Bluetooth speakers, ever since they came into the picture, have made manufacturers innovate and experiment in the most unusual and sometimes, fun ways. The market is so vast that speakers now do a lot more than their sole purpose of giving us good quality sound.
The same is the story with the Toreto Smash party speaker. Now, Toreto is a new Indian gadgets manufacturer and it has come up with its new party speaker – the Smash. The Smash is a bluetooth speaker that has some fun features like Karaoke built into it.
Looks
The Smash is a good-looking product. It almost looks like a handheld Boombox, just beefier and octagonal.
The speaker has got knobs on the control panel that add some character to its overall looks. The two larger knobs that control the volume and mic input are finished in chrome and the three smaller ones are plain black plastic – they control the bass, treble and echo.
The chrome finished knobs, however, actually takes a bit away from the character that these knobs add to the speaker.
The two bigger knobs should also have been matte black or in a rubberised finish (like the buttons on the speaker).
An LED panel that tells you the battery and connectivity type, sits right at the centre of the controls. Apart from the connectivity and battery, the display does not show anything else. It is surrounded by rubberised buttons that can be used for switching between modes and presets.
The speaker's overall build quality is solid. The hard plastic everywhere and on the handle looks good and is durable enough to survive a few falls – if only the chrome knobs could have been more subtle.
Features
Now, the Smash falls a tiny bit short of the number of features it comes with. Some speakers within this price range offer a lot more features than the Toreto Smash.
The Smash has only two modes – AUX and Bluetooth (no radio). There are numbered buttons, but the lack of FM radio really makes us wonder the purpose of these buttons.
The best feature on the Smash, however, is the Karaoke. The speaker comes with a mic inside the box. The mic connects instantly with the speaker as you switch it on, you don't need to worry about the mic's connectivity. You can adjust the mic's volume and echo with the help of the knobs. The microphone is also made of good quality materials and looks pretty durable. The voice output is also as good as any loudspeaker.
Another amusing feature is that the Smash can record your Karaoke sessions and can play the same as well, whenever you have to use it.
The lack of an on/off button is also something that might confuse people. So how do you turn it on you say, by turning the volume knob anti-clockwise.
The mic also comes with a charger in the box.
Sound
Sound wise its not the best sounding speaker, but the Toreto Smash is good enough for a speaker of its size. The mid range and high range speakers make decent sound, enough for a small house. The low-end and high-end notes are clear and there is no static in the sound.
The sound for the mic is also adjustable with a different knob of its own. The sound's echo can be adjusted along with the volume. The 6.5-inch mid range and 2-inch high range speakers are enough to make the smash sound better and heavier than a standard portable Bluetooth speaker, but there are always better alternatives available.
Verdict
Overall, the Smash is bang for the buck. Although there are speakers in this budget that sound better and offer much more features, the Smash is a fun speaker, thanks to its Karaoke feature and easy mic connectivity. The fact that is can be picked up and placed anywhere also makes it worth the money.
The battery life on the speaker as well as on the mic that comes with it is also really something. I charged the speaker full once and did not run out of battery for about 10 days! The battery backup and the fun factor make the Toreto Smash worth spending your money on. However, if sound and build quality is your priority, you should look elsewhere.
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