The sub-$100 Bluetooth speaker market has grown seemingly exponentially over the past few years, to the point where a speaker needs something special to distinguish itself. The Divoom Voombox Ongo Bluetooth Speaker actually has that “something special”, and it makes this $69.99 speaker worth a second look.We’ve looked at a few different speakers from Divoom, but none that are quite as rugged as this one. It is, in fact, designed for use outside and on the go. More specifically, this speaker was built with bike riders in mind. Let’s take a closer look at why that’s the case.
The company describes the speaker this way:
Light weight rugged and weather resistant the Voombox Ongo is designed to Go with you. Take it hiking, biking, climbing, camping, to the beach. Well you get the point. If you enjoy listening to your music non-stop without the hazards of earphones you need the Ongo today. The Voombox Ongo also features a built in microphone so you can take your calls or conference calls without ever stopping.
Inside the package you’ll find:
- The Divoom Voombox Ongo
- A Bike Clip
- A Micro-USB Charging cable
- An Auxiliary Connection Cable
The first thing I noticed when I took the speaker out of the package was just how dense it is. This speaker is made for the outdoors, and its build quality and weight immediately speak to that. It has a rugged look thanks to the exposed bolts around the face, and it has a rugged feel that allows nary a creek when you press down on any part of the device. Honestly, if you held it without looking at it, you would think that it was simply a solid brick. That’s a good thing in this case.
Because the speaker is designed to be used outdoors, it is a weather-sealed audio device that carries with it an IPX water-resistant rating. No, this is not a speaker that you’re going to be able to submerge, but if you are outside riding bikes or simply having a picnic, and the sky opens up, the speaker will be just fine. Beneath the almost-waterproof flap is the micro USB charging port and an auxiliary port for a 3.5 mm cable if you want to use a wired connection. A connection loop on one side means that you can easily connect a carabiner clip or hang it from a hook somewhere outside.
The standout feature of the speaker, of course, is its ability to mount on your bike and stay securely on your handlebars. This is accomplished by including a threaded screw at the bottom of the speaker and a handlebar mount in the package.
You can connect the speaker to a tripod or anything else with a similarly sized thread! There’s nothing really all that exciting here, but the mounting system does work quite well.
Video Review of the Divoom Voombox Ongo
When the company states that this is, “Truly a life-proof speaker built for all of your portable Gadgets and iDevices.” They know what they are saying. The speaker is designed to go with you and add a soundtrack to your adventures, and it will do just that. Best of all, it will do just that for under $70. Learn more here.
Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample
What I Like: Impressively solid build; Good sound; Almost all the features you expect in a BT speaker; Tripod mount and included handlebar mount for use with a bike; Water resistant
What Needs Improvement: No NFC