At a look
Professional’s Score
Execs
- Room filling sound
- Transportable and battery powered
- 3.5mm line-in
- Enjoyable lights
Cons
- Heavy
- No forged or AirPlay
- No good options
Our Verdict
The moveable LG XBoom XO3 has glorious sound high quality and battery life and is a prime Bluetooth speaker regardless of the shortage of good options.
Value When Reviewed
$299
Finest Costs At this time: LG XBoom 360 XO3
$196.99
LG isn’t a heavyweight within the Bluetooth speaker market, however I’ve been pleasantly shocked by the standard of its admittedly badly named XBoom 360 XO3.
It’s a very good wanting wi-fi speaker with strong sound high quality and loopy customisable lights that may be plugged in to the mains or charged by way of USB-C and used on the go along with its rechargeable battery.
The lights are a little bit of a gimmick however enjoyable sufficient, and the XO3, because it shall be identified, holds it personal in the case of audio. It’s only a disgrace that for the value it doesn’t provide any good options or voice enter like equally priced audio system from Sonos and Apple – however the sound high quality is superb.
If all you want is a dependable Bluetooth speaker with room-filling sound chops and in addition need to join one thing like a vinyl turntable by way of an audio jack, the XO3 is a superb alternative.
Design & construct
- Heavy at 3.2kg
- Enticing vase design
- Woofer, driver, and tweeter mixture
The XO3 is heavy for a transportable speaker at 3.2kg and an imposing 165 x 327 x 165mm. This isn’t a speaker to stay in a bag and overlook about, however it’s sufficiently small you could put it in a bigger bag to remove to the park or on a visit, or simply transfer to a special room. That is aided by the included non-compulsory hand strap.
LG describes the design as a ‘trendy vase’, which is pretty correct. It’s a symmetrical spherical vase form in both the gray color I reviewed or another cream model. Both can mix right into a front room or bed room arrange properly because the look is sort of decorative.
There’s a niche close to the highest the place LED lights sit. You may customise these inside the Android or iOS XBoom app to play preset mild reveals to swimsuit the temper you’re going for.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
They will additionally flicker like a candle, or you’ll be able to flip them off. There’s even a strobe possibility that flashes your cellphone mild on an off as an accompanying temper starter. In case you actually need a speaker with funky lights then the XO3 will match the invoice, and they’re enjoyable, however I normally turned them off.
The lights are inside a plastic reflector, which is extra vital to the sound distribution than the lights are to the product. Sound can emanate from the highest and is directed outwards because of the form.
Beneath the sunshine reflector, your complete physique of the speaker is roofed in a mesh material to permit sound to journey outwards from the woofer and tweeter inside. It’s hardy sufficient and I wasn’t too frightened about it rubbing up subsequent to issues in a bag or a automobile boot when carting it round.
On the highest of the unit are responsive contact controls for quantity, play/pause, Bluetooth, and the lights, subsequent to a battery indicator mild. Purple for low warning.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
There’s additionally a loop to connect the included non-compulsory hand strap for simpler lugging it about, which sits above the USB-C port for charging and a 3.5mm audio plug to connect an auxiliary cable to audio gadgets. There’s no charger within the field, although there’s a USB-C to -A cable for charging.
With IP54 mud and water resistance you’ll be high-quality in the event you get caught within the rain whereas tunes are blasting, however the XO3 gained’t survive a dunk within the pool.
Connectivity
- Bluetooth solely
- 3.5mm audio in
- USB-C charging
Whereas the speaker market is stuffed with good audio system such because the Apple HomePod and Sonos 100, LG retains it quite simple with the XO3. There aren’t any good options right here, and connections are by way of Bluetooth 5.1.
It will probably help the AAC or SBC codecs however gained’t play FLAC or WAV recordsdata at their full excessive decision high quality. There’s multi-point help so you’ll be able to join a couple of wi-fi audio enter, and you’ll even hyperlink a number of of the audio system collectively for stereo audio, which I used to be not capable of check.
Battery life is claimed at 24 hours in the event you play audio at 50% quantity and don’t use the lights or EQ function within the XBoom app. The unit by no means ran out on me earlier than I’d acquired again dwelling and plugged it in to cost, and I may recurrently depend on it for all-day playback.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
The shortage of good options may irk you at this worth. You may’t communicate to the XO3 to decide on music and so you’ll be able to’t use it as a wise dwelling hub to manage lights or gadgets such as you may with the HomePod or a Google Nest or Amazon Echo product.
It means you additionally don’t get Apple AirPlay or Google Forged performance – it truly is Bluetooth solely. LG supplies software program updates over-the-air by way of the XBoom app although.
