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Customer reviews

Rating 4.8 out of 5 stars with 25 reviews

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The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 25 reviews
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Incredibly, Responsive with Amazing Sound

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Urbanears Ralis Portable Bluetooth Speaker in Mist Gray has incredible sound for its small size. It has a cloth woven handle for taking it on the go and the speaker is coated in a kind of protected rubberized plastic shell that has a waterproof rating of IPX2 (which means it not completely waterproof but can a take a spill very well). It only takes a 2 hour charge to produce 20 hrs of battery life. I got the cool color of Mist Grary (other colors are available as well) that looks very contemporary and fun. • There is a power hatch on the back of the Ralis Bluetooth Speaker that houses the power cord, 3.5mm jack and a power bank connection (USB Type female A). To get to the power hatch just flip up it and choose whatever you need to do. It took me a little less than 2 hrs to fully reach charged up capacity using the included power chord. (It is has comes with 2nd power chord one for use in North America and one that is the same color as the unit with round connections). • Plug in any USB Type A female connection in the power hatch to get that device charged. It is a power bank that allowed me to plug my smartphone for extra battery life. You could also use a tablet or other similar device charged through this USB Type A female connection. This comes incredibly handy when using Bluetooth on your smartphone to provide the music tracks. You can be hooked up to the speaker and charge your phone at the same time! • Dual 5 watt tweeters plus a 10 watt woofer (and rear bass port) provide the sound that is made for easy listening music (or much harder music), parties and just hanging out. The spatial sound is of the Ralis Bluetooth speaker is quite good. It hard to tell where the music comes from because the great engineering done on this Bluetooth speaker. It really hits hard with the bass, has searing highs and great mid sounds that give the Ralis Speaker an overall pretty amazing sound. It also gets loud in a hurry filling the atmosphere with rich sounding music. • The controls on top are: volume + and -, track < and > and lastly a play button. These buttons are sensitive to the touch that controls what you want to do volume and tracks. One of the cool features is that all of these options are flush with the Ralis Bluetooth speaker. This protects the button against accidental damage. On the bottom left side are the controls for power and Bluetooth. • The Power button and Bluetooth button on the left side set up Bluetooth and battery life with indication lights. The battery lights are as follows: Green is full charge, Yellow is about half charge, Orange is almost empty and Red means you need a charge. To connect Bluetooth 5.0 is really simple. Turn on the power hold the Bluetooth button for 2 seconds and have your smartphone, tablet or computer ready to search for Bluetooth source. Mine connected extremely easy and fast. I had no trouble at all. The Bluetooth works up to 30ft so you don’t have to worry about your music dropping from your device. • The whole Ralis Bluetooth speaker weighs in at around 6 lbs. This makes it rather heavy for its size but sturdy as well. It certainly isn’t flimsy in any way, shape or form. The dimensions are 7.24” Width x 7.68” Height x 5.43” Depth, so it is rather small compared with its weight. It is a solid piece of equipment. • Now you can connect 2 of the Ralis Bluetooth speakers together. A 3rd Ralis Bluetooth speaker can also be connected via the 3.5mm jack. Pretty remarkable for this device! I really enjoyed the Urbanears Ralis Portable Bluetooth Speaker. The sound is nothing short of incredible that comes out of such a small design. It easily fills up a room with rich sound. I played such artists as Daft Punk, Oasis, 311, Pink Floyd, Cake, U2 and the Arctic Monkeys and the Ralis Bluetooth speakers handled all those artists with no distortion, at loud volumes and the sound was clear and punchy! Whether you are playing rock, pop or classical the Urbanears Ralis is up to the task.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    WOW!!! Amazing speaker!

