Review of the Beats Pill portable speaker system. Beats Pill: a pill for sadness

Traditionally, we've never been big fans of Beats products. Over the years, the only Beats product to earn a positive recommendation from us was last year's Pill XL - and it was voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer due to a battery overheating problem. The freshly minted Beats Pill+ ($230) offers some hope of a new beginning. This is the first speaker Beats has introduced since its purchase. Apple Corporation last year. Pill+ is the successor to last year's Pill 2.0. This new Pill boasts a battery life of up to 12 hours on a 3-hour charge and is capable of charging an iPhone using a 1A USB port. Beats Pill+ is available in white or black and comes with a branded Lightning cable (used to charge the gadget), an AC adapter and a carrying pouch.

The overall appearance of Pill+ is not very different from its predecessors - after all, it is still the same Pill. But now it has power buttons, volume buttons, a rechargeable LED voltmeter and a multifunction button with the “b” logo on top. The latter is used to control playback and speakerphone. Despite performing a number of functions, the button does its job quite well, requiring only a few clicks to pause or skip through tracks. On the rear side of the speaker - despite the presence of partial protective grille On the back of the Pill+, it is designed for single-sided use only – there is a flap that covers the output connector for charging the device, ports for the Lightning cable and audio input. The design of the gadget is attractive and does not contain anything superfluous, combining the Pill exterior and Apple aesthetics.

The Pill+ measures approximately 8.25 x 2.625 x 2.5 inches. It weighs approximately 1.66 pounds. Slightly larger than UE's recently released UE Boom 2, this speaker is good comparison for Pill+. Hard rubber covers the circumference of the Pill+ and acts as a base for the device and also encloses its control buttons.

The Pill+ does a great job when it comes to audio, but we wouldn't put it in the upper echelon of its price range. It performs well across most of the audio spectrum, and low frequencies also quite good. The Pill+ doesn't have the highest peak volume, but it's loud enough for room listening. We prefer to listen to music on this speaker in the mid to high volume ranges. The speakerphone also performed well.

UE's UE Boom 2, which costs $30 less, can play louder and delivers 360-degree sound, as opposed to the narrower range of the Pill+. While the UE Boom 2 tends to bring vocals to the forefront, the Pill+ has a more balanced sound, which may be preferable when listening to some songs, but on other tracks certain details seem to be pushed too far into the background compared to how the UE sounds Boom 2: These speakers just have different sound profiles, but overall we prefer the UE Boom 2.

At this price and in the absence of absolutely top-notch sound, you would expect a waterproof feature, which is not here. In addition to being able to charge your iPhone, the Pill+ can pair with another Pill+ to double the sound or split stereo channels. Two friends can also control the music together, taking turns as the DJ. All these options are implemented using the Pill+ application, which, unfortunately, has not yet been published in the App Store.

Pill+ is interesting. The feature set isn't bad, but it's not great either - not when other speakers have water resistance features, among other things. The sound produced by Pill+ can be described with the same epithets. He's good, but he can't be considered the best of the best. But we are not disappointed in this gadget - it’s better than that, what we've come to expect from Beats all these years, so how's it going? of this brand can really go uphill. How much of the credit for this success will you attribute to Apple account, you decide. The Pill+ would be much more attractive if it stayed at $200, the same as the previous Pill 2.0, but overall we still recommend this speaker.

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The Beats Pill XL speakers are a next-generation portable speaker system designed for wireless audio playback from any Bluetooth-compatible device. The power of the audio system is enough to provide sound to a large room, party or family picnic. But, in addition, Pill XL may well become the main home system.

Appearance of Beats Pill XL

The column is made in the form of a pill capsule. It is produced in 5 colors: black, white, gold, blue and red, for which plastic with a soft-touch coating is used. The weight of the column is 310 grams.

Even though the Pill XL speakers are larger in size than their predecessor, the device remains lightweight. For convenient carrying of the speaker there is a handle, behind it there is a bass reflex. The small speaker can fit in a bag.

The front part of the speaker is covered with a perforated metal grille. There is a power button on the case, and there are also 2 buttons with which you can adjust the volume. There is a microUSB connector necessary for charging. There are also 2 slots for connecting devices via wire.

