LG’s Xboom line-up has always been one of my favourite. The speakers and earbuds sound great, but look even better. Now, the tech giant has teamed up with music artist will.i.am for a refresh to the line-up. They’ve been designed and tuned by the artist for a tailor-made listening experience.
The Xboom Bounce delivers punchy sound and also features passive radiators that quite literally bounce to the beat. If that’s not extra enough, they light up too. With an IP67 rating and military-grade durability, the Bounce speakers are ready for beach days, hiking trips, or accidental pool dips. Oh, and it’ll last up to 30 hours on a single charge.
Then there’s the Xboom Grab, which is basically the Bounce’s more portable sibling. It’s compact, rugged, and comes with straps to attach it to everything from your bike to your backpack. It boasts dynamic bass thanks to dual passive radiators and can keep the music going for 20 hours. It even fits in a car’s cup holder, apparently.
For those who prefer big sound, the Xboom Stage 301 speaker is here to turn your living room into a full-blown gig. This beast of a speaker is built for serious sound, with a 6.5-inch woofer and midrange drivers to boot. With 11 hours of battery life and an IPX4 water resistance rating, it’s built to handle your impromptu karaoke nights.
Let’s not forget the Xboom Buds, which bring will.i.am’s tuned audio to your ears in a more personal way. With graphene drivers, these earbuds promise balanced sound and solid bass. They also include active noise cancelling and support for LE Audio Auracast. With 30 hours of playback time when using the charging case, these buds are designed to keep you grooving.
So what actually makes these buds and speakers different from LG’s regular Xboom devices? I got a chance to sit down and talk to will.i.am to find out. While they use LG’s standard drivers, they’ve been designed and tuned by will.i.am. This means each of the devices adjust the sound differently. For example, the earbuds focus on ensuring bass doesn’t get muddled. When you listen to songs, they’ll sound just like will.i.am intended – if they’re by the Black Eyed Peas, that is.
The Xboom Bounce starts at $249/£199, while the more portable Xboom Grab comes in at $199/£159. The hefty Xboom Stage 301 will set you back $499/£399, and the Xboom Buds are priced at $179. They’ll be available from late February, available to order directly from LG or other retailers.