LifeProof - AQUAPHONICS AQ10 Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Laguna clay

LIFEPROOF Aquaphonics AQ10 Quick Features on the Product Waterproof Dirt proof Snow proof Drop proof Submersible to 1 meter for 30 minutes Sealed from dirt, dust and snow Survives drops from 1.2 meters Bluetooth pairs with up to 8 devices Built-in mic works as a speakerphone Charge out keeps your devices powered up Flats for easy water retrieval Dry box stows cash, cards and keys 13-hour battery rocks out all day long MIL-STD-810 516.6 (drop test standards) IP67 (waterproof/water resistance standards) Physical Button Options Bluetooth Play/Pause/Repeat Back Forward Volume +/- Source Power on/off Lock Connectivity Options (within dry box) Power out (usb) 3.5mm AUX in Connectivity Options 3.5mm AUX in Power in (for AC adapter) Power out (usb) What's in the box? AQ10 Quick Start Guide Care and Maintenance Manual AC Adapter Limited Warranty Pamphlet (1 year warranty) Setup/Testing/Conclusion I really enjoyed the packaging on the Lifeproof AQ10. The design/marketing personnel at Lifeproof really did an amazing job. What can I say? I’m a box guy… Not only was the packaging aesthetically pleasing, it also kept the AQ10 protected. The material on the unit itself is made of heavy duty plastic/rubber silicon. If you’re worried about fingerprints; don’t be! It's quite heavy so if you’re looking to take this snowboarding or surfing with you on your hip; think again! To pair the unit itself to a mobile phone; that was extremely easy and effortless. Setup was simple; you literally power on the device by holding down the power button and click on the Bluetooth button. Once you power on the device and click on the Bluetooth button; you simply look for the device “Lifeproof AQ10” on your mobile device and voila! The sound quality is decent compared to other portable Bluetooth speakers that I have come across. It's definitely not the highlight of the AQ10. The AQ10 may sound “loud” but I feel like it’s missing the “surround” sound feeling. The highlight of the AQ10 is the durability and versatility. I tried the “float” option and guess what… IT FLOATS! That is awesome. None of the other Bluetooth speakers I have can do that. So the best part about this thing is being able to put it in the pool or even take it with you to the snowy mountains. You don’t have to worry so much about damaging the thing because it's basically built like a tank. Lifeproof has done an excellent job with keeping the actual Bluetooth speaker encased. You also have the option to charge your mobile device as well if you have the cables on you. The AQ10 is a speaker but it also has the ability to charge your mobile device when you need to. To be honest, the best thing I like about the AQ10 is the dry box. For all you folks out there that forget that you have cash, credit card(s), or your keys on you when your going swimming or something; you have the option to use the dry box by storing those personable items. Just make sure no one runs off with your speaker. My issues are mainly with the sound quality. Again as I mentioned above; the AQ10 may sound loud but it certainly doesn’t produce the best sound. A major letdown (IMO) is the float option. You’re probably going wait… didn’t you say above that it's a highlight? Yes it is a highlight of the AQ10 because you can literally chuck it into the pool and it’ll float. My main complaint is that when it's floating in the water, the speaker is facing into the water… What this means is that you don’t really get to hear whatever it is you’re trying to listen to. The sound comes out the front of the speaker so there isn’t much sound that comes out of the back; if any. So if you’re trying to listen to music at the beach (in the water) as an example; all the sharks, fishes, and sea creatures will hear it except everyone else above the water. In conclusion, I enjoy the aesthetics of the device itself. I like the “tankiness” of the unit. But I feel like the unit as a speaker itself falls short. Would I recommend this? I would say do some research and see if you can view one in person. If you enjoy the brand Lifeproof then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this device as well. But if you have something comparable like a waterproof Bluetooth speaker with better sound; I may skip on this. But this is all based on my personal opinion. Some individuals may enjoy it more than others; I would still give it some thought.

