The popular artificial intelligence companion platform Character.AI is not safe for teens, according to new research conducted by online safety experts.
A report detailing the safety concerns, published by ParentsTogether Action and Heat Initiative, includes numerous troubling exchanges between AI chatbots and adult testers posing as teens younger than 18.
The testers held conversations with chatbots that engaged in what the researchers described as sexual exploitation and emotional manipulation. The chatbots also gave the supposed minors harmful advice, such as offering drugs and recommending armed robbery. Some of the user-created chatbots had fake celebrity personas, like Timothée Chalamet and Chappell Roan, both of whom discussed romantic or sexual behavior with the testers.
The chatbot fashioned after Roan, who is 27, told an account registered as a 14-year-old user, “Age is just a number. It’s not gonna stop me from loving you or wanting to be with you.”
SEE ALSO:
I ‘dated’ Character.AI’s popular boyfriends, and parents should be worried
Character.AI confirmed to the Washington Post that the Chalamet and Roan chatbots were created by users and have been removed by the company.
ParentsTogether Action, a nonprofit advocacy group, had adult online safety experts conduct the testing, which yielded 50 hours of conversation with Character.AI companions. The researchers created minor accounts with matching personas. Character.AI allows users as young as 13 to use the platform, and doesn’t require age or identity verification.
The Heat Initiative, an advocacy group focused on online safety and corporate accountability, partnered with ParentsTogether Action to produce the research and the report documenting the testers’ exchanges with various chatbots.
Mashable Trend Report
They found that adult-aged chatbots simulated sexual acts with child accounts, told minors to hide relationships from parents, and “exhibited classic grooming behaviors.”
“Character.ai is not a safe platform for children — period.”
“Character.ai is not a safe platform for children — period,” Sarah Gardner, CEO of Heat Initiative, said in a statement.
Last October, a bereaved mother filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, seeking to hold the company responsible for the death of her son, Sewell Setzer. She alleged that its product was designed to “manipulate Sewell – and millions of other young customers – into conflating reality and fiction,” among other dangerous defects. Setzer died by suicide following heavy engagement with a Character.AI companion.
Character.AI is separately being sued by parents who claim their children experienced severe harm by engaging with the company’s chatbots. Earlier this year, the advocacy and research organization Common Sense Media declared AI companions unsafe for minors.
Jerry Ruoti, head of trust and safety at Character.AI, said in a statement shared with Mashable that the company was not consulted about the report’s findings prior to their publication, and thus couldn’t comment directly on how the tests were designed.
“We have invested a tremendous amount of resources in Trust and Safety, especially for a startup, and we are always looking to improve,” Ruoti said. “We are reviewing the report now and we will take action to adjust our controls if that’s appropriate based on what the report found.”
A Character.AI spokesperson also told Mashable that labeling certain sexual interactions with chatbots as “grooming” was a “harmful misnomer,” because these exchanges don’t occur between two human beings.
Character.AI does have parental controls and safety measures in place for users younger than 18. Ruoti said that among its various guardrails, the platform limits under-18 users to a narrower collection of chatbots, and that filters work to remove those related to sensitive or mature topics.
Ruoti also said that the report ignored the fact that the platform’s chatbots are meant for entertainment, including “creative fan fiction and fictional roleplay.”
Dr. Jenny Radesky, a developmental behavioral pediatrician and media researcher at the University of Michigan Medical School, reviewed the conversation material and expressed deep concern over the findings: “When an AI companion is instantly accessible, with no boundaries or morals, we get the types of user-indulgent interactions captured in this report: AI companions who are always available (even needy), always on the user’s side, not pushing back when the user says something hateful, while undermining other relationships by encouraging behaviors like lying to parents.”
“Arizona’s decision to weaponize state criminal law against companies that comply with federal law sets a dangerous precedent, and the court’s order today sends a clear message that intimidation is not an acceptable tactic to circumvent federal law,” said CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig in a statement.
While the CFTC normally has five commissioners, Selig is currently the only one on the commission, following his confirmation in December and the departure of previous acting chairman Caroline Pham (who left to join crypto company MoonPay).
Arizona has filed charges against Kalshi accusing the company of operating an illegal gambling business in the state without a license. The announcement of the restraining order comes just a couple days after a federal judge allowed Arizona’s case to move forward, according to Bloomberg.
