The amount of Bluetooth speakers out on the market is staggering already. You can hit Amazon and find every shape, size, and price range on multiple pages. So manufacturers are trying their best to make something different in the space to draw your buying dollars. 808 Audio isn’t unfamiliar to us, we’ve reviewed their spectacular EAR CANZ and came away impressed. Now 808 wants to change things up with their CANZ XL, read on for the full review.
Specifications
- Enjoy music wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet
- Up to 8 hours of playtime from the rechargeable battery
- The precision tuned 3.5” up-firing driver delivers huge 360º sound
- Passive radiator for best bass response and maximized sound experience
- Quick-release easy-carry handle makes it fully portable
- Aux input to enjoy music from mp3 players and other wired sources
- 5″ wide x 7.48″ tall x 5″ deep
- 2.56 lbs
Design
The amount of speaker designs on the market is mind boggling but a lot of them look similar and 808 made an attempt to be different. The cylindrical CANZ XL reminds me of the Apple MacPro or possibly a small desktop garbage can. I commend 808 for trying to think of something different but I didn’t find the look of the CANZ XL appealing to me. The chassis is made of high quality aluminum so kudos for making it at least feel premium. The top is where you’ll find the volume control, power/pairing button and EQ toggle as well as the main driver. You’ll also find a metal carrying handle that never seems to want to stay snapped into place as it’s supposed to do. No matter how hard I tried the handle never stayed in place, it’s probably more of an annoyance than anything but it would have been nice if the function did what it was supposed to do.
Along the back of the CANZ XL you’ll find the DC in and AUX in and along the bottom rim the bass driver. The bottom does have a very nice rubber footing that keeps the CANZ XL planted on whatever surface you have it on. Overall the design isn’t appealing to my eye, yours may be different and you may love the design. Thank goodness for having choices.
Ease of Use
Hold the power/pairing button down for a few seconds until you hear the pairing mode chime. Go to your device’s Bluetooth settings and pair from there, very simple. Once you have it paired, it will find your device whenever it is on so no need to pair again. The volume controls are connected to the devices volume so they are not independent, something I would have liked to have. The EQ button toggles between a few different EQ levels with a simple push.
Sound
Let’s start off by saying that the CANZ XL has some decent enough sound and not bad for its sub $100 price point. But it does lack in the bass department in which it bills itself highly. The overall sound isn’t horrible here, the sound this device produces is acceptable for most music though I found the CANZ XL to be on the higher end of the sound spectrum. While the bass EQ button does offer a bit more lower end, the highs and mids seemed to dominate the sound signature. I’m not a bass heavy person but I do like the low end to be beefier so it holds up the mids and highs. I couldn’t find that sweet spot with this speaker. I felt the bass EQ simply made the sound louder rather than tweaking the actual low end and the dominance of the highs and mids wasn’t to my personal liking. That all being said, some may find this speaker to be exactly what they like, sound is subjective but to my ear, the CANZ XL just left me wanting more low end.
Reception/Call Quality
Call quality was acceptable though I did have to raise my voice in order for the caller to hear me the best they could. But let’s face it, no one should really use this for a speaker phone.
Battery Life
Battery life will vary depending on volume. We were able to get a little over the advertised 8 hour life under 60% volume but battery life will vary depending on use and location.
Price/Value
Sub $100 isn’t a bad price but with the lack of the promised bass… this one is going to be your call as far as value goes.
Wrap Up
A nice speaker with decent sound but doesn’t live up to its advertised bass quality… it left me wanting more and the lack of independent volume control is hard to swallow at this price.
[button link=”http://amzn.to/2c8Iutw” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Purchase from Amazon[/button]*We were sent a review sample of the 808 CANZ XL for the purposes of this review.
Last Updated on February 20, 2020.
