[section_title title=”Performance”]Â Performance
Setup
Setup on the BoomBar 2 was very straightforward on my Android device, the Bluetooth broadcasting name of the speaker was something logical (its surprising how often this isn’t the case) and pairing took seconds. Functionality wise the speaker is very intuitive, but I did it somewhat annoying that the volume buttons on the speaker actually changed the track rather than the volume on my device; I can only assume it is more geared around IOS devices but at the end of the day its not that hard to change the volume on the phone itself.
Audio Quality
Going by other reviews and the specs I was already expecting a fair bit from the BoomBar 2, with two 5w drivers and a large bass radiator it should produce some pretty healthy sound for its size. It is usually not a good plan to expect too much of any speaker before you test it but I needn’t have worried, the BoomBar 2 produces a very nice amount of deep sound for its compact size and has no trouble filling a room.
The nice thing about the speaker is that the louder you have it the better the sound gets, at full volume the speaker is nice and loud with a healthy amount of bass to it considering there is no subwoofer present. Even at full volume there is no distortion and despite the pretty impressive bass reproduction the BoomBar 2 still manages to push out some nice crisp vocals which all adds up to what is a very nice listening experience, especially when you consider the price.
Range
On paper Kitsound only claim the standard Bluetooth range of up to 10m which as ever is a bit of a ‘I cant be bothered to certify the range’ cop out. Well, I can be bothered to do some testing at least and just like most Bluetooth speakers the BoomBar 2 easily exceeds the 10m spec in open air conditions and has no problems with playback even at another 50% of its quoted range at 15m.
The indoor performance was a bit more impressive though, the BoomBar 2 is amongst the best I’ve tested when it comes to dealing with multiple hard barriers between it and the source so if you like to leave your phone on the side and take the speaker around the house with you it should prove to be fairly flexible.
Call Quality
The call quality on the BoomBar 2 is pretty good, the mic is still susceptible to some feedback and vibration from the drivers but this is reduced by it being on the side and out of the direct sound field of the speaker. As with all Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested, expensive and not so expensive, it is good enough to clearly ask someone to phone you back; but I wouldn’t go out of my way to make a phone call with it.
Battery Life
Kitsound claim a battery life of up to 10 hours for the BoomBar 2 which to be honest is a bit disappointing, given the size and price of the speaker I do feel they could have managed to fit in a higher capacity battery to push it somewhere towards the 15-20 hour region.
In my usage the speaker averaged about a 8.5 hours battery life across two full drains and recharges, the vast majority of my listening was at max or close to it volume however, I have no doubts that if you were listening at a lower volume the speaker would have no trouble meeting and quite possibly exceeding the 10 hour threshhold.
So the performance is pretty good across the board, lets wrap things up with a conclusion.
I have the original version of this Bluetooth speaker. It is ok but the bass was a bit underwhelming so pleased to see Kitsound have improved it in this version.