Finding the right Bluetooth speaker can be a tricky endeavor. There are tall ones, short ones, fat and heavy ones, cheap vs. expensive ones, speakers that are for an indoor setting, while others are for the outdoors, and the list goes on and on.
There’s a general rule of thumb with speakers and that is, the more money you spend, the better the quality. A sort of “you get what you pay for” scenario. At least, that is the case with many speakers on the market.
With smartphones and mobile devices coming with tinny and poor sounding speakers, we tend to need something more powerful, louder, and better than what we are given. Something that lets people hanging out around us feel included.
I’ve reviewed a lot of great Bluetooth speakers in the past and this new one may just make it onto the greatness list as well. From the makers of the Voom 21, VAVA is back with their new Voom 20, a smaller, yet room-filler speaker that even has a few extra features with it.
Welcome to my review of the VAVA Voom 20 Bluetooth Speaker. Throughout this review, I will be discussing the design, functionality, and my final thoughts on the VAVA Voom 20 speaker.
Note: Images were taken in the rain (due to it’s water-resistance) and the product may seem different in person.
Design
Sitting closer to the ground, the Voom 20 is a smaller and wider Bluetooth speaker than some may be used to. Similar in shape and size to the UE Boom, the Voom 20 measures 7.58 x 2.81 x 2.38 inches with a weight of 1.5 pounds.
Taking the weight and its rectangular-like shape into account, many of us aren’t going to be carrying this speaker around in our pockets or even small draw-string backpacks. Instead, the Voom 20 comes with its own carrying pouch for ease of transportation.
A physical tour around the Voom 20’s exterior shell and we find a mixture of rubber and metal building materials. The top, bottom and sides are wrapped in this satisfyingly smooth rubber that does an excellent job at not showing dirt, usage, and finger prints. Then, to give the speaker its integrity, the metal speaker grills protect it against drops and accidental bumps.
On the top of the unit, you’ll find the speaker’s I/O. From left to right, there’s the power button with battery indicators, Bluetooth indication light, NFC pad, a phone answer/play pause button, and volume controls. Each button on the top offers a tactile feel and it’s a satisfying click to each button.
Then, the bottom contains these hollow rubber feet to prevent the speaker from sliding around on most surfaces. Matched with the speaker’s weight, the feet do a fair job at keeping the speaker still. However, I would have preferred that the feet were solid as the hollow ones tend to collapse on themselves.
Of course, the speaker doesn’t need to be laid flat to function. Like the UE Boom, the Voom 20 can stand on its sides for a vertical orientation. What’s even cooler is that the speaker does an excellent job at standing tall without feeling like it’s going to fall over. Even with me pushing it with my palm, the speaker topples back and forth without falling over. It is very impressive.
Finally, the back of the unit contains a 3.5mm AUX input, microUSB for charging, and a standard USB port for charging accessories like a smartphone. By leeching off of the 5200mAh battery, you can charge smartphones and tablets.
Functionality
This has to be one of the first reviews that have an Amazon product page of what you see is what you get. The feature list and their claims are straight to the point and accurate.
Being a Bluetooth speaker, the Voom 20 can connect to any Bluetooth device using Bluetooth 4.0. That said, this speaker also supports the new aptX Bluetooth connectivity, which provides CD-like quality. By ensuring that the Bluetooth connection is strong and the bandwidth is adequate, the speaker never misses a beat with aptX, because it makes sure every music data packet is received and transmitted.
You can opt not to use Bluetooth and use the included AUX cable instead. That said, you can also pair the speaker with a smartphone using NFC.
There’s also the fact that this speaker supports simultaneous pairing of two Bluetooth devices. Many speakers support multiple Bluetooth devices, but not at the same time. VAVA’s Voom 20, lets two Bluetooth devices battle it out for a seamless transition from one device to another.
When you pop open the Voom 20, you’ll find two 8W speakers that sandwich in two passive subwoofers. The speakers are forward facing, whereas the passive subwoofers push sounds to the front and back.
These small 8W speakers may not sound like they’d be the best thing, but the sound coming from them is impressive and shocking. After a music speaker break-in test, the Voom 20 sounds as good as premium speakers I have reviewed in the past.
It’s loud, not tinny, clear, and something that I would consider to replace even a PC desktop speaker system. Lows, mids, and highs were all spot on in my book, to a point where I doubt anybody would complain about any type of music genres.
Even the bass with the passive subwoofers was acceptable. It wasn’t as room pounding as an actual subwoofer, but it does a decent job by adding that little thump to the music. Outdoors or indoors, I didn’t have much bother with the passive subwoofers.
One of the speaker’s main claims to fame is its IPX5 rating. Rated for water resistance, the Voom 20 can take some accidental rain, splashes, or drops into some water without ruining the internal bits. It’s not like we’ll be outside partying in the rain, but it’s a great feature to welcome.
Finally, there’s a 5200mAh internal battery that claims to get a morning to dusk 8-hour run time. Normally, battery run time estimates from manufacturers are far from the truth, but this speaker reaches that 8-hour mark with ease. I ran the speaker at around 40% volume for an 8-hour period and slightly after that mark, the speaker began to beep and indicated that the battery was low.
Recharging the massive battery does take a considerable amount of time. Pushing 2.1A through the charging port got the speaker charged to 100% in four hours.
My Final Thoughts
Priced at $59.99, this Voom 20 Bluetooth speaker is a steal. Its outstanding, room-filling, sound really gets you moving and the Voom’s build quality is among some of the best Bluetooth speakers out there. With an all-day lasting battery, there are almost zero complaints that I have about this speaker and it gets the full recommendation from me.
Buy it now:
© 2017 Justin Vendette