Through the grille you can see that the device has 4 speakers and a multifunction button, which is located between them and is made in the form of a logo. Thanks to its backlight, you can determine whether the audio system is working. There is a built-in battery that allows the device to operate for 15 hours, and a battery charge level indicator.

What's included in the Beats Pill XL

The speaker comes in a box made of cardboard. Included in delivery, except for the portable system V protective case, there is an AUX cable (built-in 3.5 mm), power supply, USB 2.0 cable and network adapter. For ease of use, a user manual is included.

The speaker case is very durable and reliably protects the device. There is a special eyelet, which is designed to fix the carabiner to hook the case on the belt. The dimensions of the case allow you to place all the cables in it.

Beats Pill XL Specifications

• Dimensions - 125x370x175 mm;
• Weight - 1500 g;
• Case material - plastic;
• Output power - 12 W;
• Sound - stereo;
• Speakers - 4;
• Connection interfaces - microUSB, Bluetooth, NFC, 2 x AUX;
• Power supply - USB, battery;
• Battery technology is lithium-ion;
• Continuous operation time - 15 hours;
• Built-in microphone - yes.

How Beats Pill XL speakers work

The speaker system works completely wirelessly. The speakers connect to your phone or laptop to adjust the volume and switch tracks, with using Bluetooth. The device is capable of remembering 8 devices that were connected previously.

During operation, the speaker system can be removed from the mobile device at a distance of up to 9 meters. At the same time, sound quality and volume are not lost. That is, the speaker will work perfectly in a room with enough big size.

It is possible to use the device as a loudspeaker to receive calls through the device - connect the phone to the speaker and talk without removing the mobile phone from your pocket. Thanks to the built-in microphone, voice transmission is high-quality. In addition, you can connect to the speaker wired headphones, if such a need arises.

The Pill XL audio system allows you to recharge any mobile device, as it provides USB interface 2.0 and the corresponding connector.

Controlling your Beats Pill XL

To turn on the speaker, press and hold the Beats key located on the front panel for 3 seconds. In this case, the indicator on the back side will flash blue.

Then take your mobile and in the list Bluetooth devices find BeatsPill, which you should connect to, after which you will hear a characteristic notification sound. When working with iPhone 6 Plus, it is recommended to set the volume to half to achieve comfortable listening. After turning off the device, you will hear a farewell melody.

Instant connection is made with using NFC. Just touch the system, namely the mark on top panel, mobile device, be it a smartphone or tablet. A wired connection is made by using an AUX cable.

You can synchronize multiple Pill XL speakers to achieve a powerful stereo effect. To do this, you need to activate them simultaneously when playing one track 2 times in a row, after which one will become the left speaker, and the second – the right one.

To answer or end a call, you need to use the multifunctional round button. If you need to switch between calls, press the B button.

The sound of the Beats Pill XL speakers

Four speakers have a total power of 12 watts. One small speaker is enough to fill a medium-sized room with sound. When connecting two speakers, the stereo effect is felt well, so the speaker system will sound more spacious, any frequencies are reproduced well - both low and high.

However, keep in mind that when different styles music sound speaker system is different, and it is sensitive to EQ changes, even small ones. Provided aptX technology, which is responsible for maintaining sound quality when connected via Bluetooth.

Price and video review of Beats Pill XL

The retail price of Pill XL is 6,390 rubles, but you can find it cheaper - 2,990 rubles if you take advantage of the promotional offer.

A video review of the Beats Pill XL speaker can be viewed below:

Thus, lightweight and compact, the wireless portable speaker is characterized by volume and high-quality sound. You can carry it with you everywhere or use it as a home speaker system. Thanks to Bluetooth modules and NFC connection to mobile devices lightweight, and the built-in microphone allows you to receive incoming calls without taking the phone out of your pocket.

The Beats company is very well known to many for its expensive and high-quality headphones, but today the article will not be about them. We will talk about two Beats speakers - Pill and Pill+. We will get acquainted with the characteristics of the models, their sound quality and compare them with each other. Let's begin!