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    My wife and I use speakers to listen to music by the pool in the Summer and the fire pit in the Fall! We have a Rocketfish RF-WSP313 that we love so we were really excited to get the Urbanears Ralis. I opened up the package and pulled the speaker out. It’s well built and feels sturdy. I really like the strap it makes it really easy to move around! I also like the placement of all the buttons. You can’t accidentally turn it on so the battery is dead when you want to use it. The color is cool and I like the square because it fits well in bags for traveling. I plugged it into the outlet for two hours as recommended for a full charge the blue power light turned green and I hit the power button for 2 seconds and it snapped on. I hit the bluetooth button for two seconds and instantly saw the “Ralis” on my options on my phone and it connected fast and I opened up iTunes and hit Starships by Nikki….WOW…Amazing sound! The high notes and Mid notes were crisp and sharp. The Bass was warm and full and well balanced. It put a smile on my face instantly. My wife walked in and hit the bluetooth button on the speaker and sinked her phone and my song changed to Queen “We are the Champion” without missing a beat! It was really cool… then I countered her Queen with Taylor Swifts “Delicate”! The song changed seamlessly and my wife laughed and said “nice”. The dueling feature for two people to play music is amazing and a lot of fun… We went back and forth a few times picking songs. Another feature that lends itself to that is the music comes out the front and the back of the speaker so the speaker was between me and wife and the music was hitting her from the front and me too as we took turns selecting songs back and forth from our own phones. This is going to be a ton of fun around the pool or fire pit! The dual speaker feature also lends itself to FILL A WHOLE room with sound! I am not an Audiophile but I have Powerbeats and Beats Sudio plus LG sound bars on the tvs so I know what great sound sounds like and this speaker is on point! Another feature that I really loved was, as I was dueling DJ ing with my wife, My phone was down to 33% charge and I recalled that the speaker had a USB port. I initially thought that port was for controlling the speaker if you didn’t want to use your phone but it also charges your phone while you play tunes!! I was at 33% and after an hour it was charged to 77% while playing music. That is totally awesome! Overall I am really excited and impressed with the Ralis! Well built, amazing sound, Dual music from both sides of the speaker, dueling DJ feature and 20 hours of charge… Cant go wrong with this speaker in my book. Ultimately the sound is the biggest plus though. I highly recommend!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Multidirectional Sound Makes All The Difference

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    What that means is great sound coming from front and back of the speaker making the sound more 360 degrees and enjoyable from all directions. This is something that is not available in any of the speakers I have looked at or have had. The sound is more enjoyable for everyone in a room or outdoor areas no matter where you sit. There are 5 buttons on the top of this speaker, volume up and down, play/pause, forward/back buttons and on the side a power button and Bluetooth pairing button. On the back there is a 3.5 mm audio jack, you can use this to plug your phone directly into the speaker, no Bluetoothing necessary. It has a USB-A port, so if you want to charge your phone with the speaker, you can. Just remember that it will draw from your battery life of the speaker. There is also a power-in port for your power cord which plugs into the wall and charges the speaker itself. Battery life lasts about 20 hours on a single charge. This is great for when you are outside all day and into the evening and nowhere near a place to charge it. It will last without needing a recharge. It takes approximately 2-hours to fully charge the battery. This is water resistant, so if you have a light shower it should be fine. If you get a heavy shower, then you definitely will want to bring it in. There is a secure woven strap handle that can be rotated so that it is out of the way when not being carried, but you can quickly grab to get out of the rain. If it gets splashed at the poolside it should be fine. Unlike other Bluetooth speakers, you can Bluetooth 2 different phones or other media devices at the same time, so that two people can share/DJ music. Just in case you don’t have all the great songs everyone wants to hear, you can have another share theirs for more variety and different genres. This speaker has two 5w tweeters and a 10w woofer. Looks can be deceiving. Even though this is portable it is a bit heavy at 6 lbs. That being said, the sound that comes out of this speaker makes you realize anything smaller and it wouldn’t be as loud and sound as good as it does.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Don't let the weight fool you.

