Bayan Audio is no stranger to these parts, we had the pleasure of reviewing the Soundbook X3 a few months back and it left us most impressed! So when Bayan offered to send us the X3’s little brother, the Soundbook GO, I welcomed the chance. This is the Bayan Audio Soundbook GO review, big sound in a small package!
- Enjoy up to 9 hours of wireless music
- Simple pairing in seconds with Smart Bluetooth v4.0 or NFC
- Dynamic bass
- NFC connection for super quick pairing with a supported Smartphone or tablet
- Ultra compact at 480g
- Micro USB to charge directly from a laptop or most Smartphone chargers
- Encased in an anti-slip, travel friendly smart cover – turns on when opened, off when closed
- Available in Black, Red, Blue or White
- Built in microphone for hands-free conference calling
- 15W Stereo
- 2 x 1″ long throw neodymium, 1 x 2″ passive bass radiator
Design
The design of the Soundbook GO is pretty much identical to that of its big brother the Soundbook X3 with some minor material differences. The angled stance helps utilize the front speaker cover as a stand exactly as the X3 does and the lines are clean and minimally done, excellent clean design. The cover does a good job of keeping the speaker covered and protected but you should brush it off after use so any dirt from it being used as a stand doesn’t transfer. The only major difference between the X3 and the GO (other than size and power) is the plastic. The X3 uses high quality aircraft grade aluminum in its construction and the GO replaces that with plastic which does bring the cost down substantially. The good news is that the plastic sure hasn’t had a negative affect on the sound. Overall the design of the GO is beautiful and well done.
Sound
Shut up and take my money!! That’s pretty much what the GO sounds like. Not as powerful as the X3 but still packs its own wallop. This small speaker has no problem filling up a living room sized room with high quality sound with no cracking or breaking at all. I’ve used and reviewed a few other small Bluetooth speakers and this has been the best of the bunch so far. Strong enough for outdoor patio use as well. Probably not going to fill up a real bumping party with 100 people but the GO is no slouch in the sound department. I wanted to put the GO to the test when it came to its sound. So I decided to see how it would fare as a personal guitar practice amp and hooked it up to my iPad Air via my iRigHD using the AmpliTube app. Check out the video below for the results and pardon the very rusty guitar chops.
After my test with the guitar I was pretty convinced this is one of the best sounding Bluetooth speakers on the market and yes I am still using it as a practice amp (I need a lot of practice). The GO is both Bluetooth and NFC capable so those with NFC can just tap to pair. There is an AUX out in case you want to go wired and the GO also functions as a external battery to power your phone when on the “GO.” You can also make and receive phone calls with the GO as it does have an external mic. The cover acts as an on/off switch, open it and it’s on, close it and it’s off. This is without a doubt, one of the best small bluetooth/nfc speakers money can buy.
Value
At $139.99 the Soundbook GO is priced a bit higher than the competition and in some cases you can find speakers of similar size dirt cheap, but the attention to sound and design is what keeps Bayan above those. You might be paying a little bit more than some other speakers but once you hear the sound on the GO you will be pleased. And if that doesn’t convince you, Bayan is offering a free 30 day trial (UK only)of any of their Soundbook products so you can test it for yourself, now that’s value and confidence right there! Is the Soundbook GO worth the price, you bet your butt it is.
Wrap-Up
With some booming sound and slick looks you just can’t go wrong with the Soundbook GO. Bayan has really nailed it with this small speaker and it’s really one of the best on the market. Highly recommended! If you can afford the larger more expensive Soundbook X3 that is another option to consider, as it also is an amazing piece of sound engineering!
[rwp-review id=”0″]*We were sent a Soundbook GO for the purpose of this review.
Last Updated on November 27, 2018.