LG’s xboom Stage 301 is a boombox style portable speaker that I’ve had a pleasure using over the past few weeks.
It is designed for both indoor and outdoor use, with a rated battery life of 12 hours – though this can be extended if you disable the lighting on the unit. And of course if you are indoors – you can simply run the speaker with it’s included electric cord. Plugging the speaker into an electric outlet seems to allow for a higher maximum volume level.
For those who like to throw outdoor parties, there are a few features that will come in handy.
PA Stand support
The LG xboom Stage 301 has PA stand support, so you can easily hook it up to many stands and tripods on the market.
Dual speaker support
If you’re so inclined to purchase a 2nd unit, they can be paired together to operate in stereo mode for an even louder musical experience.
Microphone, Guitar, and line-in support
Feeling like it’s Karaoke time? The xboom Stage 301 has guitar and microphone input – and you can even charge a USB device using the port shown above.
The volume of the microphone or guitar input can be adjusted using the knobs hidden in the photo above by the cover, which are shown below.
6.5″ woofer and dual 2.5″ midrange drivers
With dual 2.5″ drivers and a 6.5″ woofer, the xboom 301 has a rated sound output of 120W. The sound is strong and powerful, with bass you can feel in your body. At the loudest volume settings there is a bit of compression, so you might want to keep the noise a few levels below maximum.
And while the speaker sounds great in any environment, one thing you can do to increase the crispness of the sound is to ensure that the audio reflects off of a surface. This seems to have the biggest impact at the maximum volume levels.
Angled or flat orientation
The speaker can be laid flat on the ground, or angle backwards to reach a longer distance. It has rubber feat for both orientations.
Packaging
The speaker is packaged in a brown box with a built-in handle.
The inner contents are protected with a soft plastic covering and molded coverings.
There’s only a few things inside the box: The speaker, instruction guides, and the electric cord.
Controls
On the top of the speaker there are a few buttons to control the unit. Starting from the right you have the Bluetooth button. Below it is the Auracast button, which allows you to connect another xboom device and use the speakers together. The next two buttons are fairly obvious – power, and pause/play. The lightbulb looking icon allows you to change lighting styles or disable lighting on the device.
Next you have the “EQ” button, which you have four options to choose from: Standard, Bass Boost, Voice Enhancement, and AI Sound (which uses machine learning to determine the best sound settings)
The last button, looking like a heart, is called the “MY” button. In theory, this can be used to quickly load specific playlists and lighting/equalizer settings if you’ve set up the LG ThinQ app on your phone.
Sound Quality
I might have some difficulty properly explaining the sound quality, so bear with me.
The best part about LG’s xboom Stage 301 is the depth of the sound – bass heads will absolutely love it, as it’s the sort of deep rich bass which you not only hear but also feel in your body! The sound is generally crisp, without any distortion sometimes encountered in lower quality speakers.
However, it should be noted that when the speaker is at its loudest volume levels there is a bit of… I think the right word would be “compression”. It is minor, but the most discerning of audiophiles will notice it. I have noticed that one way to counteract this minor compression is to have the speaker’s sound reflecting off of a surface – concrete seems to work especially well.
As for the volume levels, this speaker will blow the hat off your head – metaphorically speaking. When I demoed this speaker to my neighbors, each off them literally jumped when I blasted the speaker at full volume! This is a great speaker to use for social gatherings outside, especially if you purchase two of the LG xboom Stage 301 boomboxes and pair them together!