Beats Pill Speaker Review
Beats by Dre is known for creating portable Bluetooth speakers with distinctive designs and styles, such as their Pill+ speaker. Although it earned high marks for sound quality testing, its lack of depth compared to Bose SoundLink Revolve put them behind in our depth testing results.
Its overall sound profile and overemphasized treble range can produce harsh vocals and lead instruments that sound harsh or harshly metallic, with subpar frequency response accuracy.
Design
Beats may be best known for its headphones, but the company also produces portable speakers. One such model is the Beats Pill+ speaker: a small cylindrical shape featuring four small speakers inside for maximum audio output and premium feel. Constructed of metal and plastic materials with its front bearing the Beats logo displayed prominently while its backside contains Lightning port for charging other devices as well as USB connectivity for linking devices together.
The Beats Pill+ is powered by a 24-hour rechargeable battery and can play music for up to 12 hours before needing charging again. When combined with other Beats Pill+ speakers, its audio output doubles. Support for Bluetooth 2.1 includes HFP and A2DP connectivity as well as SBC, aptX and AAC codecs, plus NFC for wireless pairing with other Beats products as well as an echo cancellation microphone (with noise suppression and auto-shutoff features) plus NFC to allow wireless pairing as well as auto-shutoff features for easy pairing between devices and auto-shutoff features that switch itself off after approximately 12 hours of music playback.
As with other Beats speakers, the Pill+ features a powerful bass response and energetic high frequencies, yet can sound unruly when played at high volumes for low midrange or dance music genres. At such high volumes, its high frequencies may even become audible and potentially cause damage – therefore best used at moderate volumes only.
Though the Beats Pill+ is an improvement over its predecessor, it does not deliver top performance in its category. Muddy bass and harsh highs may detract from listening experience when compared with cheaper Bluetooth speakers; its size also restricts portability and versatility.
The Beats Pill+ is an excellent portable Bluetooth speaker for Apple fans, but not the best in its class. Other speakers like the UE Megaboom and Boom 2 offer more versatile use cases and deeper, richer sounds compared to the Pill+. Still a fantastic choice if upgrading from an older Beats Pill or looking for a speaker tailored for mobile lifestyle use; its high price point may deter buyers as there are similar speakers that cost far less but offer comparable experience or better than its Beats counterpart.
Sound
Are you in search of a portable speaker that will bring some serious beats to your party? Look no further. Beats’ first portable speaker since Apple acquired them is here and is an impressive upgrade over its predecessors. At an even more reasonable price point than its competition, if music lovers need an audio companion this may just be what’s needed!
As with other Beats products, this speaker boasts an elegant design and intuitive user experience. Compatible with multiple devices and music formats, its built-in microphone makes hands-free calling possible while its internal battery even charges your phone!
Its bold minimalist design is both eye-catching and sturdy; premium to the touch. The metal grille with Beats logo instantly recognizability make this speaker effortlessly portable in your bag or pocket. At just 10.8 ounces, its portability makes this ideal.
The Beats Pill stands out among mid range speakers in its price range for its superb sound quality, featuring deep bass that easily fills small rooms, while providing adequate volume at high volumes; however, clarity at higher volumes may suffer slightly due to some distortion at maximum volume which may become somewhat annoying over time.
The Beats Pill stands out from other portable bluetooth speakers with its waterproof capabilities. Boasting an IPX7 rating, which means it can withstand splashes and accidental drops without being damaged, making it an excellent choice for use at the beach, poolside, or even showering!
The Beats pill is easy to use and comes equipped with all of the accessories needed for optimal use. Included with its box are a USB charger, colorful protective storage sleeve made of soft cotton-like material with pull string cinch to secure speaker securely when not using them; perfect for travel! Powered by high capacity lithium-ion battery which charges in approximately three hours.
Battery life
We’re used to seeing new Bluetooth speakers hit the market daily, often featuring six, seven or even eight models per press release. Can Beats stand out with its Pill+, an upgraded iteration of its iconic speaker that blends premium looks and sound?
The Pill+ is smaller than its predecessor, featuring an attractive speaker grille on its cylindrical body and featuring plastic sides with Beats branding for easy portability in pockets or bags – though it still isn’t as small as other portable speakers like JBL Clip 2 which boast a smaller footprint.
Like its Beats counterparts, the Pill+ features an inbuilt speakerphone to enable you to take phone calls while listening to music. When taking calls or switching between your phone and the speaker using iOS or Android’s Beats Apps, music pauses automatically – you can switch easily using an onboard multipurpose button that plays/pauses audio tracks, skips tracks and answers/ends phone calls as well as notifying when powering on/pairing with another Bluetooth device is taking place. It even chimes when pairing occurs or pairing another device via Bluetooth!
The Beats Pill+ has an incredible 12-hour playback time when tested in our tests, charging in less than three hours and automatically turning off after an inactive period. Furthermore, it can connect with up to two other Beats Pill+ speakers at the same time for an immersive surround sound experience.
This loud speaker has an average volume of 91 decibels and maximum volume of 110 decibels. However, unlike some of its best competitors – such as UE Roll 2 or Bose SoundLink Mini II – it doesn’t offer as much deep bass. Furthermore, at high volumes the Pill+ sounds harsh and strainful, although it doesn’t distort as quickly.
The Pill+ has an NFC tap-to-pair feature that works exceptionally well, connecting to an iPhone 4s in 5 seconds and Samsung Galaxy Note II or Nokia Lumia 920 within 7 and 9 seconds respectively. Furthermore, Bluetooth connectivity is excellent, with over five minutes without dropouts or interruptions during music streaming sessions.
Controls
The Beats Pill XL is one of the most portable Bluetooth speakers you can purchase. Although slightly larger than its original model, it still fits comfortably into side pockets or backpacks without taking up too much room during transport. Plus, its carabiner makes attaching and transport easier!
Pairing the Pill XL with any device that supports Bluetooth is easy, including Android phones and tablets. Once connected, its speaker will appear in your list of available devices – simply tap to select it. Alternatively, an NFC-enabled smartphone allows faster pairing as it allows tapping against it to link faster.
The Beats Pill XL app unlocks features that put you and your friends at the forefront of music like never before. For instance, you can link speakers together to amplify them or set them up stereo for an engaging audio experience. Furthermore, this application lets you play music from multiple sources – such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Beats Pill xl stands out with its impressive call handling abilities. It can make hands-free calls between two parties, and accept incoming and outgoing voice commands; its sound quality is also impressively good when used at moderate volumes.
If your Beats pill xl sounds augmented or distorted, this could be caused by volume settings on both your device and speakers. Adjust these until it sounds natural and clear; if that does not work try using another audio cable.
The Beats Pill XL is an attractive speaker with plenty of functionality. Its built-in speaker can handle calls and music playback, and has an AUX port for wired connections. Furthermore, its battery life is long, it works with most iOS and Android devices, and even features an auto shutoff feature which switches it off after 30 minutes of no activity.