The portable Bluetooth speaker sports two 7.5W drivers and a passive radiator. The bass station has a 10W subwoofer and bass reflex port. When combined, this beast of a Bluetooth speaker stands nearly 16 inches tall.
Aukey has built a reputation of delivering outstanding electronic gadgets ranging from quick chargers to smartphone optics to Bluetooth accessories. The Bass Station is a solid addition to the company's line-up and worth considering if you need a home audio system with a sense of portability. The Bass Station is currently priced at $79.99 and available through Amazon.
One towering Bluetooth speaker
The official designation for this Aukey speaker is the Aukey SK-M39 Bass Station. The tale of the tape has the Bass Station measuring 5.35 x 5.35 x 11.02 inches and the detachable Bluetooth speaker coming in at 5.91 x 5.91 x 4.92 inches. When combined, the speaker system weighs in at 6.06 pounds. While a towering unit, the design allows placement of the Aukey Bass Station around the house to be somewhat discrete.
The controls rest on the top of the Bluetooth speaker and include a multi-function button, volume/track select buttons and a mode button. The multi-function button doubles as a power button and play/pause button.
Audio cable and micro-USB ports are located on the backside of the Bluetooth speaker and three indicator lights are fitted to the front side to confirm pairing, charging and an audio cable connection. Keep in mind that the speaker disconnects from a paired device when an audio cable connection is detected. When you are ready to return to a wireless connection, short press the Mode button.
The only control on the base station is a power button, located on the back of the speaker, that turns on the subwoofer and charges the portable speaker. The speaker connects to the base through a five-point contact connection and rests comfortably on top of the base with gravity and design contours holding things in place. I'm not sure if a magnetic connection would have been possible, but it likely would have offered a more positive fit.
The bass station is hardwired for power, while the detachable speaker has two 2,000mAh batteries rated for over eight hours of standalone use. When docked, the portable speaker re-charges and feeds off the bass station's wired power. If you need to give the portable speaker a charge while on the go, you can give the battery a boost through the micro-USB port.
A few things to keep in mind. The Bass Station is not weather proof so if you carry the portable speaker to the pool you need to be careful to keep it dry. Also, the Bass Station Bluetooth Speaker lacks any hands-free calling features. I don't think this is a deal breaker but it would have been a nice touch.
The build quality was solid with the Aukey Bass Station. The detachable speaker is a little bulky, but not terribly cumbersome for portability. The Bass Station Bluetooth Speaker comes packaged with the owner's manual, micro-USB cable and 3.5mm audio cable.
Room filling audio performance
While the build quality and design of the Aukey Bass Station Bluetooth Speaker is appealing, the speaker isn't worth much if the sound quality doesn't measure up. Pairing the Bass Station is simple with the speaker going into pairing mode on the first power up. There are no voice confirmations (e.g. "Your device is paired.") but the speaker will chirp to confirm pairing.
Under the hood, the Bluetooth speaker has two 7.5W drivers with a passive radiator and the Bass Station has a 10W subwoofer and bass reflex port. This translates into a decent sound quality in real world terms. The bass is subtle and the Aukey Bass Station can belt out some volume to fill up a room and then some. When separated from the bass station, the Bluetooth speaker holds its own nicely with regards to sound quality.
In testing the speaker may not rattle the windows, but it was easy to crank up the volume and have my daughter scream "turn it down!" from upstairs. You do experience slight distortion when you max out the volume, but otherwise, these speakers sounded good when playing music from artists ranging from Jimmy Buffett to Metallica, as well as providing audio for streaming videos.
Battery life was as advertised. During the testing period, I was able to average eight hours of use out of the portable speaker. Overall, the Aukey Bass Station Bluetooth Speaker performed well with solid audio quality.
A solid sound option
The Aukey Bass Station Bluetooth Speaker offers an attractive, wireless sound system for the home and the road. Build quality is good, battery life for the portable component is respectable and audio quality is appealing.
If I had to find something to complain about with these speakers it would be the lack of weather proofing on the portable speaker and the need for a more positive connection between the base and speaker. The weather proofing would help expand the mobility options for the speaker. I can see this being a good option for the beach, but you need to be careful of sand and water.
The speaker sits on top of the base nicely, relying on gravity to keep things in place. I wouldn't mind seeing a snap connection or magnet in place to bolster up that placement just in case the speaker gets bumped into.
Luckily, neither of these nits are deal breakers and overall, the Aukey Bass Station Bluetooth Speaker is an attractive option for those looking for a home speaker system that can easily become mobile. The speaker is currently priced at $79.99 and available from Amazon.
