If Your Destination Is Packed With Adventure, You'll Need Treblab's FX100 Bluetooth Speaker

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One of the most important aspects of any portable electronic gadget is battery life. Headphones are no good to us on five-hour flights if they only last two hours (looking at you, very popular computer company) and what's the point of an expensive tablet if it barely plays one movie for us on a cross country flight? And if our planes aren't equipped with in-seat USB ports (how is this still a problem?) then our portable battery chargers will have to do their jobs before we even arrive in Maui.

So, yes, we bang the drums as much for battery life as we do sound quality and product durability, because we expect to sweat from the sun and not the little things. This is also why we are suckers for two-in-one products that are created for a primary purpose but take things to the next level with a built-in bonus. One such product is Treblab's FX100 Extreme Bluetooth Speaker.

Simple answer: to deliver big sound in a convenient, portable size. You know, like any portable speaker should. But like the other Treblab products we've reviewed, there are little things that make this device's performance so much better, and the perks on display here make the FX100 our favorite from this brand's collection of affordable, well-performing speakers.

For starters, this speaker is built for travel and adventure, with a shockproof rubber exterior that more than passes clumsy toddler durability tests and a water resistance rating of IPX4, which means it can handle water splashes, like waves at the beach or one of the many beautiful waterfalls on Basse-Terre in the Guadeloupe Islands. There's even a carabiner clip that attaches the speaker directly to your backpack for hikes and climbs.

Now, in terms of sound power, this isn't Treblab's best speaker. Both the HD77 and smaller HD7 offer more sound power—25W and 12W, respectively, to the FX100′s 10W. But that's what makes those speakers great for pool parties or enjoying some tunes on a private stretch of Turks and Caicos sand, while this speaker is ideal for explorers who don't need to blast the song of the summer every 10 minutes.

There are two secondary features we love about this speaker, but let's start with the one that everyone needs: a built-in power bank. What that means is that if you're like me and load up on portable battery chargers like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Commando beach scene, you can leave all (or most) of them back in the hotel room and rely on your speaker to keep your phone charged if you find yourself in a pinch.

Naturally, a built-in battery pack raises questions about the FX100′s battery life. Don't worry, though. The HD77 offers 20 hours of playtime, while the HD7 lasts as long as 25 hours. The FX100 can bump for up to 35 hours, but that is obviously affected by power bank usage, so fortunately there's also a lighted battery indicator. Basically, if your goal is to host a 35-hour beach bash, you'll need extra chargers.

The other bonus is the built-in noise-cancelling microphone that allows for taking hands-free calls from your friends or making calls to your boss to let him know you'll never be coming home from paradise.