Review: Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox
Wireless speakers are a dime a dozen. From the $5 speakers that sound worse than playing it directly out of your phone’s speaker to the ultra-luxurious wireless speakers costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Monster’s Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox is one of the clearest sounding, longest lasting, and durable wireless speakers I have ever used.
The Monster Blaster 3.0 is a long-lasting rechargable speaker that can fill up an outdoor baseball game or indoor gym with face melting metal or bring you into a meditative state while playing your favorite Chill Spotify playlist. In addition to it’s 120 watts of total power, the Monster Blaster 3.0 can be paired to your phone via Bluetooth 5.1, NFC pairing, or Auxiliary input (3.5mm cable). And if you’re looking to host a party, announce your baseball player when going up to bat, or just want to sing along with your favorite songs — you can using the 3.5mm microphone input.
Hidden under the red, white, or black metal exterior are 4–15 watt - full range drivers backed by a 60 watt woofer with 2 accompanying passive radiators to fill out the 120 watt total power delivered through the robust system. Passive Radiators have gained popularity especially with Bluetooth speakers, they offer amplification of a powered speaker but only using air power. Basically, they add audio power without sacrificing battery power. The Blaster 3.0 is IPX5 rated meaning that it can withstand a water jet sprayed at a rating of 12.5 liters per minute, with a pressure of 4.4 psi from 3 meters (or 9.8 feet) away. You can find more IP rating definitions at the International Electronic Commissions site: www.iec.com/ip-ratings. Or even Wikipedia which has some additional info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_code/. Essentially, the Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox is water-resistant at a pool party unless you get too drunk and throw it into the pool — it may not survive.
The Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox charges via a somewhat large an bulky power brick. The 5200mAh battery is listed to last 12 hours of playtime in the manual. I was able to get a few different playtimes depending on the volume level, at a higher volume I was able to play around 10hrs and with lower volume north of 13 hours. In addition to music and acting as a PA system, you can use the USB-A port to charge your phone or tablet.
One thing that the Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox embodies is simplicity. The colors are a supreme monotone, Bluetooth and NFC connect quickly and easily, and the audio quality is what I expected with the name Monster attached. There is no Monster app to pair, you simply play from your favorite app like Spotify or Apple Music. This also means there is no dedicated EQ app to dial in the sound. Luckily for Monster, the Blaster 3.0 Boombox sounds incredible. However, there is an “indoor” and “outdoor” setting which essentially just spreads the sound out to pack a little more boom. Personally, the “outdoor” setting can get a little to bright in the mids and highs when used indoors in a small room. But in a larger room or outdoors I stick to the “outdoor” setting.
The Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox weighs 12.95lbs and measures 18.6"x8.27"x7.72". It’s not small or meek in design but is bold and big in performance.
What could be improved?
I’m always a sucker for larger and longer battery-life, can a speaker be charged once and last for days?! Count me in. But the Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox lasts a long time for how clear and accurate the sound is. If I was to offer tips for the next iteration of the Blaster Boombox I would ask for a better smaller and lighter power connector. Even an updated USB-C cable would be nice. And 6.5 hours of reported charge time needs to come down, a faster charging time would definitely benefit everyone.
How did it work in real life?
Between playing music in the backyard all day while doing yard work and the kids running down the slip-n-slide — the Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox lasted the whole day even in the 100°+ Southern California sun. A couple of my sons play baseball and the latest rage is playing walk-up songs or music during warm ups. The Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox is exactly what you baseball parents need, not only is power not a problem for a weekend of games but it eliminates the need for another battery-backup charger.
I can’t rave enough about the wireless Monster Blaster 3.0 Boombox. Not only does it put out clear vocals, bass filled drops, and amazing separation — but it as of this review is retailing for $199.99 on sites like Amazon which includes 2-day Prime Shipping. When it first debuted, the Blaster 3.0 retailed for $349.99 which still isn’t a terrible price for such a great system. But at $199.99 it’s a no-brainer if you’re looking for a beautiful and powerful wireless speaker. Find out more at https://monsterstore.com/products/monster-blaster.
