Those crazy soundsmiths over at Soundboks in Denmark have launched the fourth generation of the company's stupid loud Bluetooth speaker, which promises improved sonics and a longer battery life at full whack.
Something of a Kickstarter success story, the original Soundboks speaker featured Bluetooth 3.0, a LiFEPO4 battery and a sonic setup designed to deliver 119 dB of loud at beach parties, venues and other music-related gatherings.
The second-generation bumped the output up to 122 dB, and the third upped the ante again to 126 dB. We got to try out the New Soundboks, which like its ancestors was described as being portable – though at 34 lb (15.4 kg), that's quite a heft for one person to haul any serious distance.
The company clearly recognized this with the launch of a genuinely portable speaker that, despite being around half the size of its siblings, still managed to put out up to 121 dB. But now Soundboks has returned to the large format for its latest release, tweaking the sound profile and improving performance along the way.
"We cranked up the bass, fine-tuned the mids and highs for a crystal-clear experience, and optimized basically everything so that the battery lasts a huge 20% longer at full volume," said the company in a press statement.
If pushing the three 72-W Class D amps to drive the dual 10-inch woofers and 1-inch tweeter to the max output of 126 dB, the removable 12.9-V/7.8-Ah LiFePO4 battery is reckoned good for up to six hours of use. That increases to 40 hours if the dial is lowered to mid-volume levels.
All of this raw power is contained within a water-resistant poplar cabinet and aluminum frame with a snap-on powder-coated steel grille to the front, which can be removed for a custom paint job and then popped back on to wow other party goers. Silicone bumpers protect the corners, there are steel handles for hauling this monster to where it needs to be, and the electronics are IP65-rated.
Folks can pair the Soundboks 4 to a music source over Bluetooth 5.0, though there's also a 3.5-mm stereo input plus two XLR/instrument jack combo inputs for plugging in a DJ rig. Up to five units can be wirelessly connected via a nifty TeamUp function. And a companion app can be used to set custom sound profiles and tweak the EQ to taste.
"We are thrilled to introduce the Soundboks 4 to our community and music enthusiasts worldwide," said company co-founder and CEO, Jesper Theil Thomsen. "This new iteration of our premium speaker exemplifies our commitment to delivering the ultimate audio experience. The Soundboks 4 is the perfect companion for those who crave powerful, immersive sound that fuels their passion."
The Soundboks 4 is available from today for US$999. The video below has more.
Product page: Soundboks 4