Morel Hifi is a kind of premium audio manufacturers that I’ve been peripherally conscious of, however had not had the possibility to check out. The corporate has made a reputation for itself in hand-assembled automotive audio and residential audio system. It additionally launched a minimalist transportable Bluetooth speaker known as the Högtalare a couple of years again that was very properly acquired. This 12 months, Morel boosted its transportable Bluetooth speaker providing in an enormous (or reasonably smaller) manner with the brand new BIGGIE. It’s clearly associated to the Högtalare–minimalist, fashionable and filled with excessive finish parts–however the BIGGIE is smaller, extra reasonably priced (at $249), accessible in a wide variety of colours and geared up with a fake leather-based deal with for straightforward carrying.
Sure, utilizing the BIGGIE identify for a smaller speaker is slightly complicated, however as you’ll see, Morel Hifi does plenty of issues in another way.
I’ve spent the previous few weeks going fingers on with a pair of Morel Hifi BIGGIE audio system. The BIGGIE just isn’t for everybody–I wouldn’t take one tenting, for instance–however they placed on a powerful efficiency and regarded incredible.
First Impression: It Seems to be Like It Ought to Be Extra Costly
The BIGGIE is a minimalist field with a low gloss painted end, a fake leather-based deal with (embossed with Högtalare in a affirmation of its relationship to the bigger Morel Hifi speaker) and two machined metal-looking round pads on both aspect that maintain the strap in place. In addition to the deal with, it’s all sharp angles. On the again of the speaker is a welcome 3.5mm AUX enter and a USB-C port used to cost the speaker or to make use of its battery to prime up a smartphone. There are not any seen switches or buttons to interrupt the floor, simply the deal with.
The entrance is totally coated by a material mesh grill that matches the case shade and attaches magnetically. Pop it off and the BIGGIE immediately reveals itself to be all enterprise. The black speaker cupboard is dominated by a 4-inch woofer, with a tweeter and a bass reflex port on show, in addition to a vertical row of backlit buttons.
As far as transportable audio system go, I’d say this falls into the smaller finish of the mid-size spectrum. It’s 7-inches sq., 4.5-inches deep and weighs 5.7 kilos.
So Many Colours
Most transportable audio system are available in one shade–usually black. Some provide a couple of colours. Morel is producing the BIGGIE in 9 completely different colours, together with the Denim Blue and Aqua Frost of my evaluate items. There’s a shade accessible to enhance any decor or choice.
Morel Hifi additionally bucks traits by hand assembling its merchandise.
First Hear: It Sounds Like It Ought to Be Extra Costly
Seems to be are one factor, however how does the BIGGIE sound? The excellent news is Morel didn’t spend your entire funds on making a speaker that appears good. The BIGGIE has some bonafide audio credentials together with that large, 4-inch woofer, a 1-inch tweeter, 60W of sophistication D amplification with a personalized DSP and a front-ported bass reflex cupboard design.
The speaker places these parts to good use. The BIGGIE performs music with a satisfying low finish, strong mid-range and crisp highs. The general tone is heat, however not muddied. Songs like Tv’s “Marquee Moon” and Killing Joke’s “Love Like Blood”–each that includes a distinguished bass line and a powerful electrical guitar presence– sounded nice, taking advantage of the dual-driver setup. The Dandy Warhol’s “Each Day Ought to Be a Vacation” was pumping with vitality.
There isn’t a on-speaker bass or treble adjustment and no less than at time of writing, no app, so the tuning of the speaker is the way in which it’s going to sound–except you resort to your cellphone’s EQ. The goal is for balanced sound and the BIGGIE manages this fairly properly.
With 60W of energy on faucet (45W to the woofer and 15W to the tweeter), the BIGGIE has the facility to fill a good-sized house with thumping music. It’s additionally loud sufficient to be heard over the neighborhood noise in a yard occasion state of affairs. Morel says the BIGGIE employs a dynamic EQ that regularly adjusts the sound by quantity to stop distortion.
