DOSS SoundBox

I was searching high and low for a Bluetooth Speaker to use with my existing Stereo System. I wanted to keep the AMP, Turntable, CD Player but ditch the Wired Speakers. To this end, I also purchased a Bluetooth Transmitter (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P20TFWM). I narrowed down the choice to the DOSS Touch and one other similarly priced speaker with similar specs. The DOSS was a bit cheaper and was 12 watts instead of 10. I planned to put it in a fairly large room (approx 17'x 19' living room open to a similar size dining room). I received my package and immediately tried pairing the speaker to my phone directly and playing some music. Totally smooth pairing and VERY GOOD BIG sound from the small speaker!! Easily filled the space. Then I attached the really tiny little transmitter to my Amp's headphone jack and held my breath while it paired seamlessly with the speaker. I put on a vinyl album and got good sound (crackles and all) through the speaker. Very loud room filling sound. As expected, BASS was a bit lacking and quality wasn't that great at higher volume. If I could, I would probably subtract 1/2 Star for this, but balancing the AMP volume control and SPEAKER volume control yielded pretty good sound at the sweet spot, and I was more than happy. Next, I put a CD in the CD Player and sound was better. Old vinyl, old needle probably responsible for some of the problems. My old AMP was also being a little recalcitrant about the response from the equalizer. Still Room Filling and satisfying and VERY LOUD. Then I tried the TAPE OUT from the AMP to the Bluetooth Rx/Tx box. As expected, the AMP volume control didn't have any effect, but by controlling volume on the speaker itself, I could get what seemed like better sound, probably due to the TAPE OUT having some pre-set levelling. Net result: SUCCESS! Of course, I would have preferred the separation of real stereo speakers (could have spent more on a pair of Bluetooths...) but the little Speaker that Could provided very good life for legacy Vinyl and CD's with the added benefit of ultimate portability of the battery powered speaker. What a concept! I could move the speaker almost anywhere (Living room, dining room, kitchen) and have great sound! Overall, sound was BETTER when streaming music from the iPhone than from Vinyl or CD's. I guess pure digital vs. Analog wins unless you have much higher end components than I do!! The DOSS Speaker was even better than expected, but of course not as good as the SONOS PLAY:3, or the PLAY:1 speakers I have for all other Music needs. Had I never experienced SONOS I probably would have been totally Blown Away by the DOSS Touch. Certainly, given the Price differential between the $29.99 Bluetooth Speaker and the $200-300 SONOS, I think I got pretty good BANG for the BUCK. Very happy with my purchase! Only worrisome thing is that when I charged it, it was on the charger for more than 2 hours and the red light never went out. Seems to work OK, and I don't expect to run it for HOURS at a time, but I hope it is charging correctly. Item was delivered quickly (PRIME!) and was well packaged and exactly as described.

I’m genuinely impressed with the DOSS SoundBox. For such a compact, portable speaker, the sound quality is outstanding. The bass is deep and punchy without overpowering the mids, and vocals come through clear and crisp. It easily fills a room or outdoor space without distortion, even at higher volumes. The Bluetooth connection is fast and reliable, and I love how simple the controls are—no learning curve at all. Battery life is another big win; I’ve used it for multiple days on a single charge without needing to plug it in. Build quality feels solid and premium, especially for the price. Whether I’m using it at home, in the garage, or taking it outside, it performs consistently well. If you’re looking for a portable speaker with excellent sound, strong bass, long battery life, and great value, the DOSS SoundBox is an easy recommendation.

My last speaker died after 10 years and I was pleased to see it was still being made. It probably would have lasted longer, but homegirl had been through a lot. Good sound, decent battery life.

