Beats Pill Speaker Review
A hard pill to swallow?
Beats Pill Overview
Note this review is for the 2024 launched version of the Beats Pill (by Apple) and not the original Beats Pill by Dr Dre which was discontinued in 2022.
Firmware Tested: 2c289
The Beats Pill 2024 is a new version of the older Beats Pill by Dr Dre that was discontinued in 2022. The design is very different now. For 2024 we get a mono speaker (was stereo) with an oval shaped woofer (dubbed racetrack driver) and a single tweeter. You can pair two in stereo or mono mode. Mono mode often called party mode is called amplify mode by Apple but its not much of an amplification. One more speaker gives you about 3dB more volume but to double the perceived loudness you need 10dB. It’s a classic cylindrical shaped design and Beats have omitted the sue of passive radiators. The drivers are angled upwards by design at 20 degrees when you sit it on a flat surface. Beats claim 24 hours playtime at 50% volume. Just note this was tested on pre-release software and thus has little real world meaning. If the pre-release software had a different volume step curve and had less bass it would make quite a difference to the so-called 50% volume test. There is simply no way to know what they tested. A welcome feature is the inclusion of a two way USB-C port which means you can use the Beats Pill as a power bank (but only at 7.5 watts output) and also for OTG USB audio for 48khz/24-bit streaming. The Beats Pill supports class 1 bluetooth transmission power (as does the JBL Charge 5).
Beats Pill Frequency Response
The Beats Pill has a classic V-shape or smiley face sound signature at lower volumes which flattens out slightly as you get to louder volumes. Non-linear volume steps favour lots of volume control at lower volumes but little control at louder volumes as each increase brings less and less extra loudness.
Beats Pill (2024) – Sound!
The smiley face frequency response does translate in the real world and the lack of mids is very evident. This makes driving the bass a little easier and the Beats Pill has a reasonable bass weight with some extension given its limited size and power. It doesn’t have the big classic upper bass boost seen in many cheap bluetooth speakers but it does extend past 60hz at 40% volume step which is something that the JBL Charge 5, JBL Flip 6 and Soundcore Motion 300 cannot match at equivalent loudness. Only when you get to 60% and over can the JBL Charge 5 manage deeper bass. However I would not say this is a bass heavy speaker, it is more of a warm sounding speaker as the bass isn’t too boosted taking into account its V-shape tuning. So if you are not over fussed about your mids you may well like the sound of the Beats Pill but keep in mind it does not go loud. Beats claim it goes room filling loud without giving any sense of what loudness levels they consider that to be. Playing The Beats Pill, JBL Charge 5, JBL Flip 6 and Soundcore Motion 300 at 100% volume the Beats Pill is significantly quieter. However the Beats Pill can still hold its own in terms of bass against those speakers from 200hz and down. However it does become quite a bright speaker as you push the volume steps with a very boosted high end so if accuracy means anything to you then you will skip on the Beats Pill and look at perhaps the Soundcore Motion 300 or JBL Charge 5 instead.
Conclusion
The Beats Pill is not a bad sounding speaker IFFFF you understand what it offers. A very V-shaped sound that becomes quite bright at louder volumes. I say this because it has some decent bass extension and fun sound at low to moderate volumes and can go head to head with the likes of the JBL Charge 5 in the bass department. But it doesn’t have a big boosted upper bass so party lovers may not like the lack of over the top punch. However it has some glaring omissions from its feature list. It has no EQ functionality. There is no way to tweak the EQ in the app and there are no presets to try. The speaker itself is missing any bass boost button found on the likes of the Souncore speakers. It has no auxiliary input. Power bank functionality is limited to a pathetic 7.5 watts output. You can only connect it it to one other speaker. It lacks power despite the marketing claims of going loud. It offers only mono sound unless you connect one to another Beats Pill. At £149/$149 dollars its priced in a very competitive segment and I would say its overpriced by comparison. I see this more in the £99/$99 segment where it would be a reasonable choice. It looks and feels quite premium but the sound ultimately is quite limited and certainly not accurate but can be enjoyable.
| Specs | – |
|---|---|
| Price (when last checked): | £149/$149 |
| Year Released: | June 2024 |
| Made in: | China |
| Power Rating: | nothing officially. 20 watts apx assumed. |
| Drivers: | no specs available |
| Battery Capacity : | no specs available |
| Battery Capacity (watt Hours) | no specs available |
| Bluetooth Codec: | AAC/SBC |
| Bluetooth Version: | 5.3 |
| Multipoint: | Yes |
| NFC: | No |
| TWS (stereo) pairing: | Yes |
| Party Mode (mono) pairing: | Yes (max 2) |
| Pairing Protocol: | Bluetooth |
| Charging Input Type: | USB-C |
| Playtime: | Up to 24 hours claimed on pre-release software at 50% volume |
| Charging Time: | no specs available |
| WiFi: | No |
| Bluetooth Transmitter Power: | >100 mW (20 dBm) |
| Has a Microphone Input: | No |
| Auxiliary Input: | No |
| OTG USB-C audio: | Yes |
| Can be used as a Power Bank? | Yes, up to 7.5 watts output |
| Phone call Functionality? | Yes |
| Flash card slot for music? | No |
| Has Lights? | No |
| Charging Rate: | up to 5v/3a |
| Weight: | 680g |
| IP Rating: | IP67 |
| Floats? | No |
| Floats with Drivers Up (not fully submerged)? | No |
| Frequency Response Claimed: | no specs available |
| Has Tweeters: | Yes (one) |
| Titanium Drivers: | No |
| Neodymium Magnet: | Yes |
| Bluetooth Latency (Samsung S10+): | 100ms streaming youtube (not great) |
| Auxiliary Latency (Samsung S10+): | n/a |
| Has an App: | Yes |
| App has Equaliser: | No |
| App has Parametric Equaliser: | No |
