The Zola Eleven Ze SoundBox is a portable enclosure ideal for hosting a party or to try the guitar. It reveals a great power and excellent battery life.
The promise
The portable enclosure Zola Eleven Ze SoundBox looks like a guitar amp and includes a battery and a connector: a connector for iPhone and iPod, a USB and a memory card reader (SD), an RCA audio input , a microphone jack 6.35 mm, an XLR jack (for a professional microphone) and an input for guitar jack (6.35 mm). It allows you to animate your carefree afternoons or summer evenings. But the concept is not new: It is similar to early existing the BlockRocker Ion. Let’s see how this product is doing Zola Eleven.
Reality of Ze SoundBox:
The first step to adopt the enclosure Ze SoundBox is to accept the look. It is flanked by a large flag of the United Kingdom, printed on the grill that protects the speakers. A trait that was not to everyone’s taste testers and spectators. When will be more sober?
But the finish is decent, with the corners of aluminium and steel to protect the housing shock. But we are concerned that the white color of the enclosure is a little too messy for portable use which it is intended. Another detail that bothers us a bit, the handle to carry the amp is a bit short. Folded up, it measures about 43 cm (81 cm above the floor. A user of average height (1.75 m) will have to bend a little to roll back the machine.
Ze SoundBox: a dynamic speaker
Eleven Zola Ze SoundBox had boasted of its power of portable speaker. This is true both in the ear, after a stay in our room measurement. It was measured a wide bandwidth provides good dynamic. Bass response, provided by a medium path (a woofer not a subwoofer) which starts at very low frequencies at 34 Hz: the big fat sound that is “boom.”
Our probe tip some irregularities in the higher frequencies (including 5.4 and 8.4 KHz), but it will definitely have a very good ear to detect. We regret all the same it is not possible to intervene on the bass and treble.
Which can make lots of noise!
The sound is very punchy and dynamic …. It was measured a very good power for this type of device 112.3 dB before saturation, 79% of the volume. In use, as saying that such performance is really nice: the Ze SoundBox speaker beeps in smoothly your birthdays, parties and picnics outdoors. Moreover, it is on these occasions that the Ze SoundBox caused a sensation. One benefits from a long time thanks to the autonomy of the battery phenomenal: nearly 16 hours to three quarters of the power, according to a test!
The connector enables a variety of uses. IPod to scroll through a playlist, an iPhone connected to 3G (or WiFi) to listen to Internet radio, a USB for playing MP3 … We just regret the lack of display on the amp, which would have to navigate through the tracks stored on the USB. Management instruments (guitar and mic) is simple, each entry has its volume management.
Ze SoundBox Speakers Settings for musicians
The review of three guitarists regarding this Ze SoundBox criticism: “This is a very fun, but it’s not what I would buy.” In case, the lack of settings (no distortion or reverb …). Also, unless you add a pedal effects, we must be content – as they say the experts – the “clear channel”.
The second criticism concerns the price: 499 euros. A small guitar amp is not as versatile but cheaper, it often offers more power and more effects. About the robustness of the product, again, if it is suitable for general public use, the musicians a little dishonest with their equipment will not find their account.
The verdict
This speaker will Ze SoundBox caused many blows of heart, both in our writing as with our loving public. Its connectivity and good quality of sound it is making are huge assets. The musicians accuse it with lack of adjustments, but still recognize that it can be a fun solution for a beginner or musicians on the go.