Ok i have to say i was very impressed with the Life Proof AQ10 speaker. The speaker does have a great sound indoors and out i will say if you have a song with to much bass and have the volume up all the way it will sound a little distorted. So they say this is water proof well i did sink it in the bottom of my sink filled with water and it still worked. After i let it go from the bottom it floated and still played. The waterproof compartment did stay dry that was great. My phone wouldn't fit in there i have a note so it is a big phone it may have fit in the AQ11 witch is bigger. So they say it's drop proof so i dropped it from 3ft and it didn't stop i have to say i'm very happy with the way it is built. I do a lot of golfing so this will be my new speaker for that and going out to the pool. I like how the buttons on the top of the speaker light up when you touch them and the power button and battery life shows how much power you have left. There is a lock switch on the side that lock the functions down so they will not work. That a good feature to have. The case is a hard plastic and the buttons on top are a soft rubber. I got the grey and green one color was nice. On the speaker case there are long slots the you can strap it to your bag or tie it down if needed. I have a lot of bluetooth speakers and i will say this is one of the top one's for me to use outside i don't have to worry about the weather with this one witch is nice.

The purpose of this speaker is to have a Bluetooth speaker that will survive drops, falls, spills, being dropped into water, sand at the beach, etc. With that purpose in mind, this is a good speaker. Is the sound quality as good as some other Bluetooth speakers in this price range? No, it's not. But that's not the point. The sound is decent, albeit heavy on the treble with very little bass. Using the equalizer feature on my phone to add some bass only created distortion. Rock, Country, etc will sound good. Anything that's heavy on bass will be lacking. It can get loud but it starts to distort at higher levels. But again, that's not the point. When it comes to having a Bluetooth speaker that gives you a worry free experience, this is great. I have taken this outside and dropped it onto concrete from a few feet in the air. I filled up the sink and submerged the speaker, while it was playing music, for a few minutes. Unless you hold it down, it floats. Again, a great thing for people who camp, have a lake house or a boat, or just go to the beach a lot. Dirt doesn't get in and any dirt you get on it can just be washed off by running it under the sink or with a hose. That my friends, is THE POINT of this speaker. It can take a beating and still come back for more. I have another brand that has much better sound quality, but if I take it into the garage while I'm doing work or outside, I always have to carefully place it and make sure it doesn't fall or get wet. This speaker has good enough sound quality and alleviates all of those concerns with having it outside. Also, with the way it's designed, you can stand it on end or even use the handles on the ends to hang it from a ladder or wherever if you're working and don't have a place to set it. I gave it 4 stars for decent sound quality, number of ports and options for playing music, ease of Bluetooth connectivity and overall design and ruggedness. I did mark one star off because in my water test, I notice that while the water was mostly kept out of the dry box compartment, there were some drops pretty close to making it in (see pictures). The only concern there is the usb and aux jacks that don't have covers. Honestly you wouldn't be able to put much in the drybox outside of some credit cards, cash, keys, etc. Maybe an ipod shuffle or nano for listening to music, but it is a very small compartment. I'm also not a huge fan of the proprietary charger but I have other's that have the same issue so I can't take a star away. Just be aware of it. For someone looking for a speaker for in the house or at the office, I wouldn't recommend this. For someone who wants to give this to a young child, or someone who does construction or just works outside a lot, I would highly recommend this. If you are near the water or go to the beach a lot and need a speaker, this is for you. There is a larger version that might have a little more kick to it but I think this is a good travel size. Battery life was a little over 12 hours in my test...oh, and it has 2 USB power out ports so you can charge your phone from the speaker. In a pinch, that could end up being the best feature! So if you're the type who likes stuff to just work out of the box and stand up to your abuse, I recommend.

