Femme StaffLast Month, LG released the Xboom Bluetooth speakers into the Kenyan market as part of the lineup of Bluetooth speakers that they company first introduced in 2015. I’ve had the pleasure to sample them and see how they fit into everyday life and right off the boxes I already had a favourite. LG sent two speakers over, the PL7 and PL2 which is the smallest of them.
Design
Though different in sizes, the speakers are all of the same rounded look design which I much prefer as opposed to boxy speakers. The rounded design makes portability much easier and overall gives the speakers a unique classy look. All the speakers also have similarly positioned control panels for power, volume up and down and to switch on Bluetooth. The bigger speakers that is PL5 and PL7 have an underbelly slot with connection options like for wired listening and USB. These can also be used as power banks and I find that really in line with portability since once could be out and about with the speakers and a phone and would not want any of those to lose power.
One of the most distinctive physical features on the speakers is the lights around the passive radiators on the side and these look super cool. This feature is only on the PL5 and PL7 though.
Sound
LG has manufactured the Xboom Bluetooth speakers in partnership with Meridian Sound – a company that is well known for crafting near perfect high-fidelity audio and video solutions. The speakers also have a sound boost feature that works quite noticeably when activated. The bigger ones PL5 and PL7 are bigger and therefore win in sound quality but the PL2 is just what the doctor ordered for portability.
I enjoyed playing around with the lights via the X-Boom app. These lighting effects go perfectly well with the speakers to create mood but they also drain battery. I was only using them when I’m not far from a guaranteed power source. But out there you might want to keep them off for battery longevity. PL2 has 10 hours of play on full charge, PL5 has 15 and PL7 has 24 hours. Quite impressive.
Conclusion
Of the 3 speaker variants, the PL7 gives the best sound and biggest battery. This is no surprise given that it is the biggest and comes at the highest price point. The PL5 is a happy mid-point that gives more portability since its smaller than PL7.
I do appreciate all the good sound and additional features but my absolute favourite based on my every day life is the smallest speaker – the PL2. Since I listen to my music mostly in the office during the day, I really don’t need anything loud so this one works just fine. I find it easy to just slip it into my handbag and get on with the day. Of course when I’m home or out and about say for a picnic, then the bigger speakers are way better.
