Based in San Diego, California, Grace Digital Inc. provides a family of audio products, one of them being ECOXGEAR’s Bluetooth EcoStone Portable Speaker. Once we found out it was made with Military Grade steel and was said to be 100% waterproof, we knew we had to put this speaker to the test. If the EcoStone passed it would be excellent for outdoor music festivals and for the avid music listener who wants their tunes anywhere and everywhere, but would it hold up to its hype? We put it to the test to find out.
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SPECS
- 3.5” Drivers
Stereo 24W (12W x2) Speaker Drivers
Rear Mounted Subwoofer
¼” Screw Mount Option
Includes a built in LED flashlight
4 Step LED Battery Meter
USB Smartphone Charger
- Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery
12 hours of playtime
Fully re-charges in 2.5 hours
Micro USB Charging Jack
3.5mm Aux-In Jack
- Height: 5″
Width: 10.1″
Depth: 3.7″
Weight: 2.7 lbs
THE FACTS
MSRP $149.00
IPX7 Waterproof means that the product is protected against water immersion. ECOXGEAR tests all their products by submerging them in AT LEAST 3 feet of water.
Floats. Can be used in the pool, the hot tub and the ocean without issues.
Passed IP68 International Waterproofing Standards and Military Grade Testing MIL810G which means it can withstand anything from being 100% submerged in water to a sandstorm in a desert with temperatures up to 140°F.
Multifarious. Can also be used as a flashlight and a portable phone charger.
PROS
You don’t have to turn the music off when a bad storm approaches, the EcoStone is made for these conditions
We ran this portable Bluetooth speaker through the ringer to test all of its certifications and it held up exactly as advertised. The Military Grade steel made this speaker every bit as durable as something you would expect the good ol’ US of A to put their stamp of approval on. The EcoStone can take a beating and look unscathed. Water damage isn’t a possibility in ECOXGEAR’s world as you can see in this impressive video video:
While everyone else’s camp is quiet your party won’t stop.
We’ve all been in the situation where you’re at your favorite music festival and they clear everyone out because of a rain/lightning storm. You have nothing to do but to go back to your campsite and wait out the storm under cover. You can’t have your phone or your Jambox out to play music to entertain your group because even the smallest amount of water will ruin them. This is where the EcoStone shines. While everyone else’s camp is quiet your party won’t stop. Throw this thing down in a mud puddle and go dance in the rain if the feeling strikes you–you’re not going to ruin it. With its 12 hours of battery life, it’s going to get you and your crew through the rainstorm until festival officials allow you back in and every camp around you is going to be jealous your good times never stopped.
CONS
There is a trade off in sound quality when your Bluetooth speaker can be left entirely submerged under water for hours and thrown down hard on the concrete many times before it breaks. Don’t compare the sound to your expensive and dainty in-home speaker with the EcoStone because that’s not what this speaker was designed to do or who this product is meant to impress.
IS IT WORTH IT?
Yes.
The sacrifice made in sound quality is well worth the durability and the peace of mind that even under the TOUGHEST conditions your speaker isn’t going to break or get ruined by a rainstorm or by your buddy spilling his beer on it at Electric Forest. The sound quality is comparable to many Bluetooth speakers on the market today, except this one can get smashed on the ground and still be fully functional. And has a subwoofer. And can charge your phone. And can be used as a flashlight.
If you’re an outdoorsman who would love to attach a quality speaker to your hiking backpack or you’re looking for the perfect, all-weather, all-conditions speaker to have at your campsite for music festivals, the EcoStone is exactly what you want.
Read more about the EcoStone at EcoXGear.com
Pool photo provided by mashable.com
