Roberts Beacon 320 Bluetooth Speaker - Dusky Pink

Product Information

When it comes to classical music, the Roberts Beacon 330 performs better, sounding suitably balanced in terms of mids and lows, but it certainly isn't the kind of speaker that's aimed at a party environment. The Beacon 330 offers five EQ modes to choose from: Normal, Classic, Bass Boost, Outdoors and Speech. Press the power button – not too hard or long, or else you’ll turn the speaker off – and press either the volume “+” or “–” buttons once for Classic, twice for Bass Boost and four times for Outdoor mode. The small LED light beneath the Equalizer bar will flash a set number of times to indicate the mode the speaker is in. Bluetooth: version 5.0; frequencies: 2.402 – 2.480GHz; power 0dBm; profile A2DP; codec SBC. Rechargeable battery: Lithium-ion 7.4V 2500mAh 18.5Wh (Beacon 310/320); 7.4V 3200mAh 23.68Wh (Beacon 330). The company reserves the right to amend the specification without notice. Voice assistant support would have cemented it as our new favorite addition to the smart kitchen, but it's still an attractive proposition, taking up very little space while offering a decent amount.

As mentioned, you can link two Roberts Beacon 330 speakers together for a wireless stereo setup although we weren't able to test this for ourselves. Roberts clearly isn’t targeting the house-party crowd with the Beacon 330, instead seeking to please the discerning listener that likely makes up the majority of its consumer base. Even after taking this into account, I still feel the 330 would benefit from a bit of extra oomph across its EQ profiles.

Do not leave, charge or expose the battery to a heat source such as in a car under direct sunlight. Do not expose the battery to moisture.

The EQ LED will light or flash according to the current setting. The current battery status will also be shown. Roberts says the material provides benefits to the sound for optimal acoustic transparency. At either end of the cloth are gold trims, with the logo at the bottom featured in a gleaming gold finish. Despite the use of plastic for the casing, it’s an eye-catching look.Charging a device from the speaker will shorten the play-time available from the speaker’s battery before it needs charging. There are no user serviceable parts inside this product. Do not attempt to disassemble any part of the product.

It will be necessary to press ON/OFF buttons on both speakers to turn on a previously connected pair, but they should then reconnect automatically. Do not use or charge the battery if it appears to be abnormally hot, swollen, leaking or damaged in any way. The speaker will flash the battery status LEDs to indicate maximum or minimum volume level is reached. The volume, EQ and power off functions may be controlled by either speaker and will operate on both.

Five EQ options – Normal, Classic, Bass Boost, Outdoors and Speech – can be cycled through by short-pressing the power button then either the volume up or down button. When you hit the power button, a small LED reveals which mode you’re currently using via a set of distinct flashing patterns. The Beacon 330 is a respectable sounding portable speaker with great looks. How much that appeals depends on whether you value style as much as – if not more so – than the audio. You shouldn’t buy the Roberts Beacon 330 if… The battery in the speaker may not have sufficient capacity in all cases to fully charge the connected device. The sound will change as you step through the options. After a few seconds without button presses the speaker will store the new setting. Manufacturer of AC Adaptor: Dongguan Turnmax Electronic Co., Ltd., Model: TM-K018VP-00503000PE-03, Input voltage: AC100 – 240V, Input AC frequency: 50/60Hz, Output voltage: DC 5.0V, Output current: 3.0A, Output power: 15.0W, Average active efficiency: 81.39%, Efficiency at low load (10%): 78.76%, No-load power consumption: < 0.1W Electro Magnetic Compatibility Advice

When charging is completed the LEDs will stop flashing. The speaker is ready for use away from the mains supply if needed. At this price, you’re better off hedging your bets and rolling with multi-room prodigies like the Sonos Play:3 or Bluesound Pulse Flex instead. Your product or AC/DC adaptor should not be exposed to liquids, steam, sand, dripping or splashing and no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the product or adaptor. Two Beacon 330 speakers may be linked to form a stereo pair with one playing the left channel and the other playing the right. You’ll get used to it, but it is an odd interface. Trying to remember the mode the speaker is in, or having to go through the process of pressing the buttons again feels like a chore. Having a long press of the power button to put it into Bluetooth mode, and changing the Bluetooth button to EQ would seem like a simpler solution.

The Roberts Beacon 330 is one of the most stylish Bluetooth speakers around but falls short of its competitors in some key areas

The Roberts Beacon 330 comes with dual bass radiators that should bring with it "rich, powerful and clear sound" according to Roberts. In reality, it's certainly clear but we're not convinced by the power. The volume requires turning up more so than with other speakers in this price range and, even then, the energy isn't quite as potent. Beacon 330 only – A short press on the Bluetooth button will cause the speaker to reconnect to previously paired devices if they are within range (up to 10 devices in total). The three little circles in the indicate battery status, while the bars at the bottom are there to help decipher the speaker’s EQ mode. Unlike other speakers in this price point, it's not rugged. There's no water resistance rating, and we don't really rate its chances in a fall but again – this is clearly a speaker aimed at remaining at home rather than being taken on your travels.