Beats Pill Speaker

So, the first model that will be discussed is regular version Beats Pill, which was released just in 2013 and is selling quite successfully to this day. Its appearance, which resembles a pill (that’s how Pill is translated from English), materials, build quality and characteristics allow it to special problems compete with similar models from other manufacturers.

Contents of delivery

The Monster Beats Pill speaker comes in a small cardboard box With matte finish. At the top, the buyer is greeted with a photo of the “pill” itself, and at the back are all its main features and characteristics.

Inside the box there is a speaker, in a sealed transparent blister and a branded case. In addition, the user will find a small carabiner inside the kit to attach the speaker to something, an adapter charger, USB - microUSB adapter, double-sided cable with 3.5 mm plugs for wired connection, and, of course, a set of instructions to boot. In general, the equipment can be safely called rich.

Appearance

The Beats Pill portable speaker looks interesting. The case materials are high-quality matte plastic and a metal grille with fine perforations covering 4 speakers.

On the back of the “pill” there are 2 3.5 mm jacks, a power button, a Bluetooth indicator and a backlit microUSB port. On top are the volume down and up buttons, and the front side completes everything, where you can see the Beats logo, which is also a multifunction button and has a backlight, as well as a microphone hole.

Characteristics

Now a little about the main characteristics of the Beats Pill speaker. The system power is 12 W. There are 3 ways to connect a smartphone to the speaker: NFC, Bluetooth and using a two-way cable. Additionally, there is a microphone, which allows you to turn the speaker into a headset. Time battery life at fully charged is about 6.5-7 hours, which is not so little.

Sound and price

Now we can move on to sound quality. The lows sound great - the bass is dense and rich. There are no problems with the high frequencies either. The only thing that slightly spoils the overall picture is the slightly overwhelmed middle, but this is not so critical for such small device. There is a reserve in volume, and it is enough to throw a party in a small one-room apartment.

As for the price, then this moment You can buy a speaker from 3,500 to 11,500 thousand rubles. The spread is wide, but the model is clearly worth the money. It is also worth considering that stores can sell fakes at a low price, so be careful.

Beats Pill+

It's time to move on to the second Beats speaker - Pill+. At first glance, it is not much different from previous model, but it is not so. There are differences, and we will definitely tell you about them.

Equipment

The Monster Beats Pill+ speaker comes in almost the same box as the regular Pill. Inside, in addition to the “pill,” there is a charger, a case, instructions and a USB cable. This time there is no carabiner for fastening, and the quality of the case leaves much to be desired (the previous model was fine with this).

Design

Concerning appearance and design in general, the Beats Pill+ column has remained virtually unchanged compared to the first “pill”. In front there is a familiar metal mesh, behind which 4 speakers are hidden - 2 low-frequency and 2 high-frequency. On the back side there is also a similar mesh, only it is diluted by a small insert of matte plastic with a rubber plug. Under the plug itself there is a USB connector (3.5 mm) and a Lighting connector for charging.

The controls have “moved” to the upper end. There are also volume buttons and the usual backlit Beats multifunction button, as well as the power key, next to which there is now a battery level indicator, which was so lacking in the regular Pill.

Model characteristics

There is no point in listing all the characteristics of the Beats Pill+ speaker, so we will only consider the differences from the previous model. So, perhaps the most important differences are the absence of NFC, the appearance of a Lighting connector for charging, the ability to charge a smartphone from a speaker, and a reinforced battery that allows you to enjoy music for up to 12 hours. The speaker power remained at the same level - 12 W. Otherwise in technically everything remains the same.

Sound and price

Now about the sound. The sound has become noticeably better than that of the previous model, but the problems with the middle, unfortunately, remain the same. High and low frequencies do not raise questions; everything is very good here, as before. The volume reserve has clearly increased, and now it is quite enough to fill a 2-3-room apartment with sound.

As for the cost, at the moment you can buy a Beats Pill+ speaker for 13-16 thousand rubles, although there are offers with an even higher and, conversely, lower price.

That's all, actually. Which model to choose is up to you, but in any case it will be a good choice.

In May 2014, for $3 billion, it announced the first wireless speaker since the deal was concluded. Model Pill+ is, which guarantees up to 12 hours of operation without recharging and can be used as a charger thanks to USB ports and USB-C.

