I'm going to tell you right up front, I'm comparing this Doss speaker to a speaker that *normally* cost more quite a bit more than the SoundBox XL. Why? Well, because like many of the reviews have said, including clavinetjunkie whom I respect tremendously as a product reviewer, this speaker punches above its weight class. It's true! This speaker *does* compete against much more expensive BT speakers! And had I not scored this JBL Xtreme, on sale for only $128 (refurb - Frys), I probably would be blissfully satisfied with this Doss Soundbox XL for a bargain of a price and never looked back. Frys sells manufactured refurbished JBL speakers often so it's not like rare deal - Wait a week or two and you'll see the same advertisement. It took them more than once to get me to finally break down and bite. So without further ado, just how did this $90 Doss Soundbox XL compare to my refurb JBL Xtreme? If you're interested, read on.
Do you like bass? No really - do you like *real* bass that's normally only produced by an actual subwoofer? The Doss is your speaker. It is downright amazing what this little speaker can do while being relatively so small. There's a "Test Your Speakers" video on Youtube by "Doctor Mix" and this speaker actually plays sub frequencies at audible levels as low as 20hz! In contrast, the JBL Xtreme doesn't come in until 60hz (and when it does come in, it comes in over-boosted as if to try and make up for the lack of tones prior)! The Doss is capable of playing distinguishable melodic bass tones in your song that only comes out as a repetitive thump in the JBL Xtreme. Rap songs really show off what the Doss SoundBox XL can do. Sounds like a clear winner is Doss right? Again, Read on.
Mids, Highs, "Soundstage", "Imaging" "Clarity". All those are, in different ways, related to each other and this is where the JBL Xtreme shows the Doss what it's like to play with the big boys. I played all my favorite songs, ranging from EDM to Alternative Rock, subjected my wife to blind, speaker A vs Speaker B, back and fourth switch tests and it really was no contest. After switching from the JBL Xtreme, mid-song, back to the Doss, it's like the "it's floating in the air" wide imaging/soundstage the JBL Xtreme is putting out has been butterfly-netted and thrown in to a small box. That's literally the best way I can put it. For example, take a very vocal song with acoustic guitars in the background, like Paramore's - The Only Exception and switch back and fourth between the two and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Build, design, and structural quality: Surprisingly, they take up nearly the same amount of space (see pictures), though the JBL is much heavier. They both require proprietary chargers though the JBL's charger is pushing quite a bit more power allowing you to charge quickly *while playing music*. I know why they rely on proprietary chargers but l wish both could have the option to charge via USB *in addition*. I don't know why they never offer that - seems like an easy compromise and customers would love it, even if the USB option would be slower. Build quality, the JBL is much sturdier, nicer and looks like it would hold up to general wear better. Being water resistant means you can just rinse it off and not worry about it. The Doss has a much more plastic'y feel but come on, you got to remember it's only $90 dollars here. Again, I already warned that this wouldn't be an apples to apples comparison but with everyone agreeing it punches above its weight class against much more expensive speakers, we can't just only talk about the sound quality when we're referring to a "portable" bluetooth speaker. Portable means it's going to get a little beat up and the JBL will fair better, provided your kid doesn't stick a pencil to its expose bass radiators on the sides. ;) Also, be careful with the Doss speaker as it produces so much bass, combined with its low weight, it can vibrate and move across the table and possibly fall over an edge and commit suicide. I would add more sticky pads under it and be mindful of where you place it.
Sigh... If only I could combine these two speakers. The bass capabilities of the Doss SoundBox XL and the Mid/Highs & soundstage of the JBL Xtreme would be perfect. At the end, I chose the JBL Xtreme. The bass is just as loud as the Doss, but not capable of getting as low however the wide-open soundstage of the JBL Xtreme (superior DSP perhaps) more than makes up for it and just makes music more enjoyable, frankly. Please don't get me wrong: I don't think the Doss sounds bad. I don't think its sound stage / imaging is terrible, I just think the JBL is that much better. In fact, I would say the Doss SoundBox XL is on par with the another speaker I recently fell in love with and reviewed on Amazon against several speakers: the Anker Soundcore Boost (thanks again to clavinetjunkie's review which pointed me back to Anker to give them another chance). I had to knock off one star though. My Doss SoundBox XL has the same buzzing/rattling sound as a few of the other reviewers had mentioned. I know you can take it apart and fix it but Doss really should resolve that before sending them out. It's only noticeable when up close to the speaker (less than 10 feet) so it may not bother most.
