Tronsmart Bang Max – Biggest Battery Powered Party Speaker
Tronsmart Bang Max is a $229 USD Bluetooth Speaker designed for large parties, as it comes with a 3-Way driver implementation, with 6 drivers playing in each speaker. You can actually purchase more than one and push Stereo sound, or even sync across over 100 of those speakers to get a party going. Today we will review the Bang Max and also compare it to other Speakers, including Tronsmart Bang (159 USD), Vifa Copenhagen (700 USD), and AIWA EXOS 9 (300 USD)
Introduction
Tronsmart has been a popular brand for bluetooth speakers and are known for creating some of the most affordable speakers with good design, reliable battery life and performance, and with a nice look too. While they won’t steal the spotlight for their sonic performance, they can offer a good bang for the buck for anyone looking to vibe up a party, and Tronsmart products are readily available from Amazon as well as other shops, making the purchase of a speaker from them easy and convenient. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Tronsmart has provided the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
PROs – Good dynamics and a punchy, entertaining sound, Low distortion at high volumes, can actually fill a room with music and hold a party for 10-20 people, it holds nicely for the price point, battery life is very long at half volume, which is incredibly loud (basically you won’t hear other speaking), and at max volume it can reach up to 6 hours, which is great. It has an IPX rating in case someone splashes it with water, and it is beach safe, and also it has good build quality, with no creaking parts, or uneven edges. The app can EQ it, which is also helpful. Can work as a Power Bank, and has gain for the aux inputs, can work as a Karaoke speaker.
Cons – Slow charging speeds, a bit boomy and has a resonance point which will be audible with most music.
Product Link
You can grab one here – https://amzn.to/4cdfGsn
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
Bang Max is the largest speaker we have so far from Tronsmart although compared to other large heavy duty speakers we reviewed, it is still fairly small and light. This being said, at almost 6 KG, it is heavy, and it is large, looking larger than a fire extinguisher. The design is very tubular, as it has 6 speaker drivers on the front, 2 for bass, two for midrange and two tweeters, but also two passive radiators on the sides, which can light up on a rainbow of colorful flavors, and which will help the Bang Max achieve a better sub bass depth and extension, plus giving it a punchier sound. The sound is supposed to have extreme bass, which we will put to the test.
Power rating for speakers is something I have never really understood, because at 130W of power, bang Max would theoretically consume a lot, yet it has a battery inside and can be used portably, with the company promising over 24 hours of play time for bang Max, and given the price I expect that we could rather note the Maximum SPL of 110 dB as being relevant. This max SPL is incredibly high for a bluetooth speaker, especially at this price range.
The battery life is actually shorter if you push it louder, and that battery life was measured with the LED lights turned off, and with the Bang Max playing at 50% of its maximum volume, but for a party level volume and the LED lights turned on, it should still be able to push 6-9 hours of play time. The lights on the sides can be customized or turned off entirely, depending on your current mood and vibe. Charging the Bang Max is done via a DC input, and it comes with a power brick. It takes 5 hours to fully charge the Bang Max, which is the longest I’ve seen for a speaker, but it also has the longest battery life for the loudness that I’ve seen.
The best part is that it can be used while charging, it can act as a power bank and charge your smartphone, and it also has Custom Eq and an app. While with most speakers and audio products I dread the thought of having to use an app, a party speaker can be EQ’ed via one and you can compensate for the room and environment, giving it either more bass or more treble, depending on how it sounds in that area.
You can actually use the Bang Max as a Karaoke speaker, and you can wire in a microphone or even use it as a guitar amplifier, but there won’t be any distortion or special effects built in that situation. I have experienced zero issues when powering it from my smartphone, it doesn’t stutter or lose the Bluetooth connection, although the maximum connection was SBC or AAC, with no aptX or LDAC implemented. For the guitar and the microphone inputs, you can adjust the gain, which is also excellent, as some microphones can simply sound louder than others.
While most speakers are not waterproofed nor would need to be, IPX6 waterproofing on the Bang Max is actually helpful, as this one might get a drink spilled over it in the heat of the party. The firmware can be upgraded via the app, and even the company recommends using it while charging, so for a longer party you can keep it outlet bound.
