Is听the new听听the most rugged Bluetooth speaker ever made? Almost certainly. The one with the biggest sound? Ditto. The coolest looking? I think so. While it’s听the Pelican Case housing that makes all those things possible, you’ll also find clever details inside. Let’s take a look.
What Is It?
The 5.5-pound $399听Demerbox听is a basketball-size Pelican 1300 Case with three big holes cut into it up front, two of which hold speakers. The other hole听is听a bass听tube鈥攑ump the volume and you can feel air being pushed out听by the speakers, delivering more robust sound. Inside there’s a 2,600 mAh lithium ion battery and a custom-made circuit board that delivers 20 watts to each speaker. And that’s it.
It’s simple and totally dialed, thanks to the high-quality components. The听case is crush-proof, waterproof, and stands up to any weather听thrown听at it.听Plus, it floats, just in case it does end up in the lake. The three-inch aluminum cone speakers, protected听by strong plastic grills, paired with听rubber gaskets keep the box 100 percent waterproof, while still pumping out great sound.
Inside, the circuit board delivers good-quality audio and lots of volume (this thing gets incredibly loud), very efficiently. That means it makes the most out of its听relatively small battery, delivering a, even in near-freezing conditions.
Who Is It For?
The听Demerbox听was created to bring high-quality audio outside. Its inventor,听, used to work听as a sound mixer for shows like “Survivor” and Vice News’ documentaries. While on set in Barrow, Alaska, he found himself needing听a good听sound system that wouldn’t get beat up in transit or in inclement weather. So he听drilled holes into a Pelican Case and听mounted the speakers into听them. His idea听for听easily portable, high-quality speakers caught on, and in 2014, Demer raised over $80,000 on听听to mass produce the device.
News spread fast. Earlier this year, Demer听got a call from Zac Brown. The听country听musician had听taken a听Demerbox听on an eight-day spearfishing trip with his family and was so impressed听that he called Demer and asked to buy the company. Two听months ago, they finalized the acquisition.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=r3v6IoubFuY
Now, you’re not going to carry this big听speaker far into the woods. But听because of its durability, you can chuck it in your trunk or听luggage, then take it just about anywhere else. You can even stuff the Pelican Case with other gear, like extra clothes or a camera, to save on space.
Design
Pelican Cases are known听for their strength, reliability, and longevity. They鈥檙e also made in the U.S., which appeals to Demer, who makes his speakers in Maine.
Inside, there鈥檚 a charge port running to a standard听110V听plug, a USB port for charging your phone while you play music (it听doesn鈥檛 play music), and a standard headphone jack for plugging in non-Bluetooth music players, or when you want to save battery. So I don鈥檛 lose them, I carry the charging and speaker cables inside the box, then run them through the bass tube when I want to plug them into an outlet. During audio playback, you get a hair听superior quality by keeping those cables out of the box.
Using It
I鈥檝e been dragging the听Demerbox听to cabins, tents, and on 4×4 trips all summer, and it’s even become my go-to sound system for weekend barbeques on the porch.
Aside from looking cool, the first thing I听noticed is how the speaker’s听sound fills a room or campsite. I听don鈥檛 need to stand directly in front of the speaker to hear it at its best.听It also sounds much deeper and richer than other portable speakers I鈥檝e used. In fact, it sounds about as good as my Sonos听system at home.
I鈥檝e used the听Demerbox听on several听five-day trips听and have yet to fully deplete its battery. It’s ridden loose in the back of a pickup while off-roading, been chewed on by a puppy, and been forgotten outside during a rainstorm. Throughout a summer of abuse, it has yet to show any significant signs of wear. No dust and no water have gotten inside. No sand has听stuck in the speakers or the ports. Protected inside the case, Bowie has yet to bite through any of the cables.
Likes
- No cheesy audio intro. The听Demerbox听turns on and off with a push of its only switch鈥攖hat鈥檚 it.
- No complicated paring routine. Just find 鈥淒emerbox鈥 on your phone鈥檚 list of devices and play music.
- Amazing, robust sound that fills the area, outside or inside.
- The case isn’t just there to look cool, or provide protection. Demer calculated the size to serve as the ideal bass response cabinet鈥攖he Pelican Case actually makes the sound better.
- Extremely long battery life.
- Near-indestructible.
- Looks like a professional听tool.
- Made in the U.S.A.
Dislikes
- Must remember to disconnect one phone鈥檚 Bluetooth pair before connecting another.
- Installing bass tube plug to achieve full waterproofness dulls sound.
Should You Buy One?
The Bose Soundlink delivers similar sound quality for $100 less, but it isn’t as rugged and has only an eight-hour runtime. Smaller, more portable options like the听听or听听are much more portable, retail for well under $100, and still deliver an element of water resistance and protection from small drops, alongside acceptable sound.
But if you need a near-indestructible speaker with professional-grade audio reproduction, there is no better option than the听Demerbox.