Having reviewed other Tronsmart components including the Onyx Prime TWS earbuds and the Force 2 Bluetooth loudspeaker (which my daughter absconded with…), I appreciate their desire to make a product which fits into a niche category but also comes across as slightly unique. I definitely get the sense that they pay close attention to market trends and where other products fall down.
The portable outdoor wireless and Bluetooth loudspeaker market is very competitive; Sonos, JBL, Bluesound, Monster, and Bang & Olufsen have some rather appealing products that we’ve already reviewed and something like the Tronsmart Bang Bluetooth Portable Speaker needs to be a lot better than average to make any noise.
The Skinny
- 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
The accompanying video is rather extreme from the perspective that nobody is ever going to lift up a bluetooth speaker and toss it this hard into the ocean or pool but the bigger point is that the Tronsmart Bang is IPX6 waterproof should it accidentally fall into the water.
I have always appreciated the build quality of the Tronsmart models, even if they have quite a bit of plastic. Everything fits together perfectly and it doesn’t feel cheap at all considering the $110 price tag.
The all-black design has one drawback; the buttons are hard to see when not illuminated.
They are, however, rather easy to learn and my experience with other Tronsmart models was replicated here as well.
Going from left to right, you have the NFC area for connectivity, TuneConn, followed by Mode, Volume, Play/Pause, Volume +, EQ indicator, and lastly the power button. The Bluetooth connection light shares the space with the power button.
The rear panel has a rubberized cover over the charging port, Auxiliary input, micro SD card slot, USB Type-A, and USB Type-C inputs. There is a built-in power energy bank to charge your smart device if have an emergency.
The loudspeaker supports Bluetooth 5.0 and is compatible with A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, and HSP. The transmission distance is rated at 18 meters or 59 feet.
As seen from the pictures, each button controls multiple functions in a manner similar to a TWS BT earphone. Once mastered, switching functions or options proved to be rather intuitive. You can even use the speaker to answer phone calls and there is the ability to pair up to 100 models of the loudspeaker together — I have no idea why one would do that but it’s technically possible.
The control app can be downloaded from the Android or iOS store and proved to be quite easy to use; there are multiple EQ settings, and the ability to adjust or turn off the flashing lights.
The flashing lights?
The Tronsmart Bang is a “party” speaker similar to the LG XBOOM Go PL7 and what would a party be without some synchronized flashing lights — which might explain the tossing into the ocean video when you really think about it.
Battery Life
The quoted battery life is 15 hours with the lights turned off and the volume set to 50%; leaving the lights on reduces the battery life to only 8 hours so it’s fair to say that you might want to leave them off.
If you use the USB Type-C port to charge your smartphone, the draw also reduces the amount of playing time.
Over the past 2 months, I’ve conducted enough tests with the various settings engaged and turned off to conclude that the reported battery time falls within 30 – 45 minutes of the published specifications.
Sound
Even without the “Deep Bass” setting on the app engaged, the Tronsmart Bang has a lot of bass impact for such a small portable loudspeaker; it might actually be overkill to turn it on unless you are listening in a really large open space.
The Tronsmart Force 2 Bluetooth speaker that I reviewed previously sounds slightly anemic in comparison and the more I listened and compared both portable speakers — the more I realized that the Bang does live up to its name.
Listening to Pink Floyd’s live performance of “Comfortably Numb,” I could feel the bass impact when I placed the loudspeaker on the floor and while it added to the overall impact of the sound, it did bleed over into the midrange and negatively impact the clarity of the vocals.
I lifted the speaker up off the floor and placed it on the counter and immediately noticed a few changes to the sound; midrange clarity improved, and the bass wasn’t as overwhelming.
One negative aspect of the deep bass setting was the reduction in detail from the midrange upward and especially in the lower treble.
The “default” setting is probably the best for most people; the bass response is more than sufficient and the midrange doesn’t have to work as hard to make vocals stand up in the mix.
The dispersion pattern of the drivers makes this portable Bluetooth loudspeaker very effective when listening off-axis; something that is weakness of a lot of portable speakers.
You can place the Bang on a table outside and experience the music from multiple listening positions and not feel that you’re only listening to some of the music.
All of the modes share a few things in common; vocals are pushed forward in the mix, clarity is quite good as long as you don’t push the volume too high, and the bass is surprisingly robust with all genres of music.
Conclusion
Portable Bluetooth speakers have evolved over the past 5 years into products that work both inside the home and out; consumers want the ability to stream on the go and that includes both the backyard, park, or beach.
The Tronsmart Bang is cheaper than almost everything else in the category that merits a second look and it’s robust enough to handle almost every scenario outside minus being submerged in the deep blue sea.
I’ve not yet listened to the portable Bluesound Flex Series or Sonos Roam, but I have my doubts that they deliver the same level of bass extension or soundstage size as the Bang.
The lights are tacky for sure and I would disable them almost immediately but the sound quality is surprisingly good for $110 and if the case can hold up under some long-term abuse, this might be the best value in the category.
For more information: tronsmart.com
Anthony Tocco
July 8, 2022 at 4:24 pm
Oh my. You “doubt” the ability of two products that you bother to name have the ability of the product with which you did bother yourself? Now that is some responsible journalism. And make no mistake— “bother” is the operative word for anyone treated to the stunning conclusion of this deep diving investigation. I’d like to say I’m floored by your mess of a review here, but then again I’d be in danger of enduring your pedantic experiment with bass boundary boominess. Why oh why would you want to compare the sound of this box on the floor with it’s performance operating in it’s intended environment? Perhaps we were not treated to an actual deep blue ocean performance experiment not because you might question the validity of such an undertaking, but b/c your time has been so thoroughly compromised exploring the bewildering effect of boomy bass during floor jam time. Which must be a rather time consuming affair since you do not have time to personally investigate bass extension or soundstage of the products you manage to so casually sully. If anyone at all, like say the folks at Bluesound and Sonos thought this might pass as an insightful review, I would imagine some actual interest might have been generated not so much in purchasing this Tronsmart product (which actually may be a fantastic buy) but interest more in the way of sending you a tersely worded email. C’mon man. You gotta be better than this….