Morel Biggie Bluetooth Speaker Review

Internally there is a 60 watt Class D (45-W woofer + 15-W tweeter) amplifier with a frequency response of 40 Hz to 20 kHz. Morel uses a customized DSP with dynamic EQ, but no smartphone app, Wi-Fi streaming, room calibration, Dolby At, voice control, or EQ adjustments. And every day I didn’t miss it.

The controls feel a bit outdated for app control enthusiasts with many press-and-hold options to access TWS and modify sources. But the stupid battery level indicator control is on the side (you need to press both volume buttons and light up that button percentage to show the remaining juice), and they can be easily ignored.

Sound quality

The setup was as easy as you would expect from a smart-free Bluetooth speaker, and remained solid throughout the hours of testing. As a consumer technology journalist, I know that there should be a lack of bells and whistles here, but the combination of solid audio performance and a complete lack of technical friction was a joy. Insert yourself Sonos Tell me a joke here.

Biggie isn’t going to unearth the subtlety of Sonic from your favorite blue note recordings, but that won’t piss you off either. It is an impressive, punchy, sounding mono speaker with a real presence and volume. Considering it weighs only 5.7 pounds and measures just H7 x W7 x d4.5 inches, the ability to fill a room is very impressive.

Listening to “appearance” by Metronomy, the high end has a charming crunchy feel, and a well-organized middle that thrives in the enthusiasm of the track. The bass is controlled here again, but the speakers favor lower frequencies. Kick drums and bass guitars can sometimes sound a little forward in the mix, but it’s controlled. It’s definitely blended in with quality cabinets and screwdrivers.

Provided by Morel

This profile sounded great to hear the classic Rat-A-Tat opening to Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” However, in dance and hip hop, you can feel the thunder in a small space. But when you put it outside, the punch works on the patio. It’s not the IP rate, you’ll care, so be careful about pool parties and showers.

Is a smartphone app with adjustable EQ useful here? Maybe, but if you like your bass in the mix, you probably like to listen to “Jucci” with the aptly named Biggie.

Alternatives

The Biggie structure is a revelation and offers the build quality of the classic Hi-Fi bookshelves in Compact Bluetooth design. This is where your money is spent. It’s portable and allows for battery life, but it looks more like you’re at home on a desk than you would carry it around.

There is no bass forward presentation, but it is stylish Audio Pro T3+ ($200) offers better battery life and more balanced sound quality, plus airplay for iPhone users. This might be better if you’re looking for more subtle performance and still want to avoid smart features.

If portability is not an issue, then the Sonos Era (9/10 Wired recommended) and JBL Authentics 200 (9/10 Wired recommended) Takes a similar amount of space, uses Sound Surb and is filled with smart controls. But if you want to keep things simple and give healthy respect to both the base and build quality, you’ll love the big name.