With spring arriving in a few weeks, LG saw it fit to add two new models to its XBOOM speaker line, the XL5 and XL7, just in time for your next big party.
Starting with the more robust device, the XL7 sports two 2.5-inch tweeters and an eight-inch woofer that the company says sounds great in either outdoor or indoor settings. Enhancing the output is the Dynamic Bass Optimizer feature boosting the bass coming out of the woofer without annoying distortion ruining the output. Unique to the XL7 are the various lighting effects scattered around.
On the front end, you have a LED panel that comes with an Animation mode for displaying cute pixelated characters dancing, rainbow patterns, customized text, or a Visual EQ effect bumping on the screen. Surrounding the woofer is Multi Color Ring Lighting producing “lightshows with various rotating, flashing effects” syncing with the music. Also, you’ll be able to choose your own patterns or animations on the XBOOM app thanks to the Customizable Lighting feature.
Scaled down speaker
As for the XBOOM XL5, it's basically a scaled-down version of its bigger sibling. For starters, it has the same two tweeters but comes with a 6.5-inch woofer instead. The speaker is also lighter at 12kg (about 26 pounds) versus the XL7’s 14.7kg (around 32 pounds). Battery lasts 12 hours on a single charge whereas the XL7 can last 20 hours. Plus, the XL5 lacks the front-facing LED panel so it, unfortunately, lacks the pixelated cactus. It does, however, still have the Multi Color Ring Lighting around the woofer so the model can still serve as a centerpiece at your next party.
Other than that, they have the exact same features. Both support Bluetooth 5.1 and can connect up to 10 other speakers via Wireless Party Link. The models have a water resistance rating of IPX4 allowing them to survive splashes of water (just don’t throw them in a pool). They even come with a microphone and Karaoke Star preinstalled for karaoke nights.
LG states it is currently launching the new XBOOM speakers; however at the time of this writing, listings for either the XL5 or XL7 are not available on the company website. The price tags are a mystery too. For the sake of comparison, the XBOOM 360 Wireless Speaker, the last one of the series TechRadar reviewed, retails for under $400. We reached out to LG for more info. This story will be updated if we hear back.