March 2024 Update: not too much of an update ... just saying how i haven't really used this speaker (due to the "dial tone" low battery alert ... last night when testing the sound vs my new Ortizan X10 and planning to use this more, I noticed a few things. A) I compared the X10's sound to this in my review for that speaker, but I think this overall has a better sound. Both speakers lack strong bass and are a more neutral sound (not saying that is always a bad thing) ... but ... this speaker is much crisper and sounds better in the mids and the highs ... just add a touch more bass to this and its sounds really good ... the Ortizan X10 while not bad .. dont get me wrong ... sounds "flat" even when EQed compared to this. B) Having hardly used the X10 (say 3-5 hours max) it would drop from 100% to 60% according to my android tv box and it's suppose to have "up to 20 hours of battery life" ... i had this on for MAYBE 4 hours max last night and it went from 90% to 80% (VERY GOOD) .... I swear I am going to start using this more and just keep it charged so i dont hear that annoying notification for the low battery. I am not saying this would be my top pick but ... yeah ... I'd recommend this speaker... just as long as one knows about the "cons" Sept 20 Update: I still like this speaker but noticed two issues that annoying busy signal (think landline phones) sound when the charge is running low ... I dont mind a beep or a tone as long as it's every so often (not like every 10 seconds .... not saying this speaker does THAT ) .... but this is a LOUD tone and it has waken me up out of a dead sleep it's so loud ... I rather a low tone and if the battery goes below a certain level ... it JUST shuts off or something. The other issue ...admitting I got mine used-like New is that from time to time it disconnects for no reason it seems and/or a odd ... I dont know how to describe it ... but ... hit your desk with your fist ... not hard but ... if you do, you hear the occasional sound it make from time to time ... like a random "thump" in the middle of anything your listenhing to ... again MAYBE that is just mine .. the audio still plays and sounds good ... but I am not sure what is going on with this sound that I ADMIT doesn't always happen but it has happened "enough" to make me know it's not a one time only thing. One other thing I have noticed is that when i move this speaker (not like I move it when it's connected to something often) .... it's like it starts to disconnect even if it's VERY CLOSE to what it's connected TO ... none of my Tribit or my one Oontz speakers do that. It USUALLY doesn't lose the connection entirely ... but it does cut out a bit when this third issue I just remembered, happens ------------- Update after a little bit more usage - I have to say mainly using this at night at lower to medium volumes at most and alot for listening to some relaxing genres of music ... the details of the lows, mids and highs all get lost at really low but audible volumes but I'd expect that with any speaker. Comparing this to the Tribit XSound Surf, and my Oontz Angle 3 Ultra ... there is NO "Boomy" base but sometimes that is not a bad thing ... If i turn the volume up from say low to a low-medium level and then even say to a medium level the details come up more and ... well if you are a "Bass head" you may want to look elsewhere if you listen to alot of bass heavy stuff and need that "extra thump" that something else may offer. There IS bass dont get me wrong and for the genres I always was planning on listening to this speaker most with ... there is a good balanced sound including bass. Not to get too off topic but it's like a "dish" (food) with your favorite ingredient in it ... even if it IS your favorite, there is a "too much" level. SOME other speakers can even reach that level (ingredient in this metaphor = "bass") where the bass muddies up the mids and highs. While MAYBE I wish there was a touch more bass by default .. I rather it sounds like it does with a little "too little" and I can try to EQ a little more back in. I am not saying no other speaker sounds this balanced or clear but ... if you get this DOSS Soundbox ... you are getting a clear, balanced, good sounding speaker. One more thing ... i said this in my review and i still mean it. The bass is best when you are at least generally in front of the speaker at, while at most at a medium volume level ... I cant say this is the case for full volume but sometimes say if you are in the back of the speaker, or the speaker is really low compared to your head ... the bass can sound even lower than if you are more level with the speaker. I did notice this with the Soundbox Touch, but to a point, most ... especially "non-360 degree" speakers (typically round with a speaker inside facing in each direction) ... probably have this same "issue" One more thing I forgot to mention (I think) is that late at