Portable Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days, so making an impactful entrance into the space is a tall task. That high degree of difficulty isn’t stopping Victrola from entering the space with the launch of their Music Edition line of audio products. The brand sent over its Music Edition 1 speaker for us to test, and here’s what we found.
Victrola Music Edition 1 Bluetooth Speaker At A Glance
Victrola Music Edition 1 Bluetooth Speaker
Pros
- Fantastic sound
- Interesting (and practical!) design
- Ease of setup
Cons
- Expensive
- Slightly heavy
Setting Up the Victrola Music Edition 1
Like most portable Bluetooth speakers, setting up the Music Edition 1 is pretty straightforward. Upon removing the unit from its easy-to-open packaging, I turned on the device and selected it from my iPhone’s Bluetooth device list. From there, the unit immediately kicked on, allowing me to go ahead and start playing audio. No hassle or fuss; it’s easy to get going right away, which is great if you’re snagging the Music Edition 1 for use around the house or for a small gathering.
Victrola Music Edition 1 Design
The first thing I noticed about the Music Edition 1 right out of the box was its design. Meant to be used standing up instead of sitting horizontally, the speaker has this mesh-style outer that’s really attractive to look at. The triangular cutouts provide a nice textural element that’s also waterproof, so it’s attractive and functional.
The control panel is placed on the right-hand side and even includes a wrist loop if you want to keep it on your person if you’re moving around. All in all, the speaker feels a lot like the tape recorder Special Agent Dale Cooper uses throughout “Twin Peaks.” I know that’s an extremely specific reference, but that’s where my mind goes whenever I have the Music Edition 1 in my hands. Regardless, it’s a sharp-looking unit that I’m happy to have in my space.
Victrola Music Edition 1 Features
When it comes to features on the Music Edition 1, Victrola has a lot of things you’d anticipate along with a few surprises. Obviously, the inherent portability of the unit makes it great to grab and go when you’re headed to a party or want to have it as a good fixture for a bonfire, but the brand also gives the speaker a few key elements to make it useable pretty much everywhere. The rugged-looking metal exterior has a P67 waterproof and dustproof rating, which makes it a handy albeit slightly heavy travel companion. The durable casing also means that dropping it won’t cause it to shatter.
The 12 hours of battery life (more on that shortly) means it doesn’t need to be constantly charged, allowing users to just keep the tunes rolling without skipping much of a beat. But our favorite feature is one that I wish I could have tested: You can link two units together for stereo playback. That’s a particularly handy feature to have if you wanted to pair two Music Edition 1s with, say, a Bluetooth record player.
Victrola Music Edition 1 Performance
For such a tiny speaker, the Music Edition 1 really packs a punch. The speaker filled my office space with ease, even when the volume was on the lower end of the range. The balance of the music is, well, balanced. The vocals of Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle” really shined, and there was an appropriate kick from the punchier tones on the beat. There’s a subtle touch of bass to the speaker, but not overly so.
Michael Giacchino’s score for The Batman certainly swelled and soared appropriately and felt just as epic as it did when I saw the movie in IMAX earlier this year. Overall, the audio quality punches far, far above what you’d typically anticipate for a portable Bluetooth speaker. In fact, the audio is much closer to something you’d find in a set of hardwired bookshelf speakers instead of something from a beach-ready portable Bluetooth speaker.
On the battery life side of things, my test showed that the declared 12 hours of battery life was pretty accurate, which means you can fully charge the unit before heading out for a weekend and be confident you won’t need a recharge in between.
The Verdict: Should You Buy the Victrola Music Edition 1 Speaker?
If you’re looking for a really quality Bluetooth speaker that’s a virtual all-in-one solution for your home audio needs, the Music Edition does a really excellent job of filling that void. The one drawback here for some might be the $100 price, but the sound quality and battery life alone make that a little more digestible, as Victrola’s foray into Bluetooth speakers is a resounding success.
We’re eager to see what’s next — especially if they can continue to maintain this level of quality.
Victrola Music Edition 1 Bluetooth Speaker