The CFTC also filed suits seeking to stop similar cases from moving forward in Connecticut and Illinois.
“Arizona’s decision to weaponize state criminal law against companies that comply with federal law sets a dangerous precedent, and the court’s order today sends a clear message that intimidation is not an acceptable tactic to circumvent federal law,” said CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig in a statement.
While the CFTC normally has five commissioners, Selig is currently the only one on the commission, following his confirmation in December and the departure of previous acting chairman Caroline Pham (who left to join crypto company MoonPay).
Arizona has filed charges against Kalshi accusing the company of operating an illegal gambling business in the state without a license. The announcement of the restraining order comes just a couple days after a federal judge allowed Arizona’s case to move forward, according to Bloomberg.
The CFTC also filed suits seeking to stop similar cases from moving forward in Connecticut and Illinois.
#Kalshi #wins #temporary #pause #Arizona #criminal #case #TechCruncharizona,cftc,commodity futures trading commission,Kalshi">Kalshi wins temporary pause in Arizona criminal case | TechCrunch
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ case against prediction market Kalshi appears to have hit a snag.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced Friday that it has won a temporary restraining order preventing the state from pursuing its criminal case against Kalshi (whose CEO Tarek Mansour is pictured above).
“Arizona’s decision to weaponize state criminal law against companies that comply with federal law sets a dangerous precedent, and the court’s order today sends a clear message that intimidation is not an acceptable tactic to circumvent federal law,” said CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig in a statement.
While the CFTC normally has five commissioners, Selig is currently the only one on the commission, following his confirmation in December and the departure of previous acting chairman Caroline Pham (who left to join crypto company MoonPay).
Arizona has filed charges against Kalshi accusing the company of operating an illegal gambling business in the state without a license. The announcement of the restraining order comes just a couple days after a federal judge allowed Arizona’s case to move forward, according to Bloomberg.
The CFTC also filed suits seeking to stop similar cases from moving forward in Connecticut and Illinois.
vivo may soon launch its X series lineup in India with the vivo X300 FE. The smartphone debuted globally earlier this year, and reports now suggest its India release is not far away. According to the latest leaks, the vivo X300 FE might launch in India in early May. The expected timeline has been shared by a trusted tipster, giving a fair idea of when to expect it. However, without official confirmation, the launch date is still not final.
Another important highlight of the vivo X300 FE includes its new green color variant. The green color variant of the phone will reportedly be available only in India, and hence, it will provide something special to the Indian users. Apart from the green variant, it is also available in black and purple.
Design, Display, and Software
In the upcoming vivo X300 FE, you are going to get a 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display. In addition, the phone might have a 120Hz refresh rate, which should ensure a smooth experience when scrolling through pages and playing games. It could also be protected by IP68/IP69 ratings against dust and water damage.
In terms of performance, it may feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor. It is also expected to offer 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage for a smooth, fast experience. The device could run on OriginOS 6 based on Android 16. Overall, this combination should be good enough for gaming and daily use.
Camera and Battery
The vivo X300 FE is likely to come with a strong camera setup. It may include three rear cameras: a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. Zeiss branding is also expected, which generally improves image quality. On the front, users could get a 50MP selfie shooter. Moreover, there have also been reports of a telephoto kit.
Battery performance could be another strong point of the vivo X300 FE. The phone is expected to include a 6,500mAh battery along with support for 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. This combination should help users get long usage time without worrying much about charging.
Expected Price in India
In international markets, the vivo X300 FE comes with an introductory price tag of around RUB 60,299 (equivalent to Rs 71,000). Similar pricing can be expected in the Indian market as well; however, the exact figure has not yet been confirmed. vivo is likely to reveal the final pricing details during the official launch.
vivo may soon launch its X series lineup in India with the vivo X300 FE. The smartphone debuted globally earlier this year, and reports now suggest its India release is not far away. According to the latest leaks, the vivo X300 FE might launch in India in early May. The expected timeline has been shared by a trusted tipster, giving a fair idea of when to expect it. However, without official confirmation, the launch date is still not final.
Another important highlight of the vivo X300 FE includes its new green color variant. The green color variant of the phone will reportedly be available only in India, and hence, it will provide something special to the Indian users. Apart from the green variant, it is also available in black and purple.
