Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Speaker Review

Are you after an affordable yet bass pumping Bluetooth portable speaker that packs a real punch? Take a look at Etekcity's RoverBeats T12.

Published
Updated
Manufacturer: Etekcity
6 minutes & 9 seconds read time
TweakTown's Rating: 95%
TweakTown award

The Bottom Line

If you're looking for a speaker that is cheap, looks great, and sounds amazing thanks to the inclusion of bass, it's hard to look past the Etekcity RoverBeats T12.

Introduction, Specifications, Pricing & Availability

With two internal speakers and Bluetooth 3.0 support, originally I was sceptical of this speaker as it arrived at my door. I've been reviewing product after product from companies like Braven, Patriot, LUXA2 and more recently, and all of the speakers generally contain a few common shortfalls, mainly based around the bass department.

Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Speaker Review 01

Although there's a few other products to review first, I opened up the Etekcity T12 and decided to have a listen and what came out blew me away. Read on to find out exactly what this product does better than the rest.

Specifications

As mentioned previously, the device contains two speakers to help improve your audio experience. These drivers are rated at 3W per driver and with a frequency response of 100Hz - 18KHz.

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Connectible to your device of choice through Bluetooth 3.0 and 3.5mm options, this product measures 7.7 X 3.4 X 2.8 (inch) and weighs in at 13.5 ounces. The 2200mAH internal battery will provide you with a claimed 12 hours of playback time. I would assume this is for AUX only and the Bluetooth playback to be closer to eight hours in total. Charged through Micro-USB only, this device comes with a wall power pack for charging at a 1A speed, but a USB port will also charge it just fine.

Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Speaker Review 03

Pricing & Availability

The first step to making this speaker great in my eyes is the price point. $26.48 from Amazon plus shipping at the time of writing will see you own one of your very own and there's not much more to say than that. The price is amazing for what you get.

What's in the box?

As expected with these speakers, the inclusions are quite simple and limited. The main difference comes in a wall-plugged micro-USB charger. It's not a wall USB adapter either, it's a hardwired 5V 1A charger.

Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Speaker Review 04

There's the normal inclusion of a 3.5mm AUX cable if you're unable or don't want to use the Bluetooth function, but unfortunately no carry case is included. Back to the wall charger. Even though the product can take inputs up to 5A, it's a little disappointing that they provide only a 1A wall charger with this device. It's worth noting that a normal Micro-USB charger will work just fine, but if you're not providing one it's a shame that the wall fed power isn't making the most of what's available. A 2.1A charging rating minimum would be much better in my opinion.

On a better note, the wall charger cable is quite long, unlike most included cables with various speaker models.

PRICING: You can find the Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker retails for $26.48 at Amazon.

Australia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at PLE Computer's website.

Canada: The Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker retails for CDN$56.34 at Amazon Canada.

A Closer Look & Listening Experience

Let's dig deeper

The brushed metal look coupled with sleek lines makes this product quite appeasing to the eye. The two 3W speakers are placed at reasonable distances apart and the non-slip rubber pads on the base are large enough to ensure your speaker won't skeet across the table when playing music at a high volume.

Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Speaker Review 05

The speaker is loud, oh so loud. It's as loud as our previously-reviewed Braven BRV-X when in 'outdoor mode' and will make your ears ring when in close proximity at 100% volume. As seen with other high-quality speakers when played at full volume, there is no distortion of the speakers, no bass rattling the products frame and the only thing moving being my desk vibrating as each punchy bass beat hit in Flume's remix of Disclosure and Eliza Doolittle's song You & Me.

Bass is something that's lacking in every single product I have reviewed thus far. Sure, there may be hints of it, but there's always that disappointing feeling when you know the bass should be punching, but it's completely missing from the experience. Don't get me wrong, the Etekcity T12 won't break any windows, but when you're playing a song that's laden with bass, you can actually hear every single beat.

The buttons feel great, although the volume up/next button works the opposite way of most other devices, which is very confusing at first - volume is turned up by holding the button and songs are changed by a single press.