Overall I do recommend this speaker, I just wanted to give my two cents on how well it does against a more expensive speaker, in this case, the JBL Xtreme. Btw, against the JBL Flip 3, 4, charge 2 & 3, no contest - this Doss speaker is way better as far as sound quality. Again, bear in mind, ruggedness/portability is not the SoundBox strong point.
To put everything right from the beginning: this speaker is a clone of the Sony SRS-X77 but with an own tuning and without all the Wifi-features, although the driver layout and body is exactly the same as the Sony. The same speaker is also available with Wifi from IdeaUSA although I haven't heard that and cannot say if it really sounds the samy as the Doss.
Funnily the Doss sounds even better than the Sony with its default tuning and it plays deeper bass, but it doesn't play as loud but is still one of the best bargains you can get below 100$ if you are looking for a serious sounding portable speaker without spending a fortune and don't need the speaker to be the smallest size. I can tell you that this plays on the same level as a Vifa speaker costing 4-5 times as much, the only difference is, that the Doss Soundbox XL has quite a limited overall volume compared to the more expensive top performers, but the good thing is that it still remains perfectly usable even up to maximum as there is no distortion or any strange dynamics processing that you usually get from many other speakers in this class. The sound becomes a bit thinner above 3/4, but put it closer to a back wall or into a corner and it will sound like a big speaker. As there is no artificial upper-bass boost, it won't become boomy near a wall but it will rather enhance the deeper bass frequencies, making it sound way bigger than it looks.
Battery life is outstanding, I got more than 5 hours at maximum, which is great for a speaker of this class.
I must say that from all the portable Bluetooth and wireless speakers I have tested until today (which were close to 300) this is the one which impressed me most regarding price/value factor. You really get the maximum and best performance you can expect for that price, if you don't expenct any party loudness levels or boomy exaggerated bass. Skip everything else below 100$ including the high regarded brands. This Doss speaker really competes with the mich higher end class.
There is of course still some room for improvement like lowering the loudness of the status tones, which are too loud for my taste and cheesy as they are original Windows tones, and I would also add some dynamic bassboost for low listening levels, then the speaker would be unbeatable.
Obviously most of the praise has to go to Sony, as it is clearly their design which was "recycled" for this speaker, but the ones who tuned it, did a better job than what Sony was able to achieve with the X77.
PS. my unit had some rattling with deep bass notes, but after closer examination it turned out to be just the grill or rather the loose fabric put in-between. I removed the fabric, remounted the grill and there is no rattling anymore!
Wow! Just Wow!
JBL Charge 3 and everything below it, Just forget it. This thing blows all of them away. I cannot believe how this thing sounds. I have a Bose soundlink 2 mobile speaker that cost $329.00 and did a side by side and this Doss speaker hits harder and is just as clear and roomfilling as the Bose and a matter of fact maybe better.
It charges quick to. I've only use the Bluetooth connection so far and it's flawless. I'll try the TF card later on. I used a tone test app on my iPod to feed this thing with super low tones all the way up the scale. At 10hz you can see the woofer pulsing in and out by shining a bright light through the grill but you really can't here anything till you get to about 22Hz very good in my book. I had the speaker on an end table and was slowly going up the scale at max volume and at around 30-40 Hz I let it sit and rock the deep lows for like 30 seconds. This thing represents so well the speaker slid across the table and threw itself on the floor and had a fit! Lol. No harm just a 2 foot drop. The rubber feet on the bottom of the speaker are good enough for regular listening even at max volume but keep an eye on it and make sure you wipe the dust off these feet areas so they stick better to your table.
Don't throw away tons of cash on all these well overpriced speakers! $89.99 and free shipping you will not be disappointed, a total big win for Doss and anyone who buys this speaker.
This speaker was introduced around June 22nd 2017 so it's new to Amazon as of then. I took the chance on it and I just can't say enoug about it. Like the Bose speakers you will hear things in your music you never heard before. This should cost way more then $90.00.