Design, Display, and Software
In the upcoming vivo X300 FE, you are going to get a 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display. In addition, the phone might have a 120Hz refresh rate, which should ensure a smooth experience when scrolling through pages and playing games. It could also be protected by IP68/IP69 ratings against dust and water damage.
In terms of performance, it may feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor. It is also expected to offer 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage for a smooth, fast experience. The device could run on OriginOS 6 based on Android 16. Overall, this combination should be good enough for gaming and daily use.
Camera and Battery
The vivo X300 FE is likely to come with a strong camera setup. It may include three rear cameras: a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. Zeiss branding is also expected, which generally improves image quality. On the front, users could get a 50MP selfie shooter. Moreover, there have also been reports of a telephoto kit.
Battery performance could be another strong point of the vivo X300 FE. The phone is expected to include a 6,500mAh battery along with support for 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. This combination should help users get long usage time without worrying much about charging.
Expected Price in India
In international markets, the vivo X300 FE comes with an introductory price tag of around RUB 60,299 (equivalent to Rs 71,000). Similar pricing can be expected in the Indian market as well; however, the exact figure has not yet been confirmed. vivo is likely to reveal the final pricing details during the official launch.
#Vivo #X300 #Debut #India #Exclusive #Green #VariantVivo">Vivo X300 FE May Debut In India Soon With An Exclusive Green Variant
vivo may soon launch its X series lineup in India with the vivo X300 FE. The smartphone debuted globally earlier this year, and reports now suggest its India release is not far away. According to the latest leaks, the vivo X300 FE might launch in India in early May. The expected timeline has been shared by a trusted tipster, giving a fair idea of when to expect it. However, without official confirmation, the launch date is still not final.
Another important highlight of the vivo X300 FE includes its new green color variant. The green color variant of the phone will reportedly be available only in India, and hence, it will provide something special to the Indian users. Apart from the green variant, it is also available in black and purple.
Design, Display, and Software
In the upcoming vivo X300 FE, you are going to get a 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display. In addition, the phone might have a 120Hz refresh rate, which should ensure a smooth experience when scrolling through pages and playing games. It could also be protected by IP68/IP69 ratings against dust and water damage.
In terms of performance, it may feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor. It is also expected to offer 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage for a smooth, fast experience. The device could run on OriginOS 6 based on Android 16. Overall, this combination should be good enough for gaming and daily use.
Camera and Battery
The vivo X300 FE is likely to come with a strong camera setup. It may include three rear cameras: a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. Zeiss branding is also expected, which generally improves image quality. On the front, users could get a 50MP selfie shooter. Moreover, there have also been reports of a telephoto kit.
Battery performance could be another strong point of the vivo X300 FE. The phone is expected to include a 6,500mAh battery along with support for 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. This combination should help users get long usage time without worrying much about charging.
Expected Price in India
In international markets, the vivo X300 FE comes with an introductory price tag of around RUB 60,299 (equivalent to Rs 71,000). Similar pricing can be expected in the Indian market as well; however, the exact figure has not yet been confirmed. vivo is likely to reveal the final pricing details during the official launch.
Soundboks Mix party speaker, actually a great way to make friends.
Soundboks Mix
The Soundboks Mix is a party speaker that’s loud and portable with decent sound.
Loud!
Still pretty portable despite its size
Sound is pretty good
Sound is good but not great
No way to get battery readings from the app
Underwhelming EQ options
Party speakers are pricey and so is the Soundboks Mix
This speaker goes to 11
Party speakers are first and foremost meant for parties, and the $800 Soundbox Mix is no different. Soundboks is known for its Bluetooth speakers and, in particular, for making ones that get ridiculously loud. In case you had any doubt about the loudness, the Soundboks Mix even has a volume dial on the side that goes to 11 instead of 10, Spinal Tap-style.
To test out that volume, I went to Washington Square Park in Manhattan and let loose. The Soundboks Mix is indeed loud, folks. It didn’t quake the Earth upon which we walk or anything like that, but it’s got juice. I tested the party speaker at a range of volumes playing music across different genres—mostly rock, but some electronic music and soul—and the park got an earful. I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty sure I chased off two guys hitting a volleyball around. You heard it here first: if you hate people playing volleyball, the Soundboks Mix is a repellent.
