Tronsmart Bang MAX
Assessment:
What did we like?
What didn't we like?
Unboxing
The Tronsmart Bang Max portable speaker has arrived from the EU warehouse. After sending from Germany, 4 days passed and the parcel was already in our hands. They moved from the starting point with the help of DHL couriers, and as usual in Lithuania, Itella employees took over. The parcel arrived right at the door of the house. I can only praise for such a fast delivery of the product!
The product was additionally wrapped in a so-called transport envelope. Since the trip was not very long, the parcel did not have significant signs of transportation, but the box itself was slightly deformed. After opening the envelope and opening the box, its contents were as follows: the speaker itself, charging block, 3.5mm audio cable, instructions, warranty card and a small information card.
Quality
The body of the Tronsmart Bang Max speaker is made of strong plastic. Comfortable handle, has rubber protrusions from the bottom, so that it does not slip from the fingers when carrying. All other surfaces are covered with material.
The main control buttons are located on the front, next to the handle: four-point battery indicator, on / off, BT, VOL +/-, Play / Pause, Stereo pairing, EQ, TuneConn, Echo. At the back, under a thick rubber cover, additional connections and their control are hidden: Micro SD card slot, USB-A, Aux-in, 2 x 6.3 connectors, reset button, charging slot, 2xGain for microphones or guitar.
The Bang Max speaker is composed of three speakers for different frequencies, which are placed in the front under the material. The only moving passive speakers are on the sides of the speakers, which additionally have LED strips. Column dimensions: 470 x 199 x 260mm, weight: 5.98kg. The manufacturer provided IPX6 resistance to moisture and dust.
Functionality
Tronsmart declares that the total power of the Bang Max 6 speakers is 130W. The capacity of the built-in battery is 18,000mAh. The charging time of this battery is 5 hours. A fully charged battery should last up to 24 hours. for playing music, not exceeding the sound level of the 50% and without using LED lights. When using the speaker for karaoke, the battery should last up to 10 hours. not exceeding the sound level of the 60%.
This column can be controlled in several ways. One of them is control with physical buttons on the column itself. These buttons are standardly labeled, so it's easy to understand who does what. An additional innovation that is only available in a few Tronsmart products is TuneConn.
With the help of the TuneConn button, you can connect 100+ of the same speakers. The biggest innovation that appeared in this model is the Echo button. The Echo button has three levels of Echo, otherwise known as "Delay" in music, where the sound travels with a certain amount of reverberation.
The second way to control the Bang Max speaker is using a smartphone or tablet. The app supports both IOS and Android platforms. After opening the APP and selecting this speaker model, it takes you to the initial control menu, where you can make changes to the sound and song switching. This screen also shows the remaining battery percentage.
By pressing the settings button in the upper right corner, the following options are available: automatic shutdown after a certain time, software update, disconnect from BT, user manual.
When you return to the home screen, you will see three options at the bottom: return to the main (home) screen, control EQ, and a button for additional settings. These additional settings correspond to the functions of the buttons on the upper part of the column itself. In addition, it is possible to additionally control the EQ when microphones / guitar are connected using the 6.3 connections on the back.
What did we like?
The speaker body seems to be quite sturdy, it looks like it should be able to withstand parties well. Although the weight of this column is not one of the lightest, its handle is comfortable for transportation. The rubber pads at the bottom will allow the fingers to remain stable in their positions.
Convenient arrangement of control buttons in the upper part of the column. The battery indicator with 4 small lights next to the power button will inform you about the remaining battery. It's convenient when you don't have to open an app on your phone to find out about it.
The LED strip is cleverly hidden in the passive speakers. No outlines of the bulbs are visible, the bars run/pulsate like a stream. Pressing the physical power off button toggles between the 3 modes or power off again. LED flashing modes can also be changed with the app.
What we didn't like?
The charging solution chosen by the manufacturer is not attractive to me personally. I think it would be much simpler if the Bang Max supported the already well-known USB-C charging type, since most people definitely have this cable at home. When taking the column, you will now have to remember to take the charging block together.
The manufacturer indicates that the speaker has "Extra Bass", but my ears are far from that. The low sound becomes evident only when the sound level is at least ~40%. In comparison, the Bang Max plays very similar to the Trosmart Force Max. Its power is 80W, which is even 50W less.
In my opinion, the sound coming from the Force Max is much cleaner and brighter, with less noise. And Bang Max seems to be playing more softly. When used outside, you have to turn up the volume, and if there is a lot of bass in the audio track, you can hear how the speakers are struggling and therefore you have to turn it up.
Bang Max also has a powerbank function, but to use it, you need to keep the speaker turned on. Automatic shut-off occurs after 30 minutes. As a result, the powerbank function turns off. Therefore, in order to fully charge the phone, you will need to remember to come and turn it on again every 30 minutes.
The column's LED strips have three flashing options, but they don't "dance" to the music at all. I don't think implementing this functionality would be very much "rocket" science. The "dance" of lights was perfectly realized in the Tronsmart Halo 100 column.
Verdict
I had to try more than one Tronsmart portable speaker. Would I strongly suggest getting the Bang Max model in particular? I don't think...
After unpacking the box, I thought "wow, this model is really going to be the bomb" because of the "Extreme Bass & Loud Sound" specified by the manufacturer. It's really far from such a comparison of "Extreme Bass", so I agree that the low of a certain frequency sounds attractive, but the songs are different, so you will have to mute the softer "bass".
I would suggest choosing this model in the event that the company really likes karaoke parties. If your friends also have this particular model, then you will have a stronger sound when connected to the set.
I would suggest Tronsmart Force Max. This speaker has a really clean sound, and if you place it more in the corner, you will emphasize the low frequency more strongly. In addition, the body of this model is covered with rubber, which additionally creates the impression that it is not afraid of outdoor conditions. In addition, two Force Max speakers could be purchased for the price of a Bang Max.
