Wireless speakers allow – in the most simple and accessible way – to listen to music anywhere. However, open spaces usually pose a challenge to small and portable speakers, so as a creative practitioner the solution offered in most cases is simply to purchase larger and more powerful speakers. One of the new solutions that provides exactly this answer is the Bang SE 40W from Tronsmart, and we tested whether it manages to turn a nail in the evening even in outdoor conditions.
The coolest around
You can’t be mistaken and think that Tronsmart Bang SE is not a ‘party animal’. With dimensions of 29.8×16.4 cm and a thickness of 11.8 cm, this is definitely not a small speaker, but on the other hand, it is not too big either. Thanks to a weight of approximately 2.16 kg, it can be easily carried in one hand using the handle or over the shoulder with the attached carrying strap.
The Bang SE has a matte black cylindrical body from which comes a handle on which the logo is embossed in shiny letters, and below which are the power buttons. On the front of the speaker is a metallic grill with the company’s logo that reveals the two drivers and on the sides a pair of radiators with membranes that are also decorated with the Transsmart logo. At the bottom are two rubber feet that prevent the speaker from sliding or moving when playing music even at high volumes.
On the inside of the pair of drivers and also around the membranes there is LED lighting. It lights up, pulses and changes colors in coordination with the music, which creates a fun effect that makes the Transsmart party speaker look the most festive around. Of course, those who want, can turn off the lighting and use its more solid appearance.
via GIPHY
Bang SE is intended for use, as mentioned, also as a speaker that is suitable for outdoor conditions and as such it has the IPX6 standard, which guarantees that it is resistant to rain and water spray. This is reflected in practice by the fact that all connections are covered with silicone and the operating buttons are made of soft plastic. It will definitely survive spending time by the pool – but not immersion. In addition, it is not dust resistant so be careful not to place it directly on the grains of sand at the beach today.
Lots of connections and easy to operate
Bang SE supports Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, but does not support advanced encoders except SBC. It also does not support quick pairing, and to connect it to the device you have to go through the settings screen and pair it manually. As with other models of the company, Bang SE also demonstrated the stability of the Bluetooth connection that did not disconnect even when carried.
Bluetooth is not the only audio source as you can play music from other sources. On the back side of the speaker, behind the silicon cover, are a host of other connections: a 3.5 mm input that allows, with the help of the cable included in the kit, to connect devices with the old connection – but in our opinion the cable is too short. There is also a slot for a microSD memory card that allows you to play music directly from the speaker independent of an external device.
Next to these you can also find the USB-C input for charging the speaker and even a USB-A socket, which allows the speaker’s internal battery to be used as a portable battery for charging other devices.
The operation of Bang SE is as expected easy and simple. The control buttons are large and prominent, with the main use being the play and pause button – with a single press, it switches between the play modes, but it also has another use, when with a double press, it summons the personal assistant on the telephones. There are also buttons for increasing or decreasing the volume, which by double clicking allow you to scroll between the songs forward and backward respectively.
In addition to these, you can find the on and off button, the Sound Pulse button that activates an equalizer mode that emphasizes the low sounds, an additional speaker synchronization button for parallel playback and the LED light button that allows you to choose between the different lighting modes or turn them off to save battery.
The speaker can also be used as a speakerphone and when a call is received you can easily answer it by pressing the play button, useful when you have to answer a call when the phone is not nearby, but forget about privacy as the whole environment will be able to hear how the conversation is going.
Surprising sound
As mentioned, Bang SE was equipped with a pair of 40-watt drivers and two passive radiators on the sides to emphasize the low sounds. They manage to surprise with their power and although Transsmart declares that the speaker will cater for a party of six or so, in my opinion this is a conservative estimate.
The speaker punches above its weight category as it managed to produce a strong and powerful sound and even when it is tuned to full power the sound remains clean without distortions. True, not all frequencies get the full stage, but it is a balanced sound that prioritizes mid and bass sounds. Those who want a little more can press the Sound Pulse button which emphasizes the low sounds a little more for increased intensity. You won’t find good stereo separation here and that’s because of the proximity of the main drivers to each other. For most uses, a range between 30%-50% of the maximum power is certainly sufficient even for outdoor use.
And speaking of outdoor use, the Bang SE has a sufficient runtime. The built-in battery has a working capacity of 4,000 mAh, and according to the manufacturer’s statement, it is enough to play 500 songs or 24 hours of continuous work when the speaker is set to 50% power, and without turning on the LED lighting. When you turn it on, the usage time ‘drops’ to 5 hours of continuous playback, fortunately, as mentioned, it can be canceled with the press of a button.
The bottom line
Tronsmart Bang SE is a small/large speaker that can be said to turn on. It manages to offer at a small price almost as many options as the big ones without sacrificing too much of the sound quality. The sound is powerful enough for a small party with friends and with a battery that lasts for 24 hours, as long as the LEDs are off, it provides quite a few hours of outdoor entertainment.
In honor of Black Friday, it is offered for sale at a special price of 54.99 dollars (instead of 99.98 dollars), which is only 190 shekels through AliExpress. More details on the official website of Transsmart.