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Even though it’s called a premium speaker, the $299 LG XBoom 360 Bluetooth speaker doesn’t live up to our expectations. For example, we like how its triple-driver setup spreads sound well and makes deep, rich bass, but it only makes mono audio. Also, it’s not very good as a portable speaker for use outside because it’s not very water-resistant and has an odd shape.
Its LED lighting features aren’t exciting either, because they don’t have much effect in real life. The Sony SRS-XG300 ($349.99) is our current winner in this price range. It is more durable and can play stereo sound, and you don’t even have to give up the customizable LEDs.
The only colour for the XBoom 360 is dark grey. It is 12.9 inches tall, 6.5 inches wide, and 6.5 inches deep, and it weighs 7.1 pounds. It has a wide bottom and a top that tapers in a way that reminds me of a bowling pin. Even though it has an odd shape, it stays put on flat surfaces because it is heavy at the bottom and has rubber feet.
On the top are capacitive touch controls for playback (tap two or three times to skip forward or backward in a track), volume, and LEDs (a light bulb icon). But it’s annoying that you must tap the screen to unlock the controls before making more changes.
Specification
Brand | LG |
Model Name | RP4 |
Case | Woofer |
Speaker Type | US |
Connectivity Technology | LED Mood Lighting |
LG XBoom 360 review: DesignS
The LG XBoom 360 is shaped like a cylinder and has a unique hole in the middle that lets you see the up-firing woofer. The woofer’s cone, which sends sound waves out in all directions, also holds RGB LEDs that give users a fun light show. The speaker is made of cloth, giving it a modern, understated look that wouldn’t be out of place in a living room or by the pool.
On the top of the XBoom 360 are buttons for power, playback, lighting, and connecting to other devices. You can also get the LG XBoom app for free to turn on features and get full access to lighting and equalisation. The top of the speaker has a built-in handle, so it’s technically portable, but its 9.8″ x 20.2″ x 9.8″ (W x H x D) size and 12.8lb (5.8kg) weight make it a little hard to move around.
A large rubber flap at the bottom of the speaker covers a USB-A port for connecting a USB thumb drive, a 3.5mm aux jack for analogue sources, a reset button, and a button to pair two or more LG wireless speakers. You can buy this speaker from its official website.
LG XBoom 360 review: Performance
The LG XBoom is not an attempt to make a smart speaker. Rather, it’s a speaker, which you can tell by its size and shape. And the Pickr Sound Test, which you can use to check for yourself, shows that it sounds like that, with a lot of volume.
We’re not too surprised, given When we moved into pop, it was the same way. Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Cut To The Feeling” had great highs and mids, but the lows didn’t have the impact we expected unless the volume was turned up.
It was the same with test tracks from Ariana Grande and Mark Ronson, which handled the sound well but didn’t quite get the balance right at lower volumes. Older songs like “Ain’t No Mountain” by Marvin Gaye or “Starman” by David Bowie, which don’t have a bass line that stands out too much, were about the only ones where the balance felt more possible.
Overall, the bass wasn’t as round as we usually like, but it didn’t feel far away like it did in modern songs, at least not at the volume we were listening at.
LG XBoom 360 review: Connectivity
On the top of the XBoom 360 are buttons for power, playback, lighting, and connecting to other devices. You can also get the LG XBoom app for free to turn on features and get full access to lighting and equalisation. The top of the speaker has a built-in handle.
So it’s technically portable, but its 9.8″ x 20.2″ x 9.8″ (W x H x D) size and 12.8lb (5.8kg) weight make it a little hard to move around. A large rubber flap at the bottom of the speaker covers a USB-A port for connecting a USB thumb drive, a 3.5mm aux jack for analogue sources, a reset button, and a button to pair two or more LG wireless speakers.
LG XBoom 360 review: Sound quality
The LG XBoom 360 has great sound, but there’s one catch that we’ll talk about in a moment. The speaker is loud and has a tone balance that is neutral to slightly warm. The sound of the instruments is natural, and it’s nice to see a party speaker that doesn’t go overboard with the bass.
The speaker plays very loudly, which is great for big spaces outside. There’s even an Outdoor EQ setting that you can use to make up for the fact that the bass sounds less good outside. You’ll want to play the XBoom 360 loud because the speaker sounds weak when it’s turned down.
The speaker is useless below 30% volume because the bass drops off very quickly. Other speaker makers have built-in equalisation that helps with playing music at low volumes, and we’d like to see LG do the same in the future.
LG XBoom 360 review: Battery Life
By looking at it, you probably wouldn’t know because its size and shape make it look like something you’d have to keep plugged in, but that’s not true. You can choose a figure-eight power cable or take it with you, which is kind of what that metal handle on top is for.
You can take the XBoom with you if you grab it by the handle, and there’s a setting in the app that lets you adjust the equaliser for going outside. The XBoom can last up to 10 hours on a single charge, but you’ll probably get closer to 8 hours depending on how loud you project.
That’s not a big deal, but charging the speaker is, since it takes several hours to fill up. We’re talking about about five hours, with 90 percent of the work done after four hours, which is too much for our attention span.
LG XBoom 360 review: Price
At least the price seems right. LG is selling the XBoom 360 in the U.S. for just a bit more than $500, while the XBoom 360 costs $569 in Australia.
For $570, you get a big, powerful speaker with lights, sound, and a little bit of portability. It also has a design that almost looks like a Danish take on LG’s aesthetics.
LG XBoom 360 review: Final words
Because it is well-constructed and has a low centre of gravity, the LG XBOOM 360 is not likely to topple over if you try to move it. The LG XBOOM 360 is relatively straightforward to operate, despite the fact that it is somewhat large and unwieldy. After turning on the speaker for the first time, it will produce a lovely startup sound, and the mood light will begin to illuminate.
Pros
- Rich bass and bright, sculpted highs
- Balanced, powerful sound
- App has an adjustable EQ
Cons
- No water resistance
- It doesn’t always feel portable
FAQs
Is LG Xboom a good speaker?
In conclusion, the LG XBOOM Go Portable Bluetooth Speaker could be a good choice for you if you are looking for a speaker that has a high-quality build and a bass response that is satisfactory. If, on the other hand, sound quality is extremely important to you, we would suggest looking into other options because the mids and highs do not perform as well as one might anticipate they would.
Is the LG Xboom 360 loud?
The LG XBOOM 360 emits a tremendous amount of noise, which is to be expected given its dimensions. This Bluetooth speaker, in contrast to a good number of others, produces high-quality sound regardless of the volume setting. The tweeter in the speaker is made of titanium and measures 1 inch, and the woofer measures 5.25 inches and is made of glass fibre.
Are 360-degree speakers good?
Everything hinges on the design as well as the calibre of the individual parts. But one thing that can’t be argued is the fact that the vast majority of 360-degree speakers have been designed with convenience in the first place and quality in the second. Although this doesn’t mean that all of them aren’t very good, it does mean that they’ll never be able to compete with speakers that are many times their size.
LG XBoom 360 Ratings