A party is what they want, a party is what they get!
Pros: Build
Adaptability
Sound is quite good
String together 100+ for parties
Affordable
Lack of CODEC options does not bother me in a BT speaker
Cool light show!
Power-bank option
Cons: “Mesh” cover may become dirty
Light show drains battery
Slow charge time
Lack of CODEC for popular types may turn some off (it shouldn’t)
Tronsmart Bang 60W Party Speaker ($109.99): A party is what they want, a party is what they get!
4.25 stars
Intro:
As part and parcel to a pre-release copy of the Bang, there is a certain amount of wonder as to what the item will sound like as well as keeping the secret for the proper moment. I have reviewed other Tronsmart equipment including the Onyx Prime TWS earbud and the Force 2 BT speaker (which my daughter absconded with…). I have appreciated their desire to make a product, which fits into the niche but also comes across as slightly different. In a good way. The company does seem to have good ideas but are brought to light almost like they let other company’s make the mistakes then correct them with the Tronsmart version.
I again thank Tronsmart for the review sample, and it has been a fun little secret to keep. What follows are my words, and mine alone for good or ill; but they are mine.
Specs:
- Patented SoundPulse® technology and equipped with dual tweeters and dual subwoofers
- Patented TuneConn™ technology to sync audio across 100+ speakers
- Creative utilized handle
- Beat-driven light show
- IPX6 waterproof
- Built-in powerbank
- Personalize APP control
- Supports Voice Assistant
- NFC Seamless Connection
| Model | Bang |
| Colors | Black |
| Power | 60W |
| Input | 5V/2A via Type-C Port |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Bluetooth Compatibility | A2DP/AVRCP/HFP/HSP |
| Audio Decodec | SBC |
| Transmission Distance | 18m/59ft |
| Water Resistant | IPX6 |
| Battery Capacity | 10800mAh |
| Play Time | LED On: Up to 8 Hours (on a 50% Volume) LED Off: Up to 15 Hours (on a 50% Volume) |
| Charging Time | 4.5 Hours |
| Frequency Range | 20Hz-20KHz |
| Dimension | 361*183.4*150.3 mm/ 14.2*7.2*5.9inch |
| Net Weight | 3.08kg/108.6oz |
| Package Contents | 1 x Tronsmart Bang, 1 x Warranty Card, 1 x User Manual, 1 x Type-C Cable, 1 x Aux Cable |
Gear Used:
iPhone 13 Pro Max
Shanling M6 Pro
Songs used:
Yes
Unboxing:
A larger, heavier box than I expected arrived, so I knew the speaker was of a good size. Laden with all sorts of graphics, the box is informative. Opening the box, you find a plastic bag, which contains the charging cord as well as the manual information and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm connecting cable. Taking the speaker out, which is protected in a plastic bag and form-fitting hard foam, you again realize the heft of the speaker. In watching the informative video, you realize it is a hefty throw into the ocean (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KR7A30NTjzWBXAhPWp5oAiRhVh4QDHpm/view?usp=drive_web).
Build/Functions:
The Bang is IPX6 waterproof and the above video link describes that decidedly. I have always appreciated the build of the Tronsmart models, even if they have quite a bit of plastic. Solid of fit and feel, the parts mesh together coherently, without bother. Buttons are hard to see, since the unit is all-black when not lit. Those buttons are easy to learn and the function of them is good as per previous Tronsmart experience. Going from left to right you have the NFC area for connectivity. TuneConn is next, followed by Mode, Volume -, Play/Pause, Volume +, EQ indicator, and last the power button. A BT connection light shares the space with the power button.
The back had a rubberized cover over the charging port, Aux-in port, micro SD card slot, USB-A, and USB-C port. The connectivity is multi, and I had no issues across the spectrum. The fabric covering around the important parts might collect sand and grit, but this does not hinder the unit at all and a quick cleaning takes care of most of it.
As seen from the pictures, each button controls multiple functions much like a TWS BT earphone. Once mastered, switching functions or options is all but intuitive. You can even use the speaker to answer phone calls as well as hook up to 100 (yes one century) speakers in concert for a whole musical appreciation tour. The app, which can be downloaded for either iPhone or Android is easy to use, with included EQ settings or a customizable option. You can even change light settings from the app. It is a simple to use app as well.
Once the music starts, the front panel and side sub woofers will light around the ends. You can have the unit light in various colors or leave it on your favorite but changing is not a bad way to go. One would note than leaving the light on change mode shortens battery life to only about 8 hours. Light off and it is about 15 hours (50% volume on each). This will drop even more if you use the USB-C port for charging your smartphone, but the included powerbank is a nice addition to have. I can confirm both the light off and light show on battery estimates. Over the last two months, I have run the test three times each and all came in within 1/2-3/4 hour of the estimates. Differential use would account for the discrepancies, but to me fall within guidelines.