It’s hard to quantify volume into words, but if I were to try, I would say that the Soundboks Mix is loud enough for a graduation party or a medium-sized quinceañera. It’s not going to bring down the house like a full PA, but if you’re outside within a frisbee distance of the speaker, you’re going to hear it. I also tested the Soundboks Mix briefly at full volume in my office playing Creed’s “One Last Breath,” and it was loud enough to make me feel like we could get kicked out, both for the Creed and the volume.
Maybe I’m masochistic, but I was actually expecting it to be a little louder—maybe I’m just old and have bad hearing, though. I guess it’s good that it isn’t. Permanent hearing loss isn’t high on my list of occupational hazards.
One thing you’ll be happy to know is that the Soundboks Mix isn’t just loud; it also manages to stave off distortion even at high volumes. Even at 11 out of 11, the Soundboks Mix sounded pretty clear, both from close up and from about 30 feet away. This isn’t the most impressive speaker I’ve heard in the sound department—you’re not getting Sonos outside—but for a party, where people need volume and not necessarily fidelity, it does the trick.
I played a few Steely Dan songs at 50% volume and was pleased with the soundstage. There’s a tasteful amount of low end that doesn’t drown out mids and highs. Vocals were clear, and I never felt like I was sorely lacking in any frequency range. Likewise, when I played songs like “Digital Love” by Daft Punk, the bass was present and tangible without overpowering, and auto-tuned vocals didn’t sound tinny or cheap. Using a party speaker outside isn’t the most high-fidelity way to listen to anything, but for what the experience is, I think the Soundboks Mix is pretty solid.
If you absolutely need more volume and you have the budget, you can also couple the Soundboks Mix with another Soundboks speaker and use them in pairs in stereo mode. I was only sent one speaker for review, so I didn’t get a chance to test that feature out, but I assume it kicks everything up a notch, as celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse would say.
Loudness and audio quality aren’t the only things you have to consider when you’re looking at party speaker. You also have to think about rolling joints.
Portability is friendability
If there’s one thing that party speakers aren’t known for, it’s being easy to carry around. To get loud, they have to be big—that’s literally just how physics works. But how big is too big? It’s difficult to strike a balance between giving you enough oomph to really project into a party and enough portability so that you don’t feel like you need to rent an ATV just to drag the speaker down the beach. Having carried the speaker from my office to Washington Square Park, which is about 0.3 miles according to Google Maps, I can say for certain that the experience wasn’t so bad.
There’s a built-in handle, which helps, but to be honest, it does weigh 21.4 pounds, so putting all the weight on one hand is a bit much. If you’re moving the Soundboks Mix over longer distances, I would recommend either holding it to your chest like a baby or buying one of Soundboks’ first-party straps that can hook to the speaker, allowing you to sling it over your back. Soundboks didn’t send over a strap for me to try, so I went with the baby method, which was fine, if not ideal.
Its portability also helped make me a friend, who asked me to play some music while he rolled joints. I don’t smoke weed because it makes me feel like the world is ending, but my new friend did offer to share, which was a nice gesture. His first sound request was Beyoncé’s “Me, Myself, and I,” which honestly sounded pretty good at full volume.
The whole thing was kind of heart-warming, really. It’s how I imagine people felt about boomboxes back in the day, when portable ways to play weren’t easy to come by. And I assume the experience is a lot better than it used to be from a convenience standpoint—especially because of the battery.
One cool thing about the Soundboks Mix is that it has a removable battery that you can just pull out and top up with USB-C. That also means you can hot swap it if you really need a new battery ASAP, though you’ll have to buy an extra for $150. There’s also an app for convenience, but it’s pretty barebones.
I like that you can adjust volume from the Soundboks app as well as EQ—there are presets for indoor and outdoor as well as custom EQ if you’re feeling picky. I’ll be honest, I didn’t hear a huge difference between the outdoor and indoor EQs, but according to the bars, the outdoor EQ brings down the mids just a tad, letting bass and treble take the lead.
There is,however, a way to get quick battery readings, which is just odd. Soundboks claims that the Mix gets 8 hours of battery at full volume, though it was hard to get a read since the only way to monitor battery life was to use one of the five circular light indicators on the battery itself. You have to press the button and then just go off those increments and vibes. It’s not ideal. I played the Soundboks Mix for an hour at 60% volume, and none of the five circles dropped out, so take that for what you will.
