Launched by Beats in 2012, two years before becoming a subsidiary of Apple, the Pill line of portable speakers returned last month with improved hardware, lossless audio input via USB-C, and more, but for a lower price than the previous model. At $150, many reviews consider it an excellent choice, but audiophiles and even less pretentious users who happen to enjoy less mainstream music genres might want to think twice before acquiring this piece of audio hardware, conclude the reviews recently published by SoundGuys and The Verge.
The review by SoundGuys praises this year's revival of the Beats Pill speaker for its resistance to water and dust ingress, bass response for its size, generous autonomy, and fast pairing with both iOS and Android devices. On the other hand, the drawbacks are hard to overlook, especially when looking for something to use for enjoying some classical works, jazz, or progressive rock/metal: distortion above 50% volume, with a noticeable drop in sound quality around 80%, no equalizer, and lackluster mids regardless of the volume. It should also be noted that some of these issues could be ironed out via future firmware updates, and SoundGuys tested the Beats Pill with version 2C289. Sadly, the final score of 7.6/10 has no user ratings next to it yet.
Although The Verge concluded that the new Beats Pill deserves an 8/10 rating, the essentials are the same. The strong areas noticed in their review are the iOS and Android native features, USB-C audio wired support, speakerphone capabilities, as well as the durable build and the carrying lanyard included in the package. Sadly, the volume distortion and limitations of the mono sound are the weak points noticed once again. Obviously, buying another one and pairing them in stereo mode can solve the second issue mentioned here, but for a price.
On Amazon, the Beats Pill has received 30 user ratings so far, and the resulting score is a good 4.5/5 (roughly 9/10, to match the ranking system mentioned above). Most complaints target the lack of an EQ (which will probably be added via a firmware update or in a companion app at some point in the future) and the focus on bass response while lacking in mids and highs unless the volume is pushed up, when things change and the bass appears to be electronically limited, ending up covered by the rest of the audio spectrum.