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Airpulse P100X Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Review
generalize
The Airpulse P100X is a beautiful retro-inspired all-in-one wireless speaker. The overall sound quality is very good, but considering the price, it could be a bit more charismatic.
advantage
- beautiful design
- All-in-one unit perfect for room decor and bookshelf speakers
- Excellent overall sound quality and neutral sound profile
shortcoming
- £500 speakers feel a little underpowered
Last month I reviewed the excellent Air Pulse A80 Stereo speakers. This month I’ve been checking out the new Airpulse P100X, a multi-driver wireless desktop speaker system with a nice retro-inspired design.
Specification
| color | cherry wood |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.1 with APTX HD |
| power amplifier | 2×10W+40W |
| mid-woofer | 4.5-inch aluminum under-mounted neodymium power mid-woofer |
| Audio presets | Classic, Dynamic, Monitor, Vocal |
| AC voltage | 100-240V / 50-60HZ |
| Input sensitivity | Lin In 400350mV, Bluetooth: 450350mFFs |
| Frequency response | 52Hz-20KHz |
| input mode | Line in, Bluetooth |
| Dimensions (mm) | 300 W x 180 H x 200 D |
| net weight | 5.1 kg/11.5 lbs |
design
The standout feature of the speaker is probably the main reason you buy it is the design. This is a beautiful all-in-one speaker that should fit in the most stylish of rooms.
The unibody design avoids the need for ugly cables connecting the speakers together, and the speaker’s overall footprint means it’s easy to place on furniture where space is limited.
The speaker is only made of cherry wood, which some may find limiting.
One small detail I like about the P100X is the bulky power knob. Turning it to the right creates a pleasing amount of resistance, followed by a reassuringly muffled sound when you power up the system.
Bass and treble dials up to 3.
The volume is an infinitely rotating digital control. While this makes fiddling less satisfying, it allows you to use the remote to control the volume.
For connectivity, your only options are Bluetooth and RCA.
I use it mostly in the kitchen, and admittedly it’s not the best acoustics, but the important thing is that the speakers are attractive enough that it didn’t receive any criticism from my partner. She’s not a fan of all my big horns.
Performance
The P100X has two 10-watt tweeters to the left and right of the larger 40-watt mid-woofer, giving you a total power output of 60 watts. These are then driven by Texas Instruments’ TAS5805M Class D amplifier.
Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX HD helps maintain the quality of the audio you stream to your speakers. You also have RCA inputs, but I feel that the overall design of this speaker is better for wireless streaming.
The remote control is simple, the same as the Airpulse A80. It’s practical, but nothing special, and I found myself sticking with the knobs on the front of the speakers for most of the controls I needed.
Given its size, it’s a relatively powerful speaker, and it’s loud enough for my kitchen. At the same time, given the reasonably high price, I feel it should offer more.
Similar to the A80, the sound is very neutral out of the box. Due to the hard surfaces of the kitchen, I felt an urgent need to dial out the bass. Testing it in my living room, with carpets and generally not-too-hard surfaces, the neutral sound profile is pleasant, providing a good amount of detail in the mids and highs without adding definition or sibilance.
Turn the bass up a bit and you can get some decent bass, nothing overwhelming, but enough to make hip-hop and electronica sound more lively than the neutral default.
Price and Alternatives
The Airpulse P100X sells for £499.99, which I think is a great price for what you get. However, looking at the competition, if you specifically want an attractive retro-style wireless speaker, there’s nothing else.
The Sonos Five would be the first thing I would recommend considering at this price point. However, it’s not Bluetooth, and certainly not as visually appealing as the P100X.
Other good-looking wireless music systems include:
- Audio Pro C10 MKII £329 – I’ve never tried it, but it’s well-reviewed and won the What Hi-Fi award.
- The Marshall Woburn II is £429 and the Stanmore II is £239. Both have good user reviews, but also some moderate reviewers. Aesthetics aside, the Woburn II’s main appeal is that it’s loud.
- Ruark Audio MRx £419 – A feature-packed speaker that includes an internet radio, but with a power output of just 20W.
- Harman Kardon Citation 500 £489 – A more powerful and feature-rich speaker, but with a more modern design and moderate user reviews.
- Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin £529 – Premium spec, rave reviews, but very modern design.
overall
The Airpulse P100X is definitely the best looking speaker I’ve ever reviewed. It also offers excellent sound quality and a relatively neutral sound profile, which can be adjusted via the treble/bass dial. It does feel underpowered for a £500 speaker.
I would say that aesthetic design under the Airpulse brand combined with Phil Jones engineering comes at an extra cost. One problem here is that Airpulse may not have the brand recognition to justify the high price compared to other premium brands like B&W.
The speaker’s design makes it stand out from the crowd. There are few retro style bluetooth speakers that I recommend.