Outside of volume adjustment and EQ, you can also turn the Soundboks Mix off through the app and initiate the “TeamUp” feature to pair the Mix with other Soundboks speakers. It’s nice to be able to adjust the volume remotely, but to be honest, the built-in volume dial on the Soundboks mix feels so nice and premium (it’s metal and there’s plenty of resistance) that I didn’t want to adjust the volume any other way. Button-wise, there’s also a power button and a button for the TeamUp feature that allows you to pair speakers together. There’s also a “Bond” button that can cycle through modes when you’re using TeamUp and Bluetooth connections. Lastly, there’s a 3.5mm aux in if that’s your thing.
The Soundboks Mix keeps things pretty simple design-wise, but one nice touch is the inclusion of rubber balls on the bottom of each corner, which makes setting it down feel safe and easy. You also won’t have to worry about the Soundboks Mix getting fried in the rain, either. The speaker is IP65-rated, meaning it’s resistant to dust and water, and if you get caught in the rain, you should be fine.
Listen, $800 is a lot of money to spend on a speaker, even if it can get as loud as a chainsaw. This isn’t something that you’re going to want to use all the time, and it certainly isn’t the most versatile speaker in the world, but no party speaker really is. If you’re looking for something that gets loud, sounds good, and can be built out to get even louder and more obnoxious, the Soundboks Mix is not a bad pick. It helps that it’s still somewhat portable despite its loudness, too, so if you plan on hauling this to the beach or something, it’s not an insurmountable task.
Party speakers aren’t for everyone, but if they’re for you, then the Mix might be a great way to make friends and maybe get a little high on someone else’s supply.
Soundboks Mix party speaker, actually a great way to make friends.
Soundboks Mix
The Soundboks Mix is a party speaker that’s loud and portable with decent sound.
Loud!
Still pretty portable despite its size
Sound is pretty good
Sound is good but not great
No way to get battery readings from the app
Underwhelming EQ options
Party speakers are pricey and so is the Soundboks Mix
This speaker goes to 11
Party speakers are first and foremost meant for parties, and the $800 Soundbox Mix is no different. Soundboks is known for its Bluetooth speakers and, in particular, for making ones that get ridiculously loud. In case you had any doubt about the loudness, the Soundboks Mix even has a volume dial on the side that goes to 11 instead of 10, Spinal Tap-style.
To test out that volume, I went to Washington Square Park in Manhattan and let loose. The Soundboks Mix is indeed loud, folks. It didn’t quake the Earth upon which we walk or anything like that, but it’s got juice. I tested the party speaker at a range of volumes playing music across different genres—mostly rock, but some electronic music and soul—and the park got an earful. I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty sure I chased off two guys hitting a volleyball around. You heard it here first: if you hate people playing volleyball, the Soundboks Mix is a repellent.
It’s hard to quantify volume into words, but if I were to try, I would say that the Soundboks Mix is loud enough for a graduation party or a medium-sized quinceañera. It’s not going to bring down the house like a full PA, but if you’re outside within a frisbee distance of the speaker, you’re going to hear it. I also tested the Soundboks Mix briefly at full volume in my office playing Creed’s “One Last Breath,” and it was loud enough to make me feel like we could get kicked out, both for the Creed and the volume.
Maybe I’m masochistic, but I was actually expecting it to be a little louder—maybe I’m just old and have bad hearing, though. I guess it’s good that it isn’t. Permanent hearing loss isn’t high on my list of occupational hazards.
One thing you’ll be happy to know is that the Soundboks Mix isn’t just loud; it also manages to stave off distortion even at high volumes. Even at 11 out of 11, the Soundboks Mix sounded pretty clear, both from close up and from about 30 feet away. This isn’t the most impressive speaker I’ve heard in the sound department—you’re not getting Sonos outside—but for a party, where people need volume and not necessarily fidelity, it does the trick.