I ought to point out that the BIGGIE’s battery (USB-C charger included) is sweet for roughly 20 hours of use. As with every transportable speaker, that may fluctuate relying on how loud you set the quantity, however I recurrently went per week between fees with out attending to a low battery warning. The BIGGIE additionally helps fast-charging, so you’ll be able to go from zero to 100% in simply two hours.
Additionally price noting is the usage of Bluetooth 5.3 wi-fi connectivity. The speaker has a spread of as much as 165 ft and I bought a very good lesson in how properly this works whereas listening to a different Bluetooth speaker whereas swimming in my yard pool. I’d by chance left the BIGGIE on in my workplace and in the course of a monitor, the music stopped. I believed my iPhone had overheated, however it had truly re-connected to the BIGGIE in my workplace and was enjoying the music in there–some 75 ft, one brick wall, two drywalled partitions with vents and wiring and a couple of glass doorways away.
TWS: Stereo Pairing Takes Moveable Wi-fi Sound to a New Stage
In case you have the funds to spend on two BIGGIEs, the sound will get much more spectacular. Simple, on-speaker TWS pairing units one BIGGIE up because the left channel and the opposite as the suitable for true, 2-channel stereo. Place the audio system six ft aside and revel in a significantly elevated listening expertise. Music has much more extra depth and separation than you’ll be able to probably get from even the very best mono speaker. Listening to the improved soundstage on tracks like “Flip It On Once more” by Genesis and Boston’s “Foreplay/Lengthy Time” made me a convert: if I used to be shopping for one in all these audio system, I’d positively make it a pair.
BIGGIE Key Specs
- 2-way bass reflex transportable speaker with customized 4-inch woofers and 1-inch mushy dome tweeter
- 60 W Class D amplifiers (45W woofer and 15W tweeter), with personalized DSP
- Frequency response 40Hz-20KHz
- Bluetooth 5.3 BLE (165 foot vary, Auracast-ready)
- Backlit energy, quantity, Bluetooth and TWS buttons
- 3.5mm AUX enter
- Detachable material grill
- Fake leather-based deal with
- Rechargeable Li-ion battery rated at 20 hours use @ 50% quantity
- USB-C charging (and energy financial institution mode for telephones), helps fast-charging
- Contains USB-C charger and cable
- 7 x 7 x 4.5-inches, weighs 5.7 lbs
- Obtainable in 9 colours, MSRP $249
Not Fairly Excellent
The one design selection I query is the choice to cover the useful buttons behind the speaker grill as a substitute of putting them on prime. Sure, the buttons are backlit to allow them to be seen via the material grill and sure, doing so makes for an much more minimalist look, however– you’ll want to energy on the speaker earlier than the buttons mild up and the facility button can be hid. You must guess at the place it’s. Pushing the buttons beneath the skinny material might additionally result in put on and/or discoloration of the fabric.
In fact you’ll be able to clear up this by popping the grill off throughout use.
The BIGGIE additionally has no pretence of being rugged or waterproof. You’re going to wish to keep away from conditions the place it might get moist, soiled, or banged round. It additionally lacks the loudness button some portables provide to spice up sound output in out of doors environments. The BIGGIE can actually be used exterior, however it’s best to play it secure with placement.
Morel Hifi BIGGIE Advice
The Morel Hifi BIGGIE hits an actual candy spot for anybody who’s in search of a conveyable Bluetooth speaker, however values fashion and efficiency over options like ruggedness and water resistance. It’s a conveyable that sounds nearly as good because it seems–which isn’t any imply feat contemplating how sensible this speaker seems–and it’s straightforward to select up and take with you. But it surely deserves a spot in your patio desk reasonably than being plunked down proper beside the pool, on the seaside or on a log by the campfire.
It’s only a bonus that the BIGGIE is priced at a really affordable $249. At that worth, it could be awfully tempting to purchase two. You would choose two completely different colours and have a conveyable speaker accessible to swimsuit any temper or decor. No matter colors you select, collectively the BIGGIEs would make for a really trendy trying and really succesful 2-channel stereo setup.
Disclosure: Morel Hifi offered BIGGIE audio system for analysis functions however had no enter into this evaluate.