“Though its battery life is fleeting, the SC-NE10's ironclad armor, warm sound and low price earn it a spot on our shortlist.”
- Shaped like a spaceship
- Impressive bass
- Clean midrange
- Boost button halves battery life
- Low max volume
Before we begin, can we all agree that Panasonic needs to work on coming up with better names for its gear? I mean, let’s be honest, SC-NT10 isn’t exactly sexy. That said, we loved this little speaker. Shaped like a miniature spaceship (and remarkably reminiscent of the old Simon Says game from back in the day) the speaker’s hardened shell promises water, shock, and dust resistance, as well as the ability to withstand extreme temperatures, from -10 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
The protective cover around the copper disc is fashionable in its way, and even includes a cool Q-bert pattern on the bottom platform. But the real marvel, as far as we’re concerned, is the SC-NT10’s ability to squeeze quality audio from a single 1 ⅜-inch driver. The little speaker provided a clean and warm midrange, excellent presence and detail, and a pleasant, balanced sound signature across all genres. The speaker also put out an impressive level of bass for a small portable, thanks to its 2-inch passive radiator, which handled hip-hop with some muscle, and even created the Jurassic Park effect on a glass of water resting next to it on our coffee table.
Features include an Aux input, onboard speakerphone, a battery monitor icon for your smartphone, and even NFC pairing. The only real drawbacks are the speaker’s low max volume, and battery run-time. The battery is listed at a respectable 8 hours, but we had to engage the Boost button to get decent levels, which cut that figure almost in half, limiting the SC-NT10’s applications. But with great sound and ironclad armor, this $100 disc still offers some of the best value you can currently get in a portable speaker.
For comparisons check out our Bluetooth Speaker Roundup.
Highs
- Shaped like a spaceship
- Impressive bass
- Clean midrange
Lows
- Boost button halves battery life
- Low max volume
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