Bluetooth audio system have turn into so ubiquitous and reasonably priced that you just not have to depend on one and even two audio system to satisfy all of your cellular audio wants. Nowadays, there’s a Bluetooth speaker for practically any use case, from increase bins to energy your yard barbecue to ultra-portable fashions. Plus, the ever-important bathe speaker for jamming when you clear up.
In the event you’re after the latter, Skullcandy’s Kilo speaker is an attractive funds choice. With strong water resistance, a sturdy clip-on design, and a full day and evening of battery per cost, the Kilo has the products for a stable rest room hold or a ride-along Bluetooth speaker. It will not get you best-in-class sound, because it struggles with definition on the high and backside of the frequency vary, but it surely’s surprisingly effectively balanced for a speaker from a model with a headphone line referred to as “Skullcrusher.” In case your funds can stretch a tiny bit extra, JBL’s Clip 4 is the superior alternative, however the Kilo will get the job performed.
A Good Dangle
{Photograph}: Skullcandy
Carabiners could look cool in Bluetooth speaker adverts dangling from a backpack, however in apply, they’re most helpful for affixing your speaker to a bathe basket or hook for a extra everlasting residency. In that respect, the Kilo’s compact carabiner clip works nice. It’s not as versatile because the bigger clips you’ll discover on JBL’s Clip 4 and even the smaller Clip 3, however its compact dimension makes it simpler to suit into tight spots.
It’s unimaginable to not evaluate the Kilo to JBL’s Clip line. Skullcandy’s mannequin is constructed like a direct response, proper all the way down to the rubberized bottom that helps diffuse it from surfaces for much less bass rumble while you lay the speaker flat. The Kilo’s IPX7 score means it lacks the Clip’s dust-proofing, but it surely’s just about waterproof, in a position to survive showers of every kind or perhaps a brief dunk within the pool.
The Kilo has comparable onboard controls, although it distills the JBL Clip 4’s 5 buttons into three multi-keys that deal with all the pieces from energy and pairing to quantity and music skipping. It took thumbing by way of the directions to determine the elusive skip controls, performed by holding down the quantity keys as an alternative of tapping. That’s particularly important for avoiding podcast adverts when your cellphone’s out of attain. I most popular Skullcandy’s easier management format over time, offering all choices on the speaker’s accessible entrance face.
The Kilo’s function set is bare-bones in any other case. The dearth of a devoted cellular app means there’s no strategy to modify EQ or mix a number of audio system in “Occasion Mode” as on JBL’s newest audio system. You can pair two Kilo audio system collectively for stereo playback, however that is about it.
The most important plus on this bundle is the Kilo’s distinctive 24-hour battery life, which greater than doubles comparable JBL fashions and meets or beats absolutely anything else I’ve examined. You don’t strictly want that a lot battery, but it surely makes charging a rarity, so you may depart the speaker hung within the rest room or out on the deck for days and even weeks. An LED show on the Kilo’s decrease bezel lets when it’s time to seize the USB-C charging cable, which is a pleasant contact.
Podcast Particular
In case your major use case for the Kilo is barreling by way of the ever-growing checklist of podcasts in your Spotify or Audible library, you’ll be in glorious form. The speaker does its finest work within the center frequencies, providing clear and current dialog out of your favourite comedy, thriller, and nonfiction casters. Element is stable, with no offensive sharpness or sibilance to talk of, leaving little to complain about when listening close to.
It does a good job with music, as soon as once more shining within the midrange the place devices like vocals and guitar are rendered with crisp presence, but it surely readily reveals its funds standing when put too carefully beneath the microscope. There’s a tinny, nickel-glaze to brighter devices like cymbals and high-register synths. On the opposite finish, the bass cuts off about as early as you’d anticipate from a contemporary funds speaker however affords sufficient heat and heft to reverberate by way of furnishings with out creating undesirable buzz. Pushing the quantity too onerous can result in some muddying at each ends of the spectrum, however sound stays clear within the heart, particularly in sparser mixes.
Extra achieved (and pricier) audio system just like the Clip 4 and Sony SRS-XB100 supply higher readability and definition within the excessive frequencies and heftier punch down low. The older (and smaller) JBL Clip 3 is a more in-depth comparability. The Clip 3 offered higher general definition and readability in my A/B testing, however the Kilo serves up a weightier soundstage. None of those audio system are going to blow you away, however you’ll get a large bounce in constancy for a bit additional cash.
In the event you’re choosy about your sound, I counsel stepping as much as one of many above choices, each of that are normally discounted. In the event you simply want a superb bathe speaker on a budget, the Kilo’s fashion, sturdiness, and battery life make it a stable choose, and sure a significantly better choice than no-name Amazon specials.
