Oontz Curve review
Reviewed on September 22, 2016
What we like:
- Great battery life on single charge
- Stays solidly connected all the way up to 20 feet, even from a different room
- Looks and feels like it a high-quality speaker
- Ease of set-up and easier to use
- Very durable
Purchase Details:
July 12, 2016
Retailer: Amazon.com
Price paid: $24.99 + tax
Notes: purchased on Prime Day, everyday price has dropped since
What we don’t like:
- Very poor low-end sound
- Built-in voice notifications and phone calls sound muffled
- On the heavier side compared to other comparable portable mini speakers
our review
The OontZ Curve Bluetooth Speaker
Many of the positive reviews on Amazon mention that the speaker looks and feels like a high-quality speaker, and we totally agree. The body is made of metal and feels very solid, not to mention that it is also seems to be very durable. In our drop test, we dropped the Oontz Curve on asphalt pavement from a height of 4 feet and the unit only suffered minor scratches. Okay, so maybe we actually dropped it by accident, but we were really impressed by how it held up.
As with most bluetooth devices available today, set-up is easy and we had no problems connecting it to our iPhones, iPad, an Android device, and both Windows and Mac laptops. The buttons on the side are used to change both the volume and song, along with a “one-touch” button on the top for answering phone calls, all which work great. We didn’t see this advertise anywhere, but we are very impressed with the distance which devices can stay connected. We have seen this stay connected up to 20 feet away from a different room.
Our biggest complaint is the lack of consistency in sound quality. You will never get great low-end with mini portable speakers, but the Oontz curve sounds worse than others we have used. The bass is better than laptop speakers, but that isn’t saying much, so this isn’t your best choice if you like pop, hip-hop, EDM, or any music that sounds good with bass (unless you don’t care for bass, but love everything else about this speaker). We have found the Oontz to sound best with jazz and country, and mediocre at best with classical. However, the sound consistency even varies within individual genres.
Voices on the Oontz Curve, both phone calls and the built-in voice notifications, sound distant and muffled. At first, we thought it was an issue with our unit, but we have read other similar reviews on Amazon. As a result, we do not use the Oontz Curve for phone calls, which is a true shame because of how seamlessly the unit switches between phone calls and music with the one-touch button. Not to mention, your voice will sound great to the person on the other end of the line.
Lastly, not a big complaint, but the Oontz Curve is a bit on the heavier side when compared to other similar speakers. This is really only an issue if you plan on bringing it everywhere and need to find something that is as light as possible. Otherwise, it is great for the occasional short trips or for using around the house.
We had an idea of what to expect since we have owned other mini speakers, so we remain satisfied with our purchase. We prefer not to use the OontZ Curve
Want to learn more about the Oontz Curve or Oontz Angle 3, read other user reviews, or ready to purchase? Here are links to help you get started: