{"id":1878319,"date":"2026-04-11T12:00:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T09:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1878319"},"modified":"2026-04-11T12:00:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T09:00:51","slug":"this-loud-ass-party-speaker-almost-got-me-high-af","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1878319","title":{"rendered":"This Loud-Ass Party Speaker Almost Got Me High AF"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Soundboks-Party-Speaker-review-01-1200×675.jpg”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Party speakers aren\u2019t really my thing. It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t like to party\u2014I do. Not in a \u201cfriends and family surprise you at your house for a serious talk\u201d kind of way, but in a \u201cmid-30s, I have sh*t to do in the morning\u201d kind of way. Really, I just don\u2019t like to annoy people more than I have to.<\/p>\n

New York City isn\u2019t known for its serenity, but it takes a certain level of decorum to get along, and party speakers, with their inherent obnoxiousness, break a very tenuous code. They\u2019re big (not great for small living spaces), loud (not great for proximate neighbors), and expensive (not great for paying rent on time). They\u2019re, in many ways, antithetical to what most New Yorkers (and other urban-dwelling people) look for in personal audio.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also, as I learned in my experience using the 21-pound Soundboks Mix party speaker, actually a great way to make friends.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
3.5<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Soundboks Mix<\/p>\n

The Soundboks Mix is a party speaker that’s loud and portable with decent sound.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Pros<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n
  • Loud! <\/li>\n
  • Still pretty portable despite its size <\/li>\n
  • Sound is pretty good <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
    \n
    \n

    Cons<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n
    • Sound is good but not great <\/li>\n
    • No way to get battery readings from the app <\/li>\n
    • Underwhelming EQ options <\/li>\n
    • Party speakers are pricey and so is the Soundboks Mix <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
      \n

      This speaker goes to 11<\/h2>\n

      Party speakers are first and foremost meant for parties, and the $800 Soundbox Mix\u00a0is no different. Soundboks is known for its Bluetooth speakers and, in particular, for making ones that get ridiculously loud. In case you had any doubt about the loudness, the Soundboks Mix even has a volume dial on the side that goes to 11 instead of 10, Spinal Tap<\/em>-style.<\/p>\n

      \"Soundboks
      \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      To test out that volume, I went to Washington Square Park in Manhattan and let loose. The Soundboks Mix is indeed loud, folks. It didn\u2019t quake the Earth upon which we walk or anything like that, but it\u2019s got juice. I tested the party speaker at a range of volumes playing music across different genres\u2014mostly rock, but some electronic music and soul\u2014and the park got an earful. I can\u2019t say for certain, but I\u2019m pretty sure I chased off two guys hitting a volleyball around. You heard it here first: if you hate people playing volleyball, the Soundboks Mix is a repellent.<\/p>\n

      It\u2019s hard to quantify volume into words, but if I were to try, I would say that the Soundboks Mix is loud enough for a graduation party or a medium-sized quincea\u00f1era. It\u2019s not going to bring down the house like a full PA, but if you\u2019re outside within a frisbee distance of the speaker, you\u2019re going to hear it. I also tested the Soundboks Mix briefly at full volume in my office playing Creed\u2019s \u201cOne Last Breath,\u201d and it was loud enough to make me feel like we could get kicked out, both for the Creed and the volume.<\/p>\n

      \"Soundboks
      \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Maybe I\u2019m masochistic, but I was actually expecting it to be a little louder\u2014maybe I\u2019m just old and have bad hearing, though. I guess it\u2019s good that it isn\u2019t. Permanent hearing loss isn\u2019t high on my list of occupational hazards.<\/p>\n

      One thing you\u2019ll be happy to know is that the Soundboks Mix isn\u2019t just loud; it also manages to stave off distortion even at high volumes. Even at 11 out of 11, the Soundboks Mix sounded pretty clear, both from close up and from about 30 feet away. This isn\u2019t the most impressive speaker I\u2019ve heard in the sound department\u2014you\u2019re not getting Sonos outside\u2014but for a party, where people need volume and not necessarily fidelity, it does the trick.<\/p>\n

