Tronsmart Halo 100 review
The Tronsmart Halo 100 is not dissimilar in dimensions to its branded cousin Bang Mini, which recently left an ambivalent impression in our test. But while the latter leans more towards the form of a compact boombox, the Halo 100 is clearly a very compact mobile party box on a handle with Bluetooth playback and a more serious light organ.
It does look a bit cute standing upright with its illuminated rings around the woofer and midrange. We felt a bit reminded of a toy robot of the 1990s. For people who are uncomfortable with a “gadget with face expression” looking at them, the Halo 100 may not be the first choice.
On the other hand, the technical specifications promise serious mobile party sound reinforcement: 18 hours of battery life, 3-way stereo equipment, 60 watts of amplifier power, passive membrane – we’re curious to see whether the Tronsmart Halo 100 can bring that to the beach in practice. By the way, a similar version called Halo 110 is available with an additional karaoke function.
Three ways with one tweeter
At 2.7 kilograms, it’s no lightweight, but it’s easy to get from A to P (like party) on the handle. The water resistance is suitable for any purpose with IPX6, but dust and sand protection is not available.
The placement is somewhat unusual. According to the manufacturer, a crossover with 3 ways and stereo display distributes the 60 watts in total to 4 chassis. While the bass range with 12 centimeters of active and 16 centimeters of passive cone are surprisingly adult equipped, there is only a central cone as a mono tweeter. Only the two midrange drivers, which are quite small at 5 centimeters, can provide stereo reproduction, but they are also quite close to each other on the baffle. However, those who want to invest in two pieces of the Halo 100 can also pair a real stereo pair together via pairing switch without using the app.
Bluetooth and more
Music is played via Bluetooth 5.3, analog AUX sound input, card slot (micro SD) or classic USB stick. The USB-A jack for the latter also enables a powerbank function and runs independently of the USB-C, which serves the Halo 100 for charging. We would say: A really versatile connection and playback concept, especially since it keeps the connection to two Bluetooth sources at the same time.
The operation takes a bit of getting used to, which is mainly due to the variety of functions. The “M” button represents the input selection, but the AUX input has priority first. Light organ and EQ can be switched on with the clearly labeled buttons. For playback controls, voice assistants and telephony, however, you have to learn a variety of double-clicks, long-clicks and short-clicks until you really master the Halo 100.
Light organ and app
The battery life is 18 hours. Theoretically, with the light function turned off. If the organ flashes in one of the 5 programs, it goes faster towards the end of the battery. The manufacturer is silent about how fast in the user manual. But according to experience, such effects are very detrimental to the runtime.
The free Tronsmart app for iOS and Android promises personalization of the EQ curves. Furthermore, you can use it to pair two Halo 100s into a stereo pair, because you shouldn’t expect anything like spatial reproduction despite the many speakers in the case. But as already mentioned, this can also be done on the device itself. Even before the official retail launch of the Bluetooth speaker in Germany, the app provided us with firmware version 1.2.2. The inexpensive speaker thus already comes with a certain maturity to the market in this country.
This is how the Tronsmart Halo 100 sounds
Even if the older generation might approach the listening test with a certain skepticism because of the playful look and the subliminally expected disco tuning: The colorful flashing Bluetooth speaker convinces at the first beats. It not only reproduces voices clearly and distinctly, but also with an astonishing degree of naturalness. That alone, in combination with the fresh highs, which only tend to be slightly sharp compared to more expensive competitors, would already be a strong performance in this class. Finally, even tight playback levels do not make it seem strained or even drift into aggression. But what crowns everything in this price range is this tight, rich punch in the bass. Its low-frequency reproduction not only reaches much deeper than that of the comparatively tiny Bonsai Bluetooth speakers of the big brands like Bose, Sony or JBL in the 100-euro league.
Cheap thrill
With this rich, clean punch not only friends of hip hop get their money’s worth. Even rock fans can appreciate the acoustic drum solo in the live version of “Africa” (Toto XX) exceptionally well in relation to the price. So much differentiation, depth and kick JBL Flip, Marshall will and what you usually get in the range around 100 euros, can not keep up with the best will in the world. Limits reveal themselves in this enjoyment at most with the background choir, which comes along a bit hotter. But hey, in this price range that means complaining at the very highest level. Otherwise, the Tronsmart Halo 100 does not play one, but rather two or even three classes higher than its direct competitors.
If you want even more bass and drive, you can take the Sound Pulse mode or select the “Deep Bass” setting in the equalizer presets of the Tronsmart app. This makes the bass even richer and at the same time takes away some of the sound tuning’s slight sharpness.
Test conclusion and alternatives to the Tronsmart
As an alternative to the well-known, somewhat more expensive party boxes, the Tronsmart Halo 100 is likely to appear on many wish lists. The sound it delivers should put the fear of God into its direct competitors. After all, the Bose Soundlink Micro as a representative of the mini Bluetooth speakers is already listed at a hefty 160 Euros. And limited by the laws of physics, it can’t beat the Tronsmart Halo 100 simply because of its tiny dimensions. The LED light organ, which is welcome for party people, is still available as a bonus. And all those who don’t find the light storm so thrilling can switch off the function on the exemplary designed keypad.
After the Tronsmart Bang Mini , which was also trimmed for partying but not completely convincing in terms of sound, the brand has once again hit the bull’s eye for price-conscious friends of inexpensive party speakers. If you want to invest a bit more, you can consider the Dockin D Fine 2: It comes with its own power supply for the list price of 145 Euros.
Technical data Tronsmart Halo 100
- Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: 110 euros
- Dimensions (W x H x D ): 20 x 28,5 x 15 cm
- Weight: 2,7 kg
- Battery life up to 18 hours (without light organ)
- Features: AUX input, IPX6 water protection, stereo pairing, speakerphone, LED light organ.
- More at: www.tronsmart.com
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