night while i am glad I do not have one of the Soundbox Touch's with the voice prompts, just say tones and whatnot ... I noticed that unlike some other speakers like when it turns on and it makes that sound signifying it's conected .. that is "loud" ... during the day it's no problem but like i said late at night it can seem a little bit loud and it doesn't seem to be tied to what volume level you have set on the speaker (I know i dont have it close to full blast. So right now I'd say my "Cons" with this speaker are the (A) lights not having a time out before the go off (say 20 seconds or something would be fine by me ... I am not picky or anything... I dont care if i even control it ... heck .. if i am listening for awhile, 1 "full minute" may seem like a little too long, but really even that'd be fine ... they are nice lights, I just wish to say save battery and use it late at night, that there was an option to turn them off while you dont need to see them... and (B) the prompt noises while better than video revies I have seen of the voice prompts the earlier models may have had ... seem loud all the time ... I'd say at least make them tied to the speaker volume for instance ... if you have your speaker at 25% volume you dont have a "100% volume" audio notification that you are connected. Really these two things CAN be improved but overall (still haven't say fully ran the battery down and recharged it so i cant speak on battery life) I am VERY happy I bought this speaker. If i really want to be nice to DOSS I can say those two issues are me "nitpicking" .. even if it could use a touch more bass at times I will not even include that in MY "con" list overall now ...The look and feel (say with the touchpad lights) I dont see on other brands and ... I do like the overall look and functionality. Still glad I purchased this.... if the lights always being on is not an issue for you (it's just bright depending on your use-case ... that's all) ... and if you are not a "bass head" that loves tons of extra bass in EVERYTHING ... I still say so far I'd TOTALLY recommend this speaker. I too have noticed that just like one of the "top reviewers" said ... when the battery gets low the speaker makes a loud buzzing sound similar to a landline phone (non-wireless i mean) busy signal ... it's pretty loud and woke me up out of a dead sleep yesterday ... i dont even mind the sound per-say but the volume was set low (listening to light jazz at night, here) and the buzzing was REALLY "loud" when it started. this is annoying. nothing that makes me "hate the speaker" but this should at LEAST be equal to the volume level the speaker is set to ... out of nowhere hearing a loud notification buzz like that is jaring to wake up to. Tip: I knew this already but somehow tricked myself ... I knew due to other reviews ... when charging the red "led" is UNDER the cable .... the LEDs in question are NOT the lights on top... i just went to charge mine and didn't see any light and somehow forget I read about the red led being under the charging port. ------------ Original review (below): Background: I have a few BT speakers now, including a LFS (ASIN: B07BPXJYQY) Item model number 180; a Braven BRV-1, and three speakers new to me, which include a DOSS Soundbox Touch, a Tribit XSound Surf, and an Oontz Angle 3 Ultra. What I value (even knowing this is in the budget range, and even just in video reviews I know some higher end speakers, say some JBL’s are overall better at this) is sound quality, and really balanced sound. I don’t mind a good thump to the bass of a track when it’s suppose to be there, but I am not a fan of headphones/speakers that add an extra thump when it’s not suppose to be there (say Smooth Jazz or Classical music, that sounds like it has a subwoofer-like rumble for no reason). ------------------------- I also have to note that I have given this speaker a few days and listened to a few different random genres and tracks I’d normally listen to while testing, but I have not even had this speaker long term. Without spoiling this review right at the start, I will summarize by saying even with “Con” or two…. This speaker was one I saw pop up a great price and I wasn’t initially planning on getting, but what I see of the maybe $25.99 to $27.99 “regular price’ on Amazon … IT IS worth even that, if you ask me. Pros: - Build Quality – I am not going to act like I opened it up and looked at the circuitry and all of that, but this just feels “heavy” (vs sometimes you get a tech product and it feels like there is nothing to it…they could be tricking me somehow but everything on the outside and that little weight it has … I feel like the company DID NOT cheap out on stuff trying to just save $$ - Sound Quality – OK, I have to admit I am impressed with the sound quality of this speaker, though I have to admit anyone considering themselves a “Bass head” may be disappointed. I