With the HOLIST S and HOLIST M Teufel launches its first loudspeakers with practical Alexa integration. Now the speakers of the Berlin sound experts can be operated by integrated voice control.
Smart operation
Teufel has always stood for high-quality audio products. But the company has not yet been active in the field of smart speakers. Only its own multi-room system “Raumklang” offered network features so far. With the HOLIST S and M, this is about to change. Thanks to the integration of Alexa, it is now possible to access the services of Amazon’s AI conveniently via voice control. This includes not only the playback of music but also everyday things like setting a stopwatch or an alarm clock. Alexa also reliably answers typical questions about the weather. Music can be played by the usual friends. In addition to Spotify and Amazon Music, the user can also choose between Tidal and TuneIn.
Room-filling sound
Similar to the UE Boom, Teufel focuses on a 360 degree sound with his two HOLIST loudspeakers. Thus the location of the loudspeaker should not play a role in the sound. From every imaginable angle the speakers sound identical. This can be adjusted by choosing different modes. Next to “Wide” you can choose “Direct”. While the first promises a room-filling sound, Direct focuses the sound more on one point. You can switch between the modes practically by means of a switch on the speaker itself. Three passive bass diaphragms are supposed to provide the powerful sound of the smaller HOLIST S. Features include an active woofer and a full-range speaker for the smaller of the two speakers. The latter radiates upwards, which should ultimately provide a room-filling sound. For the much larger HOLIST M Teufel uses a similar design. The larger loudspeaker, however, is based on a classic 3-way system. This means that a woofer, a midrange and a tweeter were used. Like his smaller colleague he also has full range speakers. These are directed forward.
Various operating options
With the help of the Alexa integration, the new loudspeakers offer a total of three different ways of operation. This starts with the classic control by pressing a button. Teufel provides the two loudspeakers with a forward and backward button, a play and pause button and buttons for volume control. All of them are located on the top of the device. In addition to the haptic keys, both loudspeakers also have touch keys. With the help of these you can not only change the current input, but also switch the Alexa microphone on and off. In addition to this classic operation on the device itself, you can also take advantage of the network connection of the speakers. Thanks to the HOLIST app it is possible to access the speaker of the same name. Besides the selection of the suitable music source (e.g. Spotify) you can use your smartphone like a remote control. This is nothing new in the hifi area, but still very comfortable. Last but not least there is of course the voice control. Here Alexa is and remains the most comfortable system.
Prices and availability
Both loudspeakers are now available in Teufel’s own online store. While the HOLIST S 249.99 euro (at present still 243.69 euro) is to cost, the large brother with 499.99 euro (at present still 487.39 euro) strikes to book.
