Forget about going to the party, become the party with this Bluetooth speaker.
I am not sure how people survived the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic without an on-demand source for music, video, and book streaming. It seems that my interest in audiobooks has drastically expanded, as has my interest in binging episodes of new and old programs. Despite the increased streaming, the remaining moments of my free time have been devoted to comfort tracks/albums. Even though listening with on-ear, over-ear, or in-ear headphone systems may provide an exciting single-user experience, sometimes my family wants to join in and enjoy a jam session. The waterproof XSound Mega Speaker from Tribit filled a much-needed family portable speaker need. Thanks to the availability to download videos/music tracks on our smart devices, the Tribit speaker was ready for fun even when an internet connection was unavailable. Tribit has been a genuinely fantastic companion over these last few snowy NTI days.
The XSound Mega speaker arrived in a clean, white 10 3/4 inches long by 5 1/4 inches tall by 3 3/8 inches thick retail package. The cover panel listed the company name atop the panel, within the negative space of an emergency cone-colored rectangle. Beneath the company name, you will find the XSound Mega product name in bold black font. Next, you will find another splash of orange color nestled along the lower-left corner of the panel. The orange accent detailed the portable nature of the speaker and provided a catchy slogan, “Take Your Bass to the Max.” Despite the attractive accents, the main focus of the cover panel was the slightly raised, glossy, photograph-quality XSound Mega picture. The image showcased the speaker buttons, the shoulder carry strap, and a colorful rainbow ROYGBV pattern along the rim of the speaker. The black on white color scheme combined nicely with the orange flare to provide a visually appealing cover panel.
Sticking to the black-on-white theme, you will find six black-colored product icons upon the white panel: 1. IPX7 Waterproof. 2. Bluetooth 5.0. 3. Multi-EQ Mode. 4. 20 Hours Playtime. 5. Superior Sound. 6. 100+Broadcast (Link 100+speakers). The white-colored front and right side panels listed a silver-colored Tribit “Unleash the true sound” logo, while the left panel provided the XSound Mega title. The orange-colored rear panel listed the product name along the top left and the BTS35 Model plus SKU/FCC ID along the midsection of the panel. You will find product manufacturing labels, compatibility icons (computer, tablet, smartphone), and a thank you paragraph along the lower section of the panel. The rear panel successfully utilized the negative white space within the emergency cone-colored backdrop like the cover panel. I loved the orange and white color scheme, the presentation, and that Tribit did not overburden the panels with excessive detail/verbiage.
I lifted the front panel and the internal orange flap and noted the labels on the internal orange cardboard tray: 1. USB & Aux Cable (top left). 2. Lanyard (top right). 3. User Manual (bottom right). The tray was divided into an upper 1 1/8 inches thick by 10 3 /8 inches long by 3 1/8 inches tall accessory tray and a lower 9 3/4 inches long by 3 1/4 inches wide by 3 1/8 inches tall cutout. Within the lower tray, you will find the 2-pound 4.7-ounce speaker encased within an opaque foam bag. Within the upper tray, you will find a 40 3/8 inches long USB-A to USB-C cable, a 25-inches long 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable, and a 32 inches long by 1-inch wide shoulder strap with pewter buckles. I located the pewter hooks along both sides of the 9 7/8 inches long by 3 3/4 inches thick by 3 1/4 inches tall speaker and installed the carry strap buckles. I located the 2 1/4 inches long by 11/16 inches tall rubber access port on the back of the speaker and then lifted the rubber access port plug. Hidden beneath the waterproof plug, you will find a 5V/2A USB-A output port, a 3.5mm port, and a USB-C input/ 5V/2A output port. I plugged the USB-A to USB-C cable into a 5V/2A output port, and evaluated the surface of the speaker. The top panel had a power button, a 5/8 inches diameter Bluetooth Button, a triangular play button, a “-” volume down button, a “+” volume up button, a sun-shaped light icon, and an EQ button. Along the lower front of the top panel, you will find a red/orange sticker with details about the Xbass, Music, and Audiobook LED modes. The microphone was placed just in front of the sun icon.
The top and bottom panels had a rubberized cross-thatched light/dark black appearance, which provided an appealing visual and tactile experience. The matte-black, smooth, single-segment side/back panel with rear heat/bass ports contrasted nicely against the rubberized/textured top panel. The bottom panel provided four 5/16 inches diameter rubberized feet and a matte-black product detail plaque. Unfortunately, the information on the bottom of the speaker was quite difficult to read, and I struggled to adjust the panel into the light. Luckily, however, the information was mostly redundant and did not add much to the overall experience. The only caveat was that the panel listed the battery size at 3.65V/4000mAh x2/29.2Wh. Pleased with the look, feel, and design of the speaker, I set it down upon the four rubberized feet and allowed the speaker to charge.
