Straight-forward, No Frills
Shoppers looking for a solid performing Bluetooth speaker at a reasonable price should check out the Hex TL. It’s just a good ol’ speaker without the extra features that distract from its primary function: audio output. It doesn’t tell time. It doesn’t have an attached portable battery to take on-the- go. It doesn’t even come in different colors, only matte black (or at least that’s the inventory available on U.S. online retailer sites).
An 8-inch tall, 5-inch wide ovoid, oblong cylinder made of hard plastic, the Hex TL has honeycomb grills on the front and back, protecting a tweeter, full frequency driver, and rear bass resonator. Buttons at the top serve three main functions: power, volume, and Bluetooth pairing. There is an aux-in jack for a wired connection and a DC-in for charging the lithium ion battery.
Excellent Quality for the Price
An admitted hip-hop fan, I found the Hex TL hit my audio sweet spot. It’s no surprise since parent company Voxx created 808 Audio to target the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and hip-hop crowds who appreciate “studio quality sound” at an affordable price. Naturally, I put the Hex TL to the test with music by DJ Snake, Diplo, Skrillex, Timbaland, and Missy Elliot, along with my usual playlist that includes country, classical, pop, rock, and podcasts. I found the Hex TL handles the mids and lows well, with no bass distortion. The sound quality is surprisingly decent for a speaker priced at $79.
Sound projection is good, too. I didn’t need to turn the volume up very much to listen at a reasonable decibel level, which means it can really blast the music loud enough at a noisy indoor or outdoor party.
Notice I didn’t say pool party. The Hex TL isn’t waterproof so keep it away from places where it could get splashed by water.
I suppose the Hex TL could be used for conference calls but there isn’t a mic, which means it’s good for listening in on meetings, not for actively participating– not necessarily a bad thing if you’re a conference call lurker. When I did listen in on calls, the sound was clear.
Although the Hex TL is portable, it is on the heavier and bulkier side of the portable speaker spectrum. Similarly-sized to a hardback book and weighing close to 3 lbs, it’s not a speaker I would casually throw in a bag when heading to the beach. Plus, the front and rear grills aren’t going to offer much protection from the sand either.
In regards to Bluetooth pairing, I had no problem connecting to any of my devices, phone, tablet, or laptop. Once paired, the Hex TL proved it could play for a long time between charging. I estimate it easily lasted about 8-10 hours on one charge.
Summary
The Hex TL is a quality Bluetooth portable speaker for under $100. It’s perfect for hip-hop and EMD fans and also for anyone who loves listening to music in general. Since it’s almost June, I think it would make a nice gift for a graduate or your father—or grandfather—on Father’s Day to enjoy for the summer.
Key Specs
- Dimensions: 8.0”H x 5.4”W x 2.8”D
- Weight: 2.65 lbs
- Rechargeable lithium ion battery with playtime up to 10 hours
- Includes aux-in cable and AC power adapter
- Full frequency driver, tweeter, and bass resonator
- Warranty: 12 months
Get the 808 Audio Hex TL speaker at:
- www.808audio.com
- Amazon for $79.99