Customer Ratings & Reviews

The clip for the speaker broke the first time I used it. It will cost me $20 and 3 weeks to get a replacement.

This is a really good, useful little speaker. I am very surprised at how loud it is for its size. I also like the caribeaner clip which allows me to hang it from any number of places. It is easy to use and connect to. Very nice product.

I like some of the design elements like the illuminated icons but I think the built-in carabiner is fragile. It has good water resistance protection but average sound quality. It can’t be paired with other units to support stereo or “party” mode. It is a nice speaker but costs twice as much as it should. Pros: IPX7 water resistance (doesn’t float). Protected against short durations of (fresh) water immersion. Max immersion for less than 30 minutes at a depth of less than 1 meter. Rinse with fresh water after exposure to salty, soapy or chlorine water. Bottom and back sides have a slightly raised rubberized lip that keeps it from sliding. Illuminated icons on the buttons. The bluetooth button light slowly pulses on and off while in use making it easy to locate in the dark. Tapping any of the control buttons will illuminate all of them for about 4 seconds making it easy to tell which button is which. You can tell them apart by feel after using it a short time but the illuminated icons are a nice touch. Battery level indicator lights. Tapping the power button will light up 1-4 indicator dots to show the level of battery remaining. Control lock. There is a small lever that can be rotated between lock and unlock positions which also illuminates small locked/unlocked icons. When the unit is off the controls can be locked to prevent accidentally powering on. Locking the controls while it is in use will prevent all the buttons from working including the power button. Decent bluetooth range. The range seems as good as my other small bluetooth speakers and earbuds. Speakerphone functionality with built in microphone. User interface tones are helpful. Power on/off tones. Bluetooth pairing/connection status tones. Max volume tone. Ringtone when receiving a call. Cons: Sound isn’t the greatest, certainly lacks bass. It doesn’t sound terrible but for $100 I expect more. You could pay half the price for other speakers and have the same or better sound. The Sony XB10 sounds much better at half the price although it is only IPX5 water resistant. The JBL Clip 2 is also half the price with IPX7 rating. Cannot be paired with another LifeProof speaker for “party” mode or stereo sound. I could be wrong but I don’t think so because there is NO mention of that functionality on the included documentation, the packaging or their website. There is also no button/light that suggests is supports that feature. Speakers that cost half as much support this functionality. Carabiner lock mechanism seems fragile. The carabiner arm is spring loaded so it opens when unlatched which is nice feature -until the latch breaks. Then it would be annoying with no way to keep it closed. I prefer the design of the JBL Clip 2 with a built in “loop” that can accept the included carabiner or practically any other carabiner, cord, tie, whatever. After it is submerged in water it takes quite some time to get all the water out of the unit. The carabiner pivot/hinge as well as the latch mechinism seem to hold most of that water. Even after vigorous shaking and drying on my counter for a full day I can shake it and still get a fine spray of water flying out of the carabiner hinge.

On my long commutes into work, my car still has nothing but an AM/FM radio to keep me company, and all it receives are stations offering scratchy 70s Lithuanian disco or, even worse, Dodgers games. For me, this blue tooth speaker has been a revelation! While it isn't stereo, the music I have saved on my phone sounds great and all of the narrators of my saved audio books sound like James Earl Jones! Seriously, all the words are crystal clear. Would I buy it again? Absolutely. And I love showing it off to all my friends.

Review - LifeProof - AQUAPHONICS AQ9 Portable Bluetooth Speaker This little Bluetooth speaker IS loud for its size. It also feels rugged as described. I think it'd be great to take hiking or biking. I like the caribiner attachment; it seems sturdy and secure. It'd be great to hang on a backpack or from a small tree branch. The case is rugged and looks like it could put up with some wear and tear. The box says that the battery will last up to 16 hours. Like many similar devices these days, the battery is not user-accessible and must be serviced by LifeProof. The audio quality is nice for its size, but it seems overpriced for its feature set.

My favorite thing about this speaker is that it pairs with everything I've tried it with. including my Win 7 PC w/bluetooth dongle. This is the only wireless audio device that I've been able to pair with my PC. But mostly I use it with my android phone, and sometimes my tablet. It has very good sound from low to high range and it's very rugged. I also like the handle that opens and closes so that you can attach it to a belt loop, backpack, etc.

