I was close to getting the Anker portable BT speaker for almost twice the price, but SO glad I found this instead. Our trusty old Bose Soundlink speaker finally died after 5 years of excellent service. Instead of hassling with a $40 replacement battery, I found this boom-box for about $70 and figured it's worth a try, especially if it's louder and bass-ier than the Bose - and it is! Pros: Plays LOUD! Not "hurt your hearing" loud, but loud enough that it doesn't just drift away on the wind when used in outdoor settings. Big, easy to see & use buttons. Connects to BT quickly and with a pleasant chime (UNlike my Pyle BT speakers that squak a police radio sound at max volume - I have to cover my ears when connecting!) Equalizer profiles are nice - one for music, one for voice (I assume). I wish there were some indicator of which is in use. Overall build quality seems surprisingly sturdy, even though it's plastic. End-caps nicely protect the side woofers (which have a lot of movement when bass is loud). Has every type of audio connection and possibility of adding 2nd unit for true stereo - which I just might do! Cons: Kinda chunky and ugly, though some may like the design. I may paint it after a while, when it can no longer be returned! Don't like the carry strap and am looking to replace with some kind of semi-rigid handle. Not really a "con" but it's weird that the battery life indicator lights are built into the EQ setting button. It makes the lights look like they should be showing you which EQ setting you're on, not the battery life. Weird. Final thoughts: Not up to the broad, warm sound of our old Bose speaker, but I was not expecting that at this price-point. It does sound pretty good and has a fairly flat response, with a little fall-off in the upper mid-range that's slightly noticeable. After using it just a few times already I don't even notice it now. You can always use your music app's EQ to get it where you want it. Overall a great value. Very highly recommend this unit if you can get it for the $70-ish price.
