The Sandberg Active Waterproof Bluetooth speaker is one of the latest products to Sandberg’s outdoor-centric Active product lineup. It features a built-in powerbank, an IPX7 rating and a rugged design among other things. Check out the specifications below.
As with other products in the Sandberg Active lineup, this features a rugged design complete with a green color that really emphasizes the outdoor nature of the product. The shell has a plastic construction with rubber padding shock absorption in some areas.
Running across the top of the Sandberg Active Waterproof Bluetooth speaker is a set of five buttons, used for changing tracks, adjusting the volume, changing mode, answering calls and powering the speaker on or off. These buttons all share a strip of rubber and are very responsive to every press. To the left of the power button is a set of four vertical LED lights, which are used to keep a check on the current battery level. Lastly along the top is an extra button, that is separate from the rest. This button activates the ”Extra bass” mode which as you can guess boost the default bass level.
Moving to the sides of the speaker, the left-hand side is home to a MicroUSB port for charging the speaker, a USB port for charging external devices and a 3.5 mm audio cable connection point for connecting devices using a cable. These ports are covered securely by a thick rubber flap which is used to keep them protected from water. The right-hand side is home to a thick cord hook for hanging the speaker from something like a branch for example.
Interestingly enough, for whatever reason Sandberg has placed a tripod mount connection on the bottom side of this speaker. I have to say this is the first time I have come across this on a portable Bluetooth speaker, but oddly enough I do like it as it gives you an extra option for speaker placement.
In terms of size, there’s no denying this isn’t pocket-friendly as it’s actually quite big, however it will fit easily in most bags or backpacks without a problem. It’s also surprisingly light in terms of weight.
Powering the Sandberg Active Waterproof Bluetooth speaker is a 5200 mAh rechargeable battery, which I feel is a slight letdown, not because it’s bad for a Bluetooth speaker as it isn’t but because I feel it’s bad for something that’s also advertised as a powerbank. If you just use the speaker at a volume level of about 70%, then you’ll get roughly between 7 to 8 hours as claimed by Sandberg and tested by myself, however, if you need to boost your phone’s charge this will drastically go down. I feel that a 10000 mAh battery would have been a better choice for a speaker/powerbank combo. So to sum up my feelings for the battery, not bad for the speaker, but not good for the combo if you are going to use this as a powerbank as well.
Connecting the speaker to my phone for the first time via Bluetooth was a quick and hassle-free task. The included manual has diagrams that show you what to do in a clear and easy to understand format. Once the initial pairing is complete the next time you want to connect the speaker to your phone, you simply turn your phone’s Bluetooth on and the speaker on, then they will pair automatically.
If you find yourself using a Bluetooth-less device (even in 2018) then you can simply connect your device to the speaker using the provided (or your own) 3.5 mm audio cable. This will allow you to use most portable audio devices with the speaker.
The audio quality produced by the Sandberg Active Waterproof Bluetooth speaker is average by default. It offers clear audio with good enough details, but the overall default quality could be much better. It does get actually get a lot better with the ‘Extra bass’ button pressed on, pressing this button gives the speaker much more bass, which in turn also seems to improve the overall audio quality. I’m not sure why ”Extra bass” has to be turned on, rather than just being permanently on as it’s definitely an improvement compared to when it’s turned off. That said the option is there to turn it on at least.
The Sandberg Active Waterproof Bluetooth speaker is a great outdoors companion, thanks to its IPX7 rating and rugged design. By default, the audio isn’t as good as I’d have liked, but this can all be easily changed by touching the ”Extra bass” button which offers much better audio in comparison. I love the fact Sandberg has built a powerbank into this, but do feel the battery could have been made larger to compensate for this.
Overall though, I would easily recommend this as you are getting not only a feature-packed speaker, you’re getting one that’s built to last in even the toughest of conditions.
- Sandberg Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
- Package Height: 11.1
- Package Length: 11.1
- Package Width: 11.41
Pros
- Rugged design
- IPX7 rating
- Extra bass mode provides fantastic audio
- Powerbank built-in
Cons
- Battery capacity a tad on the low side for a speaker/powerbank combination
- Default audio should just be set to extra bass mode at the start
Last update on 2023-11-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
