“The Boombot Rex offers generous power in a convenient, clip-on package, but its sound quality leaves something to be desired.”
- Impressive volume
- Surprising number of features
- Sound is tinny and thin
- Poor battery life
Funded by a Kickstarter campaign launched by Boom Botix, the Rex is a Ninja Turtle-like green pentagon of sound that delivers impressive volume from its twin 1-inch drivers. Sheathed in a layer of ABS polymer, the Rex is tailor-made for the X-games crowd, allowing you to strap on your sound and skate, snowboard, bike, rock climb, or do just about anything else, literally without missing a beat.
Aside from its handy-dandy clip (which does not ooze style while hugging a waistband, we have to say), the Rex harbors an impressive war chest of features, including a speakerphone, water and shock resistance, dual ports for daisy-chaining two speakers together, and even an onboard button to access Siri. Battery life can be monitored from your smartphone, which is important as the speaker lasts a paltry 6 hours runtime — enough for a day in the elements, but a short stint for extended camping trips.
As for audio performance, the good news is the Rex is extremely loud. We didn’t have a decibel meter with us, but suffice it to say the little diamond was more than powerful enough to cut through the ambience of the outdoors. The bad news, however, is that the little bugger is predictably tinny and thin, with almost no body in the lower regions to speak of, and a good deal of clinky sibilance up top. Still, if you just want a blast of sound to take with you on the trail, the Boombot Rex will do the trick — just don’t listen too closely.
For more check out our Bluetooth Speaker Roundup.
Highs
- Impressive volume
- Surprising number of features
Lows
- Sound is tinny and thin
- Poor battery life
