Vava is a newcomer to the speaker scene, releasing its first Bluetooth speaker earlier this year (which we haven’t reviewed). Its second effort is the Voom 20 ($80), a very affordable portable Bluetooth speaker. Vava packed two 8W drivers and dual passive subwoofers into the Voom 20’s relatively small body. Like many competing speakers, the Bluetooth 4.0 Voom 20 has at least some water resistance, as it boasts an iPX5 splashproof rating. Voom 20 comes with a 5200 mAh battery, which Vava claims can deliver up to 10 hours of playback at 80 percent volume, and a 1A charging port can recharge your iPhone. And though it’s an afterthought — it doesn’t seem to appear in marketing materials — Voom 20 does indeed have a speakerphone, as well. Voom 20 comes with an audio cable, micro-USB cable, and carrying pouch.
Voom 20’s design is nothing particularly groundbreaking, with its black matte rubber top, bottom, and sides, but it’s sturdy and attractive for a speaker in its price range. The speaker is about 7.6” x 2.8” x 2.5”, and it weighs in at 1.53 pounds. Two grilles are on each side of the speaker, but there is a front and a back — the two drivers and one subwoofer fire out the front, while the second subwoofer faces Voom 20’s rear. The top of the speaker features typical controls — a power button, volume controls, and a play/pause/call button. A small rubber cover on the back side hides the aux port, micro-USB port for recharging, and 1A charging port.
Overall, Voom 20 offers great sound for its price tag. There’s no sign of distortion and songs come through clearly. Its two subwoofers offer plenty of bass for the speaker’s size — we’d actually argue that it’s too much for certain songs, as it can be a bit distracting at times. Voom 20 gets loud enough, but it’s certainly not overpowering. We listened to a wide variety of songs for hours, and found the entire experience enjoyable. If you want to nitpick, some songs found details getting lost a bit in the mix while listening in the middle-to-high volume range we prefer…but you can’t expect much more from a sub-$100 speaker. We found Voom 20’s speakerphone performance to be pretty good, as well.
Though Vava is a relatively new name, Voom 20 has us excited about this company and what it may offer in the future. Voom 20 isn’t flashy, but it offers all the standard features you’d expect from a new portable Bluetooth speaker, including water resistance — and one bonus you may not expect in this price range, with the 1A charging port. But most importantly, the Vava Voom 20’s sound stacks up to any top performing speaker in the sub-$100 price range. Those looking for a new budget speaker this summer have an excellent option from a new player in the market.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: Vava
Model: Voom 20
MSRP: $80
Compatability: Bluetooth 4.0-capable iOS devices
