Anyone who cringes at the shouted phrase "It's showtime!" may understand why I'm fearful of a device whose manufacturer claims it's the "boombox evolved." Certainly, subway performers will soon replace their boombox-tethered iPods with Bluetooth speakers and iPhones to accompany their acrobatics and requests for tips. And with suitably loud, handily portable speakers like the OontZ XL, these kids' music will be well heard.
The OontZ XL's loudness and portability has everything to do with its design. The speaker's face is slightly curved, thereby reducing distortion typically encountered by boxy speakers due to air diffraction, according to Cambridge SoundWorks's representatives. Similarly, the speaker chassis is rounded, minimizing vibration and distortion. The resulting sound is clear and crisp even at high volumes, especially at the mid and high ranges. Bass, though, seems a bit tempered compared to the strength of the higher registers.
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The shape, size and weight (less than two pounds) enable grab-and-go behavior, making the speaker an easy addition to a day bag. During testing I found it handy enough to take to work (though volume was a slight issue as I couldn't get it quiet enough to satisfy just-barely-there background sound), into the kitchen, bathroom or wherever else I was going.
Bluetooth connectivity worked without a hitch. Just in case, there's an accompanying minijack speaker cable for plugging in. A built-in mic makes hands-free calling easy enough, though I needed to speak directly into the mic to be heard on the other end.
Battery life is good for a day's worth of play (at least 10 hours), but even better, the speaker can charge a USB-connected device, making it a backup power source for your smartphone or tablet. (Using the speaker as a charger will drain the battery mighty fast, however.) That's particularly useful since streaming music via Bluetooth will deplete most phones' batteries pretty quickly.
Altogether, the OontZ XL provides a powerful sound punch in a handy package. And for $149.99 (or, better, the $99.99 introductory price), it'll quickly pay for itself -- provided you can do a backflip in a moving subway car.
The Lowdown
What’s Good
Crisp, clear sound even at high volumes
Light, ergonomic design for portability
USB jack for smartphone or tablet charging on the go
What’s Bad
Underwhelming bass
Built-in mic requires user to lean in
Bottom Line: The Cambridge SoundWorks Oontz XL punches above its weight class and price point for crisp, powerful sound, but it's not the best speaker for taking phone calls.