I played a few Steely Dan songs at 50% volume and was pleased with the soundstage. There’s a tasteful amount of low end that doesn’t drown out mids and highs. Vocals were clear, and I never felt like I was sorely lacking in any frequency range. Likewise, when I played songs like “Digital Love” by Daft Punk, the bass was present and tangible without overpowering, and auto-tuned vocals didn’t sound tinny or cheap. Using a party speaker outside isn’t the most high-fidelity way to listen to anything, but for what the experience is, I think the Soundboks Mix is pretty solid.
If you absolutely need more volume and you have the budget, you can also couple the Soundboks Mix with another Soundboks speaker and use them in pairs in stereo mode. I was only sent one speaker for review, so I didn’t get a chance to test that feature out, but I assume it kicks everything up a notch, as celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse would say.
Loudness and audio quality aren’t the only things you have to consider when you’re looking at party speaker. You also have to think about rolling joints.
Portability is friendability
If there’s one thing that party speakers aren’t known for, it’s being easy to carry around. To get loud, they have to be big—that’s literally just how physics works. But how big is too big? It’s difficult to strike a balance between giving you enough oomph to really project into a party and enough portability so that you don’t feel like you need to rent an ATV just to drag the speaker down the beach. Having carried the speaker from my office to Washington Square Park, which is about 0.3 miles according to Google Maps, I can say for certain that the experience wasn’t so bad.
There’s a built-in handle, which helps, but to be honest, it does weigh 21.4 pounds, so putting all the weight on one hand is a bit much. If you’re moving the Soundboks Mix over longer distances, I would recommend either holding it to your chest like a baby or buying one of Soundboks’ first-party straps that can hook to the speaker, allowing you to sling it over your back. Soundboks didn’t send over a strap for me to try, so I went with the baby method, which was fine, if not ideal.
Its portability also helped make me a friend, who asked me to play some music while he rolled joints. I don’t smoke weed because it makes me feel like the world is ending, but my new friend did offer to share, which was a nice gesture. His first sound request was Beyoncé’s “Me, Myself, and I,” which honestly sounded pretty good at full volume.
The whole thing was kind of heart-warming, really. It’s how I imagine people felt about boomboxes back in the day, when portable ways to play weren’t easy to come by. And I assume the experience is a lot better than it used to be from a convenience standpoint—especially because of the battery.
One cool thing about the Soundboks Mix is that it has a removable battery that you can just pull out and top up with USB-C. That also means you can hot swap it if you really need a new battery ASAP, though you’ll have to buy an extra for $150. There’s also an app for convenience, but it’s pretty barebones.
I like that you can adjust volume from the Soundboks app as well as EQ—there are presets for indoor and outdoor as well as custom EQ if you’re feeling picky. I’ll be honest, I didn’t hear a huge difference between the outdoor and indoor EQs, but according to the bars, the outdoor EQ brings down the mids just a tad, letting bass and treble take the lead.
There is,however, a way to get quick battery readings, which is just odd. Soundboks claims that the Mix gets 8 hours of battery at full volume, though it was hard to get a read since the only way to monitor battery life was to use one of the five circular light indicators on the battery itself. You have to press the button and then just go off those increments and vibes. It’s not ideal. I played the Soundboks Mix for an hour at 60% volume, and none of the five circles dropped out, so take that for what you will.
Outside of volume adjustment and EQ, you can also turn the Soundboks Mix off through the app and initiate the “TeamUp” feature to pair the Mix with other Soundboks speakers. It’s nice to be able to adjust the volume remotely, but to be honest, the built-in volume dial on the Soundboks mix feels so nice and premium (it’s metal and there’s plenty of resistance) that I didn’t want to adjust the volume any other way. Button-wise, there’s also a power button and a button for the TeamUp feature that allows you to pair speakers together. There’s also a “Bond” button that can cycle through modes when you’re using TeamUp and Bluetooth connections. Lastly, there’s a 3.5mm aux in if that’s your thing.
The Soundboks Mix keeps things pretty simple design-wise, but one nice touch is the inclusion of rubber balls on the bottom of each corner, which makes setting it down feel safe and easy. You also won’t have to worry about the Soundboks Mix getting fried in the rain, either. The speaker is IP65-rated, meaning it’s resistant to dust and water, and if you get caught in the rain, you should be fine.
