OontZ Solo Bluetooth Portable Speaker, 5 Watts Mini Speaker, up to 100 unobstructed feet Wireless Range, 10hrs Playtime, IPX5 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker (Black)

Perfect for simple, casual use
I bought this to use as an alternative to AirPods or headphones because there are times when I want to hear my podcasts while I do household chores, but I don’t want to be closed off from the world and unaware of people trying to talk to me.The Oontz speaker appears to deliver just what I need. It’s small- about 4″ long and 2″ high- and is a breeze to connect to via Bluetooth. It’s light but still feels well-made and the volume is plenty loud for podcasts. The battery charges quickly and seems to last for days of 2 hour usage, on average. I have yet to drain the battery completely.I have listened to music on it, as well, and it seems to play out everything just fine, but at this small size, I wouldn’t expect thumping bass and glass-shattering volume capabilities, but for background listening or casual playout, music reproduction seems to be satisfactory.In all, as a 95% podcast listener, I would highly recommend the Oontz speaker.

Good for personal listening, not for anything else
I was able to keep up with the OontZ Solo speaker for an hour – my experience was underwhelming.This speaker works well for tabletop use, smaller areas like bathrooms or kitchens, and scenarios where your need for portable audio is ‘small’ size. It does get loud, but not in a particularly pleasant way.Design and Portability: Credit where its due, the speaker is compact and easy to carry around, has thoughtfully put non-slip rubber feet, can stand on its side, has four holes punched in the body to put a lanyard through and hook it on a bag or carry in hand – very nice! All answers are right answers with that many options.Sound Quality: The bass is decent for a speaker this size. There’s (supposedly) a dedicated driver for the lows located opposite the control buttons, pushing out air that you can feel through the side vents. However, it lacks the depth and impact I expected. You’ll hear a clear beat, but you won’t feel the thump. The sound is good for what it is—a small, budget-friendly speaker—but don’t expect booming bass, that’s just not what is possible at this size. Of course there are bigger, similarly priced speakers that have much worse bass than this, so kudos to the makers for being able to take out the most out of this size.Also, it says “dual speaker” at the bottom, but I could see only one behind the mesh – check in the pictures. The “dual speaker” is perhaps to acknowledge that you can pair two of these speaker together for a true stereo sound. Seems like a sus move. So, the ‘Solo’ speaker is a mono unit after all.Connectivity: Charging via micro-USB is a bit outdated, and one of the reasons I’ll be returning this, but it gets the job done. Appreciated is the inclusion of a 3.5mm port, which adds versatility by allowing for wired connections. It’s a simple but effective feature if you want to chain multiple speakers or connect to an audio source directly.Cons: The biggest drawback—it can get a bit harsh and ‘tear’ at high volumes. It’s a compact speaker, and while seems to have a dedicated bass driver, the experience is more like a reading the menu, than tasting the steamy dumpling – I know it’s there, but why am I getting none of it. Also, the reliance on micro-USB in 2024 feels like a dated choice. USB-C, please.Conclusion: It is a rugged portable speaker for casual use, but its sound limitations mean it’s not for me personally. It’s a solid choice if you’re after a small, dependable speaker, but if you are looking for deeper bass and more than a personal audio solution, you might want to explore other options.

La bocina es pequeña, muy portátil, su carga es rápida y la batería de larga duración. La calidad del sonido es excelente y su conectividad es instantánea, volvería a comprarlo.

It works really well, good sound, easy connectivity, US design, alas made in China, big, big sigh.

I picked this speaker up because I wanted something inexpensive and relatively durable I could use to listen to music and podcasts in the shower. My previous shower speaker (one of the round ones with the suction cup on the bottom) put out barely enough volume to be audible over running water. This speaker however, despite its small size, is easily loud enough to be heard clearly even at half volume.At near full volume it is easily capable of being heard from at least the next room over, and delivers a fairly full bass sound and clear high range as well. My only criticism is that at maximum volume I did notice some distortion, however it is not at all necessary to set the volume this high if you are in remotely close proximity to it.I was so impressed with the device that I elected to use it more generally around the house in place of a smart speaker.On a single charge I was able to listen to use it for more than 8 hours, at a louder volume that the speaker in my iPhone is capable of outputting (which was roughly 30-35% of the maximum volume of the Oontz), and the battery was only depleted by 50%.All this for only $20. I can’t recommend it enough.