Design: I like the sleek look and coloring of this LifeProof Aquaphonics speaker. Despite its lightweight feel, the speaker seems durable. The highlight of the speaker’s design is water-resistance, as well as dirt and dust resistance, which makes it a great outdoor speaker. Although I have not put this speaker through strenuous testing, it is nice to know that if it should rain, the speaker will not be damaged. Also, dirt can easily be washed off with water. Finally, on the top of the speaker, there are large, easy to use buttons for power and controlling your music, so it is great that I do not have to search around the speaker for the right button. They also aluminate, which is helpful at night. Sound Quality: Compared to other Bluetooth speakers of similar size, I would consider the LifeProof Aquaphonics speaker to have good sound quality but not excellent, which is my reasoning for a four-star rating. At the price point, I expected more out of this speaker. While the sound is clear and fills smaller rooms or distances just fine, there is some distortion at louder volumes and the bass is a bit lacking. Battery Life: The LifeProof Aquaphonics speaker has great battery life. 13 hours is the advertised battery life, and I would say that is accurate. I typically use the speaker for an hour or two each day, so one charge lasted me a whole week, which is satisfactory for me. Other Features: The drybox is an added plus to the LifeProof Aquaphonics speaker. There is not a lot of room, but I have found it useful for small items like a house key or cash. Even when the speaker gets wet, the drybox effectively keeps my items dry. In addition, the Bluetooth pairing process was easy and my connection still works from a good distance away. Verdict: Overall, the LifeProof Aquaphonics AQ10 is a good Bluetooth speaker. If you are looking for an outdoor speaker that is durable and provides protection against the elements, I would recommend this one. However, if you do not need those features, I would test out the sound quality of different options.

PREVIEW: The LifeProof AQUAPHONICS AQ10 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is designed with special appeal to the rugged outdoor enthusiast. In a nutshell, this Bluetooth Speaker differentiates itself by offering extreme shock & water resistance, more power (hence it plays louder) & longer battery life than competitive offerings. The recyclable packaging is aqua, suggesting the speaker is at home near water. At $200, there are BT Speakers that offer slightly superior sound, but NONE that are ready to play outdoors like the AQ10. TOP 10 LIKES: 1- Water Resistance (rated to be waterproof to 1m for 30 minutes), 2- Drop Resistance (Rated to survive drops from 1.2 meters) 3- Extended Battery Life (Rated 13-Hour). The 12 Volt 2.0 Amp charger is required to charge this beast of a battery. This battery / power source is the secret to achieving premium quality sound at high volume for 13 hours. 4- Buoyancy (It floats!) 5- Hidden Storage (Dry box built-in) 6- 2 Color Options: Obsidian Sand or Laguna Clay (as shown in my photos) 7- Clear Audio (Extra high clarity mid frequencies produce easy-to-understand voice; surprisingly strong bass response; well balanced high frequencies). Output is 94 Decibels!! Easily heard over the shower. It plays LOUD! 8- Easy Connect Bluetooth (Just press & hold the BT button & connects up to 8 devices) 9- Make & Receive phone calls with the built-in mic 10- Solid Look & Feel (Rugged, yet Attractive Design that Commands Respect). Sealed construction (protects from snow, water, dust & dirt) DISLIKE: (This turned out to be a LIKE!): Use of a dedicated charger is unfortunate for convenience (because it is something else to take with you on vacation, for example), but is REQUIRED because it delivers 12 Volt at 2.0 Amp to charge the built-in hefty battery (12V X 2.0A = 24 Watt). A USB charging jack would have been more convenient, but USB delivers 5 Volt, so the same power (24 Watt) / 5 Volt would require 4.8 Amp output. That is IMPOSSIBLE because 4.8 Amp exceeds the power available via USB. A large tablet charges at 5 Volt / 2.0 Amp (10 watt), for example. To achieve the sound output & battery life described in Benefit #3 listed above, this dedicated charger is not only appropriate, but is ESSENTIAL. LifeProof could have designed a BT Speaker with a smaller power amplifier & smaller battery that could be charged on a 5 Volt USB plug. But they chose to prioritize PERFORMANCE, thus requiring an external 24 Watt power supply. This design choice elevates the AQ10 to a High Performance Class by itself & the "dislike" for inconvenience is surpassed by "WOW!" sound quality, extended battery life & extreme design integrity. VERY IMPRESSIVE!! CONCLUSION: AQUAPHONICS AQ10 is the hands down, Industry Leading Bluetooth Speaker for Rugged Applications. I Love it & HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!