The DOSS Soundbox XL seem to be plagued either by bad design issues or a high rate of poor manufacturing quality. I recently got one, and took off the cover to remove that speaker grill liner some reviewers said causes a rattle and saw the left tweeter cone was mashed in. I returned it to Amazon only to get a second one with an annoying bass vibration, one recent Amazon reviewer described as a "farting sound" with music with a strong bass line. It actually happens at 54 hz when you use a tone generator and comes from air blowing out the jack/slot holes in the back.
I really liked the sound, but I feel this needs to be shared. DOSS needs to get it together before I would even consider a THIRD.
UPDATE: Aug 29, 2017
Within a short time, I got a reply in this thread requesting my email in order to receive a replacement free of charge from Milla with DOSS. Without that, I would have probably not ordered a third.The replacement arrived a few days ago and I am submitting the following update. Milla was quite wonderful sending me updates as to the status of the arrival of the new unit. The first thing I did was remove the grill to check if the dust liner was loose like the first two only to find that it was attached directly to the inside grill. The drivers looked perfect. After charging a few hours, I was ready for my test to confirm if the air leak problem was fixed. I put on a few bass heavy songs and listened for that telltale air leak. As i turned the bass up to the point of distortion, the cabinet seal held. I got no rattles The top trim plate seemed to be secured tighter as pushing down on it detected no movement indicating bad adhesion. This one as far as build quality was perfect.
Rather than evaluate the sound in depth right out of the box, my experience as an audiofile knows that it takes a few hours of playing different kinds of music at various levels to allow the speakers to break in and not sound dry and stiff, but more rounded like live music. After two days of playing off and on, the sound difference as they broke in was quite noticeable in the sense of warmth also with an increase in sonic accuracy. I highly suggest one of the better apps for music playback rather than the generic one that comes with your device if you really want to experience their true capability. As an audiofile, listening to various players using my headset was the test.. After trying/buying several, Jet Audio Plus was my choice. I custom built my home PC with a high end audio card including custom opamps, mil-spec capacitor, low noise motherboard, a case that isolates the power supply, routing the wiring, etc. Windows system tweaks, and special software that as a result compares spec for spec and in sound quality with the more expensive audiofile preamps sold separately.
So using this app, I have been listening for hours with everything from smooth jazz, rap, rock, and other types also with various dynamic ranges. I will give my impressions based on other bluetooth speakers i have auditioned.
Frequency Response: To my ear, this speaker is flatter and more neutral and natural sounding than most. The bass extension is uncanny for a box this size and not only goes lower, but maintains a sense of focus and tightness to actually be able to hear the low notes, not the boomy blur that seems to radiate out of most of the others at this price range. I actually put a little dip in the bass at 60hz because i felt the bass a little overemphasized for my room proportions. The mids were just fine. The treble has a slight roll off due to the dust cover I presume, but it is easily correctable with your player's equalizer with just some minor tweaks above 10k.
Soundstage: The Soundbox XL creates a soundstage that occurs just in front of the speaker and has a 3D quality of air, that is missing from most of the others. It is so good that on certain songs you can hear each instrument or voice distinctly in their own "space". Also when placed 12 inches from a solid wall, the soundstage blooms to a room filling wall of sound as the back wall reflections contribute to the sense of space and presence. This also increases the bass to a point you can FEEL. This same effect happens placing it in a corner, but i found that 33" from the center of the back of the speaker to the corner works without overloading the sound with bass.
Dynamic Range: After the speaker broke in, i noticed the sound become more alive in sense that as each instrument or vocal in the music became louder of softer, the overall balance of soundstage pretty much stayed flat instead of the dropouts or peakiness you hear with speakers that have a narrow range of accurate frequency reproduction based on the frequency amplitude "sweet spot" of each driver. It results in a lack of listener fatigue for extended music listening and as a result is more akin to my home rig sound. Overall Loudness: For most listening, esp indoors, I find the volume range more than adequate. This range can be extended using the preamp setting in the equalizer such as the Jet Audio to levels that go beyond the max that is available on the generic device that is set to protect the internal speaker and earbuds. A step or two up is what i found works best. without significantly increasing the possibility of damage.
