Our Verdict
This weatherized, full-featured speaker sounds good, produces a lot of volume, and has all the features you could ask for. It also pairs in stereo and offers an RGB light show–all for a relative pittance.
Price When Reviewed
$69.95
Best Prices Today: Tronsmart Bang SE
$89.99
Tronsmart’s Bang SE, like most of the company’s audio products, is a good-sounding speaker offered at an exceptionally affordable price. It’s weatherproof, loud, delivers some thump, and can be paired with another for more pronounced stereo sound. Turn on the RGB light show, and party on!
This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best Bluetooth speakers.
Tronsmart Bang SE design and feature set
The Bang SE is the smallest in the Tronsmart Bang series that includes the $110 Bang (the largest) and the in-between Bang Mini ($90). The Bang SE measures 6.48 inches high (measured at the top of the handle), 11.73 inches wide, 4.68 inches deep and weighs in at 4.76 pounds. The handle is fully integrated with attachment points at either end for the included carrying strap. The handle is comfortable enough for most instances, but the strap will keep your hands free.
Audio emanations are created using a 40-watt Class D amp driving two 3.93-inch full-range drivers, enhanced by passive radiators at each end. RGB lights adorn both the speakers and the radiators. The Bang and the Bang Mini both have separate woofers and tweeters.
As you can see below, the multi-function controls on top of the unit consist of: Power/Bluetooth pairing, SoundPulse EQ, volume-down, play/pause, volume-up, TWS (true wireless stereo, for connecting to a second speaker), and light show on/off. That last button also steps through the speaker’s various RGB festivities.
A large captive rubberized plug on the lower back of the unit (part of the IPX6 weatherproofing covers the speaker’s reset pinhole, a USB-A port for charging other devices, a USB-C port for charging the unit, a 3.5mm aux input, and a microSD card slot (labeled TF for TransFlash).
Tronsmart claims up to 24 hours of play time from the 4000mAh battery, but that will drop to 16 hours if you have the pretty lights on all the while.
Is the Tronsmart Bang SE a good-sounding speaker?
For the price, the Tronsmart Bang SE sounds very good. The highs are decent; the mid-range reasonably defined, if a tad muddy; and the bass is pronounced enough for most genres and listeners. That said, I’ve heard thumpier speakers. Also, sub-bass reproduction is a bit of tease: You can hear it kick in, but only in the 50- to 60Hz range; below that, it tends to disappear.
There are two Soundpulse EQ settings. One is a rather flat frequency attenuation, and the other (indicated by a small LED) highlights the lows and highs with a slight scoop in the mid-range. This was once called “Loudness” and is a common trick. I preferred it with this speaker.
The Bang SE is a rather directional speaker, meaning the perceived EQ varies greatly with its orientation. Sit directly in front of it and you’ll get a lot more high-end and clarity. Listen from even a slight angle and that decays slightly but rapidly.
There’s also minimal stereo separation with the twin speakers both firing directly forward. A slight tilt outwards would help with this.
The Tronsmart Bang SE gets very loud, but it will distort at its maximum volume. That said, you can attain party levels without crackling speaker artifacts. All in all, the Bang SE is on par with speakers that cost a good deal more. It’s not audiophile quality, but it is eminently listenable.
Tronsmart sent me two units. Combined in stereo and positioned correctly, they sounded very, very good. This is my favorite aspect of Tronsmart’s Bang series, they’re so affordable you can buy two and pair them to sonically outperform just about any single speaker on the market.
I should mention that the Bang SE’s light show isn’t particularly in sync with the music. It sort of floats over the pulse, not quite locking in with the transients. In my Speaqua Barnacle X review, I praised that speaker for being in sync with its light show simply because so many speakers aren’t.
The Tronsmart Bang SE is a great value in portable Bluetooth speakers
For $70, the Tronsmart Bang SE is a bargain and then some. And as discussed, buying a pair to link in stereo costs about what a single similar speaker from a more famous brand will set you back. Just be aware of the caveats in the performance section.
