$50 Bluetooth speaker … is it any good? [Review]

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Bluetooth Speaker
Want a cheap speaker that can blow your socks off? Look no further.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The speakers in our iPhones and iPads keep getting better and better, but they’re not close to replacing Bluetooth speakers just yet. If you’ve just splashed out hard-earned dollars for a new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, a low-priced, quality speaker may come as a welcome relief.

There are a few rare finds out there that deliver good bang for buck, and the $60 DKnight Big MagicBox is one of them.

Check out the full video review below.

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Low price, big sound

I wasn’t expecting a lot for $60 — speakers at that price range usually sound tinny, lack any sort of base, and the volume sucks.

When unboxing the Big MagicBox for the first time I was surprised at how solid it felt, made from rubber and metal — nothing felt loose, the buttons were nice and tactile, and it already began to feel like great value for money. Despite its name, the Big MagicBox is nice and compact, making it perfect for throwing into a bag for when I need it.

[contextly_auto_sidebar]The design itself is clearly influenced by some other speakers already on the market, such as the JBL Flip 2, so nothing to write home about there. On top there are buttons to skip to the next or previous song, a play/pause button, volume up and down, as well as a button to accept or decline calls for the speakerphone function. You charge the speaker’s 4,000mAh battery via the micro USB port hidden under the on button, which flips open. But I shouldn’t need to do this too often as the battery lasts around 12 hours, depending on the volume it’s playing at.

Connecting the speaker to a device is the standard procedure, turn the speaker on and find the speaker within the Bluetooth settings.

Once connected I began to play some music and was instantly blown away at what this speaker could do. It packs a decent amount of  bass and volume, with very little distortion when cranking it to the max. A pair of 10w drivers allows the speaker to handle a wider range of frequencies when at a louder volume, it definitely sounds a lot more expensive than it’s small price tag.

Bluetooth Speaker
For a product at this price tag, the build quality is outstanding.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The only downside with the speakers is that they’re all pointing in one direction. Due to the cylindrical shape, I’d assume they would be either side, creating a 360-degree dome of sound. Unfortunately, that’s not the case — all of the drivers are mounted on one side, so you’ll need to make sure they’re pointing in the right direction, with the DKnight tag at the bottom facing towards you.

In addition, there’s also a microphone built into the speaker to act as a speakerphone. When trying this out I could hear whoever I was speaking to perfectly, with those on the other end of the line reporting that my voice sounded crystal clear.

Overall, the DKnight Big MagicBox may not be the most interesting speaker to look at, but at $60 it’s astounded me with big sound and high build quality. It’s as good as speakers I’ve owned at double the price.

The DKnight Big MagicBox has actually dropped an extra $10 since filming and writing my review. If you’d like to pick one up … now’s the time!

Price: $49.99 (On sale from $159.99)

Buy from: Amazon

Cult of Mac received review units for this review. Read Cult of Mac’s reviews policy.

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