It ’s been just diffident of a decade since Beats set in motion its last newBluetooth speaker , theBeats Pill+ . And when beat cease that product in 2022 , it looked like the company might be done with speakers entirely . Turns out it was simply studying the challenger as it planned its next move . Now that a new Beats Pill is here , it ’s safe to say that the brand has done its homework .
The raw Pill manages to hit a everlasting mellisonant spot , combining sleek plan , ready to hand features , great electric battery life , and sound quality that arguably is the dependable you could get under $ 200 .
Here ’s everything you need to recognise .
The tonality to a great portable verbaliser is its size - to - auditory sensation quality ratio . Give it powerful sound and you chance making it too big to easy tote or stuff in a backpack . Make it too little and you gamble selling a verbaliser that just sounds better than a smartphone .
I ’ve seen speakers on both face of the equality , like theMarshall Willen , which is tiny , but cheap , and theSonos Move 2 , which produce big , beautiful sound , but unless you have entree to a cable car , you wo n’t be tempted to take it farther than your backyard or balcony .
The Modern Beats Pill fits decent in the Goldilocks zone . At 8 inches farseeing with a diam of 2.75 in , the cylindric loudspeaker system is small than most water bottles . At 24 oz. , you ’ll notice the free weight in a bag , but it wo n’t wrench your shoulder joint if you carry it around all day . Oh , and it sounds great . More on that in a moment .
Though looks are always immanent , I think the Pill is fashionable , with liquid lines , a astonishingly demure Beats “ b ” logotype that ’s color - matched to the metal grille , plus a solidification of controls that are well-nigh invisible . The included lanyard is a courteous touch . All portable speaker system should at least have this as an option , but the Pill+ lack this ready to hand add - on .
In keeping with Beats ’ story of offering lots of colors , you’re able to buy the Pill in black , crimson , or a lowkey blingy version scream champagne gold ( seen here , along with the black version ) .
The choice to expend metallic element for the grillwork may mean that your Pill acquire on a sure lived - in charm over the years ( it ’s gon na dent and mark ) . But out of the box , it ’s pretty splendid .
My one low gripe : The grippy , rubberized consistency is an out-and-out magnet for favourite pelt , pocket lint , and any other debris you’re able to think of . On the other mitt , the Pill is ratedIP67 , reach it effectively waterproof . So if — when — it becomes fouled with Fido ’s fur , just run it under the pat . you could even toss it in the consortium . But since it does n’t float very well , you should plausibly retrieve it ASAP .
Around the back you ’ll find an unprotected USB - 100 port . Using the let in cable length , you’re able to charge the speaker via USB - C and even act lossless audio from a computer or other compatible twist — a very unusual lineament on a Bluetooth speaker that ’s this portable .
lamentably , Beats did n’t quite go for the killing shot here : There ’s no manner to pipe in analog sound , something you could do on the Beats Pill+ .
Speaking of the newfangled Pill ’s predecessor : Just like that older speaker , you could run powerfulness both way — into the USB - C port for charging , and out of the port for charging other gadget . convert the charge direction can be done with a treble rap on the business leader release , which is exceedingly cagey .
The remainder is that the Pill+ only had a 12 - time of day battery to exploit with . The raw speaker system doubles that capacitance , allow you donate up to half its bang to your speech sound while still perplex a day ’s worth of hearing time .
Let ’s just repeat that : The new Pill has a 24 - hour barrage . That ’s unheard of in a speaker this size . you may track that vast capacity using the LED on the Pill itself — white means full ; green think normal ( between 10 % and 100 % remaining ) ; and red means less than 10 % remaining ( some two hours or less ) . Or you may check your iPhone mise en scene or the Beats Android app for a precise percentage .
Using the Pill as a speakerphone is very commodious , and your callers might not even know you ’re doing it . part pickup is splendid within about 1 or 2 understructure and is still utterly adequate at up to 7 feet indoors . Not every portable talker doubles as a speakerphone — see the more expensiveBose SoundLink Max , for example . But compared to the ones I had on hand that have this feature ( Sony ULT Field 1,Soundcore Motion 300 ) , the Beats Pill essay superior for voice limpidity — and yes , you could trigger your phone ’s voice assistant too .
The new Pill support fast union for both iPhones and Android devices ( via Google Fast Pair ) . Unfortunately , Beats had n’t enable Fast Pair during our review period , so I did n’t get a hazard to test it . Not that pairing an Android without Fast Pair is tough — it ’s like two more taps . Hopefully Google Fast Pair ’s key benefits ( Google Find and seamless gimmick switch ) form as well when it depart live as it has on premature Beats devices like theStudio Pro .
Like many other Bluetooth portable , you’re able to connect two Pills for bad sound . Amplify Mode sends the same sound to both verbalizer , while Stereo Mode turns them into a stereo pair .
