What’s a party with some music? And what’s been limiting you from enjoying your music at the beach, at the park, or lounging at the beach? If the answer is that you lack a durable, powerful speaker, then today is perhaps your lucky day. Bluetooth wireless speakers come in a whole lot of different shapes and sizes and styles, and it can be tough to narrow down the field. But very few models that we’ve seen can compete with this guy in terms of raw battery life or sheer portable power.
The FUGOO Tough XL makes some bold claims and offers some impressive numbers to back them up: best-in-its-class battery life, with up to 35 hours of playtime, and 38 total watts of power able to pump out 97 decibels at peak volume. Of course, befitting it’s specifications, the Tough XL isn’t small or subtle- the design is eye-catching, with the honeycomb grill and distinctive trapezoidal shape, and it weighs in at about five pounds. You can’t carry this guy in a pocket, and you’ll feel it in your bookbag, but that’s the trade-off for the lengthy playtime and serious output.
If the name or the aesthetics catch your eye, there is a smaller version as well, that we checked out about a year and a half ago. Like it’s predecessor, the larger brother offers omni-directional sound, but the Tough XL uses eight total drivers: four tweeters, a pair mof mid/and low-end drivers, as well as dual passive radiators. It’s all put together in a waterproof, fiber-reinforced resin body with a resilient aluminum outer shell along with shock-mounted components and impact protection on all eight corners. And the end result is water-proof and sand-proof. Controls are excellent, with real rather than touch-sensitive buttons for volume and playback functions but also, more unusually, for Google Now and Siri activation.
Using Bluetooth 4.0, pairing is easy, and like some others, you can use it’s spare battery power to top-up some other devices via the USB output. Charging is handled via the the included DC adapter, and there is a 3.5mm aux input jack as well if you want to be directly connected to your sort. There is a microphone included so you can use the Fugoo Tough XL as a speakerphone as well. The overall audio picture is pretty decent, with a definite tilt towards the bass end of the spectrum and a slightly boosted mid-range. At higher volumes, it sounds better and more balanced- so pump it up. Available now, online and in stores, expect to spend around $329- and be sure to look at the accessories like the hand strap, shoulder strap, and even a remote control.