Blowing me away

As mentioned, this speaker is loud and it actually provides bass! This could be due to the small holes in the bottom of the product allowing the bass to resonate (think of it as slightly similar to the 'port' in a car subwoofer box), or it could be high-quality speakers, I'm not exactly sure.

Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Speaker Review 06

It's obviously going to take quite a bit for me to get excited about a speaker in this day and age given I have reviewed so many, but straight from the get-go when I loaded up 'Don't Wanna Fight' by Alabama Shakes, I was completely blown away.

The clarity is better than all others and every bass drum punch is present and pops well. As mentioned previously, most other speakers will completely remove the bass experience in order to stop their speakers distorting. The bass in the T12 won't rattle your teeth, but it's certainly satisfying enough.

When listening to songs with maximum clarity is when most Bluetooth options start to suffer. Listening in to Duke Dumont's 'Won't Look Back' introduction reports fairly good clarity and midsection sounds, but there's a slight hissing in the background that wasn't obvious before. It seems the ultimate downfall of this product is a small hiss that's present when you're listening to the quietest of music or things like song introductions.

If you're looking for more of a heavy metal experience like 'The End of Heartache' by Killswitch Engage, it performs just as you would expect as seen with other speakers like the Braven Mira. It sounds good especially with the added bass inclusion.

Further Analysis

The unit looks sleek, it's loud and bass is finally present. Coupled with slightly better clarity than other products, but with an added background hiss when listened to closely, this speaker is certainly the best I have reviewed to date.

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Blasting it at full volume sees the speaker still hold its composure in both the bass and clarity market, meaning it's a product of high quality. If you're wanting to use this product for travel, home use, parties or BBQ's, I have absolutely no issue recommending it, especially at under $30.

What's Hot, What's Not & Final Thoughts

What's Hot

Sturdy and sleek: It's well built and looks great.

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Sound projection: It's extremely loud and will have no issue filling the ears of all those at an outside BBQ.

Sound quality even when at full speed ahead: Even when jacked up to 100%, this speaker will provide you with clarity in its sound as seen at 20%. The speakers won't distort and the product won't jump all over the table.

Bass, finally!: Finally a product with a hint of bass. I didn't think it was possible, but it's finally here. If you're looking for a speaker that packs a punch, then this one is for you.

The price: For under $30 it's better than any speaker I've reviewed even up to $140.

What's Not

Buttons confusing: The next song/volume up buttons work the opposite way to most other products which is confusing at first.

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Slight hiss on occasion: Some songs have a slight hiss in the background when connected through Bluetooth.

Final Thoughts

This speaker sounds great, looks great, and is built with strong materials. It's the best speaker I've reviewed yet and even though it's not waterproof, it sounds much better than speakers I've reviewed up to $140.

Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Wireless Bluetooth Mobile Speaker Review 010

It tops the Braven Mira thanks to the added bass aspect. If you're looking for a speaker that is cheap, looks great and sounds amazing thanks to the inclusion of bass, it's hard to look past the Etekcity T12. The sleek nature also means you can easily keep it clean from any dust or spillage. A quick wipe with a damp cloth keeps it looking clean and fresh.

PRICING: You can find the Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker retails for $26.48 at Amazon.

Australia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at PLE Computer's website.

Canada: The Etekcity RoverBeats T12 Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker retails for CDN$56.34 at Amazon Canada.

TweakTown award
Performance (audio quality) 95%
Quality including Design and Build 99%
General Features 95%
Bundle and Packaging 85%
Value for Money 99%
Overall 95%

The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a speaker that is cheap, looks great, and sounds amazing thanks to the inclusion of bass, it's hard to look past the Etekcity RoverBeats T12.

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

USUnited States: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com

UKUnited Kingdom: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.co.uk

AUAustralia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au

CACanada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca

DEDeutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de

I'm a competitive gamer and was an eSports employee. Recent changes have seen me hang up the mouse and move over to the technology world, covering all news for TweakTown, ranging from gaming news to opinion articles and the latest tech releases. Expect to see a few different articles on international eSports news and competitive game releases, as well as audio and mobile device content.

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