My wife has a record.
Well, quite a few of them.
No, not the Guinness-kind-of-record.
The plasticky-vinyl-kind-of-record.
You know. Rappity-rappers use to scratch on them.
Your parents had them, or (gasp) …grandparents had them.
An LP.
Anyway, I recently got her one. Apparently they’re making a comeback.
Oh and it was Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, for those that were wondering.
Double-hipster-word-score.
So I like good-sounding stuff. And stuff to sound good.
That really means, of the artists I like, I enjoy the quality of audio reproduction.
I’ll be honest. I have a little background in audio—enough that I know what a zero-bit track is for—but not so much that I’d talk down to you like the bearded fellow barking specs about the dynamic headroom of his tube amplifier.
And since Dadand is into all things gadgetry, I wanted to share this Bluetooth speaker with you.
The BenQ treVolo Review
I got a hold of one of these speakers, the BenQ treVolo, and after a quick listen, my only reply to the folks at BenQ was:
“This is the Bluetooth speaker you’ll want to plug your turntable into.”
Is that enough for a review?
Nah.
But would probably make a good magazine cover.
First, I noticed this isn’t a big hunk of plastic. While I’m not sure of what metal is used, the machined details reveal a gold-toned metal much like brass, which complement the overall dark anthracite coating.
An elegant ring of light encompasses the power button, which also serves to distinguish between three built-in equalizer modes—“pure”, “warm” and “vivid”, allowing you to “tune” the treVolo to the type of music you’re listening to.
The “warm” setting seems to increase bass, while the “vivid” mode brings out midrange like vocals and guitars. The “pure” setting has a flat (no equalization) response.
treVolo Drivers
Here’s what makes the treVolo unique: electrostats. Electrostatic speakers are different from conventional “round” speakers—they have a thin piece of film that vibrates between two electrically-charged perforated panels. It’s a cleaner, less-distorted sound that is bidirectional, emitting sound from the front and back of the speaker. This creates a more complete “soundstage” allowing for natural ambient reflections in the room.
The electrostats are paired with two traditional speakers, about 2.5” in diameter, which probably handle the lower frequencies. They are complemented by two oval-shaped passive radiators—something that looks like a speaker but helps to trick the “real” speakers into thinking they are in a larger enclosure.
That just means better bass.
The Sound
I really like the sound of the treVolo. It has a natural sound and warmth that is typically lost with today’s formats (MP3) and (Bluetooth) speaker construction.
I did have to play a bit with the positioning of the speaker to get the best sound for where I was sitting. The sound filled the room fine, but there definitely is a sweet spot where it creates a pretty good stage.
And for those of you that want to hear those little details in the music, I think the treVolo is about the best you’ll get in this class of wireless speakers—at least from what I’ve heard to date. The speaker uses active DSP crossovers instead of passive crossovers which I think would attribute to it’s clean reproduction of music.
More Features
While I haven’t listened to the treVolo for 12 hours straight, they promise 12 hours of music from a full charge through a mini USB cable. And at about 7”x3”x5” it’s a small package with a big punch—take it with you anywhere.
The Verdict
If you want to see what Pete thinks, check out his unboxing video.
If you’re ready move up from that overpriced “beat” plastic Bluetooth speaker to something built using quality materials and has a superior sound quality, I’d give the BenQ treVolo a listen first.
Price: $299
Get more information, or pick one up at BenQ.