This is not my first time writing about a portable BT speaker, but it is not my primary field of expertise, so I will draw from my previously acquired knowledge to say a thing or two about the S100.
Let us start with the price just so we get a feel for what to expect and see whether our expectations are met. It currently retails for
79.99USD. You can
find out more about the product here:
https://www.tronsmart.com/products/tronsmart-mirtune-s100-portable-outdoor-speaker
It is available for purchase via Amazon (unaffiliated link):
https://www.amazon.com/Tronsmart-Mirtune-S100-Retractable-Waterproof/dp/B0DG2MND7F
Disclaimer: I have received this unit from Tronsmart in exchange for an article. This will not sway my thoughts and I will remain completely transparent as to how I feel about the item. I do this as a hobby, not professionally.
A bit about me
Currently I am 27 years old and more in awe of sheer power of music by the day. I have always been moved by music just that slight bit more than average, I'd say. My spending started with a roughly 200€ Bose bluetooth speaker back in my first grade of highschool. What an extra-terrestrial thing that was in early 2010s. And it keeps on playing to this day – a true testament of quality. Also sounded fantastic back then, nowadays … yeah, not so much. Lots of BT speakers, TWS, car audio speakers, IEMs, etc., later bring me to this day when I truly consider myself an audiophile. What brings me the most joy besides listening to music is singing, so I am currently participating in a mixed choir and challenging myself with solo vocal covers (check the links in my signature to hear some of my projects). Unsure where all this leads, but the journey itself is marvelous and life is nothing but a journey.
How To Describe The S100
I have received this unit a few weeks before it was officially announced and therefore had no idea about the specifications or the price. I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I found out the price, because even my first impression of pulling the unit out of the box was positive. OK yes, the unboxing is not interesting in any way, but I am one of those that wants to get rid of the box ASAP anyway.
The unit feels
sufficiently weighty not to feel brittle and fragile like such speakers often do, but it is still easily portable thanks to the spectacularly
well implemented handle that retracts when not in use.
The
fabric-like material that covers the whole fascia of the speaker feels comfortable and durable, but I do need to mention that it was not well connected on my unit and thus made a clicking sound when pressed in one exact spot. Sadly, summer has already passed and I have not yet put it through its paces at the pool or similar, but based on its
IPX7 rating I would not be too afraid to do so and patiently await the first opportunity.
Buttons are
intuitive. Connecting my phone for the first time was as
simple as can be. While talking about the buttons, they offer a
satisfying feedback click when you press either of them – so often do manufacturers get that aspect wrong and buttons feel so inconsistent in their response while also feeling awful with each click. One negative I found (which won’t even really be a negative in most situations) is that the turn ON and OFF sounds as well as the connection sounds are loud which means late evening incognito listening is made more difficult, especially if you have someone else nearby that is not in the mood for music but would rather catch a good night’s sleep. The
LEDs surrounding the passive radiators on either side are a nice touch and have
modes to choose from. They are bound to make the sleepy ones stay around and party for longer before finally giving in and going to bed.
Sound!
Okay, all the first impressions out of the way, it was time to choose a song I know well and see how Tronsmart Mirtune S100 does in the most important aspect. This offers a different take to other Tronsmart speakers I have tried beforehand with more of a
subbass-dominant approach that offers a pretty magnificent feeling of air movement on subbass-heavy tracks, especially in bass boost mode – yes, there are a million possibilities to
fine tune the sound to your particular mood and liking. The way it carried a smooth low end over a medium-sized room was impressive for small drivers and a 'racetrack subwoofer' as Tronsmart call it. In this regard, it is
far ahead of similarly priced competition I have tried before, such as the Soundcore Motion Plus which has served me well for a while now – maybe its time to retire has come?
Midrange is specific in that it does not sound too forward or present but still the vocals and instruments find a way to
separate from the rest as in being able to follow either performer well enough. No, this is
not a highly analytical and completely colourless sounding speaker. It has a way of capturing listener’s attention without ever overdoing it and becoming annoying – unless the songs that are playing simply aren’t to someone’s liking, but oh well, that’s DJ’s, not speaker’s fault. Then we get to the high frequencies which are also handled by the two 'tweeters' (but I have a hunch these are responsible for more than just treble) that are either side of the ‘racetrack’ speaker – that’s a funny but catchy name. Those higher frequencies are where most either like or dislike the sound – they’ve got a way of being either ultra-enjoyable and magical or awfully annoying. I am happy to say that the S100 does away with the annoyance for the most part and feels
rather composed instead. However, when the volume gets higher, the Fletcher-Munson curve takes over and when the necessary bass to balance the treble is not there anymore, the sound
gets more hollow and strained. That’s a trait of most if not all speakers of this size and similar price range. That won’t be too much of an issue
outdoors where the reflections are minimized, we rarely listen directly on-axis (more on that up next), and having ample volume is of greater importance than ultimate tonality.
I wanted to see how much the sound changes whether you’re sitting right in front of it or on whichever side around the speaker – we know listening to such BT speakers is usually done in company, so not all will be as privileged to have the front middle seat – that golden ticket should be reserved for the speaker’s owner, but I digress.
So, what were my findings? I am happy to report that the sound stays recognizable and does not lack too much higher frequencies when moving a bit
off-axis. Now of course, the further to either side one goes, the more muted and unclear the sound becomes. For a gathering around a table I do prefer something omnidirectional to fire out to either side in a more coherent fashion. That is definitely one of the obvious advantages of
omnidirectional speakers such as the Mirtune C2 I wrote about before. I would recommend a corner placement for electronic music and similar to aid the bass which despite being solid loses some power as we creep up the volume scale.
Outdoors, this speaker sounds very clear and plays decently loud for just about any situation except a larger party with 10+ people that are in the mood for a dance. There are multiple ways Tronsmart has your back even in those larger gatherings – you could either get any of their larger speakers or connect two of these S100’s into a
TWS (True Wireless Stereo) to amplify the volume as well as increase the soundstage coverage. What helps and makes that TWS idea quite a tempting one is that I have experienced zero connection issues and the overall ease of use is exceptional.
How To Sum Up The Tronsmart Mirtune S100
To sum up the S100 I could once more keep it brief and say that as far as value for money is concerned, Tronsmart truly offer a wide variety of speakers at competitive prices. While the S100 does have its limitations, it still feels like a quality unit that is going to last. While I cannot say that definitively yet, I now look forward to all the events that can be improved with some music.
Thanks for reading and stay wonderful.