FRESHeTECH All-Terrain Speaker Review

When I heard my ticket called at the GORMR extravaganza, I had no idea what I had won. I was ecstatic to find out that it was the All-Terrain Sound Speaker from FRESHeTECH. I had been looking at portable speakers only the day before, but was concerned about the ruggedness since I was planning to use it on the sailboat. This was right up my alley!

The speaker came in a nice little box with a micro USB connector for charging, a 3.5mm connector cord (for playback from non-Bluetooth devices) and a suction cup so you can stick the speaker anywhere with a flat surface! The top of the speaker has a built in clip so attaching it to things like a backpack, belt, or the boom of your boat is easy and quick to do.

Some other great features include:

It has rubberized protection around the round edges protecting it from damage when dropped or banged (it claims to be able to withstand a drop from 10 feet directly onto concrete).
It has a rubber cover for the micro USB port and headphone jack to keep water out making it water resistant.
It is IPX5 rated which means it can withstand jets of water for up to 15 minutes.
It only takes 90 min to charge and has 12 hours of play time.
The Bluetooth 4.0 functionality has about 35 foot range and it even has a built in microphone so you can take calls if connected to your phone.
It has a power button, rewind/skip and volume buttons (the buttons were a little difficult to see, but function just the same).

I paired the speaker to my Iphone with ease. One button on the speaker and then find it on the phone – done! I tested it inside to get a good idea of the sound. The sound is great quality for the speaker size and price. The high end is well pronounced and it does not leave out the bass. You can’t expect much low end on any speaker this size, but what it lacks down there it makes up in the mid range. I was very pleased with the frequency response and was very happy with the sound field it provides. Of course the best sound is directly in front, but you still hear it decently from the sides and back.

While we were on the boat it provided enough sound for us to enjoy the music, overcoming the wind and waves. I also took it on a training run. I found that clipping it on to my hydration pack was a little bit of a nuisance since it would swing left and right as I ran, so I put it in the outer pocket and was fine. It lost a little of the cymbals (extreme highs) by putting it in the pocket, but not much else. I was expecting it to be muffled and severe sound quality loss, but it still provided good sound!

Finally, I tested the Bluetooth phone functionality. It was a little muffled when in the pocket of my hydration pack, but was very clear once I pulled it out. It picked up my voice from every angle, in front and behind without the caller on the other end being able to tell a difference. They said it sounded fine, but when I went outside into a windy area, there was some (expected) interference. As I got out of the windy area, the surrounding outdoor sounds were not a problem and we could continue our conversation with ease.

The speaker is listed at $79.99 on the FRESHeTECH website, but I did find better prices while searching the net; however, it is still a great speaker at full price. I am very pleased with it and will recommend it to friends.

*Photos By: Peter McNairy and FRESHeTECH.

Peter is a Personal Trainer, Surfer, Bachatero, Father of 3 wonderful girls and is into all types of muddy challenges. He enjoys helping people overcome their fears, weaknesses and pushing them to achieve their full potential. Peter ran cross country in high school and after running OCRs, “Cant go back to road races”!