have seen some reviews on this and even one video review comparing this to a JBL Charge 3 (a speaker that in every video test/review I have seen the JBL Charge series seems to be the best when put against almost anything in this lower price range…. I mean it was not really a “fair” fight) Bass wise I value balance but at FIRST I thought this speaker lacked bass, but not anything terrible … something you could “EQ” back in. I then used an EQ app and it has an extra (separate from the EQ itself) “Bass Boost” slider, that is basically like a half circle. I got to about 1/3 of the way up before I didn’t like the sound as much… the extra bass I added sort of made the mids and highs not as clear… so then I turned the bass boost off and just used EQ settings I’d use with any other headphones or speakers … and honestly I thought “This IS tuned just right, bass-wise, already”. IF YOU really need that extra “thump” more than a more balanced sound… than maybe out of the speakers I have, I’d say look at the Oontz (even if not the Ultra). Bass wise I also noticed something else…. With the speakers facing forward, if my head is not say somewhere near being “in front” of the speaker… say the speaker is on a low coffee table vs where I am sitting … the bass seems lower … if I am SOMEWHAT on the same level as the speaker… the bass like I said a paragraph or two ago, still isn’t what is in some other speakers … but the bass levels in my testing are “just right” at that point …. balanced enough anyway. Mids and Highs I will not say are clearer on the DOSS Soundbox touch, than the others, but I will say they are balanced and clear .. RIGHT where I like them. Other than the Oontz Angle 3 Ultra which is not “bad” but does sound like the bass radiator is trying to be too “boomy” sometimes (remember what I said about say Classical and Jazz), which makes the Oontz one of my least favorite that I have for sound quality alone … This DOSS is on par with any of the others, but like I said so far, I am not saying I can say one of those others is “better” than another. Actually I can also say this not only about the DOSS, but the Tribit Xsound Surf, and the Oontz too…. I LOVE the sound quality of the LFS Speaker. It was my first BT speaker really, however an issue it has is why I started to look for a replacement/alternative ….especially when connected to Bluetooth, my speaker makes a medium volume electrical hum/buzz sound … PERHAPS my LFS is defective, but whatever, that is not the point. At lower volumes if I listen closely to say this DOSS Soundbox or the Oontz, I can hear a faint “hum”/”Buzz” but I REALLY have to listen close… meaning this is no problem to me in these speakers. (I have least experience with the Tribit, so I excluded it there, but I am sure it’s the same). If anything, like I said the Soundbox could use a TOUCH more bass, but in my view … TOTALLY “EQ”-able (Equalizer). - Light (Pro and Con) I really like the lighting and I’d say it’s mostly a PRO… they are bright and clearly easy to read. The ONE reason I mention “con” is just a suggestion to DOSS, and a note to anyone thinking of buying this, considering certain use cases. The lights on the top DO NOT turn off when the unit is on .. now in a dark room this can even perhaps add ambience or something, but I would just like to see a timeout. For example, have it go out after maybe 15-25 seconds, and have sensors (even if not the entire way across the top) where if you have your hand SOMEWHERE near the buttons, the lights come on so you can see what you are pressing, in the dark. I cant say how much this may effect the battery life with the lights always on, and after looking into it, others have asked the same question, wanting the lights to go off at some point. Not to get off topic, but apparently in I think some earlier releases of the Soundbox Touch, there was a voice prompt when doing certain things and I saw some say “I rather not have that” or “I wish I could disable that” .. and on my unit, there are more beeps or tones and no voice. I say all of this to note that I think DOSS takes feedback from people … so in maybe a “next gen” Soundbox Touch, there will be a light time out sort of feature. I do give credit to DOSS for this. - Buttons So far I’d say the buttons are all REALLY responsive without being too sensitive. For example with the volume … I found that if my finger is going clockwise or counterclockwise and “slips off” the blue… the controls still work… I don’t have to lift my finger up and make sure it’s always on the blue…. It’s like “yeah I know you still want to raise or lower the volume, .. .no problem”. Not counting once where I carried the speaker while it was playing, having my hand cover the entire time, hence where all the touchpad buttons are … I have not had mis-clicks where something happens when I don’t want it to, nor have I had issues where I have to hit any buttons repeatedly