One thing I always look for in a Bluetooth speaker is the depth of sound that it can provide. Other factors are important, like battery life and size, but if the speaker doesn't sound good you wont want to listen; rendering the whole thing pointless. Photive was not a brand that I had ever heard of before my father bought their Cyren model speaker for his kitchen. The sound on it was good, but the lack of bass was a downfall; he quickly discovered that placing something behind the speaker increased the sound quality exponentially. Being battery powered, it was as easy as moving it to wherever the music was desired; a far-cry from even my iHome, which is still limited to being plugged in. We spent many nights sitting at the table or in the living room or in the garage or in the guest bedroom listening to music, always commenting on how handy the portable speaker is. And despite the lack of bass depth, the sound from the speaker was highly impressive.
Now, my family isn't one that can keep a Christmas present a secret, we quite enjoy giving them early as a surprise; after all, they are meant to be enjoyed. I was greeted with a Photive Hydra this year early. The box claims waterproof and dustproof IP66 rated. If you don't know what the IP66 means the first number corresponds to the rating against solids, and the second corresponds to the rating against liquids. An IP rating of 6 in the first digit is as high as it goes, with the second digit availably going up to 8. In this particular case, the Hydra is dust-tight, meaning it can't get in. It is also a 6 rating for liquids, meaning that high-powered streams of water will not hurt the unit in any way. Sprinkler? Fine. Wave at the beach? Alright. The water from a shower? No problem. Heavy rain? It laughs at that. It is not, however, rated to be submerged in a pool for extended periods of time.
The Hydra itself looks sleek, and feels hefty; not real heavy, just solid. It is heavier than the Cyren, and also larger. The buttons for controlling the unit, except the power switch, are located on the top of the model. They feel solid and have a nice click to them when pressed, which is good because they are built into the case itself. The buttons certainly don't feel cheap or flimsy, I expect them to hold up well. The side of the Hydra features a removable waterproofing cap that covers the power switch, the auxiliary audio jack (3.5mm) and the micro-usb charging port. This cap is rubber, and can be removed without much effort, but is attached to the unit on the inside of the cap so it wont get lost. The power switch seems solid, and well placed. I also expect it to hold up well.
After powering up the unit a small blue LED on the front flashes slowly to indicate that the unit is on. Pressing the top Bluetooth button allowed my Samsung Galaxy S4 to see it within seconds, and the sync time was fast. No pin required. I turned the speaker all the way up, and then down two-notches; a trick I learned from my father, who has never blown a single speaker in his life. The range of volume the Hydra offers is good, and the sound quality while low volume is about 90% as good as it is while in the higher volumes. This is achievable because of the two 40mm drivers and the passive subwoofer providing 7 watts of power. 7 watts might not seem like a lot, and honestly when stacked up against my Fisher STV-862 home-stereo speakers, it isn't even on the map; but this isn't a home stereo replacement, it's a portable speaker.
The depth of sound the Hydra provides is immaculate. I would say that it is the best sounding Bluetooth speaker I have ever heard, including the Bem Mojo, JLab Crasher, and the JBL Flip. I don't know if it's because of the waterproof casing, but the bass achieved by the Hydra is unbelievable and the loudness of the speaker is enough to fill any room easily with music. I can broadcast over my iHome without any effort, with far superior sound quality. Every genre of music I have thrown at it has sounded rich and full. I don't feel like I'm missing anything while using the Hydra; all the notes are there, crystal clear.
The portability is where the Hydra really shines though. It's as easy as picking the speaker up and carrying it to wherever you're headed next. The Bluetooth has over a 30ft range, so whatever device you're using can just stay put and the speaker can control the volume and the track skip itself. To put the unit to the real test I was able to pair it with my Asus X205 Cloudbook running Spotify in my bedroom and still control the music while taking a shower (with the unit in the water with me) from about 20 feet away. The unit didn't seem to be phased by the water at all, which is just what I would hope for out of a product claiming to be waterproof. The rechargeable battery has a life of 8-hours per charge and takes roughly 5-hours to charge. The Hydra can still be used while plugged in, and charges over USB. Unfortunately, while the unit comes with the USB cable, it does not come with a power adapter; but any standard USB power adapter will work.
Overall, the Hydra is a product I would recommend for anyone looking for a severely portable Bluetooth speaker; one they will never have to worry about getting destroyed by whatever adventure they are going on that day. The price tag of $139.00 is still completely worth it, especially when you stack the sound quality up against similarly priced models, most of which are not waterproof. That being said, at the time of this review you can pick the Photive Hydra up off of Amazon.com for $59.95; and for that price you would be crazy not to get one.
The portability is where the Hydra really shines though. It's as easy as picking the speaker up and carrying it to wherever you're headed next. The Bluetooth has over a 30ft range, so whatever device you're using can just stay put and the speaker can control the volume and the track skip itself. To put the unit to the real test I was able to pair it with my Asus X205 Cloudbook running Spotify in my bedroom and still control the music while taking a shower (with the unit in the water with me) from about 20 feet away. The unit didn't seem to be phased by the water at all, which is just what I would hope for out of a product claiming to be waterproof. The rechargeable battery has a life of 8-hours per charge and takes roughly 5-hours to charge. The Hydra can still be used while plugged in, and charges over USB. Unfortunately, while the unit comes with the USB cable, it does not come with a power adapter; but any standard USB power adapter will work.Overall, the Hydra is a product I would recommend for anyone looking for a severely portable Bluetooth speaker; one they will never have to worry about getting destroyed by whatever adventure they are going on that day. The price tag of $139.00 is still completely worth it, especially when you stack the sound quality up against similarly priced models, most of which are not waterproof. That being said, at the time of this review you can pick the Photive Hydra up off of Amazon.com for $59.95; and for that price you would be crazy not to get one.
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