The setup for LifeProof Aquaphonics AQ10 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is extremely easy for people who’ve connected bluetooth devices before. If you haven’t, then there is a simple-to-follow instruction booklet that will get you up and running in less than 2 minutes. As soon as you turn on the speaker, it will start searching for a device to pair. I paired it with my iPhone 7 and it took a little under 1 minute. The key feature of this bluetooth speaker is that it is waterproof, not just splash proof. Waterproof means it can be submerged underwater and still remain functional. I am glad to report that this key feature works as expected. I tested it daily, using it in the shower/bath room and I even submerged it. The speaker is still functional, just like out of the box. Another small but useful feature is the ability to lock the speaker’s buttons. With a small switch near the “on” button, you can lock all other buttons so that you don’t accidentally change songs or pause the music unwillingly. Also, 4 lights will show you the charge level of your speaker. Similar lights lite up all other buttons, making it great for use in the dark. The performance of this bluetooth speaker is great. It definitely competes with similarly priced items with the added bonus of it being waterproof. I own at least 8 bluetooth speakers of varying price ranges. As mentioned above, I tested this in the shower/bath room. I placed it in multiple locations to test it’s loudness. I first started on the wall furthest from my bathtub, which was the best test I could think of for daily use. The previous bluetooth speaker I was using in the shower/bathroom is not waterproof and regularly priced at 49.99. Though it’s loud, the audio would drown out (no pun intended) by the running water of the tub. The priciest bluetooth speaker I own is regularly priced at 449.99. That one, I don’t dare put it near the shower/bathroom because of it’s price, but I can hear it over the water while it is in another room. This Lifeproof Aquaphonics doesn’t get drowned out being a good 15 feet away from my running tub. The next test was to let it play with me inside the shower on a high rack. Again, it worked fine, and of course, the audio was louder because it was closer to me. Lastly, I filled the tub with enough water to submerge it. I did so reluctantly, as I know that tech and water usually don’t mix well. However, like a band-aid, I just dropped it in and to my surprise, it floated. It started to spin around in the water, fully functioning. However, the sound becomes inaudible while underwater and it isn’t stable enough to face the direction you want to face it. I forced it to submerge underwater but it kept floating back up. This soundbar meets and exceeds my expectations. With it’s decent loudness and survivability of various weather conditions, it’s hard not to recommend this. As an added bonus, if you are planning on using it in the shower, you can accept phone calls and speak through the speaker using the integrated microphone. I had a friend call me to test it out and he didn’t know I was talking to him via the bluetooth speaker until I brought it up to him. On his end, he could hear me clear as day and on my end, I had no trouble understanding what he was saying. We actually spoke for about 2 hours, and that’s because I hadn’t charged the device after taking it out of the box. That speaks volumes (again, no pun intended) about the battery. The price for the speaker in terms of value is more than reasonable if you consider that other similarly priced speakers don’t offer the feature of it being submergible for 1 meter up to 30 minutes. Other lesser known features are the dry box, which is a small space storage area perfect for credit cards and the regular sized iPhones (5.5 inches) and the fact that it can charge your cellphone with your own USB cable in within that drybox area, making it an ideal beach bluetooth speaker. I highly recommend this product for people who plan on using it daily in a shower/bathroom, as it won’t be affected by condensation. Also, people who own a swimming pool may want to purchase one, seeing as how accidentally dropping it in the pool won’t affect it much. Lastly, if you plan on traveling to the beach this would be a wise investment.

