Monster DNA Max
MSRP $180.00
“The Monster DNA Max speaker delivers party-ready sound in a pool-proof package.”
Average
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Robust 360 degree sound
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perfect for swimming pools
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Good battery life
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Includes a wireless charger
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speaker capacity
Against
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No equalization settings
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no auxiliary input
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annoying voice feedback
There’s no shortage of decent Bluetooth speakers, but sometimes it can be hard to find the exact mix of features you’re looking for. It’s easy to find waterproof speakers, but less easy to find waterproof speakers that are also speakers. Do you also want to be able to charge your devices? The list is getting shorter. What about 360 degree sound? Now we only have a few models left.
Oh, and wish you could charge it wirelessly and come with its own Qi-compatible charger? You may not know it, but you just found the $180 Monster DNA Max.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
solid design
As far as portable Bluetooth speakers go, the DNA Max won’t win any design awards. It doesn’t have the fancy metal boombox construction of the Anker Soundcore Motion X600, it doesn’t remind you of vintage guitar amps like the Marshall Middleton, and it’s not as versatile or portable as the JBL Flip 6, which can be placed in either a landscape or portrait orientation. This can be a bit of a problem: despite the grip its rubberized underside offers, the DNA Max will easily tip over if bumped accidentally, as can happen when you’re having fun.
In theory, you could leave it on the side for stability, but that would block half of the speaker’s output (more on sound quality in a bit).
It weighs about 2.4 pounds. It’s not really difficult, but when dangling from the included armband, it wasn’t very comfortable and I was a bit concerned that the thin wire that wraps around the built-in armband might not survive extended use.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Still, it’s available in your choice of black or white and features large, easy-to-reach playback and volume controls on the top surface surrounding a bright LED track light. The light stays on while the speaker is on and can give you a visual indication of the volume level. It turns blue when in Bluetooth pairing mode and flashes red briefly when the unit is turned off, which it will do automatically after 15 minutes of no music. And when the speaker is charging, please lightly press it.
Like the Flip 6, it’s a robustly built speaker. It has fat tires at all corners, and while I haven’t deliberately tested it, I can imagine it will take its fair share of abuse. Plus, like the Flip 6, it’s completely waterproof and dustproof (IP67), and if you drop it in the pool (or hot tub, or ocean), it’ll float until you pick it up. But not all floating speakers are created equal. The Flip 6 rocks, with most of the body (and thus the speakers) submerged. By contrast, the DNA Max lays flat like a paddle board. Thus, one side remains constantly exposed to the air. Because there are drivers on both sides of the speaker, you’ll always be able to hear your music clearly.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
immersive sound
That double-sided driver arrangement makes the DNA Max perfect for listening outdoors, like backyard parties or picnics in the park, when you’re more likely to be on the move. You can place the speaker anywhere (although a central location works best) and the sound will simply radiate out in all directions.
This “multidirectional sound,” as Monster calls it, is mono, not stereo, but I was blown away by how impressive it sounded. Place the DNA Max at one end of the room, with its spine facing you, and you can see that there are two speakers instead of one. The sound is also very clear through the mids and highs, and there’s a very generous amount of bass. It’s by no means thunderous low-end—you’ll have to look to the UE Megaboom or Hyperboom for that—but for a speaker this size, I think you’ll find it quite satisfying even for bass-heavy genres like hip-hop and rap. You can easily make the DNA Max your main speaker in the kitchen or children’s room.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
More importantly for a portable outdoor speaker, the DNA Max can get loud. It’s rated at up to 90 decibels, which is the same as the UE Megaboom and slightly louder than the Flip 6 (86-87dB), but not as loud as the JBL Charge 5 (94dB). The distortion creeps out over time, but not until you get to the top of its range, giving you plenty of room to liven things up. Need even more power? I haven’t tested it, but you can connect up to 99 other Monster DNA speakers to the Max via the dedicated DNA share button. Unfortunately, stereo pairing isn’t an option, and there’s no auxiliary jack for connecting an analog audio source.
There is no companion app for DNA Max. That means no equalizer, no firmware updates, and no way to change features like the sleep timer. I would like to be able to adjust the equalizer, but I would really like a way to modify the verbal feedback of the speaker. When you turn it on, enter Bluetooth pairing mode, or check battery status (press the plus and minus buttons at the same time), the voice announces things like “Bluetooth connected” or “Bluetooth pairing.” It’s obnoxiously loud and there’s no way to change it at all. You can’t turn it off and it doesn’t follow the speaker volume settings.
The bluetooth range is very good. Monster claims 35 feet, but that’s a very conservative number for indoors. Outside, I managed to get at least 30 feet away from my phone before things started blowing up.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
The DNA Max isn’t the first Bluetooth speaker with wireless charging, though Monster wants you to believe it. Their product page for the DNA Max proudly proclaims that it is “the first Bluetooth speaker to offer wireless charging that is compatible with all standard Qi wireless chargers.” Technically, that honor goes to the Sonos Roam, but let’s not be stingy, it’s still a rare feature.
What might surprise you with the DNA Max is the fact that it also includes a wireless charger, a six-foot braided USB-C cable, and a 10W power supply. That’s at least a $25-$30 set of accessories if you were to buy them separately.
Monster claims 20 hours of battery life, and you might get that if you keep the volume set to 50%, but let’s be real: if you’re using it for outdoor fun, you’ll probably hit at least 70%, and that’ll drain your battery. load faster. You can get 15 hours. Still, that’s not bad as far as portable speakers go.
Monster DNA Max (left) and JBL Flip 6 Simon Cohen/Digital Trends
You can also use the speaker to charge external devices, but I had trouble with this feature. Using the included USB-C cable and my own USB-C to Lightning adapter, my iPhone 14 charged without a problem. However, both my Google Pixel 5 and Xiaomi 12 Pro failed to connect. They both insisted that the DNA Max was some kind of USB audio device, and not only didn’t draw power from the speaker, they seemed to be supplying it with power. Not exactly the desired behavior when you’re already low on juice.
Finally, the DNA Max can also act as a speaker thanks to the built-in microphone on the top surface. The microphone doesn’t have much gain, so while your voice will be heard clearly if you’re sitting next to the speaker, you can’t actually walk across the room. It’s also pretty bad when you’re outdoors: there aren’t many ways to cancel the noise.
I can’t say I’m very impressed with the DNA Max power bank’s feature set, and the lack of an app or any auxiliary audio input seems limiting. But overall, the DNA Max is an excellent portable Bluetooth speaker with very good sound quality. Wireless charging is a nice convenience, its dual-sided drivers and loud volume give you more than enough power to entertain medium-sized gatherings indoors and out, and it’s expandable with additional Monster DNA speakers. Other than that, you couldn’t ask for a more dedicated musician.
You may not need everything that DNA Max has to offer, but if you do, it’s hard to beat at any price.
editor’s recommendations
Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn