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Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic: Two-minute evaluate
Competitors is fierce amongst transportable, beach-ready audio system. The best Bluetooth speakers supply all-day battery life, fulfilling audio and pool-proof sturdiness, with out draining your checking account. It’s on this crowded market that the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic tries to face out, as a beach-ready speaker with neat options and a novel sustainable design.
Bodily, it achieves that objective. Fronted by a facade of renewable bamboo, the Roots Photo voltaic appears to be like and feels distinctive. The material grille is properly tactile, whereas the rubberized physique – constructed from recycled plastics – is powerful. There’s a reassuring weight to the entire bundle, which gives the look that it’s strong sufficient to outlive a number of summers.
Intelligent touches recommend that Home of Marley’s design workforce has put a whole lot of thought into this speaker. The buttons are easy, well-sized and accessible. Little toes beneath cushion in opposition to vibrations. The carry strap is a helpful addition. After which there’s the built-in bottle opener on the again: a celebration trick that bolsters its cookout credentials.
Sadly, different options are much less spectacular. At 14 hours, battery life does stack up nicely in opposition to rival audio system, lasting a full day on one cost. However the photo voltaic panel from which the Roots Photo voltaic will get its identify is ineffective. Home of Marley claims that it’s good for as much as 5 hours of additional enjoying time. In my expertise, even after a number of hours in direct daylight, it did little or nothing to recharge the speaker. The strip is actually ornamental.
That’s a disgrace, as a result of the promise of solar-powered listens is a key promoting level, and one which ties in with Home of Marley’s sustainable ethos. I needed to cost the Roots Photo voltaic through USB-C like another speaker, which by some means felt extra galling than if the photo voltaic panel wasn’t there within the first place. Worse nonetheless, it means eco claims can’t save the Roots Photo voltaic from its largest failing: sub-par audio.
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Given the load of its construct and the bass radiator on the rear, you’d count on the Roots Photo voltaic to provide a daring efficiency – particularly because it’s marketed for out of doors use. But, in observe, the sound lacks richness, depth and dynamism. It doesn’t come near the low-end punch of one thing just like the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4, with a sonic signature that feels skinny compared.
It could’t boast notably good steadiness or readability, both. The mids are simply muddied on layered tracks and I encountered some vital distortion when listening at increased volumes. Solely when enjoying indoors at a medium stage can the Roots Photo voltaic come near a making a very good account of itself, and solely then with songs that aren’t too advanced.
I actually wished the Roots Photo voltaic to be a very good speaker. I like its design and I salute Home of Marley for making an attempt to do issues in another way, making audio package that’s environmentally acutely aware. I’m all for nifty options like bottle openers and I’d love a speaker that may enhance itself from the solar.
However with photo voltaic charging out of the equation, the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic lets itself down the place it issues. You will get a sturdy speaker with comparable options and considerably higher audio high quality for a similar cash or much less. And use the change to purchase your self a bottle opener.
Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic evaluate: Worth and launch date
- Launched in September 2024
- Official worth: $99.99 / £79.99 / AU$149.95
Home of Marley added the Roots Photo voltaic to its speaker line-up in September 2024. At launch, it was priced at $119.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.95. That put it at a slight premium in comparison with different transportable Bluetooth audio system with comparable specs.
Since then, its official worth has been lowered in each the US and the UK, to $99.99 and £79.99 respectively. With that low cost, the Roots Photo voltaic sits extra competitively alongside among the finest Bluetooth audio system, together with the sumptuous JBL Flip 7. OK, the JBL speaker is admittedly just a little pricier, however price it. As you’ll learn under, the numbers solely inform a part of the story.
Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic evaluate: Specs
|
Weight |
685g |
|
Dimensions |
38.1 x 165.1 x 82.6mm |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth (model not acknowledged) |
|
Ports |
USB-C, aux-in |
|
Battery |
14 hours, plus as much as 5 hours from the photo voltaic panel |
|
Water resistance |
IP67 |
Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic evaluate: Design
- Made with bamboo and recycled supplies
- IP67 waterproof
- Constructed-in bottle opener
Sustainability has all the time been on the coronary heart of Home of Marley’s ethos. That comes by means of in spades with the Roots Photo voltaic. Obtainable in black and cream shade schemes, each variations characteristic a facade hewn from renewable bamboo. This wooden grain veneer provides the speaker a uniquely pure appear and feel amongst transportable Bluetooth audio system.
The entire bundle is each consciously constructed and satisfyingly tactile. Up entrance, there’s a material grille that’s woven from recycled supplies. The physique itself is constructed from Home of Marley’s personal REGRIND silicone, a composite that is a strong step up from virgin plastic. This materials’s speckled end feels clean but suitably strong, standing out from the cheaper plastics utilized in some price range audio system.
There are thrives across the whole speaker which illustrate the thought that’s gone into its design. There’s the photo voltaic panel neatly built-in into the highest of the unit and the material carry strap hooked up to 1 finish by knurled metallic screws. Rubber toes beneath assist to insulate the standing floor in opposition to vibrations, whereas a light-weight ring across the grille subtly illuminates when the speaker is powered on or charging.
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Three buttons dwell on the left facet of the rubberized physique, controlling energy, quantity and brightness. It’d appear to be a minor element, however these are completely weighted with a responsive click on. On the again, you’ll discover a port cowl neatly shielding the aux-in and USB-C ports, together with a bass radiator that’s seamlessly fused in place.
Then there’s the Roots Photo voltaic’s occasion trick: a built-in bottle opener. This consists of a sculpted indent and a metallic bar. It definitely does the job of popping tops, though I can’t say how nicely it could maintain up with repeated use. The novelty of opening bottles with a Bluetooth speaker might be additionally one that may put on off after a couple of goes, nevertheless it doesn’t damage to have it as a backup.
It’s all fairly good and tidy. It’s weighty too, in a great way. There’s a reassuring heft to the Roots Photo voltaic, which means that it’s strong sufficient to outlive a run of seasons by the ocean. That’s backed up by an IP67 water-resistance ranking. By way of its bodily construct, no corners have been lower within the design or meeting departments.
Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic evaluate: Options
- Battery rated for 14 hours of playback
- Constructed-in photo voltaic panel for ‘gradual top-ups’
- Stereo and Occasion Mode pairing
On paper, the Roots Photo voltaic has a killer characteristic in comparison with its rivals: photo voltaic charging. Home of Marley claims the built-in photo voltaic strip can ship ‘gradual top-ups’ for as much as 5 hours of additional listening time. That’s along with a strong 14 hours of battery life when recharged utilizing USB-C.
The fact is totally different. The usual battery life definitely holds up, simply lasting a full day on a single cost. At 14 hours, that offers the Roots Photo voltaic the longevity go toe-to-toe with the Final Ears Wonderboom 4 and go simply shy of the Flip 7’s 16-hour stamina – and people are two of our favourite Bluetooth audio system.
What it might probably’t do is eke issues out any additional. In testing, even when left in vibrant, direct daylight for a number of hours, the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic confirmed zero or minimal features from the photo voltaic panel. The LED mild, which pulses when the speaker is charging, solely glowed when linked to mains energy. It by no means as soon as illuminated from publicity to daylight.
In consequence, I didn’t expertise any of the top-ups promised by Home of Marley. I had visions of the Roots Photo voltaic as a speaker that I may go away by the window for passive charging to spice up its battery on brighter days. Or no less than as one which might last more away from the wall on seashore and tenting journeys, which is the way it’s been marketed.
As an alternative, I needed to cost the Roots Photo voltaic utilizing the USB-C cable identical to another Bluetooth speaker. Someway, the presence of a non-functioning photo voltaic panel is by some means extra irritating than if it wasn’t there in any respect. It doesn’t add to the consumer expertise or substantively improve the speaker’s eco-friendly chops. The strip is mainly redundant.
With out it, the Roots Photo voltaic has to depend on different options to compete with different Bluetooth audio system. In that area, it does supply stereo and occasion pairing, permitting you to hyperlink up with a number of matching audio system for synchronized playback. It additionally advantages from an aux-in port, one thing of a rarity in 2025.
I’ll point out one different small however irksome trait: the Roots Photo voltaic may be very fast to energy off if nothing is enjoying. Pause your playlist for any motive and also you’ll routinely discover that, whenever you come again to the speaker, you’ll have to energy it on once more to proceed listening.
Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic evaluate: Sound high quality
- Lacks low-end punch, particularly outside
- Mids sound muddy on layered tracks
- Distortion at increased volumes
Given its strong development and the presence of a bass radiator on the again, you’d be forgiven for anticipating the Roots Photo voltaic to provide a daring efficiency. Whereas the radiator does its finest, although, the speaker merely lacks oomph. Even indoors, playback feels skinny and bland. Take it outside, as its waterproofing suggests you need to, and this lack of low-end power actually turns into obvious.
Not each speaker must be bass-heavy, in fact. However the Roots Photo voltaic can’t boast steadiness or readability as a saving grace, both. The mids really feel crowded even on stripped-back acoustic tracks. Problem the Roots Photo voltaic with a busy composition and issues rapidly get muddy, with little room for the layers to breath.
Crank up the amount and the audio goes from mediocre to disagreeable. Treble distortion rapidly turns into obvious, whereas the bass radiator’s fruitless makes an attempt to provide some weight to the decrease frequencies solely find yourself clouding the mid-range much more.
If it feels like I’m describing an entire cacophony, maybe I’m being unfair. Enjoying at a medium quantity in a small room, the Roots Photo voltaic does a satisfactory job. To the untrained ear, it’s effective for streaming digital radio within the kitchen or rest room. However the inescapable reality is that you may get a significantly better pay attention from different audio system for a similar worth or much less.
This isn’t a speaker that I’d select to soundtrack a seashore occasion. No transportable Bluetooth quantity goes to fulfill an audiophile, particularly not outside. However each the Wonderboom 4 and the Flip 7 supply higher steadiness, depth and dynamism for the cash. The Roots Photo voltaic merely can’t compete.
Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic evaluate: Worth
On paper, the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic has a novel worth proposition. It guarantees a sustainable development and a sturdy, premium construct, with the good thing about photo voltaic charging to maintain summer season singalongs going for longer. The built-in bottle opener is simply the sweetener.
As a result of it fails to ship on a number of of these guarantees, the Roots Photo voltaic is a tough speaker to advocate. Its eco-friendly method is one to be applauded, and there’s an argument for supporting Home of Marley’s efforts to make use of renewable supplies. However these alone can’t justify the worth tag.
When you think about the ineffective photo voltaic panel and the sub-par audio high quality, the Roots Photo voltaic looks like an underwhelming speaker in premium packaging. Maybe that’s why Home of Marley has lowered the worth of the Roots Photo voltaic within the UK and the US, in quiet recognition of its limitations.
Even at its new, lowered worth, the Roots Photo voltaic sits in direct competitors with the Final Ears Wonderboom 4 and the JBL Flip 7. These audio system each supply punchier, richer sound output for the roughly the identical cash, in addition to IP67 water resistance and day-long battery life.
Should you’re dedicated to purchasing greener gear, the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic continues to be a contender. However sound can also be vital and if it is first rate audio indoors and out you search, there’s higher worth to be discovered elsewhere.
Ought to I purchase the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Ranking |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Strong waterproof construct with distinctive sustainable supplies |
4.5/5 |
|
Options |
14-hour battery life however photo voltaic charging is just too sluggish to be helpful |
3.5/5 |
|
Sound high quality |
Muddy mids, restricted bass and distortion at increased volumes |
3/5 |
|
Worth |
Different audio system supply higher sound for a similar worth or much less |
3.5/5 |
Purchase it if…
Don’t purchase it if…
Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic evaluate: additionally take into account
How I examined the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic
- Used it as my fundamental Bluetooth speaker for a month
- Examined it in a lot of rooms, in addition to outside
- Performed a wide range of genres through Spotify and BBC Sounds
To place the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic by means of its paces, I used it as my major Bluetooth speaker for a number of weeks. I listened to it in a lot of rooms round the home, to see how nicely it carried out in areas of various sizes. I additionally examined it at totally different volumes, to see how the dynamics held up at a spread of output ranges. When the neighbours had been out, I cranked it proper up.
I additionally examined it with a spread of genres: podcasts whereas I painted the lavatory; pop hits on BBC sounds whereas cooking dinner; and the outdated trustworthy on a Friday evening – Spotify’s Dinner with Buddies playlist.
As a result of the Home of Marley Roots Photo voltaic is pitched as a beach-ready speaker, I additionally made certain to check it outside. In addition to utilizing its built-in bottle opener for its supposed goal, I additionally tossed the speaker round in my backpack to provide its rugged credentials a mild take a look at.
To see how successfully the photo voltaic panel may enhance battery life, I used the Roots Photo voltaic in each sunny and overcast circumstances. And to evaluate how nicely its sound carried alfresco, I used it to soundtrack a number of out of doors afternoons.