Dirty Bird
The media could not be loaded.
The SoundBox Pro is a self-contained Bluetooth speaker system. It is rated at 20 watts RMS (2x10 watt) with a pair of passive radiators. It is internally powered by a 2200 mAh Lithium-ion battery that is recharged via a standard Micro-USB connector. The unit is available in 4 colors, Black, Blue, Red, & Light Gray. The speaker feels solid & well-constructed. It is covered in a rubbery material that affords protection from bumps and keeps it in place while in use. The speaker grill is sturdy aluminum in a color set to match the speaker housing. Around the perimeter is the light ring by which the speaker performs its light show. On the gray model this is almost invisible when off as it closely matches the speaker color. I really like the overall design. The SoundBox Pro is slightly larger (wider) than the SoundBox Touch.
The controls are top-mounted buttons with LED indicators for various functions. On the rear is a tethered seal concealing the Micro-USB charging port/charge status light, Audio-In Port, Micro-SD Card Slot, & a RESET button. The tether is thick so you shouldn't wind up ripping it off unless you are careless. Included in the box is the SoundBox Pro speaker, instruction booklet, a USB to Micro-USB cable for charging, & a male-to-male 3.5mm Audio-In cable.
NOTE: Users are advised to charge the speaker fully before first use. Near the Micro-USB charge port is a bright red LED that will extinguish once the speaker is fully charged. From fully depleted until Auto Power Off the speaker requires about 2 hours & 40 minutes to fully charge with a 2.1 amp USB charger.
Upon initial power up the speaker will default to Bluetooth Pairing Mode with the illumination set to 6-color, blink to music mode. Bluetooth pairing is quick & easy via your device, the connection is solid, & subsequent reconnects occur quickly. A small LED above the Power button indicates the speaker mode. Blue for Bluetooth, Green for Micro-SD, or Red for Audio-In mode (must have an active Audio-In connection to activate this mode). Next to the power button is an "Extra Base" button with LED indicator. The main controls are grouped in a circle on the left & include combination Playback/Volume, Add (for pairing a second speaker), and Mode for selecting the previously mentioned modes. The controls are not illuminated but provide a positive tactile feel & are easy to work out in the dark. Quick presses on the +/- button changes the volume while a long press changes tracks. As shipped the SoundBox Pro will Auto Power Off after 15 minutes of inactivity when running on its internal battery. I have not tested if this applies when powered via USB.
Pairing a second speaker for true Left-Right Stereo sound is achieved via the Add button. Press Add on one speaker, then press Add on the other & the two will pair. Once paired an LED will indicate the left & right speaker. Whichever speaker is Left is the Master, with the right being the Slave. Volume & lights are automatically synchronized between units, & all controls work from either speaker, save for Power. Powering down from the Master shuts down both speakers, while powering down from the Slave powers down only the slave. When bother speakers are powered up & within range they quickly & automatically reestablish the stereo pairing. When used alone they default to normal internal stereo output.
You can control the bezel light display & the setting is retained between power cycles. There is the default rotating 6-color mode with blinking to the beat, 6 color cycling with no blink, 3 static colors (red, green, blue), or you can disable the lights entirely. One of my favorite features of the DOSS speakers is the inclusion of a Micro-SD slot (32GB max recommended) so you can carry thousands of songs onboard as a sort of mini-jukebox with a MASSIVE library of songs. All the common file formats are supported. The music will play sequentially, one-after-another. If you prefer Shuffle Play, or wish to disable the Auto Power Off feature, contact DOSS Customer Service for a firmware update.
Sound quality is very nice for such a small speaker. Obviously it isn't going to have the bass punch of a larger system with a dedicated woofer, but it does a great job of filling a room. There is very little distortion even at max volume. Battery life at mid volume level is ~10-12 hours. I am very pleased with these speakers & DOSS in general. The company really seems to have it together & are producing some excellent products at incredible prices.
Two small caveats & a couple suggestions:
1 - Need a method for switching between Sequential/Shuffle play without requiring a firmware update (long press Play button?)
2 - You can not synchronously play music from Micro-SD to a set of paired Soundbox Pro speakers.
Suggestions:
1 - A Bluetooth app where you can change things like Shuffle Play, control volume setting, lights, & check battery level.
2 - Ability to sync Micro-SD playback between paired speakers.
Modinat Dosunmu
T. Hofstetter
Alex M.