It is the successor to Soundboks 2 and carries with it a special origin story: The New Soundboks. There are the usual stories of how tech companies come into being, and there are those that apply to SOUNDBOKS. The Danish young company was born at the Roskilde Festival, or rather the idea was born. From there, the three founders took off from a garage, raised money and ended up in San Francisco.
To date, the guys have sold over 50,000 of their mobile speakers and the number is constantly growing. Reason enough for us to take a closer look at The New Soundboks and test whether it really packs the punch that is so appreciated at festivals, parties and homes worldwide.
Soundboks advertises that the portable speaker is the loudest that can be connected via Bluetooth. And because such a machine draws a lot of power, the Danes also supply the batteries for it and offer a whole arsenal of other accessories in the store. We are looking forward to this test like a hawk!
Technical data
| Amplifier | 3 x 72 W RMS class D amplifier |
| Maximum volume | 126 dB |
| Driver | 2 x 10″ 96 dB woofers / 1 x 1″ 104 dB compression driver tweeters |
| Frequency range | 40 – 20,000 Hz |
| Wireless connection | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Other inputs | 3.5mm AUX, 6.35mm XLR |
| Output | 3.5 mm AUX |
| Battery | 12.8 V 7.8Ah LiFePO4 |
| Battery runtime | 40 hours at medium volume / 5 hours at full volume |
| Battery charging time | 3.5 hours |
| Material (case) | Poplar wood |
| Other material | Aluminum, steel, silicone, SMP temperature flexible adhesive |
| Weight | 15.4 kg |
| Dimensions | 66 x 43 x 32 cm |
| IP code | IP65 – dustproof and protected against water jets |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Colors (grid) | Black, Orange, White, Martian |
| Price | € 85.64 * |
What’s inside
If you want to put a special gift under the Christmas tree for a sound lover this year, you should have a hefty tip ready for the package delivery person, in addition to the price of the new Soundboks. With a size of 78 x 50 x 38 cm, the package to be delivered is not the world, but the weight of 15.4 kg plus battery and accessories is less to be underestimated – we certainly reaped evil looks when our test object was delivered.
The content is already noticeable by the Soundboks inscription and the slogan “Break through the noise”. Apart from that, the packers have also thought of cuts on the left and right of the long side, so that the package remains heavy, but is easier to carry.
The entire content is absolutely safe, shock-resistant and especially practical for unpacking. Accordingly, the packages of the charger and Batteryboks are equipped with handles so that they can be easily pulled out. Now the New Soundboks follows; we quickly remove the foil and have everything ready.
More detailed attention from us also gets the manual, as it is not just some white booklet, of which we have seen so many. It is attached to the Soundboks with a ribbon in an envelope. The other end is wrapped around an eyelet, as you know from old files that were closed this way. In addition to the manual, the envelope also contains brand stickers.
Now before we can move on to testing, we charge the Batteryboks (battery) for 3.5 hours to have a full charge.
Smart, rugged and up to any task
In the time we take care of the exterior. This clearly stands out from the few competing products, which are called: Bose S1 Pro System, JBL PartyBox 1000 or Teufel ROCKSTER. The New Soundboks brings an authentic look in terms of style, which is clearly inspired by common stage boxes. This definitely defines the clientele: Young people who like to hang out at parties, concerts and festivals (when it’s not Corona) or who like to get the plaster off the wall in their apartment. It does not always have to be foreign music, instruments and microphones can also be connected.
From the front, you can see a rectangular box standing on edge, with three drivers covered by a grille with honeycomb-shaped holes. On the sides are the carrying handles, the control unit, the battery bay, and the subwoofer inlets. Otherwise, the entire case is kept simple, which is made of robust and at the same time acoustically enhancing poplar wood.
Only high-quality and extremely sturdy material was used in other respects as well. For example, the grille is made of steel, the cabinet frame is made of powder-coated aluminum and the corners are protected by silicone balls. The poplar case was also assembled with temperature-resistant SMP adhesive.
In short, The New Soundboks can still be passed down to the kids when they start their first festival season.
On top of that comes the fact that the Danish speaker is IP65 certified. That means it is absolutely dustproof and protected against water jets. So if one or the other beer takes the wrong path, the box just keeps running. But it also keeps tight in snow.