In contact with

Pill+ slightly larger than the original Pill version. The new product supports a new two-way crossover system, providing an optimal sound field with a wide dynamic range. The device weighs about 700 grams and can be easily carried in a bag.

“High-quality sound lovers are not always satisfied with Bluetooth speakers. We spent countless days, weeks and months getting the perfect combination of form and technical function. The result is a compact Pill+ that's great for travel while still capturing the mood of a song," says Beats President Luke Wood.

According to Beats representatives, Pill+ supports the same tweeter and woofer acoustic engine used in professional recording studios around the world.

Rubberized power and volume control buttons are located on the top of the speaker. The metallic Beats logo can be used to pause and play music.

As mentioned above, the speaker provides up to 12 hours of operation on a single charge and allows you to fully charge your iOS device within three hours thanks to the built-in USB port, to which you can connect a Lightning cable. The power consumption sensor shows how much charge is left. The speaker's battery can be charged using the built-in USB port.

In addition to Pill+ a special will be released mobile app for iPhone. The program will allow you to control a playlist from two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. It will also be possible to connect a second Pill+. The speakers can be configured to play music in sync or for contrast playback.

Since the Pill speakers went on sale in 2012, Beats has sold over a million units. Unfortunately, Pill XL is being withdrawn from the market due to fire hazard.

It is worth noting that the company plans to release a mobile application for devices in the near future. Android based. Pill+ will be available for purchase in early November of this year. The cost of the speaker, available in two colors – black and white, is $229.95.

By the way, correspondents from The Verge believe that Pill+"the most beautiful and high quality wireless speaker that Beats has ever produced."

Curious Reimagined Column Pill+: Lightning is used for charging, operating time is 12 hours, traditional Beats sound, there are interesting additional functions, but the price is a little confusing...

Contents of delivery

• Column
• USB cable
• power unit
• Case
• Instructions

Design, construction

Some time ago, Beats released a pair of speakers, let’s call them big and small; in fact, this is what many manufacturers did when trying to build a line, but with similar decisions not everything is simple, people often are not looking for a large audio system or a small audio system, they choose something in between. The JBL Charge format turned out to be optimal for use both at home and on the street; this device still sets the tone in the market, so all manufacturers are forced to peep and learn from experience. Well, if you don’t do this, then it will turn out like with Jawbone, they released speakers in three formats until they closed the direction completely due to lack of sales. The updated Beats Pill + is a rethinking of the old approach - one column for all occasions.

Naturally, being under the wing of Apple, Beats can afford to relax a little, but this is not happening yet, and this is very good. All Beats products released over the last year or two will be relevant for a long time, sometimes optimized for use with Apple technology– Pill + included lightning cable, which will make your life easier if you use an iPhone/iPad - they are quite universal in terms of sound and good in terms of design. In other words, it’s nice to pick it up. All this is relevant for Pill, and, let me say in advance, I really liked the column.

The packaging is typical for the company's products, a good box, the column is wrapped in paper, each item from the set is in its own packaging. U European version a regular plug, I advise you to keep an eye on this point - models for England and China have a different accessory. The fabric case is made rather strangely, some kind of worn sock, but there is a black Lightning cable, with its help you can charge the speaker and charge your smartphone from the speaker. There is a plug on the back, some people have a problem with removing it, although there is simply no need to be tricky here; you pull out the tab in front, then the entire plug. Underneath it are hidden AUX, USB for charging smartphones and Lightning for charging. The battery indicator near the power button, five LEDs will tell you what is happening with the device. It’s good that there are five of them; you can more accurately determine the remaining charge.

After a couple of days of use, I fully appreciated the advantages of Lightning; I have such cables everywhere - at home, in the car, in the office, so I can charge Pill anywhere. This is great, no need to look for microUSB. Well, the possibility of using the column as external battery It’s also good, well done at Beats for not forgetting about a function that is important to many.

But there is something I won’t tell you about the design. The speaker does not have protection against splashes, it looks great, past experiments related to the name (Pill) are still visible here, now it is almost invisible, the speaker has a familiar shape, is well assembled, is available in black and white, there are limited versions, but We don't sell them. The device is neither large nor small, but definitely weighty, 740 grams is no joke. As I said above, the thing is quite universal; many people use and will use Pill + as the main audio device at home, on the street, and in other places. You can also take it on a trip, especially if you have a suitcase.

