Review: Nude Audio S, M And L Bluetooth Speakers

Bluetooth speakers are like iPhone cases. There are so many it’s impossible to keep track of. Quite simply, whatever you could possibly want a bluetooth speaker to look like, you should have very little problems finding one.

Here at Gadgetsteria we’ve seen many different kinds of speakers pass through. Whether it’s design, features or simple marketing, every manufacturer tries their hardest to get you to ignore the competition. For Nude Audio, they decided to first capture your attention with design.

Design & Features

When you first open the box you’ll notice a decent amount of attention was spent on design details. Rounded, smooth corners and bold, varying colors set the Nude Audio products apart from similarly spec’d items. And honestly, they did a good job. Each of the new products, the S, M and L Nude Audio speakers are eye catching. Furthermore, all of the Nude Audio products here make use of bluetooth + aux-in. (There’s an S wired model too.)

Both the S and M speakers are rated at 8 hours of battery life with the M also featuring bluetooth phone support so you can use it as an external speaker for your phone calls. In terms of sound, the M is further supported by a larger bass chamber in order to give the bottom a dad more weight.

Finally, the L is the biggest of the bunch with two drivers and a passive subwoofer. It too is rated at 8 hours of playback from each charge.

Performance

Using the Nude Audio products for the last week and a half saw the L getting the most used. Quite simply, it easily sounded the best (obviously). But given are desk ridden nature, it makes the most sense. That said, the S and M models are actually pretty handy when out and about thanks to the provided strap that lets you hang/connect it to just about anything.

True to Nude Audio’s claims, battery life quite often got us to at least 7 hours of battery life with 8-9 hours happening every now and then. For many people, this will be more than enough between charges.

Most importantly, though, is the sound. The S is alright for what it is. But even in the most mobile of circumstances, we’d rather either pop in some good ear buds for personal use, or just use the speaker on our phone for quick sharing with a friend or two. The M makes a slightly better case for itself thanks to the slightly better sound. But it’s the L that really makes its case.

The L’s sound quality is respectable given it’s smallish footprint. Highs are clear for the most part, though undefined. Mid-range tones are forward and punchy while the low end also exhibits a bit of punch, too. The lower rumble that many songs feature, however, is still too much for something even as large as the L to handle.

Recharging the S, M and L generally takes around 4-5 hours when plugged in and left alone. If you’re streaming to them via Bluetooth, expect an extra hour or two.

Conclusion

All in all, the back-to-basics approach that Nude Audio took with their S, M and L bluetooth speakers works. The smaller models might not be the longest running or best sounding in their price bracket, but their design and mobile straps make them fun and simple to bring around.

The L is the one to get, however, if you’re going to use the speaker anywhere close to regularly. It’s just the best option there while also not being all that large itself.

Nude Audio has priced the S at $49.99, M at $69.99 and L at 99.99 – which we think is a bit steep. As we mentioned above, the sound quality is good for the physical attributes and sizes of each unit. But $50 just seems like a bit much for even the most affordable bluetooth offering.

The Nude Audio products are definitely worth a look but you might want to keep a few other option on the table as well.

Thanks to Max Borges for the review samples