This speaker ROCKS! If I have to find a fault, it is having readjust the speaker volume each time it is turned on. The speaker sounds better with its volume set at max and controlled by your device. If you do this make sure the volume on your device is turned down a lower range before you adjust the Soundbox XL volume to max.
In summary, based on their top notch customer service, better build quality and the other attributes I highlight in this review, the DOSS Soundbox XL, especially at the price point, is 5-Star product. There just is nothing better, IMHO. I can't wait for the pairing option to come and and review a stereo pair! Thanks, Milla.
Well done, DOSS!
Pros.
- Bass: It is not over powering in any way so don't be afraid of that. It is very clear, and tight sounding but will really feel an entire room when placed in a corner.
- Wide Sound Stage: While it maybe much larger than most bluetooth speakers. It sounds like it is much bigger than it is. The left and right channels sound very separated which provides a really pleasant sound stage.
- Decently Portable: you can move it around the house and bring it on the back patio with no problem. If you travel a lot it can take up quite a bit of space in a backpack.
Cons.
- Air Leak: In the back where all the charging and AUX ports are; when listening to low frequencies it will leak out air. This could be a limited to only a small amount of units cause I have heard of others having the same issue but you can put a strip of tape over it and it fixes the issue until you need to charge it then you just have to pull it back. However I will still give it a 5/5 just because of how amazing the sound quality is.
Feature Product
- Stereo sound: Enhanced with a strong 20W driver and DSP technology, this Bluetooth speaker delivers Stereo sound with rich bass, tight mids and crystal clear highs. Expansive sound is powerful enough to fill any room.
- Booming bass: Powered by a 12W subwoofer and passive radiators, the strong bass booms with less distortion.
- Multiple modes: Bluetooth 4.0 provides stable connection 33ft away, and is compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled devices. It also supports aux-in and TF card.
- Long playtime: The built-in li-ion 2200mAh rechargeable battery guarantees up to 10 hours playtime at 50% volume. Recharge in just 3-4 hours with included power adapter.
- What you get: DOSS XL Bluetooth speaker, 3.5 mm audio cable, user manual, 24-hour Los Angeles local customer service and 12 month Warranty.
Description
Doss- a team built in 1999 with eighteen years of innovation, DOSS remains competitive in the audio industry As a professional all over the world. We are a well-established manufacturer who Develops the most cutting-edge audio technology as well as owns exclusive tooling. In addition to creating state of the art audio technology, we pride ourselves in ensuring customer experience. Our business model enables us to decrease on cost that allows our premium quality products to be marketed at a reasonable price. About DOSS SoundBox XL born for home party, DOSS SoundBox XL is built with enhanced driver and subwoofer, which enables awesome music reaches every corner in the house. Its classic color and design also make it a well decoration of everywhere at home. With enhanced bass of the speaker, you can enjoy music of high or low volume which clear enough to Please your ears. Doss soundbox, a speaker is BORN for home life. Super amazing quality Enjoy your music with 360 degree stereo sound realized through dual high performance drivers (10W x 2) plus 12W subwoofer,&NBC; and a uniquely enhanced bass. Unrivaled playing time with 2200mAh rechargeable li-ion battery, the speaker provides 10 hours playing time at 50% volume, which perfect for your happy hours. What's in the box? Doss SoundBox XL speaker power adapter with power Plug> 3.5mm audio cable user Manual we run all the time and effort into the engineering, testing, and development, we would like to bring your great moments with great DOSS.
For the price, this speaker is extremely good. It's probably setting the benchmark (at the time of this review) in the sub-$100 class of bluetooth speaker -- and honestly maybe even above that. The sound is full and lively; from a casual listener's perspective, the DSP is tuned really well. For comparison, I have the Bose Companion 2 Series III computer speakers hooked up to my Mac via 3.5mm jack, and using the same track in iTunes, with no EQ on either source, switching back and forth between the Doss SoundBox XL connected to my iPhone via Bluetooth and the Bose connected to my Mac via 3.5mm jack, the Doss sounds noticeably better, even with virtually no stereo separation as compared to the separate Bose speakers (for fairness, I also tested using the 3.5mm jack on the Doss hooked up to my Mac, and the results were the same -- the Doss sounded better). Sound can be pretty subjective between different sets of ears, but I think you'd be pretty hard-pressed to find someone who isn't blown away by the sound coming from this speaker, especially for the price. As an added bonus, it has what looks to be a micro-SD card slot to play music from (it's labeled as "TF Card" in the instructions) and the aforementioned 3.5mm Aux jack to hook up an external source, like an Echo Dot.