The LifeProof - Aquaphonics AQ9 Portable Bluetooth Speaker is well designed and made to handle some tough situations that other speakers will not stand up to. I can see hiking with it and the sound quality is great although compared to the Wonderboom it has less bass. However the Wonderboom is round (cylinder) shaped and would not be as convenient to carry around. This speaker comes with a built in carabineer that can lock around a belt loop or hang from a backpack. The syncing process is typical of the new wave of Bluetooth devices and is very easy and intuitive. I paired it with my PC and could play YouTube or iTunes nicely. Of course it takes the place of your computer speakers. When I clicked on the speaker icon I could switch between the PC and this device and this little speaker was far better than the JBL speakers on my AIO. I also easily paired it to my Android cell phone and it was terrific with Google's PLAY Music. It has just the right amount of operation buttons including power on/off which is nicely accompanied by sounds. You can also raise and lower volume and pause or skip tracks. There seems to be a gap in online documents as there is no manual as promised in the one page sheet included but you don't need a manual. A very nice feature is a lock/unlock which disables the function buttons and this is nice so you can hike or stroll on the beach and not accidently change anything. I think this product is a winner and for those who don't want or need to wear headphones it sure makes the music come alive compared to a computer or cell phone speaker. It comes with a cable to charge via a USB charger or from the computer. Love it.

The Lifeproof AQ9 portable speaker works fairly well . . . when you can get it to work. I had the worst time trying to get this device to pair with anything. It took me six attempts across two days to get this to pair with my Android smartphone (a relatively recent model running Bluetooth 4.0). The first four attempts my smartphone couldn’t even see the speaker. The fifth attempt (the next day) it saw the speaker, but I got an error about an invalid pin. The sixth attempt, I got an error about an invalid pin; but it suddenly connected anyway. It took me two attempts to get this to pair with my older Android tablet (with the pin error on my first attempt and no error on my second). The difficulties that I faced are ironic given the fact that the device touts itself as being able to connect to up to 8 devices. Once connected, my devices don’t seem to have any problem finding the speaker again. Sound quality is “meh.” The volume is fair, but the sound seems to be missing quite a bit in the mid ranges. For the most part, music sound tinny. But when you get to a part of a song with a lot of bass, the bass kicks in pretty strongly (just for the duration of that part though). There is no middle ground. The bass is either going strong or not at all. Connection range is good. I had my phone at the opposite end of my one bedroom apartment, and the speaker played without buffering or distortion. The clip is a nice touch, but the speaker’s size renders it somewhat awkward. It’s too big to casually stuff into a pocket or have dangling from a backpack (in my opinion). It’s just a little smaller than a handheld cassette player from the ‘80s-‘90s. If you're in a dorm room or camping, and space is an issue, this speaker could be a good fit for you as a compact desktop speaker. For my needs though, its size hampers its portability. The device may be water and shock resistant, but you should expect it to show wear. The exterior is (mostly) a hard stiff plastic that looks like it will scuff fairly easily. Individual elements like the charging port cover and buttons are rubberized and will likely hold up better. All in all, I’m afraid that I wasn’t terribly impressed with this speaker. With a little more work to refine the design and fix the connectivity issues, this could be a good concept. As it stands, it's not quite ready yet.

Love this thing. Great sound. Very loud and extremely rugged. Definitely a must have

So I consider myself an audio snob so I am very picky about sound. I have listened to countless Bluetooth speakers and came to the realization that no handheld rechargeable speaker will ever sound as good as a $10k home system. On that note, I have also realized that I would never take my home system outdoors and place it near open beverages in the sun. My point is you will sacrifice some sound for the usability. With all of that in mind, this speaker still has great sound, in fact you would never expect that sound to come out of this little speaker. As with any smaller Bluetooth speaker the bass is a bit "tinny" but that is to be expected without large woofer s to push air. The mids and highs are very crisp. I love that you can sit this in the sun next to your open drinks while playing in the hose with your dog and feel 100% comfortable. This speaker has taken a few splashes and no issues. I can't say the same for my Jambox or Bose speakers. Overall, if I want great sound I need to go inside but when I am out having fun in the elements, this speaker is just what you need!

Love this speaker. The sound is better than other's with similar size. I like the hook where I can attach it to my backpack, belt loop, etc. Not sure how long the battery will last yet, but I can say I have listened to it for at least 8 hours and the battery is still going from the first charge. Took 1 minute to get it set up. Would recommend it to a friend.

