Irish company OneSonic has made a name for itself with high-quality audio products that don’t cost an arm and a leg. The Dublin-based company has impressed audio fans with everything from its noise-cancelling headphones and in-ear buds to stand-alone speakers that you can use at home or on the move.
The latest is the updated Megamaus 2, a portable Bluetooth speaker that punches above its weight, size-wise at least. The compact cylinder speaker can blast out the 360 degree audio with the best of them, without making too much of a dent in your pocket.
The Megamaus 2 speaker is designed to be used both indoors and out. It is IPX7 rated, so it can be used outdoors without fear of rain damaging it beyond use. It has a decent battery, taking three hours to fully charge, which will give you between 10 and 12 hours of listening time depending on what volume you like to crank it up to.
My favourite thing about this speaker is its simplicity. OneSonic has kept the tech to the essentials, with no app needed to get the best out of the audio. You simply connect it to your chosen music source – Bluetooth device, wired via the 3.5mm audio connection or on a removable microSD card – and get started.
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If you are familiar with the original Megamaus, you know what to expect. OneSonic has kept some of the design, but the new version has some changes. Looks-wise, the speaker has changed a little, with more fabric covering the speaker and an LED light ring on the top, giving you a bit of mood lighting and a way to see volume levels at a glance. You can’t customise the effects though.
The physical controls for volume are front and centre and you can also play and pause music from the control panel on the back. Hidden under the silicone cover on the back is the USB C charging port, plus the 3.5mm audio jack so you can connect devices that do not have Bluetooth built in.
Bluetooth has been upgraded from BT5 to 5.3, which means lower latency and better power efficiency. That means it goes easier on the battery and you get longer out of the speaker.
OneSonic has also made some improvements to the audio quality. Its upgraded digital signal processor brings higher definition to the audio over Bluetooth and its EQ has also been refined.
With a bit of tweaking from the audio source, the bass was punchier than before and audio was sharp. It was tested with everything from guitar heavy rock and more pop tracks to podcasts, and as a speaker for streaming video for good measure. Link two of the speakers together and you get wireless surround sound.
Volume-wise, you can get quite a lot out of the speaker, although at the very top end it did suffer from some distortion.
Overall, though, this was an impressive device for both its price and its size. Its flexibility and versatility was also welcome. Team it with good audio quality and it is hard to argue that you should spend more on a Bluetooth speaker.
Good
Audio quality is good, especially given the price of the speaker, with decent bass performance and clear, sharp sound. I’ve had speakers that cost significantly more that failed to impress as an all-rounder audio device. The Megamaus 2 performed well as both a surround sound system for video and a music speaker, both indoors and out.
It was also light enough to throw in a bag for a day out, although the lack of a dust rating on the device means you should be careful where you choose to take it.
Bad
At the top end of the volume range things got a little distorted. The lighter colour speaker might get a bit grubby after a while too, as it is mostly fabric covered.
Everything else
If you link two of the Megamaus speakers together, you can turn them into a surround sound system.
The speaker is designed to be portable and even has a built-in carry strap.
Verdict
An ideal outdoor companion for what remains of the summer.
Onesonic.com
