If you ’re looking for an affordable , room - filling boombox that you’re able to throw in the car and share between your base , cottage , or anywhere you do n’t have to tote it too far , then the Skullcandy Barrel might just be the perfectBluetooth speaker .
For an affordable $ 180 , this animal of a speaker from the lifestyle audio recording brand known for its youthfulness - place budget headphones has a lot going for it , but my expectation were , admittedly , a turn depleted perish in . However , the Barrel ’s big volume , sportsmanlike and clear phone , and no - nonsense design and operation won me over in the ending . It also has some trick up its sleeve that you do n’t see in a somecomparable Bluetooth speaker system . Here ’s what I liked and did n’t wish about the Skullcandy Barrel Bluetooth speaker .
Big-barrel design
If you ’re familiar with other boombox - style Bluetooth speakers such asSoundcore ’s $ 180 Motion Boom PlusorTribit ’s $ 200 StormBox Blast , then the Barrel is n’t going to be a bounteous surprise . That say , it is quite a bit liberal , its sleek Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin pattern and promising orangish side - go off passive woofer do look unique , and its stout handle drive the boombox aesthetical domicile .
usable in two color — dark and a grayish colouring that Skullcandy calls Bone — its top , side , and grip are made from a rock music - hard plastic . The front and rear grilles are hide in a handsome woven fabric that is also supported from behind by what appear to be a honeycomb plastic layer that ’s quite sturdy .
The hollow in this honeycomb let the Barrel ’s 60 - watt output gust stereo phone from its front - facing single 6.5 - in woofer and dual 2.5 - inch tweeters . And extra holes on the hindquarters take into account sound to radiate somewhat through the tush of the Barrel as well .
At a substantial 12 pounds , the 12 - in by 22 - inch by 10 - in boombox is n’t precisely made for shoving in a back pack for encampment trip or bike rides to the park . And that ’s just fine , there are dozens ofcompact portable Bluetooth speakersout there for that . But considering the Barrel ’s cinch , it ’s actually fairly portable if you do n’t plan on convey it too far ( from the car to the consortium political party is perfect ) thanks to its strong nylon strap that can be slung over your shoulder . The strap is securely fastened with high - tone alloy carabiners , and my eagle - eyed fellow Simon Cohen bespeak out that the buckle doubles as a bottle opener !
The Barrel features a second-rate 12 - hour battery ( compare to the StormBox ’s 30 60 minutes and the Boom Plus ’s 20 minute ) , but I do n’t envisage many hoi polloi will be tug this bighearted boy too far from an outlet . Sadly , however , the included AC arranger is large and the speaker does n’t support charging with a USB cable .
The last conception feature to mention is the Barrel ’s IPX5 rating , which intend that the verbaliser is n’t rainproof ( so do n’t drop off it in the consortium ) , but it will withstand splash and rainwater should a storm seethe in during your party . Oh , and the “ X ” in the IP rating means that it has n’t receive a rating for junk ohmic resistance , so you should probably keep it out of the George Sand on the beach to mistake on the good side .
Buttons and controls
On the top surface of the speaker , it ’s decent to see a miscellanea of forcible push button that make it easy to control most functions without having to reach for your sound . smartly , most of its six rubber - cover button serve multiple functions — you just demand to get used to them and you ’ll be fly .
Starting from the left hand , you have the go light - change button , which changes of the colour and patterns of the faint strip persist across the front top of the speaker . Although a snatch canonical , the “ light show ” adds a flake of playfulness with its music - synchronise pulsing and apparent movement that brings a bit of Cylon or K.I.T.T. fromKnight Ridercharm .
The Bluetooth button is next , and it cause the speaker easily paired by sustain it down for a couple of seconds . The volume - down and mass - up buttons double as next / previous wrack clit when hold down ( in my test , though , this didn’twork with the Qobuzdesktop app ) . And when you guard them both down together , a voice prompt let you know the battery portion ( it ’s also indicated by the four light-emitting diode dots above the line of buttons ) .
The all - crucial play release not only pauses / plays when pressed , but activates the Barrel ’s basso boost ( and stays lit ) when curb . More on the bass hike in the performance section below .
The last push on the right is for index , which also activate the rightful wireless stereo system ( TWS ) pairing for tie another Barrel as a stereo system pair . Holding the “ play ” and “ + ” button simultaneously lets you link up up to 99 other Skullcandy speakers ( not in two-channel ) via the SKDY Multi - link feature . I was only send a single Barrel , so I was n’t able to try either of those feature out .
