RockBox Bold S is small, fanciful and with a convenient hook that allows it to be housed in a hanging position, from the hanger inside the shower. In addition, it is colorful, offers 12 hours of battery life and a mixed Bluetooth or analog connection with which to connect it to practically anything that produces music or noise in the house.
Fresh 'n Rebel's latest product looks like one of those handy items to take anywhere, from the backpack on Sundays to skiing until, when the hours are warmer, to the bag on the beach for some music with friends.
The two little ones of the house
RockBox Bold S, the review
Feeling of freshness
Like the other Fresh 'n Rebel products, RockBox Bold S also offers the same feeling of freshness: a little for the availability in different colors but also for the packaging, cute and ready to use, practically from the shelf to the sound in about thirty seconds, since the product already arrives with a few hours of charge inside.
Inside the box we find the speaker, the charging cable and the analog cable with jack: not much else is needed in reality, because this type of device interfaces with iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and Windows in a simple way, via Bluetooth or via analog cable and play.
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The small Cube weighs 284 grams and offers dimensions of about 8.5 cm per side: it fits in all bags and purses, backpacks or even hung on the belt, when it does not stop above the desk or the towel on duty.
Let's face it: in the end the best aspect of this product is portability, because sometimes having a portable speaker that sounds good is comfortable, but having it small and not bulky is better: the writer, for example, has lived a few days around Italy between hotels and customers, taking advantage of the RockBox Bold S on several occasions, from the car for the music to the improvised offices for the speakerphone, to the hotel again for the music in the evening (when you continue to work) until to the notes for some movies.
We will then detail on the audio quality, but it is undeniable that it is better than that of the iPhone or MacBook Pro.
the RockBox Bold S can be used alone or in pairs, for a stereo sound
Technique and dust and water proof substance
The diffuser, available in four colors (Black, Gray, Blue and Aqua Green) is built from two surfaces covered with rubber, while for the remaining four sides there is a soft fabric covering where the three buttons for playback and volume control.
On one side there is a convenient rubber hook for hanging the little one in the kitchen, in the shower, in the bathroom, on the belt or on a backpack hook: the hook can be opened with an easy screw but without denying its usefulness. he would have seen better with an extra centimeter, in order to offer a more comfortable contact, but this is a personal opinion.
The handy hook of the RockBox Bold S allows it to be used in different positions than usual
One of the most interesting aspects, especially compared to the other Fresh 'n Rebel speakers is the Waterproof certification (IPX7), which in spoken language means that it is not afraid of getting wet in the shower, under the tap or in the rain, while for the dive we do not find any notes about it from the manufacturer so we think it is not possible.
Recharging takes place in just over an hour and guarantees 12 theoretical hours of autonomy: from our tests, in which, as we usually do, we literally “mistreated” the little one in every sense, the battery has withstood three days of non-continuous use, with excellent hold when switched off.
The Bluetooth signal (4.2) is also very good, which with an iPhone 8 was not affected by walls or similar impedances.
Thanks to the IPX7 certification, water is not a problem, but better not to immerse it
More pop than classic, with some hints of Rock
Musically speaking the RockBox Bold S offers a 45mm Full range driver with 5W of power on the front and a passive radiator on the opposite side. This is especially noticeable by bringing the ear closer to the driver, where on the one hand all frequencies are heard well, while on the other hand the vibrations of the bass are perceived.
The expressed musicality goes well with pop music and a few shots of disco tunes: considering the operability and the small size of the acoustic box, it still played well songs like Sting's Englishman In New York, Enya's Orinoco Flow and even some exaggeration. by David Guetta, while he fell a bit on more demanding tracks such as Nothing compares 2U by Sinead O'Connors or Bohemian Rhapsody (Remastered 2011) by Queen.
On the other hand, the hold on the films is good: thanks to Plex on the iPad we enjoyed some good episodes of The Mentalist (series not very young but always interesting) and the intriguing Black Mirror: Bandersnatch on Netflix (a title, this, destined to revolutionize the concept of TV).
Considerations
RockBox Bold S does not scream a miracle because it is a product that is aimed at an already mature market and has many variations, often very valid: however, it is liked for its “fresh” approach, comfortable, with an intriguing shape and a performance that conforms to the proposed size.
The mix of portability and quality is clearly oriented to the younger range of users, also for this reason the Waterproof aspect has been inserted, but it does not disdain those who travel a lot for work.
The price / performance ratio is more than good, there are competitors who exhibit at this price, but with a lower quality in our opinion.
While we are writing it is still early for the beach, but RockBox Bold S is not afraid of winter sports
Pro : • Intriguing design • Excellent price / performance ratio • The hook is very comfortable
Versus: • A larger hook would have been handy • Cannot go underwater
Price : 59 , 99 Euro
Readers can find RockBox Bold S in many appliance chains (references to authorized stores are on the parent company's website), or even online on Amazon in the Blue, Black, Gray or Aqua Green versions at a price of 59.99 Euros.
