LG XBoom PK7 review: Meet the new party monster

Brand: LG
Product: XBoom PK7
Key specs: 40W audio output, 10,400mAh battery, LED lights, 2 tweeters and 2 bass enhancers.
Price: ₹22,990
Rating: 3.5/5

The LG XBoom PK7 defines excess in every way. From its bulky design to the flashy LED lights up front, it is a Bluetooth speaker that wouldn't go unnoticed in your living room. Clad with metal and rubber, the XBook PK7 is built like a tank. The two giant plastic bars on the top and the bottom add structural integrity and provide a solid gripping surface. The Bluetooth speaker is also very heavy weighing almost 3 kgs.

The additional heft gives the the XBoom PK7 quite a few advantages. It allows it to pack a larger battery ( 10,400mAh) and bigger drivers. The XBook PK7 comes with IPX-5 certification for water resistance, so the speaker's safe from a few splashes of water.

The top bar of the speaker flaunts a "with MERIDIAN Technology" badge, which we will get to in a moment. This is accompanied by an array of eight rubberised buttons that let you interact with the device and connect it to your smartphone wirelessly.

The speaker can support multiple devices and features an in-built mic for Google Assistant and Siri. In addition to this, the speaker also acts as a massive hands-free device for calls. Connectivity options at the back include a charging port and a 3.5mm port.

The highlight of the XBoom PK7 are its flashy LED lights. The speaker lights up soon as you turn it on and also change to the beats of the song. Although, the LED lights don't perfectly sync with the beats of songs. They can be toggled on and off by long-pressing the mic button that summons Google Assistant.

The speakers can also be paired with the LG XBoom app for extra functionality. This app is available on only on Android, but I had much difficulty connecting it to my phone. It also has many negative reviews with the same issue on the Google Play Store.

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Performance

The XBoom PK7 comes with two tweeters up front and two bass radiators on the sides. The speaker offers an audio output of 40W which is loud enough for a large living room. It also supports Qualcomm APT-X HD wireless audio that enables 24-bit music quality.

With the XBoom PK7, sound is more concentrated on the bass side. Songs played on the speaker sound is punchy and is concentrated more towards the lower frequencies. There's no treble screech but the bass often tends to overpower them. Overall, the XBoom PK7 had no problems playing power packed pop, blues and electronic tunes. Combined with the 'Enhanced Bass' mode, the output was good enough to entertain a party.

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Watching movies is a bit of an issue with the PK 7 XBoom. The vocals simply can't keep up with the bass, even with the 'Clear Vocals' mode turned on — something that was a bit of a letdown for me.

Battery life is good, if you are not constantly listening to songs on high volume. It can last anywhere between a couple of days on a party weekend or about a week when used for about two hours everyday on about 80% volume. LG promises up to 22 hours of battery life on this speaker.

Verdict

As mentioned above, the LG XBoom PK7 is built like a tank and has a striking resemblance to a good old-fashioned boombox. It is well-suited for parties, gyms and informal gatherings. It does struggle a bit with classical pieces and movies, but it's definitely not disappointing. It is just more suited to people with preference for punchy, bassy songs.