Listen, $800 is a lot of money to spend on a speaker, even if it can get as loud as a chainsaw. This isn’t something that you’re going to want to use all the time, and it certainly isn’t the most versatile speaker in the world, but no party speaker really is. If you’re looking for something that gets loud, sounds good, and can be built out to get even louder and more obnoxious, the Soundboks Mix is not a bad pick. It helps that it’s still somewhat portable despite its loudness, too, so if you plan on hauling this to the beach or something, it’s not an insurmountable task.
Party speakers aren’t for everyone, but if they’re for you, then the Mix might be a great way to make friends and maybe get a little high on someone else’s supply.
#Soundoks #Mix #Review #LoudAss #Party #Speaker #Highaudio,Reviews,Wireless Speakers">Soundoks Mix Review: This Loud-Ass Party Speaker Almost Got Me High AF
Party speakers aren’t really my thing. It’s not that I don’t like to party—I do. Not in a “friends and family surprise you at your house for a serious talk” kind of way, but in a “mid-30s, I have sh*t to do in the morning” kind of way. Really, I just don’t like to annoy people more than I have to.
New York City isn’t known for its serenity, but it takes a certain level of decorum to get along, and party speakers, with their inherent obnoxiousness, break a very tenuous code. They’re big (not great for small living spaces), loud (not great for proximate neighbors), and expensive (not great for paying rent on time). They’re, in many ways, antithetical to what most New Yorkers (and other urban-dwelling people) look for in personal audio.
They’re also, as I learned in my experience using the 21-pound Soundboks Mix party speaker, actually a great way to make friends.
Soundboks Mix
The Soundboks Mix is a party speaker that’s loud and portable with decent sound.
Loud!
Still pretty portable despite its size
Sound is pretty good
Sound is good but not great
No way to get battery readings from the app
Underwhelming EQ options
Party speakers are pricey and so is the Soundboks Mix
This speaker goes to 11
Party speakers are first and foremost meant for parties, and the $800 Soundbox Mix is no different. Soundboks is known for its Bluetooth speakers and, in particular, for making ones that get ridiculously loud. In case you had any doubt about the loudness, the Soundboks Mix even has a volume dial on the side that goes to 11 instead of 10, Spinal Tap-style.
To test out that volume, I went to Washington Square Park in Manhattan and let loose. The Soundboks Mix is indeed loud, folks. It didn’t quake the Earth upon which we walk or anything like that, but it’s got juice. I tested the party speaker at a range of volumes playing music across different genres—mostly rock, but some electronic music and soul—and the park got an earful. I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty sure I chased off two guys hitting a volleyball around. You heard it here first: if you hate people playing volleyball, the Soundboks Mix is a repellent.
It’s hard to quantify volume into words, but if I were to try, I would say that the Soundboks Mix is loud enough for a graduation party or a medium-sized quinceañera. It’s not going to bring down the house like a full PA, but if you’re outside within a frisbee distance of the speaker, you’re going to hear it. I also tested the Soundboks Mix briefly at full volume in my office playing Creed’s “One Last Breath,” and it was loud enough to make me feel like we could get kicked out, both for the Creed and the volume.
Maybe I’m masochistic, but I was actually expecting it to be a little louder—maybe I’m just old and have bad hearing, though. I guess it’s good that it isn’t. Permanent hearing loss isn’t high on my list of occupational hazards.
One thing you’ll be happy to know is that the Soundboks Mix isn’t just loud; it also manages to stave off distortion even at high volumes. Even at 11 out of 11, the Soundboks Mix sounded pretty clear, both from close up and from about 30 feet away. This isn’t the most impressive speaker I’ve heard in the sound department—you’re not getting Sonos outside—but for a party, where people need volume and not necessarily fidelity, it does the trick.
I played a few Steely Dan songs at 50% volume and was pleased with the soundstage. There’s a tasteful amount of low end that doesn’t drown out mids and highs. Vocals were clear, and I never felt like I was sorely lacking in any frequency range. Likewise, when I played songs like “Digital Love” by Daft Punk, the bass was present and tangible without overpowering, and auto-tuned vocals didn’t sound tinny or cheap. Using a party speaker outside isn’t the most high-fidelity way to listen to anything, but for what the experience is, I think the Soundboks Mix is pretty solid.
If you absolutely need more volume and you have the budget, you can also couple the Soundboks Mix with another Soundboks speaker and use them in pairs in stereo mode. I was only sent one speaker for review, so I didn’t get a chance to test that feature out, but I assume it kicks everything up a notch, as celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse would say.
