GROUP TEST PORTABLE SPEAKERS60
What’s the story?
Urbanista has been putting in
the work to be seen as a decent
affordable audio brand with
minimalist Scandi design. The
Brisbane is the largest of its
wireless speakers and comes
wrapped in a choice of black or
white fabric, with a smattering
of controls on the top.
Fair enough if you like things
stripped-back, but dare we say
the Brisbane looks a touch drab
with its rectangular form... and
while portable it’s also pretty
weighty – enough to never go
missing in the bottom of your
bag anyway.
While it’s not the most rugged
speaker we’ve bashed about, it
does have an IPX5 waterproof
rating for added peace of mind,
and also has a line-in port forhard-wiring your device – which
could be great for stretching out
the 10hr battery life.
At under £100 it’s playing with
the big boys here, but just think
how many months of premium
music streaming that extra cash
could pay for...Is it any good?
The Brisbane is the cheapest
speaker on test, and that does
show in its performance.
It is an easy listen, though.
Some speakers around this price
can be harsh and thin, but that’s
not the case here. The sound
has body and depth, and it’ll go
loud without much issue thanks
to the two 10W drivers under
the hood.
It also times pretty well, so
you don’t have to worry aboutit getting all mixed up and messy
with fast-paced pop and dance
tracks. There’s confidence
here, which goes a long way
to producing a comfortable,
enjoyable sound.
However, there is a lack of
clarity across the board, so detail
is missing. Edges to notes are
dull, vocals are missing detail
and there’s just an overall lack
of bite and insight. Even at this
price point, that takes away
from the performance a little
too much to make this a speaker
we can truly recommend.Price £99 / stuff.tv/BrisbaneKey specs O 20W, 2x 2in drivers
O Bluetooth 5.0, microUSB
O Up to 10hrs O IPX5
O 215x98x52mm, 705gOsprey
Arcane Duffel
Made from 100% recycled
polyester and coated in
eco-friendly PFC-free
DWR waterproofing,
Osprey’s dutiful duffel
opens wide for stashing
summer essentials, with
a padded sleeve for tablets
and laptops. It comes in
a choice of muted colours
including haybale green
and stargazer blue, and
you can haul it with
handles, as a rucksack
or on a shoulder strap.
£100 / ospreyeurope.comUrbanista Brisbane
NOW POP IT IN THISSTUFF SAYS A near-bargain, but struggles against stiff competition +++,,
Roving dual
The TWS function
allows for stereo
pairing and playing
music in sync, but
you’ll be paying £200
and there’s no support
for aptX or AAC files.Splash dance
On the back you’ll find
a microUSB port for
charging, along with
the aux input. Both
are hidden behind
rubber covers for
splash-proofing.BEST FOR
A TIGHT
BUDGET