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Yes, it is about 6 lbs. But it's 6 lbs of minimalistic modern, well crafted engineering. Highs and lows do not distort at all no matter the volume I set it at. Bass is heavy, but not overpowering to not hear the rest of the music. I'm no audiophile by any means, but I love listening to everything from instrumental to Ferry Corsten and from John Denver to Dimmu Borgir and this speaker did NOT disappoint. While I think it is a "portable" speaker, I doubt you'll throw it in a backpack and run off to a party with it. I see it used in a garage, backyard BBQ or a local event in your own house. That being said, I've used it outside and even my neighbors can hear the music clearly (sorry!). The design is fairly plain or elegant. Take your pick. I love how all buttons are completely flush with the rest of the body. As a note, yes the handle is detachable if you prefer to never move it and want a straight cube look going. Battery life is really great. 2 hour charge for 20 hours of your own music or doing a DJ battle? Uh, yes please. Music is blasted to your ear holes from not only the front but also the back. You can set it on a table in the middle of a room and hear whatever your streaming to it perfectly. Overall, I think this "little" guy is a great all around Bluetooth speaker to use on a variety of occasions and would recommend to anyone.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Heavy box, but delivers a heavy sound.

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    First of all, this speaker delivers quite a bit of bass for it's size. Some may feel it's too "bassy." It's a ported design, with the port located on the back bottom corner. Bass is delivered by a rear-firing 10w woofer and there are two 5w tweeters, one in front and one in rear. This gives the Ralis multi-directional sound. For just 20w total, the speaker sounds really nice and can get fairly loud, but not extremely loud. Positives: + Solid bass response for this size speaker + 20 hour battery that is fully charged in 2 hours + Connect 2 devices at once using internal battery, 3 devices via AC + Overall sound is really good for a speaker this size + Uses latest Bluetooth 5.0 for stable connection + USB port in back for charging other devices + Volume level remains the same when using AC or internal battery Negatives: - Speaker is on the heavy side for portable use - Only IPX2 rated, which is very limited to light drops - Top buttons flush mounted and would benefit from being illuminated - Plain looking design - Start button must be pushed to see battery level (light color) - Uses standard AC cord and cannot be charged via USB Overall, the Ralis is a great speaker with a few little things that hold it back from being 5 stars. This wouldn't be the best option for on the go use due to it's blocky design, weight and very limited IPX rating. I would categorize this speaker as more of a bedroom speaker that can be grabbed and taken on something like a picnic, BBQ or other gathering. As of this writing of this review, the Ralis is currently on sale for 25% off for all colors, so I would definitely recommend this speaker for somebody wanting a quality made speaker with great sound. PS4 controller in pic to show size comparison.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Pushed play and all I could think was, "Wow!"

