With a telescopic handle and small wheels at the bottom, the LG XBOOM RK3 seems eager to be taken anywhere
Usually, we associate a carry-on with air travel. But, it seems that LG wants you to forget that with their new device called XBOOM RK3, which is designed as a carry-on suitcase, ready to be wheeled anywhere you want to play your favourite music.
We tested the XBOOM RK3 for about 15 days to see if it brings anything new for audiophiles, and here’s what we think of it.
Design
Measuring 370 x 480.5 x 310 (W x H x D) mm in dimensions and weighing 12.3 kgs, the LG XBOOM RK3 seems a little big for a party speaker. But, it turns out, that it’s a perfect party tool. With its funky design, Bluetooth connectivity for up to two phones and powerful sound quality, it’s perfectly capable of rocking house parties.
At the top, there are two volume dials – one for mic and the other for main volume – and two columns of buttons on either side of the dials, which include power on/off, vocal effects, echo/demo, key changer, a voice controlled karaoke, track change, reset/repeat and a sound effect/bass blast button. The maximum volume displayed is 15 for mic and 40 for main volume.
The telescopic handle can be adjusted to three different lengths, depending on your need, and in the close proximity of the handle are mic-in, USB and port-in ports, covered by a protective rubber flap. The front panel houses the 6.5-inch woofer unit, which is protected by a metal grille. At the back, there is a battery-charging indicator and an AC socket for charging.
Audio performance
When playing tracks with intense sub-bass content, like ‘Above and Beyond’ by DJ Bassnectar, the XBOOM RK3 takes bass to a whole new level. The electronic lows reproduced by this speaker when playing such tracks are excessively deep. Listening to DJ Magic Mike’s ‘Feel the Bass’ on this speaker was literally out-of-the-world experience – it pumped out great bass with strong vibrations and lot of details. The mid and treble ranges are well-defined and, surprisingly, vocals are crisp and clear, even at low-volume levels.
Another track that we played was ‘Radioactive’ by Imagine Dragons, which is a unique blend of dubstep and electronic rock. Listening to it with XBoom was indeed a pleasure – thundering bass continued to grow throughout the song, accelerating into intense depths during the chorus.
Even if your music library houses less complex music, the XBOOM RK3 offers balanced sound that’s loud and clear. The compatible USB devices supported are Flash-type MP3 player and both USB2.0 and USB1.1.
The Karaoke feature allows you to have a nice karaoke night right in your own home. Of course, depending on your singing skills, you can transform this into a torture session for your neighbour, if you aren’t too fond of them, but that’s another story.
Conclusion
The XBOOM RK3 with its splash-proof (IPX4) sturdy design, karaoke feature, long battery backup, is a worthy contender in the party-speaker segment.
