Turcom is a relatively new name in audio; at least it’s not one I’ve encountered before. I was sent a Turcom AcoustoShock Bluetooth speaker to try out, and it turned out to be a pretty decent and affordable performer—something that would make a great graduation gift for a student looking for a portable speaker to cart around during the summer.
Portable, Sort Of…
The Turcom AcoustoShock is meant to be a portable speaker. It has an eight-hour battery, it’s IPX 5 water-resistant and dustproof (it will survive rain or being hit by a hose but not being thrown in a lake), it has a ruggedized case, and even a button-activated pop-out carrying handle. However… at 10-inches long, nearly 5-inches tall, close to 4-inches deep, and over four pounds, it pushes portability. The handle certainly helps, but it’s not something you slip in a pocket or purse.
Surprising Decent Audio
Despite a reasonable $129.99 price tag, the Turcom AcoustoShock offers surprisingly good audio performance. There’s a 30-watt amplifier, which is more power than you typically see in this class of speaker. But its size also helps out a lot here. Dual 2.75-inch front facing drivers and what appear to be a pair of rear-firing bass radiators (maybe they’re subwoofers, there are some conflicting descriptions between the manufacturer website and retailer sites) have a little more separation than usual and the thick case provides the room for some impressively deep bass to be generated. While the bass is always a strong presence, it doesn’t overpower the mid range or the high end. The volume doesn’t go quite as loud as I would expect for a 30-Watt amp and (like most portable audio systems) after hitting about 90 percent of maximum volume it gets a little rough, but there should be enough sound from this speaker to dominate a small room and provide an enjoyable outdoor listening experience.
The Rest
Connectivity is via Bluetooth 4.0 (with NFC pairing) or 3.5mm AUX input. The speaker also supports hands-free speakerphone mode with a smartphone. The 8000 mAh lithium ion battery (recharger is included) can also be used to top up a mobile device using the built-in USB port, although doing so is going to cut into that eight-hour battery life.
The speaker design is a combination of materials and colors: smooth rubberized gray around the middle and covering the touch controls, raised black textured rubber around the edges, black metal speaker grills, and orange trim. It’s meant to look rugged and succeeds. My wife thinks it’s ugly, but the kids think it’s cool.
My 13-year-olds having been enjoying the Turcom AcoustoShock. It’s more than loud enough for their use, the handle makes it easy to carry around, and it’s been moving from their games room to the back yard for playing basketball. It’s sufficiently rugged that there are no worries about a stray basketball, water gun battle, or unexpected rain shower doing any damage. My only concern is that pop-up handle. It’s a great idea, but the spring loaded mechanism seems like the weak link in the scheme.
The Turcom AcoustoShock Bluetooth speaker is available for $129.99 on Amazon.
Disclosure: Turcom provided a speaker for review purposes.
