Huawei Sound Joy Review: Stylish Bluetooth Speaker

Content

  1. Specifications
  2. Appearance and equipment
  3. Software and Features
  4. Quality
    sound and recording
  5. Autonomy
  6. findings

Last summer we had a chance to write about Huawei Sound(review) - a chic stationary speaker with excellent sound and deep running passive radiators. Today, the time has come for Huawei Sound Joy - a mobile Bluetooth model, about which the same can be said (adjusted for the form factor, of course).

Technical characteristics 

Technical specifications of Huawei Sound Joy
Device type bluetooth speaker
Bluetooth version 5.2
frequency range 50Hz to 20kHz (-10dB)
Codecs SBC, AAC
Speakers 1 x 20W full frequency speaker (50mm × 75mm)
1 tweeter 10 W (19 mm)
2 passive radiators
Battery 8800 mAh
Charging USB-C
Up to 40 W according to SCP 2.0 and PD 3.0
(5V/2A, 9V/2A, 10V/4A)
Dimensions and weight 202 mm × 73 mm
680 g
Other light ring
Quick connection via NFC
Support for linking two devices into a stereo pair
Waterproof IP67

    Appearance and equipment 

    The speaker comes with a charging cableUSB - USB-C and documentation. Users can choose from two colors - "Volcanic Black" and "Green Sage". The first seems more "home", while the second will look great in nature.

    You can only call Huawei Sound Joy compactwhich is in comparison with stationary solutions. JBL Flip is the closest analogue in appearance, though a couple of centimeters lower and 140 grams lighter (680 g versus 540 g).

    The case is covered with a pleasant to the touch dense meshcloth. Control buttons, decorative elements and an NFC zone designation dot are scattered across the entire surface. Particular attention is drawn to the control buttons: HUGE "+" and "-" are easy to find even on the go.

    IP67 ingress protection certification declared.In theory, this suggests that the column can survive immersion in water to a depth of 1 m. In practice, damage from immersion in water is not covered by the warranty, so I recommend limiting operation in rainy weather.

    I also note useful design elements:rubber feet prevent uncontrolled rolling of the speaker in a horizontal position, and a plastic pad on the bottom end gives enough space for a passive radiator when installed vertically.

    Passive radiators marked DEVIALET themselvesact as a striking design element in themselves. When turned on, the speaker emits a jingle, forcing the radiators to poseratically demonstrate the declared travel depth of 16 mm. Looks great.

    But apparently this didn’t seem enough to Huawei, so there is also a circle of light on the top end, flickering to the beat of the music (you can turn it off), displaying the remaining charge and the volume when it changes.

    Software and functions 

    You can only connect to the speaker via Bluetooth.There are two pairing methods. First, classic: pressing the button with the Bluetooth icon - search and pairing in the Bluetooth connection menu on a smartphone (etc.). The second, convenient one: we bring an NFC-enabled smartphone to the label at the top of the column and confirm the pairing. The second option is only available on Android.

    For tighter interaction with the column,firmware updates and other settings (shown in the screenshots below), the installation of the proprietary application "Ai Life" is required. It is better to install it from the AppGallery, since the current version is not always available on Google Play.

    There are three modes of audio effects:

    • Hi-Fi - plays "as is".
    • Vocals - only suitable for podcasts.
    • Devialet mode - the sound is slightly less localized, "smoothed", comfortable. Good for background music playback.

    Huawei Sound Joy allows you to link two (but notmore) speakers into a stereo pair. Moreover, they can be connected either by pressing a button with the corresponding icon, or simply by turning the column in space. In the "Ai Life" application, you can change the speaker channels.

    Of the minuses, I note problems when connectingcolumns in the app. So, if the speaker is already playing via Bluetooth, opening its menu in the application is accompanied by stuttering (stops after the connection is established). And when a stereo pair was formed with an already connected speaker, it simply disappeared from the application (the stereo pair is registered here separately).

    Sound and recording quality 

    Despite the fact that Huawei Sound Joy does not haveintegrated voice assistant, the design contains microphones that allow you to contact the assistant on your smartphone, as well as speak via voice communication. At a distance of ~ one and a half meters, you can even not raise your voice (in a quiet environment), and then it depends on the distance.

    Four speakers are hidden inside the case:

    • 1 full frequency 20 W (50 mm × 75 mm).
    • 1 high-frequency 10 W (19 mm.
    • 2 passive.

    Describing the sound is not the most rewarding thing.Especially if it's good. The only nuance I noticed was the slightly harsh sibilants. The rest of the sound is a gun! Balanced, with a chic bass, but without blockages (fans of this business can unscrew the bass in Ai Life). Compared to my JBL Flip 3, the sound is much more "dense". ~30-40% volume is enough for comfortable home sound.

    Autonomy 

    Immodest dimensions and weight of the device are not the bestaffected mobility in a way, but allowed (among other things) to install a desperately capacious 8800 mAh battery. The manufacturer promises 26 hours of operation at a volume of 36%, while our measurement showed a consumption of 4% per hour of play at 25% (AAC), which is about 25 hours of operation. For comparison, for the JBL Flip 5, the manufacturer promises 12 hours.

    The speaker can be charged via a USB-C port. Only the cable is included, but there is support for fast charging up to 40 W using SCP 2.0 and PD 3.0 protocols.

      Conclusions 

      Recommend to look at Huawei Sound JoyIt is possible for everyone who is looking for a modern Bluetooth speaker with excellent sound, enviable autonomy and chic appearance. To the heap, there is also an abundance of chips, such as NFC pairing, voice support, moisture protection, and working in stereo pair mode. In unpleasant features, I will attribute the described problems with the application and the lack of an AUX port. The first is easy to survive, but I would like to see a cable connection.

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      © Dmitry Pivnev.