A few months ago I got a random email from a company I hadn't heard of before (Zoeao) asking if I wanted to review a Bluetooth speaker. Normally, I would say no - I'm very picky about the companies I work with and the products I review, but this was different. There was a link to some info about the speaker and when I saw this thing... I knew I had to give it a spin.
Here's the official video from the Zoeao.
It's simultaneously insanely cool and incredibly lame. That's why I had to try it. I'm nowhere near an expert on audio or speakers but I do consider myself an aficionado of a good sonic experience. My personal benchmark for the best Bluetooth spesker is the UE Boom. I've had 3 of them over the years. They're rugged, sound good, and can easily be chained together for more stereo experiences. Needless to say apart from not being qualified to review a Bluetooth speaker, I also didn't need one. I was still excited for this speaker though...
It's borderline rediculous.
I'll spare you the boring details here and focus on what matters. The sound is good. It's powerful, punchy, and can easily fill a medium to large room with ease. It also connects VERY easily with multiple devices I own. It's Bluetooth 5.0 which is solid. It never lost connection on me. The battery life is also INSANE. Zoaeo claims 30 hours. I've never charged it once and I have been using it off and on for over a month. If you do have to charge it you can do so with the included USB-C cable. A braided one at that. It also has an AUX jack and a 3.5mm cable if you don't want to connect wirelessly.
The biggest standout here beyond the very stellar audio quality, battery life, and build quality of everything is the design. This speaker is clearly aimed at a cyberpunk sci-fi crowd. If you like robots, transformers, and futuristic looking tech. This thing delivers. It even glows neon green when it's on (you can turn the LEDs off manually).
I haven't really decided if I like the design or not. The Blade Runner fan in me wants to love it but the minimalist simple side of me hates it. All I can is it definitely turns heads and it will be a conversation piece in any room you place it. Maybe I will use it as a prop for film one day.
One last thing I really like about this speaker functionally is the units volume control. It's a touch sensitive slider on top. It feels like you're adjusting a robot's emotional responsiveness. It's fun.
So if you're looking for a really good wireless speaker that would fit in perfectly in Deckard's apartment from the first Blade Runner, this wins on every front. If you just want a decent Bluetooth speaker I'd still recommend the UE Boom. They're both roughly the same price too.
Learn more about the Gravastar at their IndieGoGo page. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gravastar-crazy-cool-speaker-with-ultimate-sound
Cheers,
pt.