Although many of the latest portable speakers pack an appreciable amount of power, sometimes you’re just in the mood for more. Bigger. Colossal, even. Thonet & Vander, an audio manufacturer based out of Germany, has recently debuted a number of high-end Bluetooth speakers to consumers in the U.S. We’ve recently had the opportunity to crank up and hulk out to the flagship model, the Koloss.
- The Thonet & Vander Koloss departs from the standard, boxy shape of speakers with its gentle bevel on both sides of each cabinet. The curves do indeed catch the light nicely, adding an element of dimension to the smooth, fine finish. Those with an appreciation for aesthetics should certainly relish this design choice. But the Koloss isn't just about good looks, as the speakers feel well-constructed and appropriately solid. The box material, made of High Density Acoustic Absorber (HDAA) wood, is indeed dense, delivering a short, light, woody "thock" sound with no reflection when you hit a knuckle against the side. Each speaker is heavy enough so that it stays put without any vibrations, even when music is played at the highest volumes.
Being that the Koloss is taller than many bookshelf speakers, yet too short to just stand on the floor, ideal placement would involve pedestals or the top surface of an entertainment center. These 2.5-way speakers each sport a 1-inch silk tweeter above a brace of 6.5-inch aramid (i.e. Kevlar) fiber-constructed woofers, with a bass port in the rear. In addition to the Bluetooth wireless, the Koloss provides both RCA (cable included) and SPDIF optical (cable not included) ports for more traditional connectivity. The out-of-box setup is quick, requiring only the power and proprietary speaker cords to be plugged in. Positioning with respect to a nearby outlet is critical, as the included power cord isn't terribly long at 4.5 ft (1.3 m). The speaker cable is better, allowing the pair to be separated by up to 7 ft (2.1 m) with a little slack left in the line.
The included manual is lean, basic, and covers all that one needs to know to operate the Koloss. While the remote is designed to provide handy control at a distance, it’s also very basic and vanilla. But you're also not likely to do much with the remote unless you happen to have a CR2025 battery handy as, that too, is sold separately. On-board volume control, bass/treble adjustment, and input selection is performed through a panel on the right side of the right speaker. The flat, dual-function buttons are delightfully discreet with the way they're recessed in the wood. However, some may find this interface to be far too minimal due to the lack of level indicators for volume, bass, and treble.
There are 60 levels of volume on the Koloss, but you wouldn't have any idea unless you counted (we did). And if you happen to forget how you adjusted the bass/treble and want the Koloss set to default, you'll have to power the speaker off with the switch on the back ... unless you have a battery for the remote, which has a reset button for just that purpose.
The Koloss will appeal to many modern music listeners with its Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity. Surprisingly, it doesn't support aptX, which is becoming more common in the latest mobile devices. Considering the high-quality components and power of these speakers, aptX does indeed make a discernible difference over standard Bluetooth. For comparisons (and also the majority of testing), a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was paired with a Nyrius Songo HiFi aptX Bluetooth receiver, connected to the Koloss via an optical cable. The resulting difference is that the Bluetooth with aptX presents an overall smoother, cleaner output of sound with a better sense of open space, especially while playing lossless audio. It’s subtle, but it's there, and certainly something to keep in mind if you want wireless audio at its very best. But at least the Koloss provides cable connections for such purity.
The Koloss' Bluetooth shares the same 30 ft (10 m) range found in your everyday wireless speaker. With a clear line of sight, the Koloss can maintain a steady signal up to about 28 ft (8.5 m). But under real-world conditions that include furniture, corners, and the occasional passing body, a 14 to 17 ft (4.2 to 5.1 m) operational range is about the best it can do for uninterrupted music.
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