When using an iPhone , you ’ll have to con the button - press combos needed for these modes . And once in Stereo mode , an iPhone wo n’t let you swap the leftover / veracious channels . To do that , you ’d need to exit Stereo mode and re - enter it using the other speaker ( the speaker you use to trip Stereo mode automatically becomes the left channel ) .
This is one area where you ’ll receive one of the rarest occurrences in tech : an Apple - made twist that works better with Android . The Beats Android app gives you a clear-cut and easy way to manage both mode , plus you could flip a stereo couplet ’s channels with a single tap .
One of the biggest variety from the Beats Pill+ is the move from stereo to mono sound . Whereas the Pill+ used four drivers ( two per duct ) , the new Pill has just two drivers . Does it count ? I do n’t reckon so . Those two drivers use up the same space that used to fit four , and they ’re large and more brawny . Volume level benefits the most . At 50 % , the Pill pumps out a lot more sound than either theMarshall Emberton IIor theSonos Roam / Roam 2 .
To be candid , stereo strait from a small portable can be an chancy thing at the adept of times . The sizing of the loudspeaker rarely provides enough length between the two channels , get to the stereophonic mellifluous spot very small both in terms of breadth and distance from the loudspeaker . Mono sound just makes more sensory faculty .
The faithfulness of the new Pill is excellent for a speaker of this size . The bass , while not earsplitting by any means , still has great deal of vibrancy and oomph . The highs and upper midranges are clear and precise , and the mids — while not as elaborate as you ’ll get on a bigger speaker — are as secure ( if not better ) than I ’ve hear on any other portable at this size and price .
The entire frequency response is well - superintend , and you wo n’t determine a hint of distortion even if you push the Pill to its limits . We put theBeats Pill versus the Bose SoundLink Max , and one - on - on it maintain its own .
Using the USB - C audio input improves the highs considerably . When using Bluetooth , Nick Cave ’s voice on the trackRed Right Handcan sound a bit harsh at times . Normally I ’d get to into a utterer ’s EQ background to pluck that , but the Pill unfortunately lacks any feeling or EQ adjustment . Cave ’s vocals hear via USB - cytosine hold their gravel but suffer the gumption .
USB - C audio works with near all Android phones ( plus the iPhone 15 ) and it makes the Pill an unexpectedly skilful mini soundbar for desktop computers . My Mac also recognized the Pill ’s mike — ready to hand for FaceTime and other chat apps .
I put the new Pill head word - to - chief with theMarshall Emberton II($170 ) , Sony ULT Field 1 ( $ 130 ) , and Sonos Roam ( $ 180 ) in a sound caliber shoot - out . It was a tight race — with the ULT Field 1 in particular . But after several plays of my go - to test track , the Pill came out on top .
Minutes after publishing this review , a reader email me to sound off about my declarative newspaper headline give that I did n’t admit any mention of the very popularJBL Flip 6 . That ’s a clean critique , so I ’ll furbish up that .
The Flip 6 ( $ 130 ) might be the only speaker in this monetary value range that can match the Pill ’s bare-assed output , but it does n’t handle all of that power as graciously as the Pill . The louder the Flip get , the harsher it tends to fathom , whereas the Pill just gets , well , louder . The Pill ’s low frequency reproduction also has a lovesome tone than the Flip ’s , something that I was n’t capable to handle with JBL ’s EQ adjustments .
That say , the Flip is littler and lighter than the Pill , making it an easy choice for those who appreciate portability above all .
As you ’d expect , Amplify Mode gets a 2nd Pill to act as the same sound recording ( at the same volume ) as your first Pill . It ’s a great style to spread sound around a tumid gathering or as a poor humankind ’s multi - room audio apparatus .
Stereo Mode , however , is the Pill ’s real superpower . Set up two in any location and then weight the speaker toward your listening area , and you ’ve get a truly portable hi - fi alternative . It ’s surprising how few portable speakers offer this feature article given how peachy it sounds . Sony ’s ULT Field talker can stereo pair , as can JBL ’s most late portables like theFlip 6,Charge 5 , andXtreme 4 , but Marshall ’s Emberton II wo n’t do it , and neither will UE’sBoom 3 . The Sonos Roam / Roam 2 will stereo pair , but only when they ’re at plate , on your Wi - Fi meshwork .
By now , you ’ve likely venture I ’m impress by Beats ’ new Pill . Is it perfect ? No — I would have liked to see an analogue input and perhaps some backlighting on the controls to make them easier to see at night . It ’s also unforgivable that iOS lacks the ready to hand union / amplify / two-channel options found in the Beats Android app , but overall , the Pill checks every box you could demand for , and does it at a price that is right smart humble than you ’d expect leave who deal it .
