Kitsound is a company familiar with audio, so much so they manufacture all sorts of audio goods from headphones, to portable speakers and even home systems. Today I am writing about one of the latest products born of their knowledge in audio, the Kitsound Slam XL Party Speaker.
- Let loose a real party animal; recreate that club atmosphere with LED and strobe lighting; choose from three party modes and wind It all down later with a choice of chill settings
- Completely transform your home with 100 W power output and 2 x 5 inch full range drivers; enjoy deep bass that shakes the room with smooth sound quality throughout
- Includes the option to pair up another slam XL for True wireless stereo, for even bigger ear-shattering sound
- Designed with Bluetooth with a range of up to 30 m, so you can control the tunes without even having to leave the dancefloor
- Includes a carry handle so you can take your music into the next room or the next house
Kitsound Slam XL Party Speaker Review: Specifications
- v5.0 : Bluetooth Version
- Up to 30 m : Bluetooth range
- 50 Hz – 18 kHz : Frequency response
- 2 x 5.25 inch full range : Drivers
- 90 dB : Sensitivity
- 2 x 50 W @ 4 ohm : Output RMS
- H 189 mm x W 473 mm x D 252 mm : Dimensions
- 4.8 kg : Weight
Kitsound Slam XL Party Speaker Review: Design
I’ll start off by pointing out the obvious, which is that as the name implies, this is an XL sized speaker. With dimensions of 189mm x 473mm x 252mm (H x W x D) and weight of 4.8KG, this speaker is a beast, when compared to the more traditional portable Bluetooth speaker we see a lot these days. This size is justified by the fact that this speaker is packing two 50W 5.25inch full range drivers for a total output of 100W for what is ultimately a party audio machine.
When it comes to looks, this isn’t a bad-looking speaker at all. The front is covered mostly by a black mesh metal grill covering those large sexy looking drivers and a set of two strobe lights (one at the top and one at the bottom). It may seem like a simple look at first, but turn it on and you’re greeted by a lit up LED system carefully placed behind the grill and in front of the drivers. Sitting between the drivers is the Kitsound branding, which also lights up and lights up to match whatever setting you’re using as you play audio.
On top of the speaker is a control panel with 8 buttons all sat together on a rubber strip. each button is marked, which makes identifying them really easy. From the left to the right, these buttons are- Power, Volume down/Previous track, Volume up/Next track, Chill mode, Party mode, Strobe mode, Color change mode and lastly the Stereo pairing button. Unfortunately, there’s no remote included, so some of the options can only be done using the control panel, while others such as volume adjustment can be done through a Bluetooth device. You’ll also find a rubber coated handle up here, which makes carrying this beast around, much easier.
Around the back, you won’t find much other than a Bass port, a USB port marked ‘Upgrade’, an AUX port and a plug connection point. The USB port marked upgrade is a bit of a mystery to me, as at first, I thought it might mean the speaker could have some sort of firmware upgrade, but upon inspecting the manual, this port isn’t to be used by anyone but a technician who might repair your speaker should it ever need repairing.
Kitsound Slam XL Party Speaker Review: Lighting system
To create a party feeling, you need music, but to create a bangin’ party feeling you need a lighting system as well. Now that would normally be a lot to haul around, especially if you’re not a working DJ, but and a very big but, the guys at Kitsound decided they would make this much easier by combing the speaker and the lighting system into one easy to carry about package. This is why the Slam XL Party Speaker has a built-in multicolored LED lighting system and a built-in white strobe lighting system.
The LED system features 5 different colors- Red, Green, Blue, Yellow and Purple, which can be used across chill mode, party mode and single color mode. The strobe mode works in both casual and party mode, although doesn’t work with the LED’s simultaneously.
I personally love the party mode, as the lighting system actually reacts to the beat of the music, giving you LED’s that work in harmony with the beat, which is to use a term I don’t like ”sick as”.
One thing to be noted is that Strobe lights are known to cause seizures in people with epilepsy, so also ensure you are aware of anyone who may suffer from this, before considering using the feature.
Kitsound Slam XL Party Speaker Review: Setup and Bluetooth
Setting the Slam XL up is pretty easy, you just plug it in and it’s ready to use. The only thing you have to do next is pairing it with your Bluetooth device, which itself takes no longer than 30 seconds and is well detailed in the manual.
With Bluetooth 5.0 and an operating range between device and speaker of 30m, the Bluetooth stability offered by the Slam XL is quite reliable. I have so far been able to place the speaker in my front room, while comfortably walking between there and other rooms of the lower floor with no disconnections or audio issues of any kind.
Kitsound Slam XL Party Speaker Review: Audio playback
Packing 100W of strong output power, created by two 50W 5.25-inch drivers, the Slam XL is able to pack a serious punch when it comes to bass, without sacrificing highs, lows and overall audio quality. At its highest volume, there’s no audio distortion, through both Bluetooth and AUX, I have found this to apply.
There’s no denying, that this sounds bloody amazing, even in a room full of people. Having recently used it for a small party gathering, I can safely say, the Slam XL becomes one of the centerpieces of the party thanks to the amazing audio as well as the lighting system.
If you really wanna add more power to this already powerful setup, you can buy a second Slam XL and use stereo pairing to pair the two together to create a proper stereo speaker effect. Unfortunately, I am unable to test this feature so I can’t comment any further on it.
Kitsound Slam XL Party Speaker Review: Conclusion
With an RRP of £129.99, the Kitsound Slam XL Party Speaker is a decent offering, considering it packs both the lighting system and speaker setup into one convenient package. With fantastic audio, amazing lighting effects and a decent design, this speaker really is worthy of 5 out of 5 stars.
Pros
- Speaker and lighting system in one
- Easy to carry around
- Amazing audio
- Decent price
Cons
- No remote to change lighting or control speaker from a distance
Last update on 2023-11-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
