Is the LG FH6 X-Boom Freestyler Bluetooth Speaker more than just a gimmick?

IT’S a music speaker, karaoke machine, turntable, home entertainment sound bar, light machine and radio all-in-one. But does it really need all of this?

FOR the past few weeks at work, I have had an imposing product sitting next to my desk, which captured the attention of nearly every person walking by.

“What the hell is that thing,” was the general question that was mustered from my colleagues.

“Well, let me show you,” was my genuinely excited response.

The product in question is the $599 LG FH6 X-Boom Freestyler Bluetooth Speaker.

LG has described the speaker as an all-in-one sound system and it’s not wrong.

Let’s take a look at the features:

• Two 8-inch bass woofers and two 1-inch tweeter drivers

• USB port for playing your own MP3 and WMA file types

• FM radio tuner

• NFC Bluetooth for up to three devices at once (including an LG Smart TV)

• Two huge, light-up speakers separated by a bright, flashy LED strip

• AUX In connection

• A pair of microphone inputs

• A voice canceller

• Key changing feature

• Scratch pad

• DJ effect sound pad

On the surface, all of these features seem to be pretty impressive and they are — for the most part.

The speaker has been designed for music with strong bass and it doesn’t disappoint, offering 600W of power.

Or if you are really looking to annoy the neighbours, you can pair two speakers together for a bone-rattling 1200W of power.

The system can be used vertically or horizontally, with the device adjusting the output to suit the orientation.

As mentioned earlier, the boom box has Bluetooth connectivity for three devices, which removes the need to pair your smartphone every time you want to play something.

Additionally, the LG MusicFlow app allows all three connected devices to take turns in playing the next song, which would be helpful in a party scenario.

In addition to sound, the light-up speakers separated by a bright, flashy LED strip add a whole other dimension to your experience.

These can be turned off or you could cycle through the 64 different light combinations that respond to the beat and rhythm.

Further to the features above, the two mic inputs on the speaker allow it to be used as a karaoke machine.

Impressively, a voice cancelling feature can lower the volume of the song you are trying to sing over, which can make the karaoke more authentic.

And if the next person to take the mic isn’t the best singer, the key changing feature will adjust the pitch to make them sound a little less horrible.

On top of the speaker also features a scratch pad and three DJ sound effect buttons.

While it’s fun to play with these initially, they grow annoying quite quickly.

Also, the DJ effects only play over the track instead of mixing it like an authentic equipment would, which makes the features kind of irrelevant.

So with all this in mind, the question is if should you should purchase this speaker?

To be honest, I am still undecided. The speaker feels largely gimmicky with all of the components included — namely the DJ effects and scratch pad.

I feel this is made purely for house parties, so if you are one who loves to throw a bash with disco lights, karaoke and DJing, this couldn’t come more recommended.

The speaker itself is impressive when cranked up as intended, although it might be a little too much to use as a sound bar for your TV or even to casually listen to music at home by yourself.

It really just depends on if you think you would get enough use from the $599 investment.

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