Bluetooth speakers come in many different sizes and shapes, some are square, some are round, some are big and some are small. The OKE A9LHJ mini Bluetooth speaker is one in the small category, so small it can fit in a pocket, but not small enough that it’s ridiculous.
If you like style, then you certainly won’t be disappointed by the design of this little speaker. It’s an entirely round shape spanned across two sections. The top section is home to the driver, while the much thinner bottom section is home to various buttons, a power switch, a charging point and a MicroSD slot. Present on the bottom side of the speaker is an LED light ring that spans the entire circular base of the large top section.
The design is completed using an Aluminium body with a thin chrome stripe running around the center, while the top edge is home to a slightly thicker chrome strip. A white grill takes its place on the top side of the speaker.
The overall appearance of the speaker is sleek and gorgeous, with a very modern appeal to it. It looks good placed in most areas whether indoors or outdoors. It’s available in four colors including gray, gold, silver and a shade of pink known as Rosa. I have the gray colored unit, which in my opinion doesn’t look too bad at all.
My only gripe with the design of this speaker is in relation to the buttons and their location. They sit on the rather slim bottom section. Since this section is so slim, there’s no room for large finger-friendly buttons, so instead, you get small buttons, which are close together in such an awkward location.
Powering the OKE A9LHJ mini Bluetooth speaker is a built-in 520mAh rechargeable battery. The battery offers up to 8 hours of playback, which in my opinion is slightly poor, considering I have used similar speakers with batteries that offer up to 10 hours. Charging time is roughly 2 and a half hours from flat to 100%.
The initial pairing of the device with my phone was as easy as it normally is with any Bluetooth device. It takes no more than 30 seconds to have the speaker paired with a phone. Once the initial setup is done, you won’t have to do it again as the phone and speaker will remember each other the next time you want to pair them.
With a standard 10m working range, there’s no reason for this speaker to suffer dropouts when used within the range and free of obstructions. I certainly haven’t had any range issues when using the speaker within the instructed range.
Audio quality is obviously one of the most important factors when it comes to purchasing a speaker. Obviously, a small speaker like this isn’t going to offer audiophiles something to smile about, but you would still expect a decent level of sound, well, unfortunately, I’ve used similar speakers with much better sound quality than this one. While it offers a decent level of bass and the audio is overall clear, the whole sound is quite tinny and deep, which is something I’m not a fan of. It doesn’t matter whether you play your audio over Bluetooth or from a MicroSD card, it jsut sounds so hollow.
While the tinny sound isn’t thrilling, it doesn’t prevent easy listening, the volume is quite decent and even at it loudest, it’s free of any distortion. Sure it’s not 100% in the audio department but most people should be able to cope with it, even if it’s just until they can get something better.
Overall the OKE A9LHJ mini Bluetooth speaker is neither great nor bad, but somewhere in the middle. Its sleek design makes it an eye pleaser, that sits well in most settings, while its battery could be better in my opinion. The audio quality is let down by the tinniness that overshadows an otherwise good enough quality and by this I mean the clarity and lack of distortion.
PROS:
- Sleek design
- Pocket-friendly size
- Looks good anywhere
CONS:
- Tinny audio
- Small battery capacity
- Awkwardly placed buttons