because it didn’t recognize, the press. - TF Card slot – Other than the Braven, and the LFS with the buzz/hum issue … The Oontz and the Tribit Xsound Surfs do not have a TF Card (note: old name for a micro SD card that you can buy “everywhere” … that is what TF Cards are, I see some users are confused if they are some old propriety card or something .. nope .. just another name for microsd cards). This is not a make or break think for me but while I can hook up one of my mp3 players and use it’s battery up too with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable to these speakers … the fact I could just put a microsd card with music I have on it already, directly into the speaker… I really like that feature. - Bluetooth – I cant say this is the best BT or anything but for me once it’s recognized by any device I tested and paired up, it connects fast after that… just turn the device on … speaker on, and it’s seen/connects pretty fast, in my view .. .no problems there. ---------------------- Summary – I would note again “bass-heads” should look elsewhere, but if you have your expectations set right (aka this is a budget level speaker)…. You want good “bang for your buck”, balanced sound and even a speaker that has features, and a look (say the lit touchpad controls) that I have not seen in other speakers at this price range… I totally recommend this speaker. I think even with all of my comments on the bass… overall quality wise ,… this speaker “punches above it’s price range”, even if it cant be on the same level as say a JBL Charge … though I have to note, you ARE paying a bit more for the JBL in that case. Again … I totally recommend this speaker even at say $25.99 to $27.99 regular price (more than I paid for mine, for the record) ---- Addition when posting review to Amazon – Sound quality I gave this a 5 out of 5 stars but really I’d say my true rating is a 4 to 4.5 out of 5 (because of that above 4 part, I bumped this up to 5)… I say that just to note, this is not “the BEST SOUNDING SPEAKER EVER” … don’t get me wrong,… I LOVE the sound, but some positive reviews I think overstate how good some of these speakers in this price range sound. They just go a tad overboard to me and that may make some people feel let down when it’s not “perfect” sound, when they get their product based on the reviews they read.

We love this speaker! We deliberately got one that could be used for wires, because we have had so many problems with gadgets that drop the Bluetooth connection. So, at first, we only used this with a wire. Then one day, we tried it with Bluetooth, just for interest. Shock and awe! It works PERFECTLY with Bluetooth - so perfectly it is kind of shocking. Gosh, now we constantly listen to podcasts and music with the Bluetooth connection. I get very irritated by technology that does not work, which is why I try to avoid Bluetooth. But with this, I just switch on the speaker, it makes a nice chime, and then a few seconds later, it just kind of grabs the signal from the iPhone and takes over as the speaker. I don't have to do any annoying work, such as going to the Bluetooth settings on my phone and selecting the speaker. I really love how easily it operates. Then when I stop listening, I usually forget to switch it off, but the speaker switches itself off. That's a bonus. This is most likely why this speaker never seems to run out of battery power. Once in a blue moon I remember to charge it with the USB cable, but not often, yet it has never once been out of battery power. Even when I am streaming Youtube on my phone, I like to have the sound coming out of this speaker. To be clear, it is not super loud. But it has a much better tone than my iPhone, and is significantly louder. So it sounds like a quality sound, not a tinny phone. My husband researched which speaker to buy, and was tempted by the very expensive one. Now, we are so happy we went for this budget solution that works SO well. To be fair: we live in a small space. If you are in a giant space, you probably want more volume than this delivers. But when we are in our kitchen or living room together, this is just about perfect for us. We have even started listening to it in bed in the morning, while we are having our morning coffee. Definitely one of the best things I have bought in a long time.

It's been just over 6 years since I originally bought this speaker, & it's now dying slowly in the bathroom, for apparently the final time. Four years ago, my teens took it over & really tested that waterproof label - & it passed every test with flying colors. 3 hour long shower concerts? No problem. Dog showers? Easy. It's basically lived in the bathroom the last 4 years, without issue until tonight. The battery lasts for weeks with the way they use it. (I can't remember how often I had to charge it when I used it constantly.) It's easy to use, easy to connect, & the sound is great.

Well, true to the reviews, this one is a huge WIN. My wife and I are both musicians and love listening to music when we have the time. I have bought several Bluetooth speakers and will compare this one to the venerable older Jam Plus [the good blue one that people hunt for], and the Oontz Angle which I bought shortly after this one. The short answer is that in this price range I don't know of anything that will do a better job than the DOSS, with its well-reviewed shortcomings. To do substantially better, you need to spend substantially more. The Jam is great because it works everytime, is easy to pair, has good-enough battery life, and makes a lot of noise no matter where you put it. It has warmth, which a LOT of smallish BT speakers flat don't have. The very good Oontz Angle sounds great and is very simple: much simpler than the DOSS - it has no volume control so nothing to mess with there to confuse you. The Oontz fooled me - when tested by itself you would swear it is the best sounding mini-sized speaker on the market at the price range. But when I A-B'd it side by side with the Doss Touch, the Doss is clearly more capable. It is louder than the Oontz given the same source feeding both. It is almost too loud, too efficient in that if you want it very very quiet, you'll be very glad it has that touch-volume control on the top. The Oontz is not as Big sounding but is very warm because of the good design with a downward-port as well as the face port, so sound reflects the surface it is placed on. In an Automobile/Truck, as many Oontz reviewers have said, you can plop the Oontz in the windshield-dash "V" and it will make a lot of noise! Perfect for that if you need it. If I had not had the Doss I would have been thrilled with the Oontz - can't go wrong either way. But the Doss starts off clean and crisp and has great "transparency" of fidelity. Run the volume up high and it remains clear - Absent a signal so strong that it would "clip" at your iPad or handset or whatever, the Doss does not fade or break up. If you are looking for a Boom-Box this isn't it [the ones that are are expensive and often uni-dimensional, not hi-fi]. I personally listen to Classical Music when I am working on computer or just busy around a room - the Doss is sublime for that type of music format. If you set it on a table in a spot where there is no under bracing, just a wood top, it is really in its element. Though not 'down-firing' in design, it moves that table like a diaphragm and the rubber feet and mass of the unit keep it well-planted. I sometimes place it in a "hutch" we have,... one of the old fashioned kitchen keeper hutches with a raised top and open area at the middle. The sound from back in that chamber is magic. Like other reviewers, I don't like the audible signals from the Doss - very annoying when someone is sleeping and you flip it on, but Doss has provided firmware switching so if you are even partly competent at downloading and installing the patch to a micro-SD, you can switch off the audible signaling [and more... see their support site]. The Jam, by the way, is also annoying in that respect but we've put up with it 'cause it is a good speaker that "just works". Bottom line: BUY IT.

I have a love/hate relationship with this speaker. There are so many things to like, but also several to hate. Pros: The speaker sounds really good - for the price. I compared it to my daughter's Bose Soundlink and the Bose was much better, but also much more expensive. I wanted something under $30 to use in my office. When you compare it to the JAM JAM Classic Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (Black) HX-P230BK or Philips Philips BT2500B/37 Compact Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker I own with similar costs, the BOSS outshines them both. Much louder, better bass (but not great - more in CONS). I was nervous about the touch type buttons on the top, but they work well. The speaker is well constructed and last forever. My daughter uses it to watch movies on her iPad. I've used it in my shop working or in the attic. I will last more than a day on a single charge. Really happy about that. CONS: My biggest CON is the stupid sound it makes when the device connects. It is an obnoxious multiple tone beep sequence that is LOUD. I bought this for my office so I could listen to music with my iphone. I had no intentions of alerting my neighbors every time I connected to the speaker. It is loud - ridiculously loud. No other bluetooth speaker I have is so obnoxious. I quit using it in my office because of it. Also - and this may just be me - but once I connected to this speaker with my iPhone the iPhone didn't want to connect to anything else, especially my truck. It took a while to narrow this down, but the problems only stopped when I "forgot" this speaker on my iPhone. As a result, I don't connect with my iPhone anymore, just iPads. One more reason not to use it at the office. I have looked through the reviews of this speaker - no one else mentions this problem. I've had two iPhones - both did the same thing. Con #3 - the buttons on the top will sometimes get "pressed" when you move the speaker around. For example, I'll bring this thing in the attic or on the back porch or wherever, then move to the shop or kitchen - boom, accidentally pressed the "next" button or worse - the "mode" button. Ugh, if you accidentally press the "mode" button just turn it off and start over. Bottom Line - If you keep this speaker in your house or room and don't mind an annoying series of beeps when you connect, this speaker sounds really, really good for the price. Otherwise, you may be like me and just give it to the kids and look for something else.