The Good Things About This LifeProof AQ10 The body of this LifeProof AQ10 Bluetooth speaker is made of thick durable plastic. The bottom has nice rubberized pads that slightly elevate the Bluetooth speaker. The water proof compartment on the bottom is kind of a nice addition, it perfectly fits credit cards and ID cards, but on the AQ10 which is the medium sized version of this Bluetooth Speaker, there is not enough space to fit even a small smartphone. The larger AQ11 would be necessary if hoping to use the waterproof compartment to store a smartphone. The buttons on top include previous track, next track, play/pause, volume up and volume down, this is much better than other Bluetooth speakers I have owned, which often requires double pressing the volume up or down buttons, in order to accomplish previous track or next track functions. It is really nice to be able to press the playback buttons to control the music, instead of having to hassle with turning on the smartphone to accomplish playing, pausing, or skipping the music. This Bluetooth speaker has two USB charging ports which are 5 volts at 500 mA, one is under the removable cover where 12 volt power adapter plugs into on the side, and the other one is in the waterproof compartment located on the bottom. This Bluetooth speaker has a really nice and uncommon feature, it has a sensor on top so that when the round button section on top is tapped momentarily, the buttons on top all light up for a second, and this is really handy if ever attempting to press the buttons in a dark environment. When the power button is pressed once it shows how much battery power is remaining: 1 LED = 25%, 2 LED’s = 50%, 3 LED’s = 75% and 4 LED’s = 100%. The manufacturer’s box was packaged inside a brown cardboard box so that the product packaging had bubble wrap or foam on all surrounding sides, this is an above average shipping setup. This Bluetooth speaker is great if used for music in the bathroom because of the fact that it is waterproof, the water vapors that build up in a bathroom during a shower will not cause any harm to this Bluetooth speaker. Other Details About This LifeProof AQ10 The speaker setup was difficult to identify because the grills on the front and back have fewer holes compared to the grills on other speakers, this is a good thing in that the grills are stronger because of having fewer holes, but it is difficult to see past the grills to clearly see the speaker measurements. There are two 1.25” speakers and a rectangular shaped passive radiator behind the front grill, then behind the back grill is a passive radiator of the same size and shape as the one behind the front grill. I had to place a bright light directly up to the grills, which lights up the inside area behind the grills enough to get a rough measurement of the speakers. On my Android smartphone I use a music playing app called PowerAmp and it has an equalizer which I have all setup and adjusted according to how I like my music to sound, and my musical preference is to have the bass tuned down quite a bit, I find this sounds good enough yet the reduced bass is less disruptive to neighbors, and because less bass makes the speaker physically move less, it requires less battery power to play music that has less bass. Anyway I am mentioning this to point out that my music setup sends a music signal to my Bluetooth speakers with low amounts of bass, this seemed to result in this LifeProof speaker sounding unusually low on bass when the music was played, which causes me to think this LifeProof speaker was most likely designed with a built in crossover which reduces the bass to the speaker by default, this is wise to reduce the likelihood that a speaker will ever get blown. In order for me to tune the LifeProof AQ10 speaker so that it had enough bass sound, I had to increase the bass frequency of the equalizer settings on my PowerAmp music playing app. If you are playing this Bluetooth speaker with an app that does not have an equalizer already having the bass frequency reduced, it will most likely play music with sufficient bass. I often use most of my Bluetooth speakers to connect to my Windows desktop computer for audio during movie playback, and I have found that some Bluetooth speakers pair better with my smartphones, than they do with the Bluetooth on my desktop PC. This LifeProof AQ10 has less than optimal pairing with my desktop pc, which has a fairly new version of Bluetooth built into the Wi-Fi card, I finally got it connected, but I could not get the built in microphone to record audio, yet when it is connected to my Android smartphone it is functional as a speakerphone during calls. This LifeProof AQ10 Bluetooth speaker is charged by an included 12 volt power adapter, and when the battery has run down completely, it can be plugged in and the music can be played while it is charging. The LifeProof website lists a 13 hours battery, which should probably say up to 13 hours, because the overall real life playback time of any Bluetooth speaker depends upon how loud the music is played. Louder music playback will result in a fewer number of music playback hours. I have several Bluetooth speakers of varying brands, and often times I connect the speakers to my smartphone, and when not