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The good news is, Bluetooth speakers are getting better. The bad news is, the technology seems to have the same fallacies as radio waves. I know that is probably an uneducated assumption of how the tech works, but the concept is the same. Wireless, a signal is being transmitted to a device which then captures that signal and translates it into music. Something is lost in translation. Yet, with the latest Bluetooth speaker that I got to review - the Killer Concepts RocksteadyXS - it's clear that the path to perfection is the path manufacturers are on.
This Bluetooth 3.0 speaker paired quickly with my phone, a Motorola Startac, I mean Razr. I miss the Startac. Anyway, I immediately pulled up my amazing playlist of awesome music to test out the device. I listen to music probably 60% of the day every day, from while at work to at home and while I'm writing this review. Music is life, and life is jamming. When I review a speaker there are a couple things I'm looking for. I'm listening to the depth of sound, if it has any bass and how it handles distortion. I used to test how they stood up under water, but that ended up being the very last test I would ever do on the device, so I stopped doing that.
Let's talk about that depth. For me, unless I'm listening to something that is supposed to be low fidelity or analog, I like music with depth. Depth is usually provided by the right amount of bass with the music, which means the speaker has to be capable of playing it. This usually means the speaker housing has to be capable of resonating those lower tones. The RocksteadyXS is not entirely capable of this. Now, you have to keep in mind that not unlike a cell phone speaker, the portable Bluetooth speaker isn't built to resonate deep tones.
That being said, the bass delivered by the RocksteadyXS is present but certainly not deep. The only way I could get it to resonate deep tones to create any depth was to put it under a pillow or in a small cardboard box. It's hard to place singular judgement on the speaker for this, but at the price point I expect a little bit more from 100 db - it's a loud sound, just lacking depth. The sideways bit is that when I did put it in a box to create depth, I lost what makes this speaker great - everything else in music besides the bass.
The RocksteadyXS played certain types of music to such intricate detail, I was hearing things in songs that I hadn't heard before, either through headphones or speakers. Artists like Mumford & Sons, The Sheepdogs and Shovels & Rope suddenly had all these little sounds behind the main instruments that I hadn't picked out before. So I have to give it to Killer Concepts on this one. Where the music lacks depth in bass, it makes up for in depth in detail. While I had a hard time listening to something like DJ RoboRob or my latest favorite artist ZZ Ward - both with substantial bass - Calexico's Algiers and Gary Clark Jr's Blak & Blu sounded fantastic. There is a lot going on within the songs on those albums and the speaker pulled it all out.
Yet, this lack of bass depth isn't so bad when you consider the absolute lack of distortion. Often with external speakers, especially over Bluetooth, there can be substantial distortion. The RocksteadyXS displayed very little distortion until I put it at full blast. At that point, like anything else you turn all the way to 11, it didn't sound so great. Lesson: don't turn it all the way to 11. This isn't a Twisted Sister video. Settle down. The case is designed to minimize this distortion by directing air out through the top of the unit.
Physically, the speaker wins on all counts. Dual speakers on the side and an escape for sound on the top help to create a good sound for the details and highs. Unlike previous speakers I've reviewed, this one had buttons that made sense. Simple ones that you push to do things. I know it sounds petty, but the volume control on that last one I reviewed was nuts. You can control the volume independently of your phone, plug in a line via 3.5mm or USB. The USB also can be used to charge devices, so that's nice. The RocksteadyXS is rechargeable with a lithium-ion battery, removable and replaceable if need be. I didn't throw the thing against the wall, as I want to continue using it, but it was sturdy enough tossing about the house like a football and can support things being stacked on it. Its aluminum housing is strong, but I wouldn't take a hammer to it.
When it comes to it, if you want to spend the money and really want the bass the Logitech UE 984-000304 Boombox is probably the best on the market - but at a much higher price point than the RocksteadyXS. Regardless, the RocksteadyXS delivers killer sound in a compact package for the price point - which is important. If I were to compare the two speakers side by side and I had a limited budget, the answer is pretty obvious which way I'd go. Bluetooth technology still has a little way to go when it comes to delivering portable sound that you'd find in a wired stereo system. Overall, the Killer Concepts RocksteadyXS Bluetooth speaker is a step in the right direction of portable speakers.
WIRED Quality and crisp overall sound, low price point and compact portability make the RocksteadyXS a very good buy for a Bluetooth speaker.
TIRED I'm waiting for a low price point Bluetooth speaker to come out that actually has slamming bass.
