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Ultra budget electronics can be hit or miss. Sometimes, you find stinkers, other times you find excellent value. Trial and error has a lot to do with the best discoveries, but you can always reference user reviews, albeit with some discernment. But the reason for all the talk about budget friendly electronics is Amazon has a Bluetooth speaker on sale for a ridiculously low $20. The BolaButty X-Go speaker offers up to 20 hours of playtime per charge and an IPX5 water-resistant design safe from splashes and spills. It also features neon RGB that “beats” to the rhythm of the music. For the cost of a burger and some fries, why not?
But just how good is this speaker? It’s $20. Most likely, you get what you pay for, but it does have over 30,000 reviews with a rating of 4.5 stars. Moreover, one of the top reviews calls it “shockingly loud,” saying it blared audio that was so loud they “nearly jumped out of [their] skin.” That sounds like a true party contender, excellent for using poolside or during the family barbecue to blast “Free Bird.” Of course, that single review doesn’t look like a fluke. Other comments mention the speaker’s value “way exceeds the price,” that it connects reliably to other devices, and has cool features for the cost. The interactive RGB is not something you usually see in cheap tech. But it is a speaker, so the great sound quality that reviewers mention is a highlight.
What else is there to know about this Bluetooth speaker?
The first thing to note is the cost of your average Bluetooth speaker, besides the BolaButty X-Go. Ranking some major Bluetooth speaker brands from worst to best reveals many options that are more expensive than $20. Bose is the top pick, and you can probably guess some of those prices, with the SoundLink Max around $400. Even spot 12 on that list, which belongs to Tribit, has a speaker that’s around $34 on sale at its cheapest. If you extend that to include the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, some of those prices track even higher. Yes, those are definitely higher-quality offerings from brands you’ll recognize, but the point is they are more expensive. If you’re only interested in spending $20, then this deal on the BolaButty looks to be a steal.
It features Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity which offers a range of up to 33 feet. Bluetooth 6.0 is the newest version of the standard, and 5.3 is fairly close. The unique design and triangular shape still manages to be relatively portable, which is great because you can bring it just about anywhere to blare some music. It’s available in multiple colors, too, from green to pink, and all-black. Though, the black variant is the cheapest out of the bunch at the $20 price point — the rest are $28. It supports hands-free calling, plus you can pair two X-Go speakers together for dual-channel audio. It would make a good gift or stocking stuffer if you’re holiday shopping early. Or, at the very least, it’s just a good Bluetooth speaker to have handy when you want to play some music around the house or when you’re out with friends.
