We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›

SOUNDBOKS has built its name on battery-powered Bluetooth bruisers capable of volume that can own the outdoors. The new SOUNDBOKS Mix portable party speaker doesn’t abandon that identity. It just compresses it. Where the old GO felt like a more suitcase-like side quest, this one reads as a more coherent member of the family: a smaller, easier-to-grab take on the SOUNDBOKS 4 that keeps the brand’s PA-bred attitude but, as we discovered moving it around for a week, fits more naturally into everyday plans and mixed environments.

The cabinet keeps the familiar SOUNDBOKS silhouette intact … square-shouldered, grille-fronted, rubber ball corner-capped, built less like decor than gear. But at 21 lbs., with a single-hand carry handle and support for a strap or backpack, the Mix is easier to move without internal negotiation. Inside its 18.9 x 13.4 x 10.6 inches (H W D) enclosure, a 10-inch woofer and a 1.2-inch dome tweeter work with a bass-reflex design and custom tuning to deliver what the brand does best: real shove, not just loudness. Down to 40Hz, up to 121dB [only 5dB less than its older, larger sibling] means it can still throw sound with some authority, but the more important trick is shape. Despite bass extenstion that goes low down to match a throwdown, this is a speaker tuned to feel less like an all-or-nothing cannon and more like a controlled, compact rig, with app-based sound modes, five-band adjustable EQ, and distortion-management DSP that let it keep its footing indoors, outdoors, and somewhere in between as you crank the oversized volume knob on the side. And, yes, it goes up to 11.

That makes the Mix the more plausible SOUNDBOKS for the moments that happen more often: a backyard with neighbors, a park hang, a patio set, a street corner, a studio cubbyhole, a beach afternoon where portability matters almost as much as punch. Sling it from tailgates to rooftops. Swing it from rawk to hi-nrg EDM. It still looks like it wants to headline a small gathering, but its profile makes spontaneous use much easier, and its voicing makes it less awkward in spaces where more brute force would be overkill. It trades the aesthetics of some contemporaries for output and endurance.

Bass bin huggers will appreciate that they can just toss it on a shoulder and deliver chest-level persuasion and festival vibes to any get-together. Bluetooth 4.2 with SBC ensures a stable connection, so go ahead and pair that new wireless-friendly turntable. There’s a 1/8-inch stereo input for more analog sources. The swappable battery and IP65-rated electronics coating add some welcome ruggedness, while TeamUp support means it can stay modest until the party doesn’t, then it can push air in stereo or pair with up to five other SOUNDBOKS at the touch of a button using SKAA technology. Battery life is rated up to 40 hours of communal kick at medium volume or around 8 hours at full exertion. Spare BB4 battery packs can be purchased separately. Add a Lightboks to really transform a space into the place.

SOUNDBOKS Mix portable Bluetooth party speaker is available now for $799.

 

2025 PopSci Best of What’s New

The 50 most important innovations of the year