Review: Laser Portable LED Ice Bucket Speaker, Sonos Roam, Ultimate Ears Boom 3, BlueAnt X4 & Soundboks 3
Music will return this summer as we revel outdoors away from lockdowns.
Now that Australia is easing restrictions and allowing socialising in groups again, summertime is going to be spent around barbecues, on picnic blankets and welcoming a better year ahead. A gathering is always improved with music and to make those experiences shine, you need the right speaker.
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Cool drinks and sounds
You don’t need a large boombox for sunset drinks with your partner at home. This year, Laser has introduced a new product that combines music, lighting and a drinks cooler into one unit. The appropriately named; Laser Portable LED Ice Bucket Speaker, looks like a normal Champagne bucket but if you look at the base, you will find a battery powered Bluetooth speaker with coloured lighting that blooms through the entire bucket. It’s suited to a small group, and can hold four beers or one bottle of wine. It costs $49 which makes it a handy Christmas gift idea.
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Picnic and BBQ companion
Whether you’re cooking a BBQ at home or taking a picnic by the beach this summer, the Sonos Roam ($299) tackles home and away with finesse. At home it can be used as a Wi-Fi connected smart speaker powered by Google or Amazon. The battery powered Roam will outlast your dinner party and has a deeper sound than you expect from a small package. Away from home, it can be used as a Bluetooth speaker, and given it’s water and dirt resistance, it won’t mind where it is placed when providing a playlist to your next small gathering.
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Poolside beats
It’s estimated that 13 per cent of Australian households have a swimming pool in the backyard, and a refreshing dip isn’t the same without a soundtrack. The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 ($199) comes in a range of colours and can play music for more than 15 hours. The 360 degree sound profile makes it perfect for sitting by the pool, and should it accidentally fall in, it will survive thirty minutes under water. It can even float to the surface automatically. With large buttons and a simple form factor, this is ideal for the kids or as part of any pool toy box.
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Backyard Karaoke
Parties in the summer are not complete without a good singalong to great Australian artists. The BlueAnt X4 ($299) is targeted towards parties with flashing colourful lights and a strobe. It comes with a corded microphone and a large volume dial for getting the party started. With a booming sound it is ideal for backyard parties. If the sound from one X4 is not enough, BlueAnt allows multiple X4 speakers to be connected together for a more surround experience.
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Street Party
Big enough to replace the garbage bin in a game of street cricket, the Soundboks 3 ($1599) is a speaker for the neighbourhood. Built for the outdoors the Soundboks looks like it belongs on a concert stage and has the power to match. The volume setting goes up to 11 and can reach 126 decibels. With battery life rated towards 40 hours, this speaker will ring in the new year and into the next day without interruption. Despite being loud, I was extremely impressed with the quality of the sound making it really enjoyable to listen to and a great way to meet neighbours from down the road.
Geoff Quattromani is the host of the Technology Uncorked podcast and contributor to The Australian. Continue the conversation with Geoff on Twitter at @GQuattromani
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