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    My first reaction when I took the Ralis speaker from Urbanears out of the box was, “dang this is heavy!” But in a good way, like I could drop it and it wouldn’t hurt it. Then I plugged it in and I couldn’t help but say “WOW” out-loud. I was expecting it to be pretty good for the price but I didn’t think it would be this good. Now, I’m not a professional audio engineer (that’s my brother) but I do know more than the average person and have a background in audio and video production. So with that, let’s get into this. OVERALL and FIRST REACTION: Like I said, I was really impressed with the performance of this speaker just right out of the box (after charging fully; ALWAYS charge your new devices fully before the first use!) with no adjustments or tweaks. I just pressed the bluetooth button, went into my bluetooth settings on my phone and found “Ralis” right away. They paired with ease and I hit play on whatever spotify had been playing last. I immediately noticed a very full body sound with crisp highs and thick punchy lows. As others have noted, it almost has TOO much low end but I’ll get into that more in the performance section. I did a quick look around the device and the buttons were very straight forward; play/pause, skip, volume etc. power and bluetooth are on the side and if you bother to read the instructions you’ll see that quick pressing the power button will give you a battery status. Green means you’re basically full, Yellow means you’re still good, Orange means charge it soon and Red means charge now. More on battery life later. On the back I noticed the woofer vent and a door that flips open for power in, USB power out and an AUX in. The strap is really nice and sturdy which pairs well with the overall design of the speaker being sleek, modern, simple, and BEEFY. Will you be tossing this in your purse or bag? No, probably not, but I did manage to technically get it in my large backpack, but there was little room for more items and the edges dug into my back. Let’s just say it won’t be going in your carry-on for a flight easily. But the nice square box shape makes it fit neatly in a trunk or tote or large bag without taking up useless space. And at 20 hours or so of playback, this is still very much a portable speaker. 6 pound weight makes it heavy but still portable. Again, if you bother to read the manual you’ll notice it says the front grill is removable as well as the strap. I couldn’t get the strap off, but I tried for about 10 seconds and said “whatever, I don’t want it off anyway.” But the grill has two snaps on the bottom that you can push with something (I used a scissor blade) and the grill pops off. See photos for more. PERFORMANCE: The main event, the reason you bought this speaker; performance. If you want a speaker with LED lights that flash to the music or has a crazy design and “BASS BOOST” then you don’t want a performance speaker, you want a trendy speaker. This is a performance speaker. It does what a speaker should, sounds clean, good, and full. I mentioned it’s a bit heavy for a portable speaker but does that weight go to good use? HECK YEAH. Being a bit larger and heavier means Urbanears can throw in two 5W tweeters and a 10W woofer on a dedicated amp all it’s own into the Ralis as well as a frequency response of 50-20kHz. This gives it a very full sound and plenty of punch. Actually a bit too much really which some reviewers have knocked but with the tiniest bit of knowledge of how audio works, you can fix this easily. I was using my galaxy s9+ phone which has a 9 band EQ adjustment setting and when I played around a bit with the low ends I was able to get a really clean, full and punchy low end without muddying up the overall sound. If you don’t know how to adjust the EQ you probably won’t even notice the mud anyway and don’t need to worry about it. But if you are someone who takes their audio seriously, know you can tweak within your source and get a good sound out of this box speaker. I noted about 16 levels of volume and hung around 5 or 6 indoors for a good but not overpowering sound. If you were outside or at a large party it still has room to really get loud. Remember, louder volumes will result in shorter battery life, but if you have power, plug it in and go all night. And with the “Blumlein technique,” you can put it in the middle of the room and have great sound everywhere. More on that in features. So once I ran this bad boy through some tests I noticed it can handle every type of sound really well with little or no adjustments. Full disclosure, I played everything through spotify assuming that if compressed streaming audio sounds good, anything better will as well. I started with some hard rock to test its ability to play heavy distortion, full bass and piercing cymbals clean and it passed very well. Switching over to classical guitar (no distortion to cover your butt) I was really impressed with that full body sound again. Lows were beefy and clean while the highs still sounded crisp and sharp. No distorting levels at high volume either. I finished with some Hendrix and heard that classic Hendrix mid range punch like Jimi should sound and then finally I gave the new Tool album a spin (if you like Tool you got to listen to that album. 13 years later and they didn’t miss a beat!) but I was very happy with the performance of a newer released album with a lot of full range sound. I mean, I TRIED to find faults with this thing, honestly I did, I ran it through all sorts of tests and just couldn’t come up with anything bad worth noting. It just works. I threw on a podcast quickly to test voice quality and there was no trouble hearing a well recorded voice. I even played some videos to see if there would be sync issues or stuttering and it played flawless. The bluetooth range is pretty good too but in my pocket I did notice the range was a bit shorter. As far as battery, well, I charged it full when I got it 3 days ago. I haven’t charged it yet and my phone died before the speaker did. Oh hey, that’s ok, it just so happens this speaker has a USB power port so I plugged my phone in and kept going. The speaker charged my phone and kept going and I’m still in the “orange” battery life. I haven’t clocked it, but I would say it’s safe to say 20 hours playback time is a solid bet. Urbanears says 2 hours to fully charge, and I haven’t been able to test that yet, but I trust others who say it does indeed charge very fast. (I’m sure a lot of weight is in battery and amps, aka worth it). FEATURES: I mentioned a few of the features briefly but I’ll try to go more in depth on them here. As I said, it obviously has Bluetooth connection (bluetooth 5.0) but a neat feature I don’t see often is it can connect up to two bluetooth sources at once (as well as a 3rd in the AUX). This means you can have a “DJ effect” according to Urbanears which I see being more of a fun (pronounced annoying) party game if you connect two people’s phones to the speaker and let them duel for playback time. The speaker will automatically switch to the connected device that is playing. More realistically I could see this being useful if you had your phone connected and also, say, a tablet or computer. If you want to let your friends play something you could hand them the tablet without handing over your phone, or if you want to save your phone battery, left it inside etc, you could just have a dedicated music device and still be able to take back control via your phone when needed. Hey, your party, your rules right?! The AUX input is another option that allows you to directly connect any device with a standard “headphone jack” (3.5mm) if you don’t have bluetooth, want to save battery, or just like to have a direct source for the cleanest sound possible. The “Blumlein technique.” What does it mean? Well simply put, it means this speaker will sound good in any direction. The woofer does have a bit more push out the back end but not very noticeable. I put the speaker in the middle of the room on the floor and walked around it and only BARELY noticed a little drop off at a direct 90 degree from the front or back (aka from the sides) but otherwise it sounds good in front, behind, at an angle, and everything in between. It was even shaking the floor with the bass. Not sure if this is a “feature” but it did come with a standard US plug (black) as well as a European plug (Grey) (visible in photos). I assume this is due to being made by a Swedish company but it is nice to know if you are traveling overseas you’ll be ready to go...just have to figure out how to pack the speaker in a carry-on. OVERALL THOUGHTS: (TL;DR) If you’re looking for a high performance speaker you can take with you almost anywhere and not worry about battery life and are willing to throw down some extra cash then the Ralis from Urbanears is right for you. I realize it’s a little pricey compared to other portables, but I believe my review proves the price is well earned. If you like to host parties and need quiet dinner music or raging club music, this will work. Camping, sitting poolside, (it’s only rated IPX2 so don’t use it in the rain or right next to the pool. But a few small splashes will be ok) or just sitting in your house, this will provide clean, full sound anywhere in any situation. As my grandpa would say, “It only cost a little extra to go first class” and this speaker is the first class option of standard portable speakers.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    High Quality Bluetooth Speaker

