Bluetooth speakers come in many shapes and forms. The first step to finding the right Speaker for your needs starts with narrowing down the size and budget. Usually, you don’t need more than $50 or $60 in your pocket to get a fantastic deal.

Brands like Tronsmart, Ultimate Ears, Tribit and Anker Soundcore dominate the budget speaker space. Whether you need tube speakers, sound bars, boom boxes, or small rotund audio solutions, they have it all.

At some point, the oversaturation of the market caused things to become somewhat obsolete. Thankfully, audio brands are trying to get creative again. Tronsmart’s T7 speaker combines RGB lighting and a physical volume button. It’s not as bold as the JBL Pulse 5, which looks like a smart lava lamp, but the concept is interesting enough.

Even more appealing, of course, is that the T7 external speaker is built for rugged use. It also costs a quarter of the Pulse 5’s retail price. Let’s see if this affordable accessory from Tronsmart is worth the price tag.

Price and availability

Tronsmart launched the T7 Bluetooth speaker in September 2022 at a promotional price of $41.99. The Tronsmart T7 usually retails for $56.99, but sales and discount coupons are frequent at online stores like Amazon, Walmart, and Geekbuying.

The latest entrant in the T series of speakers from Tronsmart slims down the cylindrical shape from the previous T6 model. Like the last generation, the T7 was released with the T7 Mini, a smaller and less powerful version of the larger speaker.

To be loved

Tronsmart equipped the T7 external speaker with dual tweeters capable of producing 30W of sound. The sound is emitted at a 360-degree angle so that it spreads evenly throughout the space, especially outdoors.

It sounds really good and you can switch between audio presets to find the right balance for the moment. I didn’t feel the need to deal with custom EQ, as the other five presets serve their purpose well. You get high levels of clarity and excellent mids and lows. It may be a cheap speaker, but it certainly doesn’t sound like the other one.

The entire body of the tubular T7 is covered with a tightly woven nylon fabric. The edges are reinforced with TPU frames. There are several buttons on the side that run in a straight line, including the charging port at the very bottom. Since the T7 speaker is IPX7 waterproof, the charging port is covered with a tight waterproof plate that also seals the memory card slot.

My favorite details are the giant circular volume button on top of the portable speaker and the ring-shaped RGB light surrounding the volume button.

The physical volume control makes adjusting the volume very easy and has a highly satisfying tactile click to it. You can make ASMR YouTube videos with the click of a button. It makes you feel like you’re trying to crack a safe at the climax of the heist – in a good way.

As for the colorful ring light, it adds just the right amount of flair to an otherwise unremarkable audio accessory from Tronsmart. It has four modes that respond to sound playback. You can switch between modes with the power button or turn it off completely to save battery.

The T7 Bluetooth speaker has the latest Bluetooth 5.3 and it receives regular firmware updates. It has a great companion app that’s nothing complicated, and you can access features like custom equalizers. If you splurge on two of these bad boys, you can use stereo pairing to sync them up.

After testing it extensively, I can vouch for the Tronsmart speaker’s solid IPX7 waterproof rating. You can use it in heavy rain, in the shower or by the pool without worry. Both the RGB light and the volume rocker work well when wet and dry.

The T7 speaker comes with a durable lanyard for easy portability. You also get a USB-C charging cable in the box with the Sling.

Having a memory card slot on any decent Bluetooth speaker is an underrated feature. Although most people don’t use it much, it is quite handy in some cases. For example, I saved some of my favorite playlists on a microSD card and threw them on the T7 speaker while traveling. It helped save my phone battery and I didn’t even need an internet connection.

On the go, Tronsmart T7’s play/pause button can activate your phone’s voice assistant. It has a built-in microphone, so you can join calls while connected to it.

Battery life is pretty good, although the RGB lighting does reduce some of its full potential. When the alarm light is turned off, the T7 Bluetooth speaker lights up for a while and then off. You can compress the runtime from ten to 12 hours. For a budget speaker of this caliber, that’s pretty great.

Too little to hate

Surprisingly, the Tronsmart T7 does not have an audio input jack. It wouldn’t be too difficult, especially since there’s plenty of room in the sealed compartment containing the ports.

Another minor gripe is the lack of control for the app’s RGB light modes. This means that you have to rely on the power button, which is a little difficult at first. This is due to a problem that Tronsmart has repeatedly failed to solve: poor visibility. Since the buttons are matte black and the body of the speaker is also black, it’s hard to tell what each button does.

With the Tronsmart Trip, I thought Tronsmart had finally tackled this silly issue. The company should take a leaf out of Edifier’s book and highlight the buttons with some neon paint like the concave buttons on the MP100 Plus. Or better yet, embed RGB into the keys. Oh, what I would pay to see that!

Additionally, the T7 speaker is not as portable as some other cylindrical speakers due to its weight. To give you an idea of ​​this, consider the weight of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 speaker, which is in the exact same category as the T7. While the UE Boom 3 weighs around 608 grams, the Tronsmart T7 is heavier at around 867 grams. That’s about a kilo!

My only other complaint is the charging time of the speaker outdoors. After completely draining the T7, it takes three long hours and a bucketful of patience to refuel it. And it’s through Type-C charging! Three hours is a bloody long time to charge a portable speaker. If you’re in a hurry and it dies when you need it, you’ll probably leave it at home.

Competition

You won’t find many brands that offer the same mix of features. The only Bluetooth speaker with a ring-shaped RGB light that comes to mind is the Huawei Sound Joy.

Huawei’s accessory is almost the same as the T7, but it’s higher end since it’s powered by Devialet. If you can get your hands on one, I’d recommend it over the Tronsmart T7. However, it costs more and is not available in many parts of the world, including North America.

If you want the same tube shape with a more solid build, check out the Ultimate Ears Boom 3. The UE Boom 3 packs powerful sound and RGB in a colorful and lightweight cylindrical body, but it costs three times more than the T7.

Can’t live without all the bright lights? I. Scratch that RGB itch with the affordable Tribit XSound Mega or go for the awesome JBL Pulse 5. Both of these Bluetooth speakers sound better and have better lights than the T7, but they also cost more.

You won’t find another speaker with such a charming volume button as the Tronsmart T7.

Should you buy it?

You should buy it if…

• You want a unique volume button that is different from others
• You are very bad about custom EQs
• You need a powerful Bluetooth speaker
• You want RGB ambient lighting
• Looking for a great buy?

You should not buy it if…

• You need a small and light accessory
• You can’t give up the AUX input port
• You hate gadgets that take forever to charge

When it comes to cheap Bluetooth speakers, the Tronsmart T7 is definitely one of the best. It looks and feels great, whether it’s the sound or the build quality you’re looking at. In addition to strong water and dust resistance, the 360-degree sound output makes it an ideal outdoor speaker.

Nothing but a rival brand that gives you a cylindrical outdoor Bluetooth speaker with RGB lighting and a rotary volume knob. Maybe if the button didn’t have such a great tactile and clicky feel, I wouldn’t be so excited. But it’s nice, and I love the button, which makes it hard not to recommend this great Bluetooth speaker.

Tronsmart T7 is versatile. You can use it indoors, at the beach, in the car or on the bus, or even go for runs or walks with it. The battery life is fantastic and it has lots of little features you’ll appreciate.

To answer the question I set out to answer, I have to say these things. Yes, the Tronsmart T7 is totally worth the discount because it’s a great, all-rounder.