A Rugged Speaker for the Outdoors

The Philips ShoqBox is a rugged, portable speaker that syncs wirelessly with any smartphone or Bluetooth-enabled device.

In the world of portable speakers, simplicity is a big selling point. Their design has been streamlined by adding rechargeable internal batteries and removing cables in favor of streaming Bluetooth technology.

But in their quest to simplify speakers, electronics companies have started to overengineer the design. The $180 ShoqBox from Philips is the latest speaker that works hard to be simple.

At first glance, the compact ShoqBox is a great portable speaker that syncs wirelessly with any smartphone or Bluetooth-enabled device. Looking like a camping flashlight, it’s rugged and splash-proof, and comes with a carabiner to fasten to your backpack. It doesn’t have a lot of fancy features that would detract from its design, making it good for outdoor use.

But if you end up using it at home, the speaker’s simplicity turns into a disadvantage. The ShoqBox has a single mode button for most functions, including on/off, battery level and language options. This requires a lot of pushing on that single button, and listening to the appropriate tones or voice instructions to make sure you’ve picked the right option. (If you push the button at the wrong time, as I did when I accidentally chose the Portuguese-language option, there’s a reset hidden in the base of the speaker.)

But certain functions in a portable speaker really need their own command, like volume and track change. Fortunately, Philips added a recessed volume knob and a sensor that allows you to pause or skip songs with the swipe of a hand. This function works a little too well, as the music stopped and started whenever I reached for the volume knob. Here, an added button or two would have helped.

The sound from the ShoqBox is respectable, even though there is no option to enhance the bass or treble. For stereo sound, two ShoqBox speakers can be paired to your mobile device. The range is about 30 feet, so keep your mobile device nearby.

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