LG xboom Bounce Core by will.i.am Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Cons

• Frequency response balance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.4
  Opinions on the Bounce’s tuning remain mixed: several tests, including this review, hear generally balanced sound with weighty but controlled bass and clear vocals, yet others still find the presentation somewhat boomy or shallow and note that compression at extreme volumes and flatness at very low levels can smear finer details.
• On-device controls ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.4
  The Bounce’s physical top buttons handle core playback, volume, Bluetooth and Party Link functions and make the speaker simple to operate day to day, though the dark buttons can be hard to see on the black top and some deeper features still require diving into the ThinQ app.
• Handle or strap quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 reviews 3.3
  Multiple reviews highlight the Bounce’s built in stretchy strap as a clever, practical way to sling or hang the speaker, but this review also notes that the elastic deforms easily and may show wear sooner than the rest of the cabinet, making long term durability a concern even though the strap is replaceable.
• Treble clarity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 3.3
• Smart features ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 6 reviews 3.2
  The Bounce packs many smart touches such as AI sound modes, room calibration, a programmable My Button, Party Link, Auracast listening, lighting control and sleep timers, and while some reviewers feel certain presets and optimizers remain somewhat half baked, others now highlight the AI lighting and calibration modes as genuinely fun and useful extras that help the speaker adapt to different rooms and moods.
• Weight convenience ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 3.2
  Weighing about 2 point 9 pounds with a compact pill shaped body, the Bounce is light and easy to grab or tuck into a bag, making it well suited for room to room listening and casual travel.
• Value for money ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 3.0
  With an MSRP around 200 dollars, the Bounce sits in a crowded segment where some rivals offer broader connectivity or more refined sound, yet reviewers broadly agree that its combination of rugged build, long battery life, reverse charging and smart ThinQ integration delivers solid value, especially for listeners prioritising outdoor durability and stamina over minimalist looks.
• Voice clarity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 3.0
• Stereo imaging accuracy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 2.8
  Multiple reviews agree that the Bounce’s stereo imaging is only modest: it offers some left right separation and keeps instruments distinct compared with mono speakers, but the overall soundstage remains fairly narrow and flattened versus the wider, more spacious presentation of top competitors.
• Detail retrieval ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 2.5
  While main musical lines and vocals remain clear, reviewers note that the Bounce’s somewhat narrow, compressed presentation can blur subtle background details and busy orchestral passages compared with more resolving portable rivals.
• Cohesive presentation ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.5
• Low-volume performance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.5
  This review notes that at low listening levels the Bounce’s upper mids and treble lose presence, making music sound flatter and less engaging until the volume is raised to somewhere around the mid range.
• App reliability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4 reviews 2.3
  Experiences with the ThinQ app are clearly split: some reviewers appreciate quicker access to radio, music services, customization tools and Auracast along with a cleaner, easier to use interface than the older Xboom app, while others still describe the platform as bloated and intrusive, requiring extensive permissions and occasionally feeling more complex than a simple Bluetooth control app needs to be.
• Distortion at high volume ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 reviews 2.3
  At higher volumes the Bounce’s bass can fuzz and smear and this review further reports that treble becomes harsh and the overall mix more compressed near maximum output, encouraging users to stop short of the very top of its volume range.
• Setup simplicity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 3 reviews 2.0
  Basic Bluetooth pairing remains straightforward, but using the full feature set through LG’s ThinQ app demands account creation, location sharing and manual device selection through nested menus, so advanced setup still feels awkward and overly time consuming.
• Bluetooth codec support ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0
  The Bounce supports only SBC and AAC over Bluetooth, and reviewers point out that the lack of higher quality codecs and occasional AAC compression artifacts limit its appeal for more demanding wireless audio listeners.
• Speakerphone quality ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0
  The built in microphone is widely panned, with this review describing heavy processing artifacts that make calls intelligible but unpleasant, so the Bounce is best seen as an emergency speakerphone rather than a primary calling device.
• Wired input availability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 1.0