      I played a few Steely Dan songs at 50% volume and was pleased with the soundstage. There\u2019s a tasteful amount of low end that doesn\u2019t drown out mids and highs. Vocals were clear, and I never felt like I was sorely lacking in any frequency range. Likewise, when I played songs like \u201cDigital Love\u201d by Daft Punk, the bass was present and tangible without overpowering, and auto-tuned vocals didn\u2019t sound tinny or cheap. Using a party speaker outside isn\u2019t the most high-fidelity way to listen to anything, but for what the experience is, I think the Soundboks Mix is pretty solid.<\/p>\n

      \"Soundboks
      \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      If you absolutely need more volume and you have the budget, you can also couple the Soundboks Mix with another Soundboks speaker and use them in pairs in stereo mode. I was only sent one speaker for review, so I didn\u2019t get a chance to test that feature out, but I assume it kicks everything up a notch, as celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse would say.<\/p>\n

      Loudness and audio quality aren\u2019t the only things you have to consider when you\u2019re looking at party speaker. You also have to think about rolling joints.<\/p>\n

      Portability is friendability<\/h2>\n

      If there\u2019s one thing that party speakers aren\u2019t known for, it\u2019s being easy to carry around. To get loud, they have to be big\u2014that\u2019s literally just how physics works. But how big is too big? It\u2019s difficult to strike a balance between giving you enough oomph to really project into a party and enough portability so that you don\u2019t feel like you need to rent an ATV just to drag the speaker down the beach. Having carried the speaker from my office to Washington Square Park, which is about 0.3 miles according to Google Maps, I can say for certain that the experience wasn\u2019t so bad.<\/p>\n

      \"Soundboks
      \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      There\u2019s a built-in handle, which helps, but to be honest, it\u00a0does\u00a0<\/em>weigh 21.4 pounds, so putting all the weight on one hand is a bit much. If you\u2019re moving the Soundboks Mix over longer distances, I would recommend either holding it to your chest like a baby or buying one of Soundboks\u2019 first-party straps that can hook to the speaker, allowing you to sling it over your back. Soundboks didn\u2019t send over a strap for me to try, so I went with the baby method, which was fine, if not ideal.<\/p>\n

      Its portability also helped make me a friend, who asked me to play some music while he rolled joints. I don\u2019t smoke weed because it makes me feel like the world is ending, but my new friend did offer to share, which was a nice gesture. His first sound request was Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s \u201cMe, Myself, and I,\u201d which honestly sounded pretty good at full volume.<\/p>\n

      The whole thing was kind of heart-warming, really. It\u2019s how I imagine people felt about boomboxes back in the day, when portable ways to play weren\u2019t easy to come by. And I assume the experience is a lot better than it used to be from a convenience standpoint\u2014especially because of the battery.<\/p>\n

      \"Soundboks
      \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      One cool thing about the Soundboks Mix is that it has a removable battery that you can just pull out and top up with USB-C. That also means you can hot swap it if you really need a new battery ASAP, though you\u2019ll have to buy an extra for $150. There\u2019s also an app for convenience, but it\u2019s pretty barebones.<\/p>\n

      \"Soundboks
      \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      I like that you can adjust volume from the Soundboks app as well as EQ\u2014there are presets for indoor and outdoor as well as custom EQ if you\u2019re feeling picky. I\u2019ll be honest, I didn\u2019t hear a huge difference between the outdoor and indoor EQs, but according to the bars, the outdoor EQ brings down the mids just a tad, letting bass and treble take the lead.<\/p>\n

      There is,<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>however, a way to get quick battery readings, which is just odd. Soundboks claims that the Mix gets 8 hours of battery at full volume, though it was hard to get a read since the only way to monitor battery life was to use one of the five circular light indicators on the battery itself. You have to press the button and then just go off those increments and vibes. It\u2019s not ideal. I played the Soundboks Mix for an hour at 60% volume, and none of the five circles dropped out, so take that for what you will.<\/p>\n