listening to music I pause the music and leave the Bluetooth speaker connected, most of my Bluetooth speakers that I have I can keep them connected to my smartphone while the music is not playing, and they stays connected and the battery lasts for several days before the battery finally drains. Bluetooth is designed to be a really low powered wireless signal, and it normally drains such a low amount of power, that when a smartphone is connected but not actually playing the music, it uses next to no power, that is how efficient a Bluetooth connection normally is. For some reason, this LifeProof AQ10 drains more than the normal amount of battery power when it is connected but not playing music. I have tested my LifeProof AQ10 on two occasions by charging it fully and then connecting it to my smartphone and not playing any music at all, the battery goes from fully charged to fully drained in like approximately 20 hours with absolutely no music being played. Normally the battery power of a Bluetooth speaker gets drained mostly from the music being played, it is the movement of the speakers that uses most of the battery power, so I am not sure why this LifeProof AQ10 uses so much battery power when connected and not playing music. Anyways, if using this LifeProof AQ10, it is best to power it down when it is not in use. The small square plastic seal on the side that covers the power and USB connection, is a bit stiff and when it pulls out for charging, it sort of springs back and kind of hinders the power adapter when it is plugged in. I wrapped a rubber band around the plastic cover and it holds it out of the way when charging, a picture showing this is uploaded with my review. The lever that deactivates the buttons and prevents the buttons from accidentally being pressed, is not really that helpful, as the buttons are not really that easy to accidentally press. When I opened my AQ10 and tried to turn it on, I tried for like 5 minutes straight and it would not power up, and then I realized it would not power on because the lever that deactivates the buttons was in the locked mode, so it actually prevents the device from powering on also, the quick start guide makes no mention of this. There is no user’s manual provided, only a quick start users guide which has a website link that allows you to download the user’s manual. The buttons on this LifeProof AQ10 are a little soft when pressed, they kind of lack a more optimal satisfying click when the buttons are pressed, of which the power button is softest, but the buttons are ok, they could be better and they could be worse. Overall Impression Of This Bluetooth Speaker I am rating this item at 3.8 out of 5 stars. The LifeProof AQ10 has a few nice features that some other Bluetooth speakers don’t have, and it is durable and has pretty good sound.

My wife and I have taken to buying and renovating homes and for me, having some music is a necessity when doing this type of work. I have several jobsite radios including a Bosch and Dewalt Toughsystem radio. The sound is incredible from both, but the problem is they are both huge. Lugging them around the jobsite and getting them on and off my truck isn't the most or the easiest task. Insert the Lifeproof AQ10. For a speaker of this size, the sound is pretty amazing. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't compete with the overall sound of the previous mentioned radios that I own, but for its size, I cant complain. I can store this in my toolbox or underneath the back seat in my pickup truck, unlike my other units. For all of the positives having to do with its sound, size and ease of use, there are some things that I wish were made differently on this speaker. Its advertised as a waterproof speaker, but it does me no good if I cant store even an iPod Touch in the compartment to keep it waterproof. If you look at the pictures, I took the case off, which I don't like to do, just to see if it would fit inside of the compartment and when I did, it would not fully close. Big problem for me because whether I'm in the water or working at a house, I prefer to have my device protected inside of something. The compartment will only hold some cash and credit cards, but not keys or a key fob like most push to start vehicles use these days. If a larger compartment is what you need, I would suggest checking out the AQ11. I also wish that the usb port to charge the device was inside of the compartment. If I did have something that would fit inside of the compartment, I would rather have it charge there, as opposed to having to leave the compartment open and plug it in to the side. Pairing and setup were easy and I used the speaker at work in my office for about 9 straight hours and I still had battery life left. The speaker came about 3/4 full, but I just plugged it in to get a full charge before my first use. While the negatives that I pointed out above may not apply to everyone, the speaker is still worth the purchase. I would definitely recommend this. Pros: - Great sound for a speaker this size - Great battery life - Compact size, easy to store - Good instructions and easy to use Cons: - Small compartment, will probably only fit an iPod Nano or similar - USB port is on the outside of the compartment instead of inside