In the modern world, music has become a familiar and integral part of life for most people. In view of this, an increasing number of portable gadgets are being created that allow you to listen to musical compositions anywhere and anytime. Some of them are quite trivial, while others are a work of futuristic art. Sometimes the manufacturer decides to combine several functions, and the result is something practical and unusual, like a portable speaker with a battery for charging any Interstep SBS-160 gadgets, reviews of which emphasize the practicality of this design. Let's take a look at the characteristics of such a tandem, distinguishing features, and then analyze user reviews to conclude whether it is worth buying this model and in what conditions it is best to use it.
What to look for when choosing
Make a choice in favor of a particular gadget often makes its price. However, sometimes you should not save on quality or comfort during operation. The same rules apply to such devices that cannot be called vital, for example, portable speakers Interstep SBS-160, the price of which may seem somewhat high and amounts to about 5 thousand rubles.
You should immediately determine in what conditions the gadget will be operated. If it’s hiking or cycling, then the model that became the hero of today's review is perfect for such purposes because of its characteristics, which we will discuss a little later.
The weight and size of the device will be important, because at large distances carrying an extra load is not always pleasant. Therefore, when making a choice, always try to find a middle ground between the power of sound, autonomy and external dimensions.
Factory equipment and appearance of a portable speaker
Having received a box with Interstep SBS-160 Gray in your store, you can see that it is made of simple white cardboard, decorated with a laminated signature orange stripe. On its faces is all kinds of information, including the main distinguishing features, as well as detailed characteristics of the gadget. In the upper part there is a loop on which the packaging can be hung in a store or for transportation.
Inside there is a large amount of seal, which indicates the desire of the manufacturer to protect the device as much as possible during transportation. It directly separates the Interstep SBS-160 Red column itself and the small box located inside, in which all accessories and documents fit. The set of accessories turned out to be slightly larger than that of similar devices, and consists of an AUX cable for playing music through a linear input; a carabiner for hanging, for example, on a backpack; as well as a micro-USB cable, which can be used both to charge the weighty built-in battery of the speaker itself, and other devices when the gadget is used as a power bank.
Available in orange and black speakers. Everyone can choose the one that suits his taste. The body is made in the form of a cylinder. As practice has shown, this is the most practical solution at the moment, because it allows you to combine good sound characteristics and a compact body.
A metal ring is built into the body of the bluetooth speaker, designed to hang the speaker by a carabiner. In addition to it, it is possible to buy additional mounts, for example, on the frame of the bike. There is a rubber door on the case, behind which all the interface connectors are located.
IPX5 protection - what it is
On the Web you can often find reviews about this column that it did not survive heavy rain or even swimming in a pond. However, they all unreasonably criticize the manufacturer, since he did not promise that such an impact could not harm her. In fact, this standard of protection, which the portable speaker Interstep SBS-160 possesses, can only guarantee that accidental drops, splashes, or grains of sand are not afraid of the device.
That is, the column is able to survive the occasional short-term hit by a jet from the shower, water scattering from a dog shaking nearby after bathing, or sand that got inside after a storm, but no more. Therefore, it is strongly discouraged to put “survivability experiments”, since they can end with a trip to the store for a new device.
Control
To configure and control, a small keyboard is used located on the side. The manufacturer made sure that it had a pleasant bluish highlight, allowing you to use the column on trips even in complete darkness. There are not so many buttons, and understanding them is not difficult, because standard icons are used that have not changed for several decades.
Separately, it is worth highlighting the button with the lightning icon. After reading a review regarding the Interstep SBS-160, you may not understand what it is for, but it is an activator of one of the key functions. Since the column has a second purpose, namely the ability to charge other devices from the built-in powerful battery, this function needs to be turned on somehow. It is for this that an additional key is needed, when pressed, voltage is supplied to the built-in USB port. This function is automatically disabled if consumption is not detected at the output, which indicates a full charge or the absence of a connected gadget.
Despite the fact that the buttons themselves are not touch sensitive, this cannot be called a minus. On the contrary, they are much easier to press with hiking gloves, and in general they look more reliable.
Perhaps the lack of a display that would allow us to visualize the current mode and other parameters can be considered a drawback. So, without it, managing tracks played through the built-in card reader is quite problematic. The rest of the wireless speakers Interstep SBS-160, the reset of which can be done using the answer button, has a friendly control.
Sound sources
Here, the user of the bluetooth speaker has a gorgeous choice. So, if there are no additional gadgets, you can listen to music using the built-in FM radio. Do you consider blasphemy the use of good acoustics for this purpose? Insert a memory card with MP3 files recorded in advance on it and listen to musical compositions, especially since audio is decoded quite qualitatively. However, as mentioned above, you will have to come to terms with the order of the tracks that the gadget chooses, because with the help of the controls you can only switch to the next or previous one. Scatter in folders is also ignored, all music is combined into one large multi-thousand playlist.
If this is not the case, then you can connect any sound source, such as an MP3 player, using the bundled cable. Or you can do without cables altogether using your phone or player with a built-in Bluetooth module. It is worth noting that in the Interstep SBS-160 column itself, reviews of which will be analyzed at the end of the article, a “blue-tooth” version 4.0 is installed, so that there will be no problems connecting multiple devices at the same time.