The only real drawbacks I can mention are that it doesn't charge from a standard micro-USB (which may be because it requires a higher power draw than that can provide) and that it doesn't get super loud, although I think the vast majority of people would find that it gets plenty loud enough for indoor and most outdoor usage. It's also not the most polished consumer experience around; it's what I call a "Shenzhen special" -- the packaging and instructions are bare-bones and the functionality is basic. That said, pairing with bluetooth and understanding the function modes and buttons is straightforward. I definitely would not consider taking a star away for those minor drawbacks.
I first heard of this speaker through Oluv's (clavinetjunkie) YouTube channel, so if you get a chance, check it out because it is a great resource for Bluetooth speaker reviews.
Like others here I heard about this speaker on the clavinetjunkie youtube channel. I picked one up as it was so cheap and I really liked another speaker I bought on his recommendation, the iSoundbar SL1000S. That speaker has an amazing surround mode which lays the music out in front of you, with depth as well, as if the instruments are floating in air, way outside the boundaries of the speaker. However it cannot play very loud without the bass bottoming out. I was hoping this DOSS SoundBox XL would also have a surround mode, but it does not and in comparison to the SL1000S the music sounds like its coming from the speaker box. However, it has more deep bass and power, and sounds smoother throughout the musical range, than the SL1000S. So for musicality, the DOSS is better, but for sound stage, it is not nearly as good. To be fair, I have rarely heard a speaker with such an amazing sound stage as the SL1000S. The DOSS is certainly a great speaker and well worth the price (I paid $89), and it does open up nicely when I turn on my Samsung S8's surround sound setting.
Suggestions for improvement: add a surround mode like the SL1000S; boost bass a bit at lower volumes; volume changes from a Bluetooth controller (like a cell phone) should be sync'd to the speaker volume control.
Works perfectly, at least in my case the rattling experienced by others is non existent. Sounds about as good as my $500 headphones.
One tiny problem, when I opened the amazon box I noticed there was a bloody hand print on the box for the speaker.
Now while odd this does not really bother me beyond my hoping the employee the blood came from is ok. Can post photos if needed.
But, could amazon pitch in to help me pay for a exorcism?
Anything I put the shelf next to this speaker goes flying across the room 30sec later.
Vases, family photos, the bible, the satanic bible, cat, anything really.
Still speaker sounds great.
3/31/2018 UPDATE. The tiny original DC charger port finally snapped. Doss Support replaced the whole speaker and the new one has a larger charge adapter. With no way to charge the batteries I bought an 18650 lithium wall charger and external battery box (see photos). A little soldering, drilling, and some #6 bolts have the old speaker working again;)
You might consider any of the following three items as a deal-breaker:
1. No remote or phone app, so you have to walk over to adjust volume when playing via micro SD.
2. No AAC, aptX, or WiFi to prevent losing audio quality due to compression via Bluetooth's SBC codec.
3. No matter which Bluetooth speaker is purchased, you may also need one of these: Azio (BTD-V401).
Like others, I immediately pried the front grill off using a small flat-head screwdriver and removed the paper inside. It's just loose and floating around so it makes noise and I am leaving the grill off since it only serves to mute the highs without mellowing lows. Black and unobtrusive plus it is quite heavy for the size. The bass caused it to move three inches and fall off a short step, so the stock feet really don't have quite enough grip. Then it's fairly thin and likely to fall backward onto the delicate A/C plug. After listening for a few days I realized the sound was a little better when aimed slightly up. I wound up building a custom wood frame to raise it a couple inches, lean it back about 30 degrees, and protect the plug.
The sound evens out a little after a few hours playing. Bass is especially strong when playing WAV files from the micro SD input, maybe too much! I wish there were an equalizer on that input. If you watch reviews they only use Bluetooth, and to me it sounds like that input received a lot of software refinement.
