EcoXGear EcoSlate - Review 2022

EcoXGear makes portable Bluetooth speakers that are impervious to the challenges of the corking outdoors. While plenty of competitors offer
splash-proof models, the EcoSlate is fully waterproof, submersible, and it even floats. From an audio standpoint, the $149.99 speaker delivers decent low end for its size, and solid clarity in the high-mids and highs. If yous're looking for deep bass thunder, this isn't the speaker for yous. But the EcoSlate's tough build, and features like standard mounts and a built-in flashlight, arrive a great choice in the outdoor-friendly category.

Blueprint

The EcoSlate is available in black, electric blue, gray, mint green, or orange, and like many EcoXGear products, it feels like it tin can withstand the apocalypse. Its IP68 rating means that it is completely protected from dust, and can be submerged for long periods of time without issue—merely it floats, making information technology a perfect speaker for the pool.

Measuring 5.five past viii.viii by 2.3 inches (HWD) and weighing in at i.8 pounds, the rectangular speaker has rubberized corners that serve as stabilizing feet whether the speaker is sitting upright or flat. When it's sitting flat, the speaker grille is oriented upward, and behind the metal perforations, dual x-watt drivers deliver audio with the help of two passive woofers on the back panel. The lesser console houses a standard tripod mount, as does the righthand panel—though this mount ships with a carabiner screwed into identify. The opposing side panel houses an LED flashlight with three levels of intensity. As we mentioned, EcoXGear doesn't mess around.

EcoXGear EcoSlate inline Before we discuss the control panel running along the the top of the EcoSlate, it's worth noting that you'll accept a hard time powering it upwardly if you don't first open the watertight, twist-shut covered connection panel on the back of the speaker and flip the master ability switch on. In addition to the power switch, the panel houses a USB output (for charging mobile devices using the EcoSlate's battery), a micro USB port for the included power adapter (which has a removable USB cable that tin be used with either port), and a three.5mm aux input (no sound cable is included for this connectedness, however).

The controls across the the top, from left to right, are: Ability, Bluetooth, EcoConnect (for linking two units equally a stereo pair), Volume Downwards/Up (this works in conjunction with your mobile device's primary book levels), Track Backward/Forward, a multifunction push button for playback and call direction, and Flashlight. These rubberized controls are backlit when the speaker is powered up, and there are also status LEDs for Battery Life, Power, Bluetooth, and EcoConnect.

The internal mic offers very solid intelligibility for a portable Bluetooth speaker. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 6s, we were able to understand every word recorded, without whatsoever actually noticeable audio artifacts.

EcoXGear estimates the EcoSlate's battery life to be roughly 12 hours, but your results will vary with your volume levels and your mix of wireless and wired sound playback. The speaker takes nigh three hours to fully accuse.

Performance

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like the Knife's "Silent Shout," the EcoSlate delivers a palpable thump. The speaker isn't large enough to push out true sub-bass thunder, only information technology does a practiced job of delivering some lows and implying the residue. At tiptop volumes, the drum hits sound similar they're pushing the EcoSlate's passive woofers and the enclosure to the limit—things don't distort, but the vibrations are strong enough that information technology about sounds like in that location'due south distortion. At slightly lower levels the vibrations calm downwards and the overall residual is solid.

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the EcoSlate's audio signature. The drums on this rail can audio overly thunderous on bass-forward speakers and too apartment and thin on less capable models. The EcoSlate falls somewhere happily in the center—the drums don't sound a full as they could, but they're not reduced to polite tapping, either. Callahan'due south baritone vocals stand out far more—they get a generous low-mid presence, making them even richer than they already are. Thankfully, there'southward a solid high-mid presence here, as well, so the balance between lows and highs isn't upset—the guitars and higher register percussive hits stand out just every bit much every bit the low-mid presence of the vocals.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West'south "No Church in the Wild," the kicking drum loop receives enough of high-mid presence, allowing its attack to stay sharp and slice through the layers of the mix as one of the more than prominent forces on the track. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are more implied than delivered—we get some of the lows and depression-mids, only perhaps more than of their raspy height notes than anything else, and there'due south not much sub-bass presence here to speak of. But things don't audio sparse—the EcoSlate brings a solid low and low-mid presence, so the drum loop gets some thump. The vocals are delivered with a clear high-mid presence that gives them crispness, but doesn't veer into overly sibilant territory.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, go a trivial added button in the lows and depression-mids, bringing out the lower register instrumentation somewhat. Merely this is a crisper, brighter audio, with the college register brass, strings, and vocals owning the spotlight.

Conclusions

Sonically, the EcoSlate nevertheless delivers solid performance, but there are more compelling Bluetooth speakers in this toll range, especially if you're seeking out powerful deep bass response. Though you won't find much in the mega bass section, the comparably priced Bose SoundLink Revolve and JBL Charge 3 both deliver solid, powerful Bluetooth sound. Simply when information technology comes to rugged options, the alternatives are near on par with the EcoSlate, including the (surprise) EcoXGear EcoCarbon and the Nyne Edge. Therefore, at $150, the EcoSlate is a great portable speaker for hikers, bikers, swimmers, and anyone who wants to take their tunes on the go.