Battery and autonomy
The main feature of this portable speaker is the presence of a volume built-in battery, the capacity of which is 6000 mAh. This is enough not only to power two powerful speakers, but also to recharge phones, tablets and other gadgets.
As the manufacturer assures, this element, if you do not spend its charge on charging other devices, is enough to listen to music through the AUX input at medium volume for 14-16 hours. As for the sound transmission via Bluetooth, you will have to come to terms with the fact that the wireless speakers Interstep SBS-160 will work for only 8 hours at maximum volume.
And yet, these are pretty good indicators, since other manufacturers are often far from such values. Do not forget about the power of the built-in audio system, which generates a rather high energy consumption.
Audio system
As some experts note, this speaker was designed in such a way as to create the effect of the presence of a subwoofer, although physically it is not in it. For quite powerful, but at the same time clean sound, two branded speakers are responsible, each of which has a power of 8 watts. In addition to the fact that the total power is quite high, passive resonators are placed in the case, amplifying the sound and creating a sense of surround sound.
When listening, even at maximum volume, there is no desire to reduce it due to distortions, since they simply do not exist. The bass is quite deep, but with the middle frequencies a little miscalculated, as a result of which they are a little lacking, and it can be difficult to parse the sound of individual instruments. For the rest, this column is enough to sound a tourist camp in the forest without unnecessary stress and stress.
Use as a headset
Oddly enough, but the manufacturer laid the possibility of talking on the phone using this column. It even has a built-in microphone. This is strange because in Interstep SBS-160 there is no audio output to the headphones, and the conversation automatically ceases to be personal, becoming available for listening to everyone around. Anyway, if you decide to talk through the speaker, then this will not be a problem due to the presence of a rather sensitive built-in microphone.
The only situation in which such a function may come in handy is when using the speaker as a bicycle speaker system. The separately purchased control key fob, which is mounted on the steering wheel, also has its own microphone, as well as answer and end buttons. Cyclists can especially appreciate one more button, which is not on the column itself. This is a button that includes a rather powerful horn signal, which is simply unrealistic not to hear.
Positive column reviews
In general, the Interstep SBS-160 column received rather high ratings from different users, and this makes it the market leader in this segment. Here are far from all the positive aspects emphasized by grateful customers:
- High-quality sound . Designers and developers have tried as much as possible the laws of physics, to assemble a compact body and place a powerful speaker system in it, able to please with high-quality sound, revealing almost all frequencies. There are minor flaws, but you can close your eyes to them if you do not classify yourself as a musical gourmet. Otherwise, the sound is clear, without unpleasant wheezing and distortion.
- Strong case . The column is intended for those who lead an active lifestyle, which means that it must withstand physical influences. Some users have already managed to check this property, by chance or on purpose. And the column withstood the fall, which shows its preparedness for extreme situations.
- Moisture and dust protection. The protection standard specified by the developers fully justifies itself and allows the column to remain operational after short-term contact with water or dust (not immersion in water, namely contact with splashes). For those who want complete moisture protection, there are such models, but their cost is much higher.
- Capacious battery. Battery life, although it does not seem too high, is actually almost a record for such sizes. The 6000 milliampere battery does its job well and provides up to 8 hours of operation at maximum load. As they say about the Interstep SBS-160 reviews, this time is enough for any, even the longest walk, and the column is charged in the presence of a powerful charging unit rather quickly.
- Use as a power bank. Sometimes the need to charge a smartphone can be higher than the need to listen to music. It is in such situations that the column can come to the rescue, because its built-in battery is enough to fully or nearly 2 times charge almost any modern phone or smartphone 2 or even 3 times.
These are the main positive aspects emphasized by users in their reviews. However, there are a number of negative points that may seem insignificant, but they should also be mentioned.
Negative aspects from user reviews
Among the minuses, one can clearly single out only one problem that most users of this column face. It is a poor reception of radio stations through the built-in FM radio. However, as buyers themselves note, when they write reviews about Interstep SBS-160, this function has to be used very rarely, and this does not bring much discomfort. Some even wondered why it was needed in a modern electronic device.
Of the minuses, a rather large weight can be distinguished, but it is due to the built-in powerful battery, and the laws of physics will simply not get rid of it. Therefore, especially for those who consider this column heavy, the manufacturer has released lightweight versions with smaller batteries.
Output
As the analyzed reviews showed , the Interstep SBS-160 acoustics , the review of which you were able to read, is almost ideal and can suit most ordinary users. There are some drawbacks, but they are mostly insignificant. The benefits are clearly visible and do not need further explanation. Additional accessories that can be purchased show that the manufacturer sought to achieve the maximum versatility of the gadget, but at the same time did not increase its cost for each buyer, forcibly including them in the kit.
A separate plus can be noted a nice design, thoughtful housing and control system. With this column there will not be a problem even for someone who has not encountered such devices before, and the detailed complete Interstep SBS-160 instruction will answer all questions.
If you decide to purchase the first portable speaker in your life, then this model will be a good choice, combining almost all the positive aspects and practical experience collected by the manufacturer over the years of the creation of such devices.