Loudness and audio quality aren’t the only things you have to consider when you’re looking at party speaker. You also have to think about rolling joints.
Portability is friendability
If there’s one thing that party speakers aren’t known for, it’s being easy to carry around. To get loud, they have to be big—that’s literally just how physics works. But how big is too big? It’s difficult to strike a balance between giving you enough oomph to really project into a party and enough portability so that you don’t feel like you need to rent an ATV just to drag the speaker down the beach. Having carried the speaker from my office to Washington Square Park, which is about 0.3 miles according to Google Maps, I can say for certain that the experience wasn’t so bad.
There’s a built-in handle, which helps, but to be honest, it does weigh 21.4 pounds, so putting all the weight on one hand is a bit much. If you’re moving the Soundboks Mix over longer distances, I would recommend either holding it to your chest like a baby or buying one of Soundboks’ first-party straps that can hook to the speaker, allowing you to sling it over your back. Soundboks didn’t send over a strap for me to try, so I went with the baby method, which was fine, if not ideal.
Its portability also helped make me a friend, who asked me to play some music while he rolled joints. I don’t smoke weed because it makes me feel like the world is ending, but my new friend did offer to share, which was a nice gesture. His first sound request was Beyoncé’s “Me, Myself, and I,” which honestly sounded pretty good at full volume.
The whole thing was kind of heart-warming, really. It’s how I imagine people felt about boomboxes back in the day, when portable ways to play weren’t easy to come by. And I assume the experience is a lot better than it used to be from a convenience standpoint—especially because of the battery.
One cool thing about the Soundboks Mix is that it has a removable battery that you can just pull out and top up with USB-C. That also means you can hot swap it if you really need a new battery ASAP, though you’ll have to buy an extra for $150. There’s also an app for convenience, but it’s pretty barebones.
I like that you can adjust volume from the Soundboks app as well as EQ—there are presets for indoor and outdoor as well as custom EQ if you’re feeling picky. I’ll be honest, I didn’t hear a huge difference between the outdoor and indoor EQs, but according to the bars, the outdoor EQ brings down the mids just a tad, letting bass and treble take the lead.
There is,however, a way to get quick battery readings, which is just odd. Soundboks claims that the Mix gets 8 hours of battery at full volume, though it was hard to get a read since the only way to monitor battery life was to use one of the five circular light indicators on the battery itself. You have to press the button and then just go off those increments and vibes. It’s not ideal. I played the Soundboks Mix for an hour at 60% volume, and none of the five circles dropped out, so take that for what you will.
Outside of volume adjustment and EQ, you can also turn the Soundboks Mix off through the app and initiate the “TeamUp” feature to pair the Mix with other Soundboks speakers. It’s nice to be able to adjust the volume remotely, but to be honest, the built-in volume dial on the Soundboks mix feels so nice and premium (it’s metal and there’s plenty of resistance) that I didn’t want to adjust the volume any other way. Button-wise, there’s also a power button and a button for the TeamUp feature that allows you to pair speakers together. There’s also a “Bond” button that can cycle through modes when you’re using TeamUp and Bluetooth connections. Lastly, there’s a 3.5mm aux in if that’s your thing.
The Soundboks Mix keeps things pretty simple design-wise, but one nice touch is the inclusion of rubber balls on the bottom of each corner, which makes setting it down feel safe and easy. You also won’t have to worry about the Soundboks Mix getting fried in the rain, either. The speaker is IP65-rated, meaning it’s resistant to dust and water, and if you get caught in the rain, you should be fine.
Listen, $800 is a lot of money to spend on a speaker, even if it can get as loud as a chainsaw. This isn’t something that you’re going to want to use all the time, and it certainly isn’t the most versatile speaker in the world, but no party speaker really is. If you’re looking for something that gets loud, sounds good, and can be built out to get even louder and more obnoxious, the Soundboks Mix is not a bad pick. It helps that it’s still somewhat portable despite its loudness, too, so if you plan on hauling this to the beach or something, it’s not an insurmountable task.
Party speakers aren’t for everyone, but if they’re for you, then the Mix might be a great way to make friends and maybe get a little high on someone else’s supply.
Post Comment