Recenzija ION Pathfinder 280

Včasih je bilo zvočnike Bluetooth zelo težko dobiti. Nekatera podjetja, ki so vedela, kako to storiti, so torej lahko zaračunala premijo za svoje izdelke.

Vendar pa eksponentna rast tehnologije pomeni, da mnogi konkurenti začnejo dohitevati in stvari tudi popravljati. Izdelki postanejo cenejši in bolj dostopni. Ne samo, da proizvajalci postajajo modrejši, ampak tudi razlika med vrhunskimi in nizkocenovnimi izdelki v smislu funkcionalnosti in moči postaja vse manjša.

Proračunska funkcija

Zdi se, da je ION Pathfinder 280 odličen primer tega. Stane veliko manj kot konkurenti, ki obljubljajo enake zmogljivosti, funkcije in življenjsko dobo baterije.

Za okoli 105 dolarjev Pathfinder 280 obljublja življenjsko dobo baterije, ki bo zdržala več strank. Skupaj s kakovostjo zvoka in obsegom, ki lahko zapolni vsak prostor in premaga vsako množico, če je potrebno. In lahko celo odpre vaše pivo!

Vendar so vse to zgolj besede, obljube in hvalnice na kartonski škatli in spletni strani podjetja. Zato sem se odločil, da preizkusim model 280, da bi odkril, ali naj sloganu na sprednji strani dodam "preveč dobro, da bi bilo res", v mojem poglobljenem pregledu ION Pathfinder 280.

Načrtovanje in izdelava

Zasnova Pathfinderja je preprosta. Ko pa si ga boste začeli pobližje ogledati in z njim preživeti nekaj časa, se boste začeli zavedati, kam je šla vsa ta misel.

Pathfinder kvadratne oblike je zelo težak, predvsem zaradi baterije. Kljub temu to vedno pomaga, da je govornik bolj prizemljen.

Na srečo sta na obeh straneh vgrajena dva ročaja. Kot tudi teleskopski ročaj in kolesa za enostavno prenašanje. Poleg tega je ne glede na težo pošteno reči, da je to eden najbolj prenosnih Bluetooth zvočnikov lahko kupite glede na njegovo moč.

Radi ga premikate, premikate ...

Dva stranska ročaja sta bila obarvana rdeče in čeprav sta subtilna, je to velika razlika, še posebej v kombinaciji s trakom RGB, ki teče okoli žara.

Čeprav so kolesa na dnu dovolj trdna, da zdržijo dolgo, ne bodo preživela vsega, kar vržete vanje. Zato jih poskušajte ohraniti čiste in ne vozite po cesti. Podobno bosta gumijasti nogi držali Pathfinder pri miru, ko se odločite, kam ga želite postaviti.

Dovolj močan za zabavo ...

Rešetka, ki ščiti voznike, je kovinska, medtem ko je v večini konstrukcije Pathfinderja uporabljena plastika. Je pa visoke kakovosti in zato vzdržljiv. Enako lahko rečemo za kakovost gume, uporabljene za krmiljenje na sprednji plošči.

To je pomirjujoče, saj je na Pathfinderju kar nekaj gumbov. Nastanejo zaradi obsežnih funkcij modela 280, vendar se bom do njih posvetil malo kasneje.

Na sprednji strani sta vrata USB in AUX, na zadnji strani pa tudi AC priključek. Vsi so zaščiteni z gumijastimi zavihki, ki, tako kot rdeči poudarki na ročajih, niso povsem potrebni, vendar jih je zelo lepo imeti.

Najprivlačnejša oblika?

To mora biti priročen predal za shranjevanje na vrhu zvočnika. Dovolj velik, da lahko sprejme kateri koli pametni telefon, ima tudi dva dodatna priključka za polnjenje.

Nazadnje (in kar je najpomembneje, če ste novinec), ima Pathfinder tisti vedno tako priročen odpirač za steklenice, ki se nahaja na desni strani zvočnika. Na zdravje!

Funkcionalnost in življenjska doba baterije

Pathfinder ima oceno IPX5. To pomeni, da bo v redu, če bo nekaj trenutkov deževalo, medtem ko se boste razkropili, da bi ostale stvari spravili v hišo.

Za tehnično usmerjene ljudi je Pathfinder ocenjen kot varen za stik z vodo v trajanju do treh minut. Zato je to eden najboljših Bluetooth zvočnikov, odpornih proti pljuskom na trgu. Vendar pa vam močno odsvetujemo, da bi ga poskušali postaviti v vodo med pijanimi zabavami ob bazenu.

There are the two auxiliary ports and USB ports mentioned earlier. These allow for charging devices as well as connecting them for audio playback.

Bluetooth

The Pathfinder is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 and produces a solid connection at a range of up to 85 meters. One downside is that there is no multipoint pairing. So, you’re limited to one device at a time.

