The progress portable speakers have made in the last few years has been amazing. We are sure, you have a few lying around the house but there’s always room for more, especially if the pricing is right. Enter Noise Vibe 5W.

The Indian company has made steady progress in the last few years, offering a wide range of audio solutions as well as a few smart wearables, which continues to be a growing segment. First, let’s get the obvious quibble out of the way: The word ‘noise’. Not the best of names for a speaker range which actually delivers good vibrations!

Coming to Vibe 5W, it has the same finish you would find in, say, the new Amazon Echo speakers. It’s a “tear-resistant mesh” that looks good anywhere in the house. Being a small speaker, we would recommend it for small parties as well as for casual usage around the house. The square-shaped speaker is also easy to clean. Since the speaker is not expected to move around much, a layer of dust will build up in a week or so. We tried using a vacuum cleaner with a small attachment (like the one to clean a laptop). You can also use a lint roller. Some amount of cleaning will keep the booming sound going.

What we like most about Vibe 5W is the sound. Over a few days, we played a range of music — some gems from the ’50s and ’60s, like Ricky Nelson, Frankie Avalon and Doris Day. Moving on, it was a wide selection of albums from Bruce Springsteen (The River to Tunnel of Love to his latest, Letter to You). His unabashed vigour can be felt while listening on this tiny speaker. The same goes for the soothing vocals of Don McLean to Kacey Musgraves.

There are the usual options — Bluetooth and TF card. What could have been better is a Type-C charging port instead of micro USB. The battery life suggested by the company is nine hours but one may get a little over seven hours if the volume is amped up to 100 per cent.

Frankly, we didn’t expect the sound to be thumping good. It is! And it survived a couple of drops as well as some water splashes. Given the sound and pricing, Noise Vibe 5W deserves a mini drum roll. It’s time to get the party going.

AT A GLANCE

Device: Noise Vibe 5W

Looks: Tear-resistant mesh with rugged body

Sound: The 5W speaker delivers powerful sounds

Playtime: Nine hours

Sync: Pair the Vibe 5W with another Vibe 5W and play your music in sync

Waterproof: IPX7 waterproof

Playing modes: FM, Bluetooth, TF card, auxiliary

Voice assistant: In-built mic, supports Siri and Google Assistant

Price: Rs 1,299