      \"Soundboks
      \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Outside of volume adjustment and EQ, you can also turn the Soundboks Mix off through the app and initiate the \u201cTeamUp\u201d feature to pair the Mix with other Soundboks speakers. It\u2019s nice to be able to adjust the volume remotely, but to be honest, the built-in volume dial on the Soundboks mix feels so nice and premium (it\u2019s metal and there\u2019s plenty of resistance) that I didn\u2019t want to adjust the volume any other way. Button-wise, there\u2019s also a power button and a button for the TeamUp feature that allows you to pair speakers together. There\u2019s also a \u201cBond\u201d button that can cycle through modes when you\u2019re using TeamUp and Bluetooth connections. Lastly, there\u2019s a 3.5mm aux in if that\u2019s your thing.<\/p>\n

      The Soundboks Mix keeps things pretty simple design-wise, but one nice touch is the inclusion of rubber balls on the bottom of each corner, which makes setting it down feel safe and easy. You also won\u2019t have to worry about the Soundboks Mix getting fried in the rain, either. The speaker is IP65-rated, meaning it\u2019s resistant to dust and water, and if you get caught in the rain, you should be fine.<\/p>\n

      Should you Mix it up?<\/h2>\n
      \"Soundboks
      \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Listen, $800 is a lot of money to spend on a speaker, even if it can get as loud as a chainsaw. This isn\u2019t something that you\u2019re going to want to use all the time, and it certainly isn\u2019t the most versatile speaker in the world, but no party speaker really is. If you\u2019re looking for something that gets loud, sounds good, and can be built out to get even louder and more obnoxious, the Soundboks Mix is not a bad pick. It helps that it\u2019s still somewhat portable despite its loudness, too, so if you plan on hauling this to the beach or something, it\u2019s not an insurmountable task.<\/p>\n

      Party speakers aren\u2019t for everyone, but if they\u2019re for you, then the Mix might be a great way to make friends and maybe <\/em>get a little high on someone else\u2019s supply.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

      \n

      Party speakers aren\u2019t really my thing. It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t like to party\u2014I do. Not in a \u201cfriends and family surprise you at your house for a serious talk\u201d kind of way, but in a \u201cmid-30s, I have sh*t to do in the morning\u201d kind of way. Really, I just don\u2019t like to annoy people more than I have to.<\/p>\n

      New York City isn\u2019t known for its serenity, but it takes a certain level of decorum to get along, and party speakers, with their inherent obnoxiousness, break a very tenuous code. They\u2019re big (not great for small living spaces), loud (not great for proximate neighbors), and expensive (not great for paying rent on time). They\u2019re, in many ways, antithetical to what most New Yorkers (and other urban-dwelling people) look for in personal audio.<\/p>\n

      They\u2019re also, as I learned in my experience using the 21-pound Soundboks Mix party speaker, actually a great way to make friends.<\/p>\n

      \n
      \n
      \n
      3.5<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      Soundboks Mix<\/p>\n

      The Soundboks Mix is a party speaker that’s loud and portable with decent sound.<\/p>\n

      \n
      \n
      \n
      \n

      Pros<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

        \n
      • Loud! <\/li>\n
      • Still pretty portable despite its size <\/li>\n
      • Sound is pretty good <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
        \n
        \n

        Cons<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

          \n
        • Sound is good but not great <\/li>\n
        • No way to get battery readings from the app <\/li>\n
        • Underwhelming EQ options <\/li>\n
        • Party speakers are pricey and so is the Soundboks Mix <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
          \n

          This speaker goes to 11<\/h2>\n

          Party speakers are first and foremost meant for parties, and the $800 Soundbox Mix\u00a0is no different. Soundboks is known for its Bluetooth speakers and, in particular, for making ones that get ridiculously loud. In case you had any doubt about the loudness, the Soundboks Mix even has a volume dial on the side that goes to 11 instead of 10, Spinal Tap<\/em>-style.<\/p>\n

          \"Soundboks
          \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          To test out that volume, I went to Washington Square Park in Manhattan and let loose. The Soundboks Mix is indeed loud, folks. It didn\u2019t quake the Earth upon which we walk or anything like that, but it\u2019s got juice. I tested the party speaker at a range of volumes playing music across different genres\u2014mostly rock, but some electronic music and soul\u2014and the park got an earful. I can\u2019t say for certain, but I\u2019m pretty sure I chased off two guys hitting a volleyball around. You heard it here first: if you hate people playing volleyball, the Soundboks Mix is a repellent.<\/p>\n