Skullcandy does not substantiate any of its speakers with a companion app , which means there ’s no additional controller over features like EQ , the LEDs , or connectivity . But aboveboard , while some EQ control would have been nice when using apps like Qobuz and Tidal that do n’t have any built - in , I liked being able to control many of the Barrel ’s functions on the gimmick itself .
Inputs and connectivity
On the back of the Barrel , safely obliterate behind a snugly fitting caoutchouc control board , you ’ll find the major power stimulation , two USB ports , and a 3.5 mm Aux - in for link external devices such as computers , certificate of deposit players , and smartphones ( with the require adapter or DAC ) .
The USB - C port is exclusively for charge your devices , while the USB - A port does that , too , but also act as an audio stimulant , should you have a ovolo drive full of music to plug in . Connecting a ovolo drive is supposed to take priority over any Bluetooth connectedness , but in my psychometric test , the Barrel kept edit off the medicine to await for a Bluetooth connection . I ’ve asked Skullcandy if this is a bug and will update this article when I hear back .
The Barrel features Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and has a range of up to 10 meters . Two gimmick can be connect together , but only one can recreate at a time , which is n’t really a big pot , though you and your friends are going to have to learn how to take turns . The supported Bluetooth codec is also SBC , which sounds good , but AAC or something a snatch in force would have been nice .
Sound and performance
Do n’t get straightforward specification lead you astray . The Soundcore Motion Boom Plus and the Tribit StormBox both outpower the Barrel at 80 Isaac Watts and 90 James Watt , respectively , but the Barrel ’s 60 watts did a passably good job at boast ( what ’s leave of my ) hair back . With more than enough volume to fill even large elbow room , the Barrel ’s sound exert clarity even in the upper 20 % of its full mass . As I mentioned in the intro , I was not expecting this level of faithfulness out of a Skullcandy verbalizer , and the Barrel ’s versatility and kinetics , no matter the kind of music I toss away at it , impressed me .
For most of my testing , I ran Spotify through either my Bluetooth - connected iPhone or the Spotify desktop app from my laptop computer , with no EQ configurations applied . I also connected my iPhone to the Barrel ’s Aux input with a lightning - to-3.5 mm adapter and played track from Qobuz , with dear event across the board .
set out with the basso test , I can report that the Barrel has it where it count with crowing , punchy , and well - controlled low-down end across all kinds of euphony stylus . I will charge out here that the Barrel ’s “ Bass Boost ” should just be activated at all times . Without it , everything sounds much less full . Unless you hate bass voice , just work it on and leave it alone .
verbalize of freshwater bass , Dead Prez ’s basso - heavy trackHip - Hoptook me by surprise after I did my peak volume examination ( I bury the volume was almost at full ) . When that electronic bassline kick in , it was a swift punch in the catgut . The kick barrel presentation of Nine Inch Nails’Closerwas as punchy as it should be , and when it really gets propel at around the 4:26 mark , with its full compass of frequencies firing off — keys , distorted guitar , and tweaky samples — the Barrel root for it off with balance and dominance . My go - to Billie Eilish track , with their pure bass tones , also entertain up .
The mids and high fall out of the Barrel sound balanced and clearly defined , although they do get a bit harsher after prolonged listening at high book . But that one I ’ll chalk up to a reviewer ’s occupational hazard — no one should be listening to a loudspeaker system at that mass , for that long , sitting that tight .
Radiohead’sLet Down , with its playful guitar arpeggios , sounds as it should — shimmering and smooth at the same prison term . And Thom Yorke ’s vocals and harmony are clear and sonically rich . If vocals are your affair , Sweet Dreamsby the Eurythmics sounds excellent on the Barrel , too . Its iconic buzzing synth intro is swell , but the real showstopper is Annie Lennox ’s voice , even when she whimper those atmospheric falsetto that add up from off in the distance .
Overall , for its affordable price , there ’s nothing to complain about with the strait coming out of the Skullcandy Barrel . With no Skullcandy companion app to adjust EQ preferences , the “ custom - tune up ” Barrel has a well - balanced sound theme song that ’s proficient for all kinds of euphony . All that is to say that , unlike other verbalizer I ’ve quiz that require gruelling EQ tweaking , the Barrel blithely does n’t need it . But if you must all right - line , just keep in mind that you ’ll have to do it with a streaming app like Spotify or Apple Music .
