Hey everyone, it's Colin. How's it goin'?
Bluetooth speakers are incredibly common these days, and come from a wide variety of manufacturers.
This time, let's take a look at one from a company that's not exactly known for electronics.
Could it possibly be any good?
[♪ Intro ♪]
This is the IKEA Eneby.
The model I bought for this review is eight inches square, and about three inches deep.
It features Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, along with a 3½ millimeter analog input on the back.
It has a built-in AC power supply, which is much nicer than dealing with the typical plug pack or wall wart.
On battery, it'll get about eight hours of playtime with the volume set to halfway.
The battery itself is sold separately,
but it's only $20 US and easy to install through a door on the bottom.
The whole speaker feels solid and well-built.
A top handle is included and it's pretty much the only part you need to install yourself,
which is pretty uncommon for an IKEA product.
There's a pair of threaded inserts on the back for the optional wall brackets or stand,
and the speaker comes in black or white, with a matching fabric grill.
What's behind that grill is quite interesting:
a 3.2 inch woofer and one inch soft dome tweeter.
Considering many Bluetooth speakers use simple full-range drivers,
seeing a two-way design here suggests that IKEA is taking Eneby seriously.
And it shows with its audio performance.
The low-end is surprisingly deep, but not overly boomy, and the highs are nicely detailed.
It gets decently loud, plenty for an average room or even a small garage or patio.
I'm left really impressed by how Eneby sounds, especially given its relatively compact size.
Here's a comparison:
[♪ Original Audio ♪]
[♪ Eneby Audio ♪]
There are a few caveats, of course.
It can pair with eight devices over Bluetooth, but only connect to one of 'em at a time.
There's no microphone, so it doesn't support speakerphone calls
or voice controls like Siri or Google Assistant.
Finally, it can't link up with other Eneby units, which is a bummer, since it plays in mono only,
and it would be really nice to set up a stereo pair.
But I think it's easy to forgive those limitations when you consider its price.
I paid $50 US for mine, and it simply sounds way more expensive than that.
Eneby punches well above its weight,
and its sound quality is considerably better than a lot of other Bluetooth speakers that cost twice as much.
It makes me really curious about the larger Eneby model,
which lacks battery support,
but has a pair of four inch woofers and twice as much amplifier power.
In any event, Eneby is a solid option if you're looking for nice sound quality on a budget.
It may not be perfect for everyone. It's not super portable, it isn't water-proof, and it doesn't have a ton of features.
But if you just want really good sound...
I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better value.
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and as always, thanks for watching.