          It\u2019s hard to quantify volume into words, but if I were to try, I would say that the Soundboks Mix is loud enough for a graduation party or a medium-sized quincea\u00f1era. It\u2019s not going to bring down the house like a full PA, but if you\u2019re outside within a frisbee distance of the speaker, you\u2019re going to hear it. I also tested the Soundboks Mix briefly at full volume in my office playing Creed\u2019s \u201cOne Last Breath,\u201d and it was loud enough to make me feel like we could get kicked out, both for the Creed and the volume.<\/p>\n

          \"Soundboks
          \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          Maybe I\u2019m masochistic, but I was actually expecting it to be a little louder\u2014maybe I\u2019m just old and have bad hearing, though. I guess it\u2019s good that it isn\u2019t. Permanent hearing loss isn\u2019t high on my list of occupational hazards.<\/p>\n

          One thing you\u2019ll be happy to know is that the Soundboks Mix isn\u2019t just loud; it also manages to stave off distortion even at high volumes. Even at 11 out of 11, the Soundboks Mix sounded pretty clear, both from close up and from about 30 feet away. This isn\u2019t the most impressive speaker I\u2019ve heard in the sound department\u2014you\u2019re not getting Sonos outside\u2014but for a party, where people need volume and not necessarily fidelity, it does the trick.<\/p>\n

          I played a few Steely Dan songs at 50% volume and was pleased with the soundstage. There\u2019s a tasteful amount of low end that doesn\u2019t drown out mids and highs. Vocals were clear, and I never felt like I was sorely lacking in any frequency range. Likewise, when I played songs like \u201cDigital Love\u201d by Daft Punk, the bass was present and tangible without overpowering, and auto-tuned vocals didn\u2019t sound tinny or cheap. Using a party speaker outside isn\u2019t the most high-fidelity way to listen to anything, but for what the experience is, I think the Soundboks Mix is pretty solid.<\/p>\n

          \"Soundboks
          \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          If you absolutely need more volume and you have the budget, you can also couple the Soundboks Mix with another Soundboks speaker and use them in pairs in stereo mode. I was only sent one speaker for review, so I didn\u2019t get a chance to test that feature out, but I assume it kicks everything up a notch, as celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse would say.<\/p>\n

          Loudness and audio quality aren\u2019t the only things you have to consider when you\u2019re looking at party speaker. You also have to think about rolling joints.<\/p>\n

          Portability is friendability<\/h2>\n

          If there\u2019s one thing that party speakers aren\u2019t known for, it\u2019s being easy to carry around. To get loud, they have to be big\u2014that\u2019s literally just how physics works. But how big is too big? It\u2019s difficult to strike a balance between giving you enough oomph to really project into a party and enough portability so that you don\u2019t feel like you need to rent an ATV just to drag the speaker down the beach. Having carried the speaker from my office to Washington Square Park, which is about 0.3 miles according to Google Maps, I can say for certain that the experience wasn\u2019t so bad.<\/p>\n

          \"Soundboks
          \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          There\u2019s a built-in handle, which helps, but to be honest, it\u00a0does\u00a0<\/em>weigh 21.4 pounds, so putting all the weight on one hand is a bit much. If you\u2019re moving the Soundboks Mix over longer distances, I would recommend either holding it to your chest like a baby or buying one of Soundboks\u2019 first-party straps that can hook to the speaker, allowing you to sling it over your back. Soundboks didn\u2019t send over a strap for me to try, so I went with the baby method, which was fine, if not ideal.<\/p>\n

          Its portability also helped make me a friend, who asked me to play some music while he rolled joints. I don\u2019t smoke weed because it makes me feel like the world is ending, but my new friend did offer to share, which was a nice gesture. His first sound request was Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s \u201cMe, Myself, and I,\u201d which honestly sounded pretty good at full volume.<\/p>\n

