Sbode 12W Bluetooth Speaker Review

Sound Quality

Sbode’s new 12 watt Bluetooth speaker deliver very good sound quality in a 360-degree design that allows everyone setting around the table to hear it clearing. Testing out Weezer’s cover of “Africa” on this speaker didn’t sound quite as crystal clear as I’ve heard on costlier speakers, but music still sounds great on this speaker. When raising the volume to about 85%, highs start to become shrill and somewhat difficult to listen to, but at normal listening volumes, this speaker would work great for a evening on the deck on a small house party.

Bass Performance

This speaker has adequate bass and provides a nice balance to the lows so music does not sound tinny. It obviously does provide the bass performance of larger speakers such as the Sony SRS-XB31, but it does well for its size. For example, when listening to George Ezra’s “Paradise,” his deep voice and the strong bass line still come through smoothly.

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Features

The Sbode speaker can be paired with a second speaker for enhanced stereo sound. This is accomplished by holding down the Play/Pause button on both speakers and they will search for each other and connect.

Like most speakers, this speaker supports an Aux input for non-Bluetooth devices. It also features a Micro SD card slot that allows you to play MP3 files directly from the card (formatted in FAT32 format), so you don’t even need to pair it with your phone to play music.

The speaker also features an FM radio that can be accessed by doing a quick press of the power button. Hold down the Play/Pause button and the speaker will start cycling through the local stations. Use the + and - buttons to then change the station. Unlike many other speakers, the Sbode does not require a charging cable to be plugged in to work as an antennae. However, it’s hard to tell what station you are on (since there is no display) and the scanned stations are lost with each power cycle, requiring you to wait through the search process the next time you use the speaker.

The speaker is also water-resistant, so splashes are OK, but you can’t submerge it in water.

Bluetooth Range

Bluetooth range is very good and allowed me to carry the speaker into different rooms of my house up to 20-30 feet away.

Battery Life

The battery can last up 8 hours. Re-charging the speaker takes about 2-3 hours using a 1 amp charger such as an iPhone charger.