Sound (w/ functionality):
Summary:
The Bang emits plenty of bass, when using the app and the4 “Deep Bass” setting. But even without, the quantity of bass is quite good. The Force 2 BT speaker while decent, lacked bass to me. The Bang ramps that bass up so you can feel it to a certain extent. Mids are pushed forward as you would expect, since most of the vocals come through in this range. Treble extension is good, without grating. Tronsmart also promotes a 360-degree sound, and I can attest that to be mostly true. You do lose coherency when moving around, but that is to be expected. This is not a sound bar after all. Overall this is a very nice step forward for the Tronsmart brand and this is one I will not let my daughter abscond with any time soon.
Moar:
On Pink Floyd’s live version of Comfortably Numb, I had the Bang on the floor, with Deep Bass playing. I could feel that bass a bit through the round rubberized feet a bit, giving a somewhat subwoofer feel to the sound. I will note that that bass did overshadow the mids and especially the vocals. But put the speaker in a good place above the floor and coherency came back nicely. I will also note that detail was lost in the Deep Bass setting, and an emphasis of the lower treble note came through to account for that added bass. The result was a somewhat more V-shaped sound. Running the Default sound setting restored order, with the mids coming back to the forefront. Treble note is mostly EQ dependent, but when in default mode, they were pleasantly bright. Switching to “Rock” inside made them mostly intolerable to me. In my preferred “Deep Bass” mode, the sound from on high was worthy among the best BT speakers I have heard at this price.
Purposely turning the speaker approximately 75-degrees off the front, I could still get a good sense of the “surround sound,” enabling me to hear each side pretty well. This is a limitation of most BT portable speakers, but I can see the progression towards soundbars nicely. Not there yet but moving towards that actual surround sound.
Switching to the “Hi-Fi” mode on the app brings all forward, like adding approximately 6-10dB of sound. This setting along with “Rock” might be the desired settings for an outdoor use. To me they were just too much for indoor. “Classical” brought sub-bass up nicely and the lower mids promoting the bass line quite nicely to me. My favored would be Default, Deep Bass & Classical in any order song dependent.
Los Lobos Poquito Para Aqui is a favorite of mine for judging bass line (plus Los Lobos kicks arse). Playing the Bang on Deep Bass provided me with a thumping bass-loving sound, which was very good. All else could be almost lost as a result but I did not mind. “Rock” setting to me fell flat, and my favored three settings were the chosen ones for this song.
Female vocals such as Susan Tedeschi came across as vibrant and forward, especially on the “Vocal” setting. Her sumptuous voice sounds quite melodious on the Bang, and I could see happily pairing two of these together and living with this in an outdoor setting.
BT speakers at this time are still not the best regarding a clarity-driven sound, but the gap is closing, and I can hear the difference through the Bang. This is not meant to be the audiophile detail monster of your bookshelf speakers but rather a quickly connected speaker that can certainly provide the foundation for music at an outdoor setting.
Functions:
As mentioned without much memorization, the functionality can be mastered. Even by this old person, I was able to quickly learn and all but be able to use the buttons on the unit itself without fuss. Youngers will of course do this much more quickly.
TuneConn is used for connecting multiple units. I only had one so I was unable to test this feature. SoundPulse on the other hand worked by either pushing the button on the top or in the app. With SP on, there is even more push of the mids, again making this a good setting for the outdoor situation.
Phone functionality was good as well. I could easily answer calls from the speaker using the correct buttons (play/pause). You can even redial the last number in your phone by pressing play/pause 2x. I had my son call and we conversed as normal. Once over I was able to quickly redial him using that function.
Finale:
Tronsmart are doing good sensible business right now. They are not jumping on every trend or every latest trick without thoughtful thinking. I appreciate this as many current companies are flashing units almost monthly or weekly to “keep it fresh.” To me this is not Tronsmart’s MO. Theirs is of careful deliberation and addition of technology once it has been proven beneficial. Yes, they do produce models fairly quickly, but not at the speed many of their peers do. Deliberate, thoughtful functionality makes for a unit, which comes out as the fully finished product. Even without some of the latest CODEC’s, the unit is still worthy since the most likely scenario places this outdoors. And as such, I can recommend the Bang for a portable BT speaker in all but the toughest outdoor conditions. This one would be at home in a northern Michigan winter as easily as South Beach in the summer. And isn’t that what we ask of our outdoor gear? Oh, and this one also sounds quite good as well. Give it a listen.
