Price / Where to Buy
USD: $27-51 -GENIUS SP-925BT Portable Speaker on Amazon
PHP: TBA
Portable music has become a growing trend right now with the ever-increasing demand for mobile experience and as people spend more time out of the home to enjoy themselves, entertainment has since evolved into a mobile experience with music and video now being consumed with the abundance of digital content online. Put it simply, people need to satisfy their senses and when it comes to audio, mobile devices are severely lacking. Today we have a couple of products from Genius with mobile entertainment in mind, in this review we’ll take a look at the brand new Genius SP-925BT, built for power within a small frame. We also have the Genius SP-906BT built for rugged outdoors conditions which you can read more about in our other review.
Features
- SP-925BT, built with a state-of-the-art CSR chipset, streams music wirelessly from any Bluetooth-equipped device, including a wide range of smartphones, tablets and laptops.
- When turned on, SP-925BT will enter into pairing mode and enable your mobile device to pair with it without pressing other buttons. If it was previously paired with a mobile device nearby, it will also connect to it automatically once turned on.
- Two built-in 5-watt speaker drivers plus a passive radiator base driver subwoofer deliver great stereo sound and is complemented with an extra bass effect.
- With the integrated AUX-in function, SP-925BT is ready to be plugged into a device and play if a wireless option is not available at the time.
- With the built-in microphone and call-answer button, you can answer a call and turn on the microphone to give you a hands-free call environment.
Closer Look
Genius packages the SP-925BT in a full-colored box with a glamor shot of the product in the front. Features are highlighted here including icons that it is a Bluetooth device, has 2 speakers and a sub-woofer and has a built-in microphone. Inside, the SP-925BT is protected by another layer of cushioning.
Included in the package is the USB charging cable, a 3.5mm male-to-male jack, a quick guide and the SP-925BT speaker itself.
The Genius SP-925BT comes in a variety of color which may dictate the price, one of the more generic variants is the black version which we have for review today which is the cheapest amongst the variation of the SP-925BT. The colors don’t indicate anything other than purely aesthetics. Going over the physical structure of the Genius SP-925BT, the speaker itself is an upgrade over the SP-920BT with the newer model sporting a larger body. The SP-925BT is approximately the size of a large coffee mug and weighs the same as one when empty. The front has the Genius logo on the bottom edge with no other notable traits.
At the back, we have a LED indicator, an audio input port and a USB port.
The sides of the SP-925BT are perforated and these are where the audio are directed from.
The top of the SP-925BT is its widest area with a large rubber plate covering the top which also houses the buttons for the device. The middle button serves as the on/off switch when held and the Up/Down serve as volume control while the Forward/Back button are for navigating through your playlist. They are physical buttons underneath and there is a tactile feedback when pressed.
The base of the SP-925BT serves as a stand where the actual body sits on. There is a gap between the base and the main body and this serves as the chamber for the bass to flow through which adds character to the low frequency audio from the speaker. The base itself has rubber feet for stability and to avoid slipping.
User Experience & Conclusion
Setting up the Genius SP-925BT Bluetooth speaker is pretty straightforward. Via Bluetooth, just press the center button until you hear a tone and keep holding it down until the LED indicator flashes blue and red alternatingly. That indicates the device is ready to pair and will be visible to any Bluetooth compatible device that can pair with it like our mobile phone here. The LED indicator will glow blue once paired. Alternatively, one can connect the device directly to an audio source with the included 3.5mm audio cable.
So going over performance, audio quality is superbly clear. While quality has indeed gone-up for portable audio, the Genius SP-925BT brings a bit more power to the table thanks to its larger chamber and better quality overall. The audio overall is clear, controlled and not distorted even in maximum gain. We did notice a slight lack of bass power but given the structure, it could be a design choice. Bass is still there but not as gut-rumbling as some cans that make contact with the mounting surface. We measured the maximum audio of the SP-925BT to be around 95-100 dBa from 5ft via a sound level meter in a closed room, outdoors its a bit lower but still very audible.
The Genius SP-925BT is more of a discrete speaker alternative especially if you want highly audible audio for a crowd or just quality audio for a mobile presentation when you’re in the field for work. The device itself has a relatively slow charge time of around 3 hours which delivers a good 3-4 hours of non-stop music. We really couldn’t gauge how long is a full-charge taking but Genius does state 3 hours is roughly also 3 hours of playback, so the maximum battery life is still being tested but 3 hours is good enough almost 2 entire films or 3 full albums.
Overall, the Genius SP-925BT is a compelling product if you want a portable speaker but don’t want the rugged, outdoors feature of its more active brother, the SP-906BT but want more power and presence in your listening experience. Colors give character to your Genius SP-925BT and this really dictates the price with the special colored versions going up to 51$. Sound quality alone is decent and is definitely worth the $27 starting price for the black version but the higher-priced special colors, you may need a really good reason to justify the cost. In conclusion, the Genius SP-925BT is a powerful audio companion for your entertainment or work needs whether indoor or outdoors.
Price / Where to Buy
USD: $27-51 (Varies by Color) -GENIUS SP-925BT Portable Speaker on Amazon
PHP: TBA
We give it our B2G Recommend Award!