This Waterproof Speaker Floats With You In The Pool, But That Isn't Its Best Feature

1 month ago

Soundcore Boom 3i Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Soundcore Boom 3i is disposable now connected Amazon for $110.
With immoderate EQ tweaking, it produces amended sound than you'd deliberation for a waterproof speaker.
The Boom 3i does float, but playing euphony while half-submerged doesn't sound nan best.

Vacation clip is successful afloat swing, which intends you're astir apt heading to nan awesome outdoors. When you're connected nan beach, fishing, swimming successful a pool, aliases camping, you astir apt want to person immoderate music, but unfortunately, galore outdoor environments aren't suitable for Bluetooth speakers.

Also: One of nan champion portable speakers I tested is $40 disconnected for Cyber Monday: Get this euphony powerhouse successful a mini package

You cognize really it goes: you accidentally driblet your physics instrumentality successful nan excavation and personification shouts, "Get a container of rice!"

It's a bully point location are companies retired location that afloat understand nan ramifications of mixing h2o pinch electronics. One specified institution is Soundcore, peculiarly its caller Boom 3i Bluetooth speaker, a waterproof instrumentality that won't require an emergency atom bath immoderate clip soon.

The Soundcore Boom 3i Bluetooth speaker.

My experience

After pairing nan 3i to my Pixel 9 Pro, I fired up "Signals," by Rush (because it's not only 1 of nan top albums of nan '80s, but besides an outstanding action for testing speakers, acknowledgment to nan superb musicianship and mastering).

Before I spell overmuch further, understand this: nan 3i isn't going to rustle you distant pinch a refined sound associated pinch high-end, audiophile-quality devices. It's much astir being rugged and waterproof, truthful you person to forgive it for not having nan expertise to pump retired defined and tight bass aliases crystal highs. This is particularly truthful if you're going to person this speaker floating astir successful nan excavation arsenic you bask successful nan sun.

Even so, nan sound is amended than you mightiness think. In fact, nan 3i was tin of playing Rush's masterpiece pinch a value that, rather frankly, amazed me. When I publication nan explanation of nan speaker, I assumed it would sound tinny, pinch excessively overmuch mids and not capable bass. This is not untrue: nan debased extremity only reaches down to 56 Hz, which intends it's not tin of delivering nan deepest thumps.

But nan 3i makes up for that by giving nan "mid lows" a spot much punch, but that tin sometimes sound a spot muddy. It's not until you property nan Bass fastener that you consciousness there's capable bass to bring nan euphony to life. Why this isn't nan default, I person nary idea.

Also: This mini Bluetooth speaker delivers loud, distortion-free sound

As I was listening to "Analog Kid," a opus that really highlights nan debased end, I realized I could link nan 3i to nan Soundcore app. As soon arsenic I did that, it detected location was a firmware upgrade, which, of course, I ran.

Soundcore's app steps in

After nan firmware update, I went backmost to nan app to spot what adjustments could beryllium made. The first point I did was hop onto nan EQ conception and customize nan sound curve according to my ears. Once that was done, each of a abrupt I could perceive nan highs arsenic they should be, pinch a cleaner bass.

The Soundcore app's EQ accommodation curve.

Within nan app, I besides recovered thing alternatively delightful: achromatic noise. That's right, from nan Soundcore app, you tin play various ambient sounds, specified arsenic a forest, nan ocean, a campfire, "summer dream," aliases a thunderstorm.

Also: This Marshall Bluetooth speaker sounds amended than audio systems that costs hundreds more

I emotion ambient sounds, but I will opportunity each but nan "Forest Path" sound were a spot cheesy (what's pinch nan chimes?). The bully news is you tin create your ain ambient sounds by combining different elements, specified arsenic rainfall and a thunderstorm resulting successful tons of variety for nan cleanable ambient soundscape.

There's besides a sound amplifier action successful nan app, which allows you to speak into your phone's mic, and immoderate you opportunity will beryllium heard done nan 3i. If you hap to person a soft voice, this could beryllium a awesome measurement to beryllium heard successful a crowd.

Also: I swapped my Shokz pinch these bass-heavy bony conduction headphones

Of course, gimmicks don't waste speakers -- sound does. As acold arsenic nan 3i goes, erstwhile you get nan EQ dialed in, it sounds rather good. And pinch its waterproof lawsuit and subtle ray show (they're located connected nan sides), nan 3i is simply a beautiful bully deal, particularly for outdoor activities.

The h2o test

I did a speedy h2o trial for nan speaker by filling a descend pinch h2o and floating it while listening to nan aforesaid album. I was not surprised that alternatively of proceeding nan music, I mostly saw nan speaker make nan h2o dance, for illustration it was drowning and spitting retired each driblet of h2o that seeped into its "mouth."

Even though it didn't rather propulsion disconnected nan floating trick, aft I pulled it retired of nan sink, nan Boom 3i continued playing for illustration thing had happened.

ZDNET's buying advice

At $110, nan Soundcore Boom 3i mightiness look a spot overpriced for a instrumentality pinch conscionable mean sound. But erstwhile you operation successful nan other features and waterproofing, it justifies its costs to anyone who spends a batch of clip outdoors.

The Boom 3i isn't perfect, but it's rugged capable and has a bully capable app to make it worthy nan purchase. If I really spent much clip astatine nan formation aliases by nan pool, I would see this speaker my go-to.