Externally, you don’t get a design-heavy speaker system, but one that is robust and compactly built as well as has real oomph under the hood. And whether that’s the case, of course, we took a close look.
Here’s some oomph under the hood
From a purely numerical standpoint, The New Soundboks outperforms the competition. For example, it’s louder, can last longer, charges for a shorter time, and is able to connect to four of its peers at once – all via Bluetooth. But first things first.
With 126 dB peak volume, the new Soundboks is louder than a thunderstorm or an army of vuvuzelas. It can definitely fill a room or two, or even several rows of tents. Of course, it also needs a decent battery for this. Thanks to the self-managing Smart-Cells contained in it, the SOUNDBOKS battery comes along with a lot of efficiency. These allow not only a playing time of up to 40 hours, but also a charging time of just 3.5 hours.
However, what is unique is not only how the battery is constructed, but also the fact that it is replaceable. This definitely makes Soundboks stand alone in the market. So if a battery is empty, you can change it in no time at the left side against a new one, while the other may charge again. For this reason, the Danish company, which is now based in Los Angeles, also offers the box with two batteries, which then costs 1,029 Euros. In general, Soundboks offers several packages.
How full a battery is, by the way, can be seen from five LEDs. The control unit on the right side is also equipped with LEDs. There, the Soundboks can be switched on and off and the volume can be adjusted via a rotary control.
Bluetooth first, but there are other connectivity options
You know them, the huge speakers at festivals, concerts and fairs. These are basically always connected to cables. If you want to play your ears with a decent sound in the more private area, you had the choice between surround systems, floor speakers or a soundbar.
The choice was expanded with the Soundboks 1 at the latest. With the third generation, which goes by the name The New Soundboks, the Danish company is still considered the first and only manufacturer of a performance speaker that can be paired via Bluetooth and has a replaceable battery at the same time. Let’s hear if Bluetooth 5.0 is really capable of bringing festival feeling – the rest of the technology is clearly in shape to do so.
By the way, in addition to a Bluetooth connection, the new Soundboks can also be connected via 3.5 mm AUX or 6.35 XLR.
We tested all three connections and can’t find any negative differences. The sound is crystal clear and that too when you turn it up full. We can’t generally report anything bad about The New Soundboks up to this point.
It also collects another plus point through TeamUP. Each box produced has been given a unique team ID. This makes it possible to connect to four other Soundboks via Bluetooth. So if different owners come together, the party never stops again.
Without an app, without Soundboks!
The TeamUP feature can be controlled via the Soundboks app, which can be installed on Android and iOS devices. In addition, the app brings other features.
For example, you can choose from three different sound profiles and it offers direct access to the help center. But most importantly, the app serves as a remote control and allows upgrading the Soundboks firmware. This further improves the sound technology, connectivity and more directly from L.A..
Furthermore, the app offers a ProPanel, whereby the input audio can also be optimized. For more security, the app is also secured with a pin code.
We should also mention that the app has a simple and clear design – which we always appreciate. In addition, the New Soundboks can be assigned a role in case several are used at the same time.
Various extras are available in the online shop
To embellish The New Soundboks, additional grills can be purchased in the store. While the box comes in Black, White, Orange and Martian out of the box, Artist Editions can also be purchased.
In addition, a backpack can be purchased, for carrying the Soundboks, more Batterybokses or a stand on which the box can simply be placed.
But that’s not all: Soundboks also supplies its customers with a microphone and various cables. So the company offers a one-stop shop for everything the box needs.
Conclusion
But now it’s about time for the conclusion: we are simply impressed by The New Soundboks. Sound quality, robustness and appearance have convinced us. Not only because of that, but also because of the use of high-quality materials and the replaceable battery, we give the mobile speaker the Platinum Award.
However, it has to be said that Soundboks firstly does not have much competition, and secondly, it does not quite hover on the Danes’ level yet. But what they have made of the New Soundboks is great cinema either way!
We’re excited to see what else the future holds – both from one side and the other.
The New Soundboks
Workmanship
Sound quality
Features
Value for money
95/100
The New Soundboks turns out to be a (loud) sound wonder, which convinces with a replaceable battery, a sleek exterior, high-quality materials and excellent technology.