Let me start by saying that I have had (and have) several bluetooth speakers. So I have a decent understanding of the varying qualities of speakers out there. This one has won me over and is my new favorite! The build quality is the first thing I noticed about it. It is solid and sturdy but not too heavy. I love the layout and design as well. The hook (or lock) is very handy and I find myself using it all the time. Sound quality for this level speaker is quite good. Nice balance between music and audio books/podcasts. It has plenty of volume for me as well. Battery life is where this thing really surprised me. I've used it a lot since I got it and this past weekend I used it for several hours while piddling around the house. Came in and plugged it up and it still had nearly 3/4th battery life left! I haven't tested the waterproofness of the unit but that is just another plus for the speaker. I really do enjoy using it and highly recommend it to anyone wanting a nice, rugged, and great sounding bluetooth speaker.

the speaker cuts out if you go 10 or so feet away and especially if you go behind a wall. the speaker got dropped a couple feet and the clip piece broke so it wont stay shut. and it does not get to loud. it is easy to take with you. small enough to fit in a pocket of loose fit jeans. if the clip did not break, its a nice idea to have. also do like that it has a aux port so if you cant use Bluetooth, you can still plug in via aux cord. if you keep it close it works great. but again for he price, I don't feel its worth it. have a 360 speaker for the same price that sounds better, and has a better range.

Given the waterproof, shock resistant, and multiple Bluetooth capability of this speaker I was anxious to test its credentials. After initially pairing one (1) device I was somewhat impressed with the sound quality of the AQ9. As advertised the AQ9 also paired with multiple devices via Bluetooth. It is of course not audiophile quality but sufficient for its intended use. While I did not test the shock resistance, I did test the water resistance feature by submerging it in a full bathtub for ten (10) minutes. As advertised the AQ9 continued, after being removed from submersion, to operate properly. Overall this is a great Bluetooth speaker for outdoor enthusiasts as it can resist all the " traumas" of water, shock, dust, snow, etc. The carabiner on the AQ9 would make this ideal for easily attaching to belts, pack packs, etc.

The Aquaphonics AQ9 Portable is a solid small Bluetooth speaker that focuses on being portable, rugged and waterproof. It meets all of these goals excellently. A particularly nice design feature is how the handle doubles as a carabiner. I've found that extremely useful. The 16 hours of battery provides all that's needed for a full day's use. The only thing that kept me from giving this great product a 5-star rating is the sound quality. This is a handy, rugged functional speaker. It put's out impressive sound levels. However, the sound quality is good - not great, not poor, but good. If you're looking for that elusive high-quality sound in a small speaker, this is not it. Personally, for it's focus, the sound quality of the AQ9 is absolutely sufficient for it's practical uses.

I really wanted to like this speaker. It seems well built with lots of features. It's waterproof as well and pretty loud. Good battery life. It's a little too big (for me) to be wearable but fine for attaching to a bag. The problem for me is the not so great sound quality. It doesn't have much bass but I'm kind of picky about the sound. If you catch it on sale it might be worth it or if you're taking it to the pool or beach a lot. I care more about the sound.

This small, but mighty speaker was very durable despite the sticky situations I put it through. while mine still works, it is worn. I'm looking for a new comparable one.

Awesome little speaker Only as big as your hand, but with enough "oomph" to power a small room with sounds I keep mine on the sink counter when I am getting ready for work to play out some decent tunes I never worry about a little splash of water or knocking it off of the counter. It is resistant to both water and small drops If you want something small and durable with decent sound, LifeProof's new line is a hit

The AQ-9 offers decent sound, good battery life, and pairs easily. Unfortunately, it falls short in several categories. The first, which may be corrected soon, is that the instructions are woefully inadequate and the website is no help. Although the battery is large (claimed 16 hr battery life) and can accept up to 2 amp charge, there is no charger included, just a cable. For whatever reason, I could not get another usb cable to charge the unit, only the supplied cable. And with such a large battery, one would expect to be able to charge a phone in an emergency, but a separate charging port is not available. Finally, it's just too large (5.5"x1.25"x3.25") and heavy(9oz, over half a pound). You might clip it to a beach bag or picnic basket, but for hiking, running, or biking it's just too much.

Worked great. Easy to set up with my iPhone. Great quality sound. I have been using it when out on my boat. Glad its waterproof. Unique design, resembles old cassette player.