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Listening to music on this thing is amazing. It has crisp sound without distortion, no matter how high the volume (and it can get super loud). It has a strong bass, hassle free set up, awesome long battery life, and extremely sleek and stylish looking. It screams high quality right as you take it out the box. The only very slight downside is it's a bit heavy for it's size but, only because it's built so well. The included handle makes it easy to bring with you on the go. Definitely worth every penny.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Affordable Luxury Sound

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    While I didn't know much about the brand Urbanears before acquiring the Ralis Speaker. It has been a great choice so far. It has high quality sound and plenty of bass( an equalizer in music player helps really hit the sweet spot). Seems to have a rear firing speaker and subwoofer port and 2 front firing speakers to get an omnidirectional sound. Try turning the speaker to find that perfect center stage, front row seat sound. For the volume Guys and Gals, this speaker doesn't pop or distort at higher/max volumes...at all...zero! While it gets very loud in home and would be great outside. It may not get loud enough for some who want to host a large party crowd. Although, the manual mentions you can link 2 for stereo and up to 3 with plugging the 3rd into auxiliary. Battery life seems to be accurate. This speaker should be able to get that 20 hours of use on a charge. It can also top off your phone. While it's 5v and 2a. The cable I used did charge my phone slowly. My phone has fast charging, but the cable is usb-c on both ends, so had to use a data transfer cable that was usb-a and usb-c at the other end. But it will charge a current gen phone. As for the only things I wish it had and it might be able to be added if this speaker can be updated(?) maybe not. The track skip button does not double for fast forward. It only skips to the next track or previous track. And because the audio is so good. I would like to see Urbanears make an app for this speaker like the one they have for their WiFi speakers. But price and sound quality still earned the 5 stars in my opinion. Should also mention for those who don't want a boring basic speaker or light show of a speaker sitting on the shelf. This one has a nice adult style. The surfaces have a grippy almost fine sandpaper texture(its not smooth). The base has sold rubber feet. And the front speaker grill is removable! If you buy 2, get another color and then swap the grills for a bit of variety. And the handle is also removable. If you are looking for a high fidelity Bluetooth speaker test this speaker out. It looks great, has a bit of quality heft and feels like it will last a while(will update if issues arise). Can also juice your phone if you are going out on extended stay where you will be away from power. Just make sure you have a usb-A charge cable.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Excellent - "Mostly" - portable premium speaker