Furthermore, there are slight delays when watching videos and movies. This can happen whether streaming or directly from the memory of the device.

Controls and Built-In Features

The button controls are easy to understand and laid out in a way that is unlikely to cause confusion. So, the ease-of-use score is high. There is a Bluetooth button to engage in pairing and a light button that allows you to select a light pattern of your choice.

A control labeled “BOOM” is not something you’d necessarily want to see on any of your electronics. But, on a speaker, it does have pleasant connotations. The BOOM control enhances the bass frequencies and engages a light show.

Party with your pals…

The Pathfinder can link itself with another Pathfinder and create a stereo pair; this can be engaged using the Link button. It indicates all connections made and/or severed with audio prompts. Also, there is a display that indicates the selected volume level and the battery life.

The Pathfinder does come with a companion app for sound customization. But, it also has neat built-in EQ shortcuts.

Pressing the EQ button will alternate the display between “HI” and “LO.” Having selected your range, you can boost or cut as desired by turning the volume knob. And finally, save the altered profile by pressing the EQ button again.

Save your favorite stations…

The Pathfinder has an FM radio which allows you to switch between FM1 and FM2. The ‘Previous’ and ‘Next’ buttons allow you to scroll between frequencies. You can then save your favorite stations to one of eight preset buttons.

FM1 and FM2 have eight slots each, so that’s a total of 16 possible presets. This, along with the EQ customization, makes the 280 one of the most versatile Bluetooth speakers you will find.

Battery Life

The advertised battery life for the Pathfinder is a very impressive 100 hours from a 10-hour charge. While ION did not state under which conditions this figure could be met, we are confident that it can.

Our testing, and that of other users on YouTube and alike, come to a very impressive 68 hours at moderate to high levels after a seven-hour charge. This makes it one of the longest battery life Bluetooth speakers around. So, you can party from dusk till dawn, and then some.

Companion App

The ION Sound XP App is perhaps not the most extensive out there. But, one could argue that combined with all the physical controls, you’ve got more than enough.

The app has a simple and elegant layout. And it’s important to note that there is a difference between the physical EQ controls and using the app. The app has a three-band EQ, allowing you to adjust the mids as well. Additionally, there are seven presets to choose from, and you can save your own.

You also have access to the linking function, the FM radio, and the BOOM control. Finally, the XP app gives you the ability to control the lights as well as activate and deactivate the voice prompts. All of these add up to one of the easiest to use Bluetooth speakers lahko kupite.

Kakovost zvoka

The dynamics of the Pathfinder certainly surprised us when first testing the speaker. The Pathfinder is more than capable of producing enough volume to satisfy the needs of any party house or small get-together.

One of the loudest Bluetooth speakers you will find. Not just in the budget range, but in every range. The amount of compression applied when you push it to the max is minimal. So, the quality doesn’t degrade much, and distortion is minimal as well.

Frequency Response

The default signature on the Pathfinder definitely favors the mid-range, which means that vocals and main instruments are always present and clear. The main downside of the sound is the lack of balance between frequency ranges.

This is especially noticeable in the balance between mids and highs. The imbalance sometimes causes one to sound good and the other bad, or results in both mids and highs sounding bright or dull.

It’s a good thing ION included the BOOM control as well as an EQ because the biggest weakness in terms of sound for the Pathfinder is the low-end.

By default…

The bass simply has no presence in any type of genre. Whether it’s bass-heavy or not, and even when using the BOOM function or the EQ to enhance the bass, the low-end seems recessed. I, therefore, recommend leaving the BOOM function on permanently and using the EQ to add bass boost as well.

Overall, I rate the sound quality on the Pathfinder as below average to good depending on your settings. But, getting that low-end boost makes a massive difference.

Furthermore, I recommend getting at least two units to improve the soundstage. That’s because using a single speaker will sum all the content to mono, which is never good if you actually love your music.

ION Pathfinder 280 Review – Pros and Cons

Prednosti

• Well built.
• Good functionality and companion app.
• Gets very loud.
• Excellent Bluetooth range.
• Bottle opener.
• Easy to transport.

Slabosti

• No multipoint pairing.
• Average sound quality.
• Bad soundstage.

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ION Pathfinder 280 Review – Conclusion

The Pathfinder 280 is a great budget speaker for party people . That being said, it will also suit outdoorsy types who like good functionality and portable power as well. However, this is not the speaker for someone who wants excellent sound quality.

While the quality on the Pathfinder is by no measure bad, it’s not going to impress audiophiles. However, it will outlast your most hardcore gatherings thanks to impressive battery life and a sturdy build, which is the most important thing in most parties.

Just don’t throw it in the pool. And, remember to push that BOOM button. You’ll be waking the neighbors for literally days. The Final Score is 8 out of 10.

Until next time, happy listening!