Skullcandy Barricade XL Bluetooth Wireless Portable Speaker - Black

Love it, great product, probably will buy another one!

As soon as we opened the box you could tell this speaker is a nice piece of kit. Feels quite weighty but not heavy so very portable. Connects easily to devices have tried phones tablets all with no issues. The sound is rich and velvety not tiny or weak at all. I haven't tested it out yet but it's apparently waterproof and can float. All in all very impressed.

Although not XL in size this certainly is in noise ! This is the largest of the three Barricades and is around 20cm wide, it is easy to pair (I paired with my iPhone 6 in under a minute) and the sound is very very impressive. It has a real bass to it but also a very full sound and I was impressed. It works about 5 metres from my phone before you get problems and that is fine. It is a very rugged speaker and although plain looking will last forever. Impressed.

This is a great wee portable speaker. It paired with an iPhone and a samsung phone quickly and effortlessly, and the sound it produces is great for such a small speaker. Lots of good bass, and a good clear sound throughout, even at higher volumes. Its size means you can easily take it anywhere with you, parties, beach barbecues and holidays, and it has a battery life of ten hours, though I haven't yet tested it for that length of time! It's sturdy enough that you can take it anywhere, and it certainly feels as though it could easily withstand being bumped about in transit. It's also buoyant and waterproof up to 3 metres, so you really can take it anywhere!

This is an excellent speaker : dynamic reproduction is warm and full with clear bass (and, thankfully, more than enough high end as well). Battery life is considerable - up to 10 hours on the XL - and quick to charge with USB ports. Bluetooth reproduction is clear and fast, once connected. Aside from that, should you want to connect to a standard audio device without Bluetooth, you need to separately purchase a Male to Male connector which is bafflingly not included as standard - bizarre given the total cost of the item. Other than that, this is a perfect, durable portable speaker with plenty of life in it.

Firstly, this little (XL) speaker packs a punch. It has a great solid sound which is perfect for bbq’s and parties outdoors. It feels tough and rugged and built to survive impact. Not only is it rain and splash proof, this little speaker can withstand 30mins submerged in up to one metre of water – how cool is that. The rubber buttons are chunky and look great. Two of these buttons are for pairing. One allows you to pair two phones, allowing you to play music from two different devices (taking it in turns). The other button allows you to pair multiple speakers, so you can add speakers and connect them together. Battery is up to 10 hours so again , charge it up hang it out in garden and play your tunes. This is an excellent outdoor speak with some very strong features. I love it.

I couldn't praise this speaker any higher. The 'real' sound it produces is nothing short of amazing with the clearest voice reproduction making it sound like the track playing is a different recording. The volume range for something this small is really really good, and the tone us maintained without distortion through the range. A device can be charged (via USB) whilst listening to the music stored on it, the unit itself is charged via a separate USB cable. It is waterproof to nearly a meter (presumably the rubber cover over the USB slots was in place for the testing) and should you be careless enough to drop it in deep enough water it floats - I HAVEN'T AND I HAVE NO INTENTION OF TESTING THIS, it's far too nice to risk. The controls are easy to see and use, the manual is short (in stature and brevity) but everything is intuitive so pages and pages are not required. The battery has a published life of seven hours, (not tested). The pairing is without hassle. There is nothing to dislike about this speaker, even the price. This is a beautiful, well made almost perfect portable Bluetooth speaker, it has a more 'full' sound than the zip which I thought had a superb sound and it looks good.

Whenever I review a portable Bluetooth Speaker, until now I would compare to my all-time favourite, the Jawbone Big Jambox. This was a great speaker for a number of reasons – well rounded sound, lightweight and super battery life. Having tried a number since that haven’t come close, how would this Skullcandy one work out? First impressions on this one were pretty good. It’s a smaller beast than a number of others on the market, pretty lightweight as well. The rubberised outside makes the build quality seem solid, with the promise of waterproofing (which I haven’t tried) seem positive too. Charging is done by micro USB behind a plastic flap on the side of the product where you can also charge your phone as well – a surprising but nice touch. The feature that really surprised me though for the size of the item was quite how booming the sound is – it’s loud, bassy and pretty full on. Bass notes are pretty solid and clear, while mids and highs a little less so but still reasonably clear. This makes for an overall good sound and one that continues for quite a long time – the battery life is decent also. So does it beat my Big Jambox? Well it’s definitely up there with it having surprised me in a number of different (and positive) ways. Solid sound, good build, decent battery and did I mention it’s loud to boot? So for those reasons, this one comes recommended from me.