Turbine TS3 Speaker Review

Don’t waste your time (or money) on this Bluetooth speaker

I have been using this speaker for the past week, and I have been enjoyed it, although I wasn’t as impressed with it as I would have hoped. That being said, I don’t regret getting it.

The size of the speaker through me off initially. I was expecting something about half the size, honestly. In fact, when I first went to set it up, I put it on my desk speaker down, because I thought it should stand with the smallest side down, like the Bose _ bluetooth speaker. I quickly realized this was incorrect when I heard the incredibly muffled sound.

The initial set up process is simple. As soon as you turn the speaker on, it enters pairing mode. More bluetooth devices should work like this. That being said, turning the speaker on (and turning it off as well) require holding the middle button for way too long for my tastes. There’s also voice prompts which I’m sure some people will find helpful, but I find them really annoying.

A particular annoyance is that the initial 30 seconds of audio playing are way too loud, every single time. This is because the speaker volume and the phone volume are connected, and the speaker defaults back to 45% volume when it is turned on. It takes 30 seconds for the phone volume and the speaker volume to sync up, giving you real control. That being said, after the initial connection bug, I love that there’s only one volume button — most speakers force you to control the volume buttons on the speaker as well as the volume on your phone, which is tedious.

Also annoying is the fact that roughly half the time, the speaker registers in iOS as a speakerphone device, but the microphone does not work. So, you’ll answer the call and shout at the caller, and they still won’t hear you. The other half of the time, your phone takes the call internally as it should. This is unacceptable behavior.

There’s a blue ring light around the center button that blinks blue when the device is on and connected, which is helpful, and I never found it to be annoying.

Back to the size of this speaker, this is right at the limit of what I would consider a portable bluetooth speaker. It’s reasonably light weight, though, which is nice. Because of the size, this speaker packs some pretty large drivers, so it can pump out a lot of loud sound. It’s actually kind of impressive for a portable speaker.

However, I don’t like the way that the sound is balanced, and that’s kind of a big deal for a speaker. The highs sound rolled off heavily, in what I assume is an effort to make the bass sound beefier. The reality is that in any speaker this size, you’re not going to achieve good bass. This speaker is no different, with obvious forward mids, and bass that is muddy and poor. But it sounds fine for non-critical listening, and works perfectly find for holding a party in your living room.

Speaking of parties, this speaker looks excellent. The combination of shiny metallic finished plastic and matte black looks great, and the lines that were chosen look clean and modern. If you have this out, people will definitely notice and comment.

The battery life is great. I’ve had this on from when I got it until now, a week later, playing about 4 hours per day of audio, and I haven’t yet had to charge it. Your mileage may vary, but that’s what I’ve found.

The packaging is similar to other Bluedio products, which is to say surprisingly great considering the price-point. The packaging also includes a really nice and classy 3.5mm audio cable, though your new iPhone 7 doesn’t support that connector. It also includes a really nice flat micro USB cable for charging. It’s black in color, so it looks great, and the flat cable keeps it from tangling. It makes me wish Bluedio made a lightning cable, because it’s frankly beautiful — easily a $20 value on its own.

Lastly, this speaker is priced at $80. Simply put, there are better speakers on the market, both on the priced better and on the sound better sides. Additionally, nearly every other speaker I’ve tested works better than this speaker, specifically with on/off and speakerphone functionality.