Like the tiny MP141 cube speaker that Anker recently dropped, the Sceptre SoundPal is small and unassuming — traits that are now standard in the completely-wireless-speaker race. How good it sounds is a mystery that will remain unsolved until we get a chance to put our hands on one. But, considering its small size and lack of impressive audio-related specs on paper, sound quality expectations should probably be tempered. Still, we think it is worth a look considering its reasonable price and surprising list of features.
Though it weighs in at less than a pound, it’s not entirely miniscule but it will fit in your hand, making it an easy speaker to bring along for convenient listening. The speaker has two small active drivers, one passive bass radiator, and a built-in amplifier. The football-ish SoundPal supports Bluetooth, has NFC (near field communication) pairing capabilities, and can connect to non-Bluetooth/NFC devices with the included 3.5mm line-in cable. The speaker’s built-in Lithium polymer battery is said to provide around six hours of constant playback before requiring a recharge via USB. Don’t have any compatible devices? The SoundPal will let you use a Micro SD card.
Just like the Anker MP141 (we noted a number of similarities between the two wireless portable Bluetooth speakers), the SoundPal can morph into a speakerphone with its integrated noise-cancelling microphone. Connect your smartphone via Bluetooth and, using the device’s onboard controls, you’ve got the ability to answer or ignore calls, pause, resume music and switch tracks.
Clocking in at $70, the SoundPal is a tough cookie to evaluate at this point. It could rock or it could whimper. Either way, if you grab one now, you can pick from six colors and it’ll come with a handful of accessories, including a protector cover and carabiner for backpack attachment.
