If we want to listen to good music, whether we are at home or away from home, we can rely on gadgets such as Bluetooth speakers. But are we among those people who want maximum audio quality and have uncommon features? Then the circle of gadgets narrows down to the AIRHUG 01, whose portability and versatility are one of the many strong points, which I will tell you about in this complete review.
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unboxing
There is no review without the unboxing experience, which in the case of the AIRHUG speaker includes not only the product but also a manual in English only and a card to register the product and receive an additional 1 year of warranty. Also included is a very short USB-C/USB-C charging cable and a USB-A/USB-C cable, the functions of which I refer you to a few lines below. An excellent thing is the presence of a carrying case which also offers a mesh pocket to insert any gadgets, such as USB sticks, memory cards or office keys.
DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND AUTONOMY
AIRHUG 01 has a simple and intuitive design, showing a sturdy fabric covering in the upper part where the buttons for multimedia management of music and calls are located and specifically two buttons with the + and – symbol which allow volume control . We then find the on/off button, the Bluetooth connection button, the one dedicated to silencing the integrated microphone and finally the one in the shape of a telephone handset for managing calls, answering, hanging up and rejecting the call. In fact, we can manage incoming calls on our phone, enjoying the speaker and four microphones positioned on the 4 edges accompanied on the right profile by 2 USB-C inputs. There are also 5 LEDs which certify the functioning of the product (green light) and which also allow us to view the remaining battery charge (white light) or to visually warn us if the microphone has been switched (red light). There is an additional blue LED that certifies the status of the Bluetooth connection, steady light if connected or flashing if in the pairing phase.
The speaker is really compact and can be inserted directly into a trouser pocket, considering the dimensions and weight are really limited, for the category to which the product belongs, but in reality, thanks to the supplied case you can store it in a more comfortable and protected way inside a backpack or bag. In the lower part of the product we then find 4 non-slip silicone rubber pads which give stability to the speaker when placed on a surface, even a slightly inclined one. Talking about some specifications, AIRHUG 01 offers a Bluetooth 5.0 module that offers connection stability with range up to 10 meters.
The battery that powers the audio gadget is a 2000 mAh unit that offers up to 15 hours of continuous conversation, reaching 72 hours on standby, with recharging in approximately 3 hours. The power value of the driver is 2W RMS, a power that is not exaggerated but just right for managing calls, video calls and listening to music and multimedia content in general, even on the beach, except for the absence of any IPXX certification.
SMART FUNCTIONS
I mentioned the presence of a double USB-C input and this is because one is used to charge the battery of the device but if necessary by connecting a cable to the PC, you can use the speaker without a Bluetooth connection without having to install any drivers. Furthermore, it is compatible with all operating systems in circulation, Windows, Linux and Mac. The second USB-C input instead allows you to transform the AIRHUG 01 into a powerbank, naturally connecting the cable to the device to be powered.
Unfortunately the smart functions stop here as the buttons for managing calls and music are limited only to the functions described above. We cannot therefore call up the phone's voice assistant, nor call up the last number in the call log, nor skip tracks forward or backward or even put play/pause on it, therefore having to necessarily manage these actions from the smartphone, which will therefore have to always remain within reach. Finally, I would also like to point out the absence of any app for managing the product or customizing the audio.
AUDIO QUALITY
When listening to music or TV series/films, our AIRHUG 01 offers excellent sound performance with clear audio, ultra-powerful, full-bodied bass and in general a perfect balance between medium and high tones. It's incredible that from such a small speaker such bass and such a powerful sound in general come out. Unfortunately, however, as already mentioned, we cannot customize the equalization curve, which tends to emphasize spoken content, such as video reviews, video calls, audio books, etc. The supported codec is only AAC/SBC.
However, call management is a bit disappointing as our interlocutor seems to hear our voice in the distance and not exactly clear. Yet among the product specifications we find 360° HD voice detection which, thanks to 4 microphones, ensures that every spoken word can be clearly heard by the other person within a range of 6 metres. Furthermore, there is noise reduction and echo cancellation using the integrated high-performance DSP chip and the exclusive algorithm that processes the audio in real time. But in reality call management does not take place as described by the company, but remains within the average of similar and less expensive products.
PROJECTED IMPACT
Without a doubt, the AIRHUG 01 is a Bluetooth speaker that I recommend in terms of performance on audio reproduction and versatility, counting on the powerbank function and the possibility of plug&play use on a PC. You can take it anywhere thanks to the convenient case but apart from this we do not have IPXX certification, limiting use to standard environments and preferably indoors. Basic functions for managing music tracks are missing but above all the much vaunted 4 microphone and call quality are actually not true. At the selling price we find many solutions that are on par if not better so the choice is yours whether to buy it or not.
