Teufel Boomster Go in the test: mini bluetooth speakers now on offer

How does the medium-sized “SPEAKER Teufel GmbH” from Berlin manage not to go under between industry giants such as Bose, Sony or JBL? The simple answer: With outstanding boxes, such as the new Boomster Go, which amazes customers and competitors. GIGA audio expert Stefan has tested the portable power dwarf.

Update from 11/11/2021: For today’s Singles Day 2021, Teufel drastically reduced the price of numerous products for a few hours. The Boomster Go is also there, it is for 77 euros on offer – that’s a 22 percent discount. Larger Bluetooth speaker models like the Boomster (2020) for 234.99 euros (instead of 349.99 euros) or the Rockster Cross for 279.99 euros (instead of 349.99 euros) are worth a look. You can find more offers on Singles Day in our overview:

Original article:

The dimensions of the Teufel Boomster Go are 10.2 × 10.7 × 4.6 centimeters. The rubberized and waterproof housing has hardware buttons for operation, an eyelet (for the supplied strap) and even a GoPro-compatible thread (¼ inch) on the back. The battery lasts up to 10 hours and is charged via a micro USB port. Thanks to the built-in microphone, the Teufel Boomster Go can also be used as a hands-free system. The price is 99.99 euros (RRP), the colors white, black, blue, green and orange are available.

Teufel Boomster Go: Our test result

Robustly built, extremely loud, lively in sound, compact enough for the side pocket of cargo pants – the Boomster Go is exactly the type of Bluetooth speaker that you can use in summer. A box that can get wet from time to time and does not break into its individual parts if you fall from hip height. Above all, however, a box that can be turned up so that any integrated cell phone or laptop loudspeaker next to it loses its raison d’être.

The Teufel engineers have done their job with flying colors, you have to look for possible disadvantages with the Boomster Go with a magnifying glass. I try anyway: The micro-USB socket no longer seems up-to-date, so it should have been USB-C as well. The lively sound tuning can be exhausting for sensitive listeners in the long run. In my opinion, the design does not win a prize, I find other speakers more appealing – but that is, as always, a matter of taste. That’s it, the rest is top notch. Conclusion: Absolutely recommendable mini bluetooth speaker, especially for outdoor fans who are looking for a robust companion.

Advantages:

Lively sound: Powerful upper bass, present mids, lively highs – the sound of the Teufel Boomster Go wakes you up and ensures listening pleasure. Surprisingly high maximum volume for such a compact box. Easy operation with rubberized hardware buttons on the top. Waterproof and shockproof. Two Boomster Go can be linked to form a wireless stereo pair.

Disadvantage:

The slight emphasis on treble can be exhausting with some songs and at high volume. No multipoint Bluetooth: switching between different playback devices (e.g. mobile phone, laptop) requires re-pairing each time. The “True Wireless Stereo” stereo mode sounds great, but it is a bit difficult to activate (see operating instructions, p. 24). Micro-USB instead of USB-C is no longer up-to-date these days. Teufel Boomster Go in the test: Sound rating: 85 percent Features: 85 percent Practice: 90 percent

Total: 86 percent (the sound makes up 50 percent of the overall grade)

Teufel Boomster Go: The Berlin sound strikes again

Like the larger Rockster Go, the compact Boomster Go is a really hands-on speaker. Really deep bass (<60 Hz) is not possible due to the small volume - but everything above it seems a bit larger and more powerful than one would believe the mini-box at first glance. The maximum volume is so high that neither Bose's SoundLink Mini 2 Special Edition (approx. 145 euros) nor the smaller SoundLink Micro (approx. 100 euros) can keep up. When it comes to level stability, the Berlin manufacturer Teufel has earned a reputation in the past, which it is again able to defend with confidence.

The high volume in combination with the lively sound tuning ensures special listening pleasure. For example with Eminem’s hit “‘Till I Collapse”: Here the voice of the gifted rapper takes a virtual step forward. You could almost think that a few inches in front of the Boomster Go was a rapping Marshall Mathers action figure. You like to turn it up a little more. The small Bluetooth speaker also conveys “Karma Police” from Radiohead to the listener in astonishingly rich detail.

The special tuning can also lead to a certain sharpness in the high frequency, for example if the hi-hats or sibilants are already mixed very present in a recording. Here, rather warm-sounding Bluetooth boxes score points, which reproduce the highs gently rounded. Basically, in the top quarter of the possible volume, even with the relatively powerful Boomster Go, real listening pleasure is hardly possible, as it audibly loses control – the limited volume is noticeable here, as with any small Bluetooth box.

Equipped for excursions into nature

The Teufel Boomster Go is an outdoor loudspeaker as it stands in the book. The waterproof housing looks robust and can easily take a bump or two in the backpack. The attached carrying loop is attached to the stable metal eyelet. If you want, you can use the integrated screw thread to attach your Boomster Go to the bicycle handlebar with a clamp.

However, the case is so rounded on the narrow sides that the Boomster Go cannot easily be set up on edge. He always needs a wall or support to lean on. On the software side, Teufel did without a smartphone app – you can cope with that in this case. What is really missing, however, is multipoint Bluetooth for switching between different playback devices on the fly. Big competitor Bose does this better with its Bluetooth speakers (e.g. SoundLink Mini 2)

Practice: The devil is in the details

It is not part of our test evaluation, but it should definitely be mentioned: If you get two copies of the Teufel Boomster Go for a total of 200 euros, you can connect them to a wireless stereo pair. I’ve tried it and the result is fantastic. In pairs, the speakers play “more than twice as well” – this amazing effect can also be experienced with larger speakers such as the Apple HomePod. Stereo is simply more than just the “sum of its parts”. Two Teufel Boomster Go sweep away any kitchen radio and are sonically on par with much more expensive mono Bluetooth boxes and even compete with a small stereo system. It’s a shame that the stereo pairing is a bit cumbersome and has to be set up again every time it is switched off.