To put music in the Bang Max, you can use the Bluetooth wireless connection, but also Aux Input, via the included cable, it can read a microSD or TF card, and even a USB stick with music. You can power a separate microphone and pair it via Bluetooth with a smartphone at the same time, to allow for proper karaoke. You can connect 2 microphones at max with the Bang Max, and have a Bluetooth input too, so basically all inputs are read at the same time.
Sound Quality
Overall Signature – Bang Max is a full and beefy sounding Bluetooth speaker, which doesn’t focus on detail necessarily, but can deliver nice resolution and a full, heavy sound with excellent dynamics and natural midrange. There are two modes, one which is flatter and sounds more reference, and one that gets everything as dynamic and punchy as possible, creating more of a typical bluetooth speaker sound, but in a good way. The bass can get out of control at times, but the passive radiators have very sturdy silicone suspension, which gives Bang Max a super good impact and a bit of boom and bloom.
Bass – The bass of Bang Max finds a resonance point around 60 Hz, below which it can climb down to about 45 Hz, but it has strong energy down to that point. The bass is handled by two active drivers, and the two large passive radiators on the sides. The bass is full, punchy and has a solid presentation, you can feel and hear the strong silicone on the passive radiators, along with the punchier sounds Bang Max can produce. Bang Max is a good way to describe it actually, it gives music a “bang” pro max level of impact and bass.
Midrange – Bang Max has a natural voicing for most music, creating a fun and pleasing signature, with a grain-free midrnage, most of the grain and texture being present in the bass, which can be overly detailed compared to the midrange. This being said, the sound is never bland or too smooth, it is simply grain-free, musical and pleasing. There is a good sense of layering and instrument separation, but unless the speaker is playing right in front of you, it can be noticeable that it is just one speaker, as the sound will come from just one point in space. It is possible to pair two to get true stereo, and it is possible to get the Bang Max to fill an entire room with sound, especially at louder volumes, so in my book it wins all points for the tuning and sonic presentation in general.
Dynamics / PRaT / Textures – The sound is compressed by the internal DSP or Digital Signal Processing, Bluetooth compression, and dynamic processing too, but the actual presentation is fairly punchy, and dynamic, with the music sounding natural instead of overly compressed and boring or bland. The texture is smoother and gentler in the midrange and treble, but bass can be very rubbed and textured, especially at higher volumes or when the song has distortion in the bass, Bang Max will make that obvious.
Soundstage – While we can’t speak about soundstage or even stereo, unless the speaker is right in front of you, it has good instrument separation and layering, similar to an Edifier S1000DB, which costs almost double right now.
Volume Control – While my experience with bluetooth speakers is that most of them distort horribly at loud volumes, Bang Max sounds clean and controlled even close to max, it can fill up that party without distorting or giving you a headache. The low volume sound is also great, still punchy and fun, so it will sound great at all volumes. I also don’t fear it will burn out in time, as the heavy duty bass is helped heavily by the passive radiators and the active drivers don’t have to do all the heavy lifting.
Treble – The treble presentation is not overly strong, but you can EQ it to be both bright and dark sounding. The treble is clean, extends up to about 12 kHz – 14 kHz, but it is clean and not grainy or fatiguing. In most songs, it does feel like the treble is more of a second thought and not a highlight, but Bang Max sounds sparkly enough to keep things entertaining and interesting.
Comparisons
Tronsmart Bang Max vs AIWA Exos 9 (229 USD vs 300 USD)
Build – Exos 9 is much larger, and has mostly active drivers, but it looks more like a radio from 1980 than a new commercial bluetooth speaker, and it also behaves a bit like an older radio. The sound coming from Exos 9 is heavily directional, and it has no concept of filling a room unless it is placed right on the corner or on a side wall, while bang Max can be placed even in the center of the room, and most people will hear it nicely, even from behind the frontal part. The LED rings on the Bang Max are a nice addition for a party, while Exos 9 being heavier, and bulkier is harder to transport. This being said, the battery on Exos 9 should be removable, which adds a lot to its reliability long-term.
Sound – Sonically, Bang Max sounds much faster, punchier, and has a more detailed sound, better dynamics, a more impressive overall balance in the sound, better voicing and better overall layering, while Exos 9 sounds smoother, has less texture, it sounds smoother ion the treble too, where it rolls off. Bang Max makes a better purchase if you need something energetic and pumped up for a party, while Exos 9 would be great as a large radio that has the ability to provide strong bass, but will be used mostly for background music, even in a large space. Both produce enough SPL, but Bang Max can sound cleaner at higher volumes, and the battery lasts for longer, although it also charges really slowly.
Tronsmart Bang Max vs Vifa Copenhagen (229 USD vs 700 USD)
Build – Vifa Copenhagen is smaller, but heavier, and if you want to use it as a boombox, it is less practical. I can attest that Copenhagen will survive a fall if need be, as mine did happen to drop from 2 meters high and is still working perfectly, with just a scratch on it, while Bang Max has IPX rating, and is a better fit for a party, if you need it to stay dandy even after its been spilled on. Vifa Copenhagen has a lower maximum volume, a shorter battery life, and is less practical to carry around, but looks sleekier in person, and resembles a furniture piece from a modern producer, while Bang Max looks like a Boombox Bluetooth Speaker with LED Rings, giving more of a party vibe anywhere you take it.
Sound – Sonically, Copenhagen has more detail and a higher resolution, at the cost of the sound having less bass, less punch, less impact and making Bang Max sound much beefier, deeper, with more volume to each instrument and voices, and Bang Max can have a smoother midrange and a smoother treble which will give music a more pleasing presentation. Basically, Copenhagen will satisfy the acquainted audiophile who knows what they want and who yearns for resolution and detail, while Bang Max is much better for your standard boomy party, a barbeque or any kind of social gathering where you’re spending time with friends having fun.
Tronsmart Bang Max vs Tronsmart Bang (229 USD vs 159 USD)
Build – Bang Max is larger than Bang, considerably so. Both have a passive radiator array on the sides, and both look like a cylindrical tube. Bang Max has a longer battery life and much higher maximum SPL, while Bang is better for shoulder boombox style transport, being lighter and physically smaller. There are more drivers in the Bang Max, and it has Mic inputs, guitar input, variable gain for the inputs. The only downside for Bang Max compared to the original Bang is that Bang can be charged via Type-C USB port, while for Bang Max if you lose the DC transformer, you’re toast. The charging time of Bang Max is much longer, but the battery life is too. The main reason you’d go for Bang instead of the Bang Max is size and weight constraints, Bang Max is so much heavier and larger that it won’t make sense physically for everyone, but SPL and value wise, it is quite a bit of an upgrade from the smaller bang.
Sound – Sonically, Bang Max has a deeper bass, it reaches with more power, and offers a heftier punch, more substance and volume to instruments, and offers a more dynamic, more vivid presentation. The resolution of the Bang Max is much higher, it sounds cleaner, more crisp and has better layering, also filling a room or a space more with music. I think that the original Bang would make good background music speaker, or would be sufficient at most for 3-4 people to enjoy a mini party, while Bang Max is more of a portable public address speaker, large, heavy, but with enough SPL and power to offer 10-20 folks a dancing ring right on the beach or at a house party.
Value and Conclusion
While Tronsmart is known for good value, I think they killed it with the Bang Max, and most of their mini speakers are simply not as interesting sounding nor as revolutionary for someone who wants to actually hold a party. For 229 USD, you can actually impress your friends, have a great time, and repeat it many times over with a nice sound too.
At the end of the day, if you need a heavy duty bluetooth speaker which can actually produce some low-end extension and give you a punchy bass, Tronsmart Bang Max is an excellent option to purchase today, and one I can confidently recommend to anyone who wants high SPL, low cost, and an enjoyable sound.
Product Link
You can grab one here – https://amzn.to/4cdfGsn
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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