G-Project has unveiled G-Tube ($40), a new miniature Bluetooth speaker. G-Tube is IPX5 water-resistant, which means it should stand up to water jets. (Our unit’s packaging differed from the website, as it only claims IPX4 protection, but we checked with G-Project and verified G-Tube is indeed IPX5-rated.) As you can see in the first picture, G-Tube is slightly shorter than an iPhone 6 — the cylinder-shaped speaker is 5.25” long and just short of 2” in diameter. Two 1.25” stereo drivers supply the sound. G-Tube has a rechargeable battery which G-Project claims can last up to 6 hours, and the speaker should fully recharge in 3.5 hours.
G-Project specializes in great value speakers, and G-Tube is no exception. Though we don’t offer full reviews for speakers in this price and size range, G-Tube gets pretty loud for a truly tiny speaker, with adequate midrange sound — maybe the power is surprising to some, but it’s what we’ve come to expect from G-Project. Sound fires out the front of the speaker, with one end offering Bluetooth, power, and playback controls, and the other end of the speaker housing the USB charging port (a micro-USB cable is included), line-in port, and headphone port — users can listen with headphones straight from the speaker, or daisy chain another speaker using a line-in cable. If you’re in the market for a highly portable, sub-$50 Bluetooth speaker with water resistance — perhaps for the shower or to bring to the pool — G-Tube stands out.