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The NB-250 does sound better.
As consumers we face the lifelong dichotomy of wanting to know our good money is well spent, and we also want to get the most bang for our buck. With speakers, this is rarely different. Nyne’s NB-250 sounds lush, there’s no denying it, but Killer Concepts’ Rocksteady XS is making waves at half of the price. Does a Benjamin honestly represent the gap between these two products?
Taking a look under the hood, we can see that part of Nyne’s higher price tag comes from its double 7W output, already at twice the oomph of the Rocksteady XS. Both speakers carry a respectable passive subwoofer, but even at higher volumes the NB-250 keeps the party going without wavering, while the Rocksteady can start to lose its midrange at about peak volume. Still, when subjected to meticulous tests across most genres of music, neither speaker ever sounds cluttered—each hit of a snare drum sounds warm thanks to the solid construction.
But the Rocksteady XS gives it a run for its money at a lower price point.
While the NB-250 maintains the standard of Bluetooth 2.1, the Rocksteady XS supports Bluetooth 3.0. Both rechargeable devices kept the music flowing for just under 10 hours, and both can also charge your phone thanks to onboard USB ports. Impressively, Killer Concepts bucks the tech industry’s status quo by allowing you to easily replace the Rocksteady’s battery, making its lifecycle potentially infinite.
While the NB-250 is an incredible-sounding speaker, we’re not sure it’s worth the extra money. It comes with its own (admittedly pretty cool) tote bag for lugging it around, which is nice, but the Rocksteady XS is half the size so it doesn’t really need one. The NB-250’s water resistance is a plus, but would you feel comfortable taking a $200 piece of equipment to the pool? While slimmer than most speakers in its budget class, the NB-250 doesn’t do much to differentiate itself from competitors like Soundfreq’s $149 Sound Step Recharge.
The bottom line. We love the NB-250’s beautiful sound, but at half the price, the Rocksteady XS sounds fantastic and doesn’t need a carrying case to be one of the most portable Bluetooth speakers out there.
NB-250 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
NYNE
www.nyne.com
Price: $199.99
Requirements: Audio source with Bluetooth or headphone jack
Pros: Crystal-clear audio. Water resistant. USB port for device charging.
Cons: A little pricey, although it can be found for $30 less at Amazon.
Rocksteady XS
Killer Concepts
www.killerc.com
Price: $99.99
Requirements: Audio source with Bluetooth or headphone jack
Pros: Small. Replaceable battery. Surprising bass. USB port for charging.
Cons: Slight loss of midrange at high volumes.