Before you toss the box into the recycling bin, make sure that you remove the multi-lingual instruction manual (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese) contained within the front segment of the orange tray. The first page of the manual described basic product safety precautions, and a list of the product specifications (BT 5.0, A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP support, 30W output power, 60Hz-20KHz frequency response, 3.65V/4000mAh x2/29.2Wh battery, up to 20Hr playtime, 4hour charge time, IPX7 waterproof rating, 250mm x 87mm x 80mm product dimensions and 1020g weight). The second panel provided a visual list of the package contents, while the third and fourth panels detailed the button overview. To modify my description above, the triangle button was not solely a play button. Rather, it served as a multi-function button. The manual did show a small “N” (NFC) to the left of the Power button/indicator, which was somewhat hard to visualize on the speaker. Panel five detailed the rear input/output connections, while the sixth panel provided a useful step-by-step how-to connect to Bluetooth. The seventh panel detailed the ability to connect via NFC (if available with your smart device), and the eighth panel provided information about pairing a second Tribit XSound Mega speaker. Unfortunately, there were several typographical errors within this section of the instruction manual.
My favorite section of the instruction manual was the button control table located on pages 9-10. The table described activating/deactivating the Broadcast mode (pairing with another XSound Mega speaker), and provided a useful list of the button features for the MFB button. A single press will allow you to play/pause a track or answer/end a call, a double-tap will enable you to move to the next track, a triple-tap will allow you to return to a previous track, and a two-second hold will activate the voice assistant. A single-tap of the volume buttons will either decrease or increase the sound respectively. The light button will turn on/off the lights, and the EQ mode will rotate between Music Mode, Bass Mode, and Audiobook Modes. The last sections of the manual described the indicator light statuses, how to reset the speaker, provided information about customer service (18-month limited warranty) plus support@tribit.com FAQ, and an FCC statement. I was pleased with the manual and how it provided easy-to-digest helpful information. I cannot attest to the quality of translation for the other languages. I would rate the English section at 9.5/10, with only a slight loss due to minor errors.
Once the red power LED extinguished (~40 minutes), I removed the USB-C cable, and reset the waterproof plug. I pressed the power button and appreciated both a visual and auditory cue to the powered-on status; a white power LED illuminated and a three-tone ascending power-on signal followed the light cue. Next, the Bluetooth icon began to flash. I navigated to Settings on my iPhone 13 Pro Max, then to Bluetooth, and selected Tribit XSound Mega from the list. The pairing process with my iPhone could not have been more straightforward. I loved that the user did not have to manually pair the device to the smartphone and that it paired automatically. Even though I do not tend to set up very many shortcuts, this speaker reminded me about the convenience of NFC communication. I navigated to Shortcuts, selected Automation, “+”, Create Personal Automation, NFC, add Action, scripting, set playback destination (under device), set volume to 40%, and then set the command to activate amazon prime music. Alternatively, I set Apple Music to auto-play when I tapped the NFC node atop the speaker. The shortcut feature can be quite powerful when initiating various combinations of Apps and may enhance your enjoyment of the speaker.
To test the buttons/connectivity and sound, I started with my typical frequency tests through the audiocheck.net website. I selected the Low-Frequency Response and Subwoofer Audio Test (10-200 Hz) from the test panel and repeated the test in XBass, Music, and Audiobook modes. You can access these modes easily by pressing the “EQ” button at the far right of the row of buttons. I was a bit disappointed to hear the male announcer vocalize 10Hz, 20 Hz, then 30Hz, before finally hearing sound at 40Hz. The XBass button provided a richer, deeper, fuller sound than the other two modes, but did not improve the frequency range. Alternatively, the music mode provided a medium bass presence, while the Audiobook mode eliminated most of the bass and favored mid sounds. In fact, while in Audiobook mode, The sound was not heard/felt until closer to 60Hz. For the second test, I navigated to the High-Frequency Response and Hearing Audio Test (22-8 kHz) and repeated the test with each of the modes. In Audiobook mode and volume at 50%, I played the test track. I heard sound at 13kHz for the Audiobook mode, and at 15kHz for both Music Mode and XBass mode. My 10-year-old son noted he was able to hear sound at 15kHz in Audiobook mode, and 17kHz for the other two modes. If you have read any of my previous speaker/headphone reviews, then you know that I like to utilize several of the tests through the audiocheck.net website. As I did not have a second XMega speaker to pair, I did not have the ability to test the TWS pairing features of the speaker. Thus, I did not use the Left/Right/Center or Stereo Perception and Sound Localization tests. The speaker range was a bit lacking compared to other speakers including the Tribit XSound Go, which has been my go-to office speaker for the past several years.