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    ================================== Bottom Line Up Front: ================================== This Urbanears Ralis is an excellent sounding, mostly portable, premium Bluetooth speaker that should be on your short list. ================================== Packaging and Initial Presentation: ================================== The packaging is simple, sturdy, and effectively protects the speaker inside while it is in transit. There is nothing flashy about the exterior presentation, box art, and the box lacks any sort of crazy "call outs" or dubious marking claims concerning the speakers features or abilities. Upon unboxing the Ralis, the first thing I noticed was the "weight" of the speaker itself, as I pulled it out of the box. Although it may be on the "heavy" side, I feel this lends to the premium build quality and elegant aesthetic that the Urbanear is trying to appeal to with the Ralis. The metal bits in the strap handle and speaker grill cover are readily apparent, and are removable so you can customize the colors if you so desire (additional straps and grill covers must be purchased separately though). Interestingly, after you remove the speaker from the box, you find the simple instruction pamphlets and BOTH a 110v AND 220v power cables included - which is super useful if you find yourself traveling outside the United States (no need to spend money on another cable or voltage adapter). ================================== Performance Impressions & Portability ================================== Having used and owned more than 15+ Bluetooth speakers of all sizes, shapes, and price ranges - the Ralis easily holds its own with the the other "high end" speakers on the market - at least according to my ears. I am by no means an audio engineer, or "sound field" expert, but I am very impressed with the level of clarity, volume, and punch that the Ralis puts out. I used the Ralis quite extensively to entertain guests at an outdoor BBQ party, to listen to music while I cut my grass and trimmed my hedges, and even to play spooky music for Halloween. The Ralis worked and sounded flawlessly every single time. The only minor sound related observations I noticed was related to how the "sound field" was effected when listening/moving around it in a 360 degree styled environment. This was only made noticeable when I had the speaker in central location (like the middle of a room) and I was walking around to take care of things for guests or do lawn work, etc as I previously mentioned. The Bluetooth paired with my phone with no issues or drop outs, It actually drew more than its fair share of compliments from my guests asking what brand and type of speaker I playing music on. Interestingly, not many were overly familiar with Urbanears (which of course now they are). If there is one area I think the Ralis could use some "fine" tuning - is in its' portability. Honestly, while the build quality is excellent, and I have no qualms about it durability - it still "feels" heavy and bigger than what a "portable" speaker should be in my opinion. It is more than portable enough to put into a gym bag or normal sized backpack, its' eight or nine pounds of weight and cube/brick like shape don't exactly lend to the hiking/travel lightly/carry things in my hands to my friends house crowds. While the carry strap seems sturdy, I worry about how long it will look "new" since I know when I am outside or doing things with my hands - they inevitably get dirty - which is probably going to get dirty real quick...Its nothing a cleaning or strap replacement can't fix I imagine.... ================================== Parting thoughts ================================== + All in all, I would not hesitate to recommend this speaker to anyone. The Ralis deserves to be on everyone's short list - so long as if they are looking for a top notch Bluetooth speaker that is "mostly" portable. I figure they had to give up a lot of potential portability due to the inclusion of the premium components, charging capabilities, and internal circuitry to make it sound as great as it does. + The little door that covers/hides the charging ports/inputs is arguably the "cheapest" feeling part of the design. The door works, but I can't help but feel it really lessens the "premium" build feeling that the rest of the design exhibits. + It's nice to have the ability to charge another device with the built in power bank/usb port, but the size of Ralis makes me feel that your probably somewhere or someplace that you have access to a wall outlet that will charge whatever device you have faster regardless. + I also wonder what will happen if you accidentally leave this thing outside...IPX2 water-resistance is better than nothing, but it would be a shame to see how far you can push that before it hits that limit. If you absolutely value portability over sound quality and other features, then perhaps there may be other speakers that fit your needs a little better. + Only time will tell how the strap holds up to regular use, especