Cambridge Soundworks OontZ Angle 3 (4th Gen) – Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Portable, Louder Volume, Crystal Clear Stereo Sound, Rich Bass, 100 Foot Wireless Range, Microphone, IPX5 Waterproof (White)

The little Duo Ten shower speaker was a very good friend for several years. It kept me company in the shower and again at my laptop as I worked. Alas, all good friendships can come to an end. All of a sudden, it stopped playing for hours without recharging. Very quickly it degraded to it barely could last through 4 songs. That was more than enough to get through the actual shower as I usually get through in 3. But it was awful lonely the rest of the time in the bathroom as I got ready for the day.I looked originally to replace this speaker with another one from the same company. To my surprise, it wasn't available through Duo Ten. I could find a couple of identical looking speakers with other brand names on them. I wanted a more long lasting relationship with my shower speaker and new brand names on what looked like the same beloved speaker didn't inspire confidence.Thus began a rather prolonged search experience while I mourned a rather lean musical experience in the shower. This journey took me through multiple YouTube videos and lots of text based research on the Internet looking for the perfect replacement. There wasn't any such speaker.Every shower speaker had its detractors who didn't like something, as well as, someone singing its praises. Since I was planning on using this shower speaker in non-critical listening experiences, I did not want to have to take out a 'loan' to purchase it. That wiped out a significant number of the speakers that could be used in the ways I was planning.I almost purchased a replacement speaker several times since the summer but held back for some reason.I tend to read Amazon reviews from the 1-star reviews up to the 5-star ones. I want to find out real world issues people were having first, being able to filter out for myself those where someone just had an ax to grind. I find that too often the 5-star reviews are 'glowing' reports why a particular product is 'best thing since sliced bread.'As I mentioned before, I also read many more technical reviews from other sources. However, those too had their faults as often the reveiws were written in the past and not 2023.However, I kept coming back to the Cambridge Oontz products and a couple of others. When a sale came up on the OontZ Angle 3 Shower Plus I decided I was driving myself nuts and took a chance on this product.What do I think about the OontZ Angle 3 Shower Plus speaker? I like it. It wasn't too expensive. It fit right in with how I planned to use it: the shower in the morning and as low volume background music while I worked. I'm happy with the purchase and to be able to stop trying to figure out the perfect purchase.What I liked:1) Cambridge has been around for a while and likely to still be there when this speaker decides to hang it up.2) Oontz's distinctive triangular speakers have been around for years and generally have a good rep.3) The size is perfect. Standing on end it takes up less space on my shower shelf than the round Duo Ten did.4) With the passive bass reflector side close to the tile wall, bass in the shower is quite good. It certainly isn't going to cause ripples in a pool of water like the dinosaurs in a certain movie francahise. but it is decent. I don't feel like I'm missing out.5) Volume can be cranked up significantly in the shower before bass distortion rears its head.6) It was ridiculously simple to pair this speaker to my phone. Since that is the only way I was planning to use it, it was not a problem that the speaker can only be paired to one device at a time.7) The key pad controls make logical sense. I never did figure out or remember how to do anything more than raise or lower volume on the Duo Ten. I can easily repeat a track or advance to a different one on the Oontz.8) It comes with a 3mm jack outlet so that if I get tired of wearing headphones with my laptop (another manufacturer's promise of superior sound from incredibly tiny speakers that was full of fluff), I can jack into it for better sound. I don't plan to pair it with the laptop as this speaker can only pair to one source at a time, and I don't feel like using the 3mm audio patch cord is an unreasonable option.What might be deal breakers for others:1) Bass isn't that evident, not bad, just not expensive speaker expectations. Even in normal orientation on a hard surface, you can't expect to have Bose quality. But then why would you purchas a speaker for approximately $30 and expect the rumble of a bigger, more expensive speaker?2) The key pad controls are not highlighted in another color like more expensive Oontz speakers are. It is really hard to see them as they are the same color as the end caps. They are raised up in the material so eventually I'll learn where the buttons are just like I did on my TVs unlit remote.3) I don't think you can expect to 'fill' a room with vibrant sound like all the manufacturers suggest. But then that Is why I purchased more expensive speakers and my Echo Studios. It is only a $30 speaker with two 1 1/2 speakers pumping out the sound.4) It only comes in black. That suits me as all of my tech is black. Black is simple. It may not be chic but it is stylish.5) You can only pair this speaker to one source at a time meaning you would have to unpair it from to your phone inorder to use it with some other source. But agian it is so simple to pair this speaker, it shouldn't really be a deal breaker. I have some really expensive equipment that allows multiple paired sources that drive me crazy as they don't switch between sources as easily as promised by manufacturers. Simple is sometimes just better.What features I probably never, ever use:1) Answering my phone while in the shower. Do I really want anyone to know I'm bare naked in the shower?2) The app. I keep apps to a bare minimum on my iPhone. Too many experiences where app designers do not keep up to date with changes Apple makes to its iOs. Besides the app seems to not have much in the way of features I would want or need. I did hesitate for a moment when the manual mentions software updates to the software can only take place using the phone app. But then how often is Cambridge going to really update software on a $30 speaker?3) Linking multiple similar Oontz speakers together. I have never felt the need to link my Echo speakers around the house. My son did and it is disconcerning how hit and miss it is. Sometimes speaking to Alexa in the kitchen gets a response from the living room. Music playing in one room doesn't always play in other rooms when requested. So this is most likely a no, since I primarily want to use this speaker in the shower and as background 'noise' while working.So is this a good investment? I think so. It is for me. It is small enough for me to carry easily from room to room. The sound is loud enough and good enough for what I need. It didn't cost me 'an arm and a leg' to have music where I want and when I want it. And most importantly, being a recognized brand there is just something comforting that when this speaker dies, another similar one will probably be available.

Let me preface this review by saying, I was provided a free sample for testing and review. I explained to the manufacturer that I would provide an honest review of this product. All experiences with this product and all opinions are solely my own.I purchased the prior generation of this speaker, the OontZ Angle Plus, so I'll be able to compare them. The Plus has crystal clear sound and good bass. I really enjoyed the Plus, but where the Plus needed some improvement was with its volume and bass.The new OontZ Angle3 significantly increases the volume and bass, but more importantly it retains and improves upon the crisp and crystal clear sound of its predecessor, plus it adds an ingenious bass design. More on that later.What's included in the package:1 - OontZ Angle3 Speaker1 - Micro USB Cable1 - 3.5mm Audio Cable1 - Quick Start GuideThe OontZ Angle3 is a great sounding Bluetooth speaker, in a small compact package. It weighs in at about 9 ounces. It is 5 1/4 inches long and about 2 1/2 inches high. It will basically fit in the palm of your hand. Please refer to the pictures I posted. It also retains the angular design of its predecessor, but now has a silicone rubber type finish on both ends of the speaker. It's still void of any sharp edges. It's a great looking speaker, with a unique design. I like this Angle3 design better than the Plus.It's significantly louder than the Plus and has nice bass, for a unit that's this small. If you enjoy music that has some bass, this unit should meet your needs and be truthful, the sound that comes out of this speaker is mind boggling to me and the size of this speaker belies that fact!The passive radiator, which produces the bass in the Angle3 and most Bluetooth speakers, is located on the bottom of the unit. If you place it bottom down, the bass effect is more pronounced. If you want a little less bass, you'll stand it on end. When it's bottom down, the bass has a nice little thump. I believe this was done by design and it's an ingenious feature.Be careful where you place the speaker bottom down, because it does want to move when playing music with bass. The speaker has pads on the bottom, but they work better on very smooth and glass surfaces.You can hear that Cambridge Soundworks spent the majority of its time improving and refining the sound of the Angle3. That focus on improving acoustics shows up big time in this tiny, but crystal clear and loud speaker.There's no distortion at max volume. The speaker has 10+ watts of peak power. It's now loud enough to fill up your backyard party with clear, great sounding music. My wife heard me playing music upstairs and she was in the garage. It's plenty loud!All my music testing was done using Spotify. Speaker was set to full volume and iOS volume was set two clicks from max, for most of my testing. I also tested both settings set to max.Bluetooth connectivity is super easy. It connects from one device to another effortlessly. I found you don't have to press a button on the speaker to pair it with a different device. I like intuitive functions and this one fits the bill. It also has a speakerphone function. You can play and pause your tracks from the device as well.The OontZ Angle3 doesn't have all the options others have. You don't get NFC support, a micro SD card slot or the ability to skip tracks using the speaker controls. There are other Bluetooth speakers that have these options, but if you value how well your music sounds over a myriad of options, this beautiful sounding speaker is for you.The Angle3 has an IPX5 certification, which makes it splash proof and dust proof. Great for the shower and other wet environments. Don't be afraid to shower with it or have it out in the rain. It can't be submerged in water with this IPX rating.Battery life is about 7 hours, at 60% volume. It will be less at higher volumes. This is definitely less than the Plus unit, which does 12-15 hours of use. You have to take into account that the battery is driving much more sound and requires that extra battery power. I personally like the trade off and all that's required is to charge the unit a bit more frequently. A battery status symbol shows up in my iOS devices.If you're like me and aren't interested in the all the above mentioned options, that you may never use and just want a beautiful sounding speaker that's main focus is perfecting and delivering crystal clear sound, than this speaker is an excellent option to consider.To me, the OontZ Angle3 has no real negatives to mention. You could quibble about having more features, but I really don't consider that a negative. I'd rather have a great sounding speaker, over more features. In my opinion, this is a great Bluetooth speaker for the price.The OontZ Angle3 is a very solid speaker, that now has outstanding volume and good bass. It retains and actually improves upon the crisp highs and strong mids of its predecessor. I like that Cambridge Soundworks is actually focusing on sound quality and not loading up on tons of features.I can highly recommend the OontZ Angle3.Thank you for reading my review.