★☆
The packaging was a hard plastic case in a bubble mailer. The speaker itself seems pretty tough as well. It comes with the unit, a manual in English, French, and Spanish, and the charging cord. It claims a 10 meter range in the manual, and I was able to verify that distance in open space outside.
Gearbest has their own video introduction on youtube.
Design / Build Quality: ★★★☆☆
The housing made of stiff plastic with a grippy feel to the surface. The suction cup and buttons appear to be silicone. The speaker is rear facing and the unit is held together by 4-philips screws.
Unlike the “waterproof” that is on the packaging, the manual states that it is rated IPX-4 rated so “Protected against spraying water - Water spraying at all angles at 10 liters/min at a pressure of 80-100 kN/m2 for 5 min.” Also from the manual Bluetooth 3.0+EDR, 2.4 GHz, 0.1 kg. Size is (L x W x H): 8.1 x 8.1 x 5.5 cm. The packaging also has FCC and CE logos on it for what it’s worth.
Battery Life: ★★★★☆
I occasionally used my unit for a few days at high volume, it lasted several days before I needed to charge it. It is spec’d for aprrox 6 hours use and 3 hours charge at 100-120 mA @ 5V. The LED indicator is red when charging and goes out when done. It is blue when on, and starts flashing a bit when the battery is low. It alternates red/blue when in pairing mode. I would have liked to see a standard connector for charging so I wouldn’t have to keep track of this cable.
Sound Output: ★★★★☆
This thing puts out an impressive amount of volume for a unit this size. The lowest setting is also acceptable to work as elevator-type background music. On high I could hear fine at 10 meters outside. Sound quality was decent with ok range but a little fuzzy. I don't like how it comes on at a loud level everytime you turn it on.
I haven’t used this in the shower, but I have used it while riding my 150 cc motor scooter. In my cargo pants pocket, I could hear music up to about 30 mph before it being drowned out. It was great for stop lights. I just need to find a good mounting system and I may leave it there. It would also be handy in the car.
Summary: ★★★★☆
Overall I give this a 4. For the price of $10, it seems like a fine deal to add some speaker functionality to areas where you may not want to invest in a more permanent setup.