ECOXGEAR EcoCarbon Review

June 7, 2016
ECOXGEAR EcoCarbon
GEAR INSTITUTE RATINGS
89
Sound Quality
8
Volume
7
Durability
9
Features
8
Power
7

The Good

  • Clear sound quality
  • Very durable

The Bad

  • Subtle bass sound
  • Average battery life
  • Relatively heavy
THE VERDICT

The EcoXGear EcoCarbon is a fantastic portable Bluetooth speaker, offering great sound quality and features at a good price. Highly durable, the EcoCarbon is shock and impact resistant, dustproof, waterproof, is entirely submersible, floats in water, and can charge other USB devices. Despite the relatively heavy weight for its size, the EcoCarbon is an outstanding speaker, and a fantastic choice for nearly any occasion or setting.

FULL REVIEW

Sound Quality
The EcoXGear Carbon had the clearest sound and fullest range among portable Bluetooth speakers tested. Compared to competitors, bass sounds are not as loud or dominant, but higher range sounds have significantly greater clarity and prominence. Translation: while this may not be the top portable Bluetooth speaker for rap and heavy R&B, the overall sound quality is more full, balanced, and better suited for a broader range of music. Under the hood, the EcoCarbon has 2.1 internal channels, 2 full-range drivers, and an approximate frequency range of 125 Hz–18 kHz. 

Volume
The EcoCarbon delivers great volume in a relatively small package, registering a maximum of 92db at close range in our sound tests. Impressively, the EcoCarbon accomplishes this with just 16 total watts of total power (dual 8-watt speakers), and a rear-mounted subwoofer.

Durability
Durability for the EcoCarbon is outstanding. Constructed from thick, rubberized high-density plastics and a metal speaker grill, the EcoCarbon is highly shock and impact resistant. Its IP68 certification is higher than any competitive device tested, and makes the EcoCarbon dustproof, waterproof, entirely submersible, and it floats. The caps that cover the EcoCarbon’s power and audio ports are well designed and constructed, and seal extremely well.

Features
The EcoCarbon is loaded with features. Aside from best-in-class durability and water resistance — and it’s ability to float — the EcoCarbon also offers an integrated LED flashlight, LED battery level indicators, a 1/4″ universal screw (tripod) mount, a built-in 3.5mm (AUX) jack, an integrated handle, integrated microphone/speakerphone functions, and can even play music and charge devices at the same time through its standard USB or micro-USB ports. The EcoCarbon’s Bluetooth 4.0 wireless range is also quite good, and meets or exceeds Bluetooth 4.0’s minimum 30-foot range in every scenario we tested.

Power
The EcoCarbon provides over 12 hours of music — an amazing feat, considering it’s powered by just a single 2,800mAh battery. To accomplish this, the EcoCarbon uses an extremely efficient design with two high-quality yet relatively low-watt speakers, with fairly low impedance (4Ω, where 8Ω is more the norm). This means that the speaker can play louder using less power, but overall playtime can be impacted significantly if a smartphone or similar device is charged during playback.

 


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