I listened to a new LitRPG by J. Arthur Klein “Extra Credit: A VR MMO LITRPG Adventure” and tested the sound quality between the XBass, Music, and Audiobook modes. I found the XBass mode provided a bit too much fullness and lower range. This did cause a mildly distorted sound that lacked the clarity needed for following audio. I also listened to “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” by John Boyle, and “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. For the strictly narrative audiobooks, the Audiobook mode proved to be superior to the other two modes. The lack of high/low range sounds and the focus upon mid-range sounds provided enhanced clarity and tone to the books. As the LitRPG, performed by Jack Douglas and Maggie Langhorne, was more of an acting performance, it actually suffered a bit by the lack of range. The highs did not feel as high and the lows did not feel as low with the audiobook mode. However, I found the Music mode enhanced the “Extra Credit” experience and allowed for more dynamic voice acting.
When I tested each of the modes against my test audio tracks, I found a mixed pattern of favorite modes. The bounding jazzy bass line present in Holy Cole’s “Train song” was enhanced by the extra boost within the bass mode. Similarly, the poppy sound of Lady Gaga in “Bad Romance” sounded better in the XBass Mode, yet did quite well in music mode. The deep dark sounds of the Dark Knight Rises Joker Theme “Why So Serious” were less palpable with the external speaker than headphones and the experience lost a bit of the pizazz that I have come to enjoy from the song. Additionally, the deep chanting sounds of “Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold” in The Hobbit sounded markedly better with the bass boost than with the other two modes. CeeLo Green’s “Bright Lights Bigger City,” like the experience with Lady Gaga, also sounded okay in both modes but better with the extra bass. Each of these tests showed that the bass added a significant amount of fullness to the sound without distorting the sound or creating a muddy experience. The Audiobook mode removed a great deal of the fullness from the music, which remained present within the music mode to a degree. Interestingly, most of the songs that sounded okay within the music mode sounded better within the Xbass mode. I felt that the Xbass settings were well-programmed for R+B, Rock, Country, Jazz, while the music mode seemed to allow improved clarity for heavier ensemble/instrumental sounds.
To test the mid and upper sounds, I utilized my favorite soundtracks, Far and Away, Robinhood Prince of Thieves, and Braveheart. I next evaluated the speaker with A Capella songs from Pentatonix, Gospel Plowboys, Daves Highway, and Home Free. I found the music mode helped to improve clarity and instrumental staging over the Xbass mode. Unfortunately, the audiobook mode felt a bit distorted with the lack of lower support and the excitement of the upper sounds. These experiences did not matter at all to my children. They loved to press the light button and enjoyed the vibrant LED show. It was hard to determine if they liked the moving rainbow LED show of mode one or if they preferred the movement with mode two. We turned the volume up to 75%, played some Wooly Bully, Imagine Dragons, Purple People Eater, and danced to Kids Bop. Next, we watched Hotel Transylvania Transformania on our iPad and used the Tribit speaker for added support. Each of the final tests was completed in Xbass Mode.
The battery life proved more than sufficient for our needs. Thanks to the IPX7 rating (make sure the back rubber port is closed), the kids were able to listen to music in the bathtub and in the shower. They thought the added music was a fun change from a boring bath time routine. The Bluetooth range allowed me to control the speaker functions throughout my two-story home, and the button sensitivity meant that I was able to control my phone from a distance as well. I loved the ability to activate the voice assistant and the ability to activate Alexa within the Amazon Music App. Additionally, we loved the connection and the lack of static/interference throughout the testing/use. Even though the lower end of the volume spectrum felt a little flatter than that above 25%, the speaker never felt dull. However, it truly shined at 60-75% volume. Over the past week, I have enjoyed several episodes of Money Heist on my iPhone 13 Pro Max and loved that there was no lag between the audio/visual signal. To further test the programming, I watched a few movies on Movies Anywhere, Vudu, and a few episodes of Star Trek Discovery on Paramount Plus. Each of the Apps provided the same experience as Netflix. Unfortunately, the same was not found for YouTube, which had a prominent audio/visual lag.
Even though the speaker may not be audiophile high-end, the near-indestructible waterproof shell, the colorful LED, the various sound modes, and the portable design provided significant positivity points. The weight was slightly on the heavier end, but this supported the Xbass mode. The sound will fill a medium to large size room and will be perfect for a dorm, apartment, office, or even a smaller outdoor gathering. I found that the speaker gained some additional punch by placing it on a sturdy base, near a wall. With up to 20 hours of battery time, waterproofing, and a colorful LED light show, the speaker should be ever ready for your next activity.
Learn more about the Tribit XSound Mega Speaker.
Follow Tribit on Facebook and Twitter.
1 Comment
4.5