At $89 the sound quality is pretty good when you feed it CD quality files. I describe the sound character as a 'high fidelity boombox'. It's just as loud on battery as with A/C and there is plenty of volume to be had. The only speaker even close to this price which I like as well for its sound, is the 'Creative ROAR'. Honestly, at $99 direct from Creative I would buy the 'ROAR' if I had it to do over. Go to $159 and the 'RIVA Turbo X' sounds very good in surround mode. You can compare all their sounds on Mr Oluv's wonderful site 'interactive speaker audio database'. Without surround-sound, the Soundbox-XL has a fairly narrow stage. This means it is not great for TV and you will probably want to stick with stock speakers there.
Paired with a tablet or phone it is far better than those tiny built-ins. The highs and mids are very well done. I am hearing a lot of my Mp3 and WAV files as if for the first time. I keep thinking to myself either, "So that's how the artist intended it to be?" or "Whoa, I never knew they missed a note!" Acoustic songs like "Little Martha" by 'The Allman Brothers Band' and "Chicuitita" by 'ABBA' sound beautiful! However, bass heavy club and heavy metal music are just not as lovely. After listening to 100+ songs, drums and bass are perfectly loud but very similar in all songs. I think it has something to do with the limitations of a passive radiator style woofer? This 'thump/pop' effect is most noticable indoors and through the micro SD. Outdoors via Bluetooth the effect is almost unnoticable (again the Bluetooth channel seems to have received the most attention). So, it has proved to be a nice way to fill my large two car garage with music.
Offering this speaker at $89 instead of Sony's @$200 price for their SRS-X77 design, means Doss changed or omitted many features. The passive radiators and all drivers (32w) are changed from the original 40w Sony design (neither bad nor good). Removed was WiFi and its high data rate streaming capabilities, Mp3 upscaling, NFC, DLNA, Bluetooth AAC support, and Chromecast. Instead of all that, you get Bluetooth 4.0+EDR vs plain 3.0 in the Sony. I tested the Extended Data Rate feature vs non-EDR Bluetooth using two Android phones. Both connections sound virtually identical when playing either 256kbps Mp3 files or 1411kbps WAV files. This makes sense because EDR does nothing to increase the data rate of audio over Bluetooth and the 'lossy' SBC codec is still being used to compress then decompress the stream. This is where including advanced codecs (AAC/aptX) would have prevented my already compressed Mp3s being degraded further. Uncompressed WAV definitely sounds better than Mp3! As an example, the finger cymbals in "Easy Skankin" by 'Bob Marley' lose their highs and blend in after compressing it to a 320kpbs Mp3. So, I recommend using CD quality music files from the micro SD to get the very best out of the, Doss Soundbox XL. I'm still keeping this one as my first Bluetooth speaker due to the lower price and since it met my need for an excellent boombox in the garage.
- First off, surpassed my expectations
- Tested with acid jazz, swing, classical piano/orchestral, trance, techno, dubstep, DNB, gangster rap, vaporwave, classic rock, and progressive death metal
- Seems that the response ranges from 40hz to 20khz, very well-rounded
- No frequencies are scooped or boosted [JBL] more than what is necessary to achieve high fidelity sound
- Mids and highs are crystal clear
- Bass is full, but again well-rounded. As in not boosted at the 50-60hz range so as to give a false impression of its capabilities [...JBL]
- Can get pretty loud at home but may not be ideal for work, the beach, parties where noise-levels are maintained at 70+dB. It is still audible obviously, but the low-end is not as present in those louder, open-spaced areas, so keep that in mind. Your speaker won’t bang if you’re working around machines, saws, grinders, etc.
- The rattling that was addressed some 18 months ago by clavinetjunkie on YouTube have been addressed. I have experienced no such issues
- Definitely the best portable speaker you can get sub $200 not including the Brookstone Big Blue. If it was not imported and rated at 50 watts I could see it being a $230 speaker easily
- TLDR: Stellar quality speaker, very dynamic response, gets pretty loud at home but not ideal if you’re looking to throw a 20 person beach party. Bass is very present, down to 40hz but is not boosted like other wannabe big boi bass speakers. Blows sub $150 speakers out of the water at half the price.
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