Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker Review
A lightweight Bluetooth speaker with powerful sound and practical features – the new Beats Pill aims to be a top offer, but how does it perform in the test?
Apple, the parent company of “Beats by Dre,” announces the new generation of the “Pill” as the return of a legend – but besides its iconic and simple design, the new Bluetooth speaker must also deliver a lot to earn that status. 7Review checks if it lives up to that claim.
Design and Build Quality
Its design is relatively typical for a Bluetooth speaker and unremarkable. The Pill is quite light and compact, can be easily carried around, and fits in most bags. Weighing around 24 ounces (680 grams), it’s lightweight and portable, available in multiple colors, including Statement Red, Champagne Gold, and Matte Black. The speaker has a soft-touch silicone finish on the back and bottom, providing a comfortable grip.
Additionally, “Beats by Dre” has hidden some small features, like the easily removable carrying strap on the side of the box. The claims that part of the speaker is made from recycled plastic and that the speaker is slightly angled upwards for better sound projection initially sound promising. However, the USB-C port at the back, used for charging, lacks a protective flap, which is something commonly found in other portable speakers.
Features and Usability
Besides such statements, many of the “hard facts” are also convincing: The IP67 certification (the speaker is waterproof and can withstand being submerged in water for a short time) ensures effective protection against dust and water, Bluetooth 5.3 is on a very good level, and the rest of the feature list leaves little to be desired. The Pill can also serve as a speakerphone thanks to its built-in microphone, although its sound quality can’t quite match a proper microphone, but the speech clarity is solid.
The USB-C port supports reverse charging, allowing you to charge your phone or other devices. This is useful and not always part of the package with more affordable Bluetooth speakers, although it does come at the expense of the built-in battery, which lasts up to about 24 hours at half volume. This isn’t the absolute maximum, but still very good – in what situation would you need more than a day of continuous music playback without a charging option?
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Additionally, a quick 10-minute charge provides up to two hours of playback, with a full charge delivering an impressive 24 hours of listening time. The full charging time is pleasantly short at around 2.5 hours.
It’s also practical that the Pill can receive both power and a music signal via USB-C. According to Apple, this allows for the playback of lossless music up to 24-bit/48 kHz on a computer. However, the USB connection is a bit inconvenient: while plugging in the cable, you have to press the power button simultaneously; otherwise, the computer and Pill won’t recognize each other. Aside from that, the control on the device is good, although not extensive with its four buttons. Since the new Beats speaker does not offer sound settings or an equalizer, there are not many configuration options available.
Somewhat untypical for the US company, which often uses closed systems, Apple advertises that the Pill supports various convenience features on both iOS and Android devices. For example, both device location systems are supported, and the Pill automatically connects to other devices logged into the same Apple or Google account as the phone. These are minor details, but they’re nice to have.
More important, however, is the Bluetooth pairing, which worked flawlessly, and its range. With a distance of over 50 meters – provided there’s a clear line of sight between the phone and the speaker – the Pill continues to play music, which many modern Bluetooth speakers achieve but is still very good.
Few Settings
However, there are some quirks with compatibility; there’s a Beats Pill app only for Android devices. This might seem odd, but it’s easy to explain: iOS devices are favored by the Beats Pill as all the app’s functions are natively displayed in the smartphone’s settings. Additionally, when connected to an iPhone, a small Beats Pill icon is always shown during playback.
However, both the Android app and the options in Apple device settings are not very extensive. The battery status indicator is standard, and the option to change the button assignment for calls is a useful feature. Without any illumination on the device, there isn’t much to adjust on Bluetooth speakers. A sound adjustment or equalizer and support for pairing multiple speakers would be nice to have. This contrasts with something like the LG XBoom 360, whose app offers a sleep timer, alarm with playlist presets, and more, currently making it the top choice in this category.
The new speaker also supports pairing multiple devices. Two identical speakers can be set to stereo mode, with each speaker handling the left or right channel. There’s also the “amplifier mode,” where two Pills play the same music. The paired speakers quickly find each other, with only a short learning curve when pressing two buttons simultaneously until a light blinks to start pairing mode.
Switching between these modes can be a bit tricky, as it requires specific button combinations. It would be helpful if future updates included audio prompts to make this process clearer.
Sound Quality
Even as a single speaker, the Beats Pill performs quite well – if you overlook the lack of soundstage that no Bluetooth speaker or smart speaker can “correctly” provide, as the sound source is a single unit. The new Pill doesn’t sound overly massive or explosive; other models benefit from larger enclosures. However, the sound of the new Beats speaker is direct and crisp, without sounding muffled.
In the almost obligatory test with Dr. Dre’s music – here with Eminem in “Forgot About Dre” – the sound profile fits very well. The vocals sound relatively natural and come across as clear rather than muffled. Beats and background music are also sharply defined. The new woofer noticeably helps, which according to Apple, surpasses its counterpart in the previous Beats Pill+ in terms of motorization, diaphragm area, and air movement. Rather than just booming loudly, the Pill plays surprisingly deep in the frequency range for its size, giving the overall sound a pleasant fullness.
When switching to classical music, the Pill doesn’t sound bad, but we miss a bit of depth, although the definition and balance remain solid. It’s not on the level of significantly more expensive Bluetooth speakers and smart speakers, as expected, but overall it plays evenly and is quite loud for its size. The biggest sound weakness remains the somewhat flat sound, but considering its relatively low price, you can’t expect a complete package.
Areas for Improvement
While the Beats Pill has many positives, there are some areas that could use refinement:
- Control Issues: Turning off the speaker is not as intuitive as expected. Holding the power button for a specific duration (8 seconds) can be confusing for new users. A clearer indication in the instructions or an update to the control mechanism would be beneficial.
- Lack of Sound Customization: There are no built-in equalizer settings or sound adjustments, which might be a drawback for those who prefer to fine-tune their audio experience.
Specs
Info: www.beatsbydre.com
Protection Rating: IP67
Battery Life: 24 hours
Charging Time: 2.5 hours
We listened to: Dr. Dre, Eminem “Forgot About Dre,” Grieg, Karajan “Peer Gynt Suite”
Gallery
Conclusion
With long battery life and good features, the Beats Pill is very practical. Its sound is notably direct and powerful, without booming or losing balance. If the rather flat sound character and the lack of sound adjustments don’t bother you, the Beats Pill offers a good Bluetooth speaker for its price, capable of delivering enjoyment beyond just basic beats.
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