Monster Superstar Ravebox Portable Speaker: Outdoor Sound with a Musical Light Show

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Is the fantastic weather we are having (in Texas, anyway) getting you into the mood for summertime activities, sports, and outdoor parties? If so, then the Monster Superstar Ravebox Portable Speaker is ready to play. The Ravebox is waterproof, has 12-hours of battery life, and it’s powerful enough to handle all of your musical needs indoors or outside.

Included in the package are the Monster Superstar Ravebox, a wall charger, and a user manual.

The Ravebox measures approximately 19.75″ long by 8.5″ tall by 8″ deep, and it weighs almost 17 pounds; in other words, this is a substantial and large speaker. The majority of its body is composed of thick gray plastic with metal grilles covering both sides of its triangular shape. Harkening back to the Boombox of the seventies, the Ravebox has a sturdy integrated handle on top that makes it easy to grab and go — up to a point. The Ravebox is large, heavy, and not nearly as portable as smaller speakers, but it makes up for its size and weight because it produces much more sound than almost any other portable speaker.

The Monster Superstar Ravebox features:

  • Indoor and Outdoor EQ Modes
  • Powerful Sound for Large, Open Spaces
  • Rechargeable battery for up to 12 hours of continuous listening
  • Waterproof and splash-proof: Will perform wonderfully even in a torrential rainstorm
  • Bi-Directional Driver Design with full range drivers in angled 360º orientation
  • Down-Firing Integrated Powered Subwoofer
  • NFC For Quick Pairing
  • USB Charge Out
  • 3.5mm Aux-In, to connect any Audio Source
  • 3.5mm Microphone Level Input makes the Blaster a portable PA system
  • Integrated Handle

On the right side, you’ll find the rubber-protected control panel, which has the Mode button (indoor or outdoor), the power on/power off/Bluetooth pairing button, and the volume up or down buttons. On the bottom, there are three LEDs labeled outdoor, volume, and outdoor; “indoor” or “outdoor” will illuminate to show what you’ve chosen with the mode button. When the Ravebox is turned on, the Monster logo on the end will illuminate blue.

And yes, the Monster Superstar Ravebox has a light show built into its left end that synchronizes to the beat of the music. At first glance, this section just looks like a clear stylized end, but it is actually a green, blue, and red light show just waiting to be started by pressing that little button at its top.

It seems silly, but this is one of those features that when you turn it on, it will turn a few heads. I was testing the speaker at night in my office with only a desk lamp on (the better to see what the light show would look like), and my daughter was admiring the sound as I played a variety of songs that I use for testing speakers. I clicked the button for the light show, which stopped her mid-sentence — she had to tell me how cool it was. So there’s that.

The bottom of the speaker has two rubber feet so it won’t scoot anywhere or mar any surfaces.

On the back of the speaker, there is a rubber waterproof panel. You’ll note that all three sides of the speaker have a metal grille because there are speakers or a subwoofer on each side; these make the impressive 360º sound possible.

Under the protective rubber panel, you’ll find a 3.5mm audio line-in for music source, a 3.5mm audio line-in for a microphone (for those of you who want to sing along with the music), a USB charging out port (so you can charge the device you’re streaming from), and the charging port. There is a vertical line of four LEDs that glow blue to show charging progress or remaining battery life. Obviously, if you want the speaker to be waterproof, you’ll keep the panel closed with nothing plugged into it, but the option of using these ports is great indoors or on a sunny, dry day.

The Ravebox stands on its rubber end so that the light show can aim up at the ceiling …

… or you can leave it on its side to project the lights in a particular direction.

The overall impression that I get when using the Monster Superstar Ravebox is that it’s a substantial speaker that was built to last. The fact that it is waterproof just makes it that much better; I can envision using this speaker by the pool, hot tub, or on our back deck all summer long.

The ability to pair to your device by NFC, Bluetooth, or 3.5mm aux-in cable makes the Ravebox versatile enough for any music-producing device. Choosing outdoor mode over indoor adds a big bass boost. The sound produced by the Ravebox is impressively huge; I tried it on my back patio, and it was loud enough to fill most of our back yard, and it was loud enough to send vibrations through my floor when I used it indoors. Like many Monster products, the Ravebox is tuned to give booming but not overwhelming bass; highs are pure, but mids aren’t quite as clear as some of the other portable speakers I’ve reviewed in this price range. To be fair, though, those speakers weren’t waterproof, nor were they speakers I’d be confident using outdoors. I can say with certainty that this is a great speaker to use outdoors; it blows away anything else I’ve tried for its fantastic sound and thumping party bass.

If you are looking for a portable speaker that can shake the floor, one that can project 360º sound that is loud enough to fill a backyard party, one that can be taken to the pool, beach, or anywhere outdoors with confidence, the Monster Superstar Ravebox is a great choice.

The Monster Superstar Ravebox retails for $449.95, and it is available directly from the manufacturer and from other retailers including Amazon [affiliate link].

There is a huge benefit to buying the Ravebox directly from Monster:

There is a one time, no fault replacement when purchased directly from monsterproducts.com. If the Blaster has any issues (your fault or ours) return the product and get a replacement.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Sturdy construction that is built to last; Built-in top handle; Indoor or Outdoor bass modes; Works just as well indoors on a shelf as it does on your back patio; Waterproof; Built-in light show; 12 hours battery life; Can charge your music playing device as it streams; One time, no fault replacement when you purchase from Monster (an excellent offer!); 360º sound that can fill an area well

What Needs Improvement: It’s not as portable as other smaller, portable speakers, but the sound it produces more than makes up for that

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She got her start in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie has written for or been profiled by nationally known sites and magazines, and she has served on multiple industry hardware and software award panels. She is best known for her device-agnostic approach, enjoyment of exploring tech, gadgets, and gear, and her deep-diving, jargon-free reviews.