At $100, Soundfreaq Sound Kick 2 is bound to impress. The speaker is powerful, portable, and water-resistant. Better still, while looking to update the original Soundfreaq Sound Kick speaker, the company made sure to stay focused on their main objective: small speakers offering great sound. In the process, they created a speaker that can go anywhere — including the shower.
The Sound Kick 2 is Soundfreaq’s first foray into creating a water-resistant wireless speaker. As they explains
Sound Kick 2, ups the ante on the award-winning performance of our highly praised Sound Kick. Sound Kick 2 pumps out powerful, full sound and is built with a passive radiator for enhanced bass. Its compact design and rounded-edges make it more travel friendly, so you can easily toss it in your backpack or carry-on. We also built Sound Kick 2 with a newly designed water-resistant housing, so you can enjoy it all day, everyday, whether you’re at home or on the go.
Featuring Bluetooth wireless streaming, the ability to charge your phone or tablet from the speaker, UQ3 spatial sound enhancement, a 3.5mm line in jack for corded play and up to 8-hours of playtime, the Sound Kick 2 is a speaker designed to be used anywhere, anytime. This is not, however, a speaker that is going to call a lot of attention to itself. No, the simple black design, black buttons and covered ports come together to create an elegant black slab that puts out ass-kickingly good sound. It’s simple to use and will let the music, rather than the speaker design, be the star of the show.
The aforementioned buttons are smartly and logically laid out. On the top of the speaker to the left are three buttons: Repeat, Play and Skip. Each is indicated by a subtle icon and has a subtle concave design that lets you find and activate by feel.
On the top right there are also three buttons. In this case it is the Volume Up, Volume Down, and UQ3 Spacial Sound Enhancement button for more explosive sound when the setting, or tune, call for it.
On the right side of the speaker you will find the power button and the Bluetooth pairing button. The Sound Kick 2 does not include NFC pairing, but I don’t see this as an issue. Below these buttons and all-but-disappearing, is a rubberized port. Lift it and you will find the 3.5mm Aux-In port for creating a wired connection to the audio source.
The back of the speaker has a black strip that pulls out and allows you to “kick” the speaker back so it sits at an angle and sends the sound a bit up and into the room more fully than it would were the speaker sitting squarely on a surface. It can, however, sit this way as well. Hence the back of the speaker box says, “Play it upright or Kick it back.”
A rubber cover on the lower right portion of the back opens to reveal the AC charging port as well as the USB port that allows the speaker battery to charge your audio source.
Finally, it is worth noting that there are three strap attachment points so you can hang the speaker in either landscape or portrait. Surprisingly, while the company saw fit to add these attachment points, they did not see fit to actually include a strap.
The speaker feels incredibly solid and sounds excellent. It looks, feels and sounds like something that should cost far more than the $100 listed on the Soundfreaq site.
Soundfreaq describe the speaker this way:
Perfect for Indoor and Outdoor Use: With Sound Kick 2, our team of engineers focused on finding the right balance between size and sound to create the ultimate travel speaker, while still maintaining a design aesthetic that fits nicely in your home. Sound Kick 2 is built with two 2.3 inch custom drivers, delivering louder output and a front facing passive radiator for improved bass response. It also offers Soundfreaq’s proprietary UQ3 spatial enhancement for an immersive stereo stage.
Water-Resistant, Shower-Ready: Whether you’re enjoying your music in the kitchen while doing dishes, in the shower, on the patio or by the pool, we designed Sound Kick 2 with an IPX4 water-resistant housing, so you can take your music anywhere and everywhere, without the worry of water getting in the way.
Your Travel Friendly Companion: Designed for everyday music lovers, Sound Kick 2 features a built-in rechargeable battery for up to eight hours of playback.
Built-in Battery, USB Charging and More: Sound Kick 2 also includes a USB power port so you can charge your iPhone, Android and smartphone devices. And if your Sound Kick 2 is running on battery power, it will share power with your phone to keep it charged.
Always in Control: Pair and play from any Bluetooth-enabled device with a simple touch of a button and keep your phone in your hand or tucked away in your bag or pocket. Stream crystal clear audio wirelessly from your favorite music, movie and game apps anytime, anywhere.
There are lots of Bluetooth speakers on the market and the field has gotten most than a bit crowded. In the past few years, these speakers have gone from the original Jambox which sounded “good enough” to something far, far more, and that’s certainly the case for the Sound Kick 2. This $100 speaker brings a tremendous amount to the table. It is solid, gets good battery life, can charge your cellphone on the go, and it is water-resistant. Add in excellent sound, and this is definitely a speaker that should be on your list if you are headed to college this fall. Check it out here.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample of the Soundfreaq Sound Kick 2
What I Like: Solid build; Easy to use; Can charge cell phone; Sound boost system; Water resistant; Very good to excellent sound from a small speaker
What Needs Improvement: The black is not a fashion statement (which I appreciate); No NFC; Strap supports but no included strap; No case