As somebody who doesn’t are likely to belief voice assistants to get the tune alternative proper I used to be completely glad buying and selling these ‘good’ options for the portability of the speaker. I like how LG is totally centered on the music playback, battery life, and flexibility of the XO3.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
There’s additionally 3.5mm jack for audio enter so I used to be capable of simply hook up my vinyl turntable to the speaker (there’s no 3.5mm audio cable included, however they’re low cost to purchase). With it related and plugged right into a USB-C charger by way of the mains, the XO3 is an effective possibility for a everlasting, compact turntable speaker.
Sound high quality
- Glorious, rounded sound
- Good EQ choices
- 360 diploma audio
This huge ol’ sound vase is so formed to ship 360 diploma sound, and LG delivers on that promise. Wherever you place it in a room the XO3 pumps out full, nicely balanced sound – although it doesn’t have the smarts of the HomePod, which may tune the course of audio by not blasting it right into a wall if it detects it’s subsequent to it.
Regardless of the shortage of such sensors, I by no means discovered the XO3 to distort or sound unhealthy wherever I positioned it.
The sound is fashioned from a 4in woofer, 2in mid-range driver, and a 1in tweeter. The mix of those ample elements makes for great sound.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
‘Pace of Plight’ by Loyle Carner is nicely rounded, with the bass notes rumbling properly behind the tight treble of the drums. Likewise, ‘midnight solar’ by Nilüfer Yanya is room-filling if you crank the quantity on the XO3, however it doesn’t distort, and it may possibly preserve the frequencies separate sufficient to nonetheless sound clear. You may simply set a temper and get misplaced within the music with this speaker.
The speaker carries the bass and percussion properly on Ezra Collective’s ‘Woman’ cementing the XO3 as a very good get together speaker. I hoped the bass can be loud however managed and was not dissatisfied as in songs like this it’s tuned very properly.
In case you are certainly having a celebration or simply need to give the speaker an additional raise indoors or outdoor, within the XBoom you’ll be able to swap on the preset ‘sound increase’. It raises the low finish noticeably however retains a pleasant combine on most genres.
Henry Burrell / Foundry
I most well-liked most music with it on. Even Bach sounds nice with a little bit of a bass increase.
You can even customise the EQ with a responsive six channel EQ dial. I usually discovered a greater mixture of ranges this fashion, significantly with indie rock similar to The Strokes, the place on ‘customary’ mode the speaker can sound somewhat flat except the quantity is cranked actually excessive.
In addition to the bass proficiency, the XO3 dealt with mid and excessive frequencies nicely. I by no means listened to a tune and thought it sounded muddy or badly reproduced.
Value & availability
The LG XBoom XO3 prices $299 from Amazon within the US or £299 direct from LG within the UK. It’s additionally obtainable on Amazon, Richer Sounds, AO, and Currys.
On the time of writing, a number of retailers had the XO3 on sale for about $199/£199, which is a extra palatable worth.
That is comparatively costly for a speaker with no good options. You may desire to spend $249/£249 on the Sonos Period 100 – however that speaker, like many others, must be plugged into the mains.
The Sonos Roam is smaller and prices $179/£179 however must be related to Wi-Fi to take full benefit of its options, and its battery life away from a charger is just 10 hours in comparison with nearer to twenty for the LG.
For easy enjoyment of music on an excellent sounding speaker, with out the complication of Wi-Fi connections – and on battery energy – the LG XBoom XO3 could possibly be a no-frills winner for you.
It’s closest rival is the Marshall Middleton, which has glorious sound high quality and is way more moveable for $299/£269.
Verdict
It’s a tad costly for a speaker that’s Bluetooth solely, however the LG XBoom XO3 makes up for this (and its clunky identify) by delivering exceptionally robust audio high quality from streaming, MP3, and line-in sources.
What you lose in good options you acquire in portability – and although the XO3 is sort of heavy, with the ability to shortly get the tunes going outdoors, at a barbecue, or the park is well worth the sacrifice of good options if that’s what you’re after. In case you don’t need to faff about with Wi-Fi, AirPlay, the XO3 is nice.
With enjoyable non-compulsory lights, a lovely design, nice battery life, and water resistance, the XO3 ought to final you for a number of years.
Specs
- 1 woofer
- 1 mid-range driver
- 1 tweeter
- 360 diploma sound
- Bluetooth 5.1
- 3.5mm line-in
- USB-C charging
- As much as 24 hours battery life, or mains energy
- IP54
- Companion XBoom app
- 165 x 327 x 165mm
- 3.2kg