ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Fender Teufel Rockstar Go 2 is offered now on Amazon for $130.
- This Bluetooth speaker produces enormous sound with little distortion and presents loads of battery life per cost.
- The standard of sound is midrange, missing actually deep bass and generally too-blended mids and highs.
Excellent sound is not all the time crucial. That is very true when utilizing Bluetooth audio system, which sacrifice true audiophile sound for comfort. Typically, nevertheless, what must take priority is a variety of sound from a small package deal.
You could be working in your backyard or the storage, internet hosting a small gathering, or hanging out within the woods. At these instances, you want quantity with out the standard dimension related to a tool that goes to 11.
Additionally: One of the loudest Bluetooth speakers I’ve tested is not made by Sonos or Bose
When such instances arrive, you will be comfortable you bought a Fender Teufel Rockstar Go 2 Bluetooth speaker. It is small (roughly 8″ X 4″) and may actually crank up the decibels. No, it isn’t going to fill a warehouse with superb sound, however you will get extra out of it than the dimensions would recommend. Despite the fact that the sound will not put a smile on an audiophile’s face, it should actually do the job and do it nicely.
The specs
- Broad-band driver – 50 mm
- Passive radiator – 1 @ 64 mm
- Frequency vary – 60Hz to twenty,000Hz
- Acoustic precept – One-way system
- Enclosure kind – Closed
- Battery life – 15 hours at medium quantity
- Amplifier – Class D with two channels
- Google Quick Pair appropriate
- Connection – Bluetooth with AAC assist
- Compatibility – Android, iOS, and Home windows
- Value on Amazon – $130
My expertise
As soon as I had the Fender X Teufel Rockstar Go 2 linked to my Pixel 9 Professional (which took all of 5 seconds), I tapped play on my go-to testing music, “Analog Child,” by Rush.
Figuring out this speaker’s frequency vary bottoms out at 60Hz, I used to be ready for the speaker to lack a great quantity of low-end (particularly the punch of a kick drum). That assumption was appropriate; the bass on this speaker is not precisely a pulse-racing expertise. There may be bass, however it would not fairly attain the depths some music genres demand (resembling steel and rap).
Once more, I anticipated that.
Additionally: I swapped my high-end soundbar for a JBL, and it surprised me in the best way
What actually stunned me was how loud this small speaker can get. It may attain uncomfortable ranges of sound, particularly in a small room. I had the speaker on my desk, pushed play on Devin Townsend’s new single, “Jainism,” and maxed out the quantity, solely to search out it to be far too uncomfortable.
After notching the quantity down a bit, all was good. On the midway mark, the quantity was loud sufficient, so the sound hit me arduous, however it wasn’t uncomfortable to my ears; and even at that max quantity, the speaker barely confirmed any indicators of distortion, which is particularly necessary for bigger rooms or outside utilization.
As I discussed, the sound will not impress an audiophile. As a substitute of a pleasant, easy separation of devices and voices, you get type of a wall of sound that blends all the things collectively. This makes for a really slim soundstage.
There’s additionally an “immersive” mode, however I discovered that added a bit too many mids, which notched the sound high quality down a bit. That “immersive” mode is nice for issues like podcasts, audiobooks, and different media the place the talking voice must take priority, however for sure genres of music, it would not fairly hit the mark.
In fact, you need to perceive that I could be a bit too discerning at instances, particularly relating to EQ curves; sadly, the Fender Teufel Rockstar Go 2 would not have a cellular app that enables for EQ customization. You get what you get, and that is it.
Additionally: The best Bluetooth turntables of 2024: Expert tested and recommended
Nonetheless, once more, this is not a speaker you purchase since you wish to hear music precisely because the artists meant it. This speaker is greatest for making large noise with out taking over an excessive amount of house. To that finish, the Fender Teufel Rockstar Go 2 succeeds higher than most audio system of its dimension.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
It actually boils all the way down to this: Do you want a Bluetooth speaker that may pump up the quantity to decibel ranges able to filling an area with out distortion? The Fender Teufel Rockstar Go 2 for $130 is a superb possibility. Though I would ding the speaker for a scarcity of deep, resonant bass and a too-narrow soundstage, this speaker produces a sound that can simply fulfill most individuals.
So, so long as you do not count on studio-monitor-quality sound, you will be thrilled with this speaker. As a bonus, should you get pleasure from listening to podcasts, this speaker will convey these voices to life with quantity sufficient so that you can pay attention in any room of your home, with out lacking a single sentence.