          The whole thing was kind of heart-warming, really. It\u2019s how I imagine people felt about boomboxes back in the day, when portable ways to play weren\u2019t easy to come by. And I assume the experience is a lot better than it used to be from a convenience standpoint\u2014especially because of the battery.<\/p>\n

          \"Soundboks
          \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          One cool thing about the Soundboks Mix is that it has a removable battery that you can just pull out and top up with USB-C. That also means you can hot swap it if you really need a new battery ASAP, though you\u2019ll have to buy an extra for $150. There\u2019s also an app for convenience, but it\u2019s pretty barebones.<\/p>\n

          \"Soundboks
          \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          I like that you can adjust volume from the Soundboks app as well as EQ\u2014there are presets for indoor and outdoor as well as custom EQ if you\u2019re feeling picky. I\u2019ll be honest, I didn\u2019t hear a huge difference between the outdoor and indoor EQs, but according to the bars, the outdoor EQ brings down the mids just a tad, letting bass and treble take the lead.<\/p>\n

          There is,<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>however, a way to get quick battery readings, which is just odd. Soundboks claims that the Mix gets 8 hours of battery at full volume, though it was hard to get a read since the only way to monitor battery life was to use one of the five circular light indicators on the battery itself. You have to press the button and then just go off those increments and vibes. It\u2019s not ideal. I played the Soundboks Mix for an hour at 60% volume, and none of the five circles dropped out, so take that for what you will.<\/p>\n

          \"Soundboks
          \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          Outside of volume adjustment and EQ, you can also turn the Soundboks Mix off through the app and initiate the \u201cTeamUp\u201d feature to pair the Mix with other Soundboks speakers. It\u2019s nice to be able to adjust the volume remotely, but to be honest, the built-in volume dial on the Soundboks mix feels so nice and premium (it\u2019s metal and there\u2019s plenty of resistance) that I didn\u2019t want to adjust the volume any other way. Button-wise, there\u2019s also a power button and a button for the TeamUp feature that allows you to pair speakers together. There\u2019s also a \u201cBond\u201d button that can cycle through modes when you\u2019re using TeamUp and Bluetooth connections. Lastly, there\u2019s a 3.5mm aux in if that\u2019s your thing.<\/p>\n

          The Soundboks Mix keeps things pretty simple design-wise, but one nice touch is the inclusion of rubber balls on the bottom of each corner, which makes setting it down feel safe and easy. You also won\u2019t have to worry about the Soundboks Mix getting fried in the rain, either. The speaker is IP65-rated, meaning it\u2019s resistant to dust and water, and if you get caught in the rain, you should be fine.<\/p>\n

          Should you Mix it up?<\/h2>\n
          \"Soundboks
          \u00a9 Raymond Wong \/ Gizmodo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          Listen, $800 is a lot of money to spend on a speaker, even if it can get as loud as a chainsaw. This isn\u2019t something that you\u2019re going to want to use all the time, and it certainly isn\u2019t the most versatile speaker in the world, but no party speaker really is. If you\u2019re looking for something that gets loud, sounds good, and can be built out to get even louder and more obnoxious, the Soundboks Mix is not a bad pick. It helps that it\u2019s still somewhat portable despite its loudness, too, so if you plan on hauling this to the beach or something, it\u2019s not an insurmountable task.<\/p>\n

          Party speakers aren\u2019t for everyone, but if they\u2019re for you, then the Mix might be a great way to make friends and maybe <\/em>get a little high on someone else\u2019s supply.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

          [analyse_source url=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/this-loud-ass-party-speaker-almost-got-me-high-af-2000744709″]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          [analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/app\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Soundboks-Party-Speaker-review-01-1200×675.jpg”] Party speakers aren\u2019t really my thing. It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t like to party\u2014I do. Not in a \u201cfriends and family surprise you at your house for a serious talk\u201d kind of way, but in a \u201cmid-30s, I have sh*t to do in the morning\u201d kind of way. Really, I just don\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,53],"class_list":["post-1878319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-gizmodo-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1878319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1878319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1878319\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1878319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1878319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1878319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}