techlinehd

I have used the device for a few weeks to give you guys my genuine opinion.

The box itself is nothing to look at, just some usual Anker stuff.

Let me open it up to show you all the contents, which include Anker’s happy/not happy satisfaction card, where the company brags about its customer care. Also, there is a welcome guide in case you need help to set it up. You can check out my video, so you don’t need to read it. Next up is a nice carrying pouch, which looks and feels to made of decent quality materials. Also, there is a regular Micro USB charging cable and the hook in case you want to attach the speaker somewhere while you are on the go.

The speaker is made out of rubberised plastic material, which gives a nice grip. Also, the device seems to be very sturdy and has a great build quality. What makes the speaker stand out from the regular speakers is the cylindrical design, meaning that the sound is coming from every direction of the speaker. As far as the size, it is very compact and light. On the front side of the speaker there a notification LED light, play/pause/answer the call button along with the volume/down keys. I like the placement of them as they can be easily reached with your thumb once you carry the device.

On the bottom side, there is a power on/off key along with some basic specs and info. Since the device is splash proof, the connection ports had to be covered under the flap, where you can find the Micro USB charging port along with the Micro SD card slot as the speaker supports the playback from the memory card directly.

As usual, pairing is very easy. You just have to power on the device and it enters the pairing mode automatically. Then you just have to select the speaker on your smartphone in the bluetooth settings and you are all set.

As far as the sound quality, I wanted to demonstrate it as professionally as I could (see the video review), so I used the Blue Yeti mic to do that. I will give you my thoughts on the sound quality at the end of the video.

So there you have it. Anker Outdoors Bluetooth speaker. I loved the whole design, choice of materials and built quality of it. Also, I like the fact that it is very easy to hold in your hand and the button placement is excellent. Moreover, IPX4 rating assures that you can use it in the rain easily, but the speaker would not survive if it is submerged into water. Also, the addition of the Micro SD card slot is a great thing as you can free up your smartphone.

As far as battery, Anker says it can last up to 10 hours. I managed to get around 8 hours, which is great for such a compact speaker.

Finally, the sound quality did not impress me much. I’m not saying it is bad per se, but I would call it just above average. The speaker sounds a bit muffled, lacks in mids and the highs are not that clear. I’m not complaining about the bass as you cannot squeeze something more out of this tiny shell. I think that all these cons of the sound quality are mainly because the speaker has splash proof capabilities, meaning that there should be either a special type of speakers or a special layer inside.

All in all, I can recommend the speaker for its design, portability and feature set, but if you are looking for a great sound quality, there are some better offerings.