Inateck BTSP-10
This Inateck speaker has one of those designs you’ll either love or hate. I quite like the hexagonal, almost industrial-looking pattern that forms the speaker mesh and wraps around the sides.
Rectangular in design at 165x60x50mm, the 390g speaker is a lot heavier than it looks. It packs some pretty good audio hardware for the price, though, with two 3W precision-tuned drivers. It’s still portable, and despite its rugged appearance Inateck supplies a soft carry case to protect it on its travels.
It’s easy to operate, with the power switch, AUX and Micro-USB charging ports on one side, and three buttons up top - volume up, volume down, and a Bluetooth button that does everything else, including playing- and pausing audio, and answering- and ending calls.
Setup is simple, though we did need to read the instructions. Unlike every other portable Bluetooth speaker we’ve tried, you can’t just switch it on and then instantly pair it with your phone. You need to switch it on, then hold down the Bluetooth button for six seconds to enter pairing mode, at which point the Inateck will become visible in your Bluetooth settings.
Unlike most portable Bluetooth speakers, we were disappointed to find that the volume buttons didn’t also allow you to skip the track. To use this speaker to its full potential, you will still need to interact with the music app on your phone or tablet, which is annoying.
Nevertheless, the Inateck has plenty in its favour. First and most notably is its volume. For a cheap portable speaker, this thing is loud. Much, much louder than what is possible from your phone, tablet or laptop. And sound quality is no different at max volume than when it is little more than a whisper.
Secondly is its Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, which is an improvement over the older versions of the standard used by most cheap speakers, and more power-efficient. It won’t unreasonably draw on the battery of your mobile device, and its own built-in 2100mAh lithiumpolymer battery is able to last between nine- and 15 hours.
There is always some compression when you’re streaming music over Bluetooth, but we mostly found audio crisp and clear.
Verdict
At £50, the Inateck BTSP-10 is a loud, cool-looking speaker. Sound quality is good, too.