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Thursday
Feb022017

Review: VisionTek SoundTube PRO Bluetooth speaker

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

There's no shortage of multifunctional Bluetooth speakers in the market right now. With smartphones slowly removing their headphone jacks, going wireless isn't just convenient, it is fast becoming necessary. VisionTek's SoundTube PRO brings a number of compelling features as well as outstanding sound in a portable and powerful speaker.

Looking at the VisionTek SoundTube PRO Bluetooth speaker, it is easy to see some resemblance to similar tubular speakers like UE Boom speakers. The VisionTek SoundTube PRO do offer a lot of extra features like NFC quick connectivity, a microphone for taking conference calls, iPX4 water resistance rating, a Digital Signal Processor for enhanced sound, indoor or outdoor modes, swappable fabric panels and a bottom-firing active subwoofer. The SoundTube PRO also comes with a 4000 mAh battery good for 6-8 hours of continuous use and it takes around 4 hours to charge.

This is a Bluetooth 4.1 unit that can be connected to various devices simultaneously and which knows which one is currently playing or connected.

The size of the SoundTube PRO is similar to a tall-boy beer can, although it is a little thicker and has a hard rubber border that serves as a stand and support.

The design, build, fit and finish of this bluetooth speaker is top notch. There are various touches and nuances that set it apart from the competition. The rotating bezel audio control, the dedicated active subwoofer and the strumming guitar sound to indicate it is turned on or off are all nice touches.

I used the VisionTek SoundTube PRO connected to an iPhone 7 as well as a Surface Book for music. On the Surface Book, the VisionTek served as a great speaker for watching season on of The Expanse, not only was the sound clear, that active subwoofer used the desk as a baffle, adding some punchiness to more intense moments in the show.

Depending on the source, the SoundTube PRO manages to produce impressive audio. Podcasts, music, movies and even video games are brought to life with a pretty lavish soundstage coming from one speaker. While it is a little large to be considered a portable speaker to grab and go, it does makes sense for use in a room, an office, going on a day trip to the beach or when travelling.

I also found the SoundTube PRO to be a good companion for watching games, movies and shows using a projector. It is loud enough to fill a room. It is going to be the audio output I will use when I watch the Superbowl this weekend.

Compared to similar speakers in its class, I found the VisionTek SounTube PRO to manage louder volumes, greater clarity and less distortion provided the source audio was balanced. The active subwoofer is great addition that adds punch to music and sound effects and the digital signal processor augments clarity.

Tough, rugged and versatile, the VisionTek SoundTube PRO is designed to work in most conditions and deliver quality audio without breaking the bank.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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