The front of the speakers is covered by a metal grill, the central part is made of velvety plastic, and at the back there is also a grille and an insert made of “soft-touch” plastic. There was no leg at the bottom; the material prevents the speaker from “crawling” on the table during playback, even if there is a tilt.

On the top there are all the device control buttons, these are the power button, Beats for additional functions, and volume buttons. Don't forget to install the Beats Pill+ app, you can use it to access additional features:

• Combining two speakers into a stereo pair.
• Sound amplification (in general, two speakers are also used, but not as a stereo pair).
• DJ, two people connect from their smartphones to a speaker and play different music. I tried to do this with a friend, it worked the second time - first you connect the first device, then the second, then switch the music from your smartphones.

For all the mentioned manipulations, you need to use the Beats button on the top, it is backlit and made very beautifully. Just for this button you can shake the designers’ hand. As you can see, social functions They tried to implement it to their fullest - while for Russia this may not be very relevant, but for the USA it is very much so, there are a lot of Beats fans there. And that’s where all these functions will really be in demand.

According to the application, current version Software 2.1.14, to update you need to connect the speaker with a cable to the computer, go to a special page, download the program there, or check the software version right on the spot - specified number while it is relevant, the column has everything latest features. You can also download the program for OS X; the utility will automatically launch when the speaker is connected and check the software version.

The device has a speakerphone installed, it works perfectly, it’s quite possible to talk to someone not even alone, but together, to arrange a mini-meeting - that’s how we tested Pill+. We were heard perfectly, and we also heard our interlocutor well. You can also answer a call directly from the speaker, and this is a big plus.

In general, the speaker does not raise any questions in terms of operating time, functionality, design - everything you need is there, except, perhaps, protection from water. But, as I often write, better for users don’t talk about this at all so that people don’t throw speakers into the water.

Working hours

The stated operating time is 12 hours, feel free to use the included power supply. For fully charged it will take about three hours. As already mentioned, you can also charge other devices using the speaker, which is very convenient on the road or on the street. To check the column you can always press Power button and see how many indicators are on.

Sound

Lots of bass, lots of bass! Don’t be fooled by the small size of the device, the “pill” sounds as expected, has a huge volume reserve, the device easily sounds both a large room in an apartment and the space around you near the horizontal bars. Riding a bike is also nice sound accompaniment helps to move pedestrians who have climbed onto the bike path. By the way, here's a video about what's inside the speaker.

An article with photographs in analysis. The person there laments about many things, about the sound quality, but in fact all this is nonsense - in front of us is a small speaker, not a pair of Nautiluses, that JBL Charge, that Pill are not intended for audiophiles, but for ordinary people who want to listen to music rather than study graphs in tests.

So, inside the speaker there are four speakers, two high-frequency, two low-frequency, you shouldn’t be surprised at the gaps in the “middle”, Beats is still counting on bass lovers. And there are no questions here, the speaker is booming as expected. But, of course, you can listen to anything you want using Pill + - jazz, pop, techno - but maybe it’s better not to include classics.

conclusions

In retail, the speaker costs 17,990 rubles, an amazing price for such a device - let me remind you, there is a JBL Charge 3 of a similar size for 10,990 rubles (and the sound is more interesting, honestly), there is a JBL Pulse 2 with backlight and good sound for 11,990 rubles, there is, finally, JBL Xtreme, it is three times more than Pill+ and costs 14,990 rubles. I specifically mentioned JBL because it is the strongest player in the portable audio market, and this cannot be ignored. Apparently Apple thinks differently.

So, if you don’t look at the price, I really liked the device - the design is good, it uses Lightning, the sound is groovy, it has a 12-hour battery life, and there are additional functions. Everything is fine. But 17,990 rubles? I advise my colleagues responsible for Beats to often look at competitors’ prices, exchange rates, and other things - in the USA the device costs $229.95.

If the price doesn’t bother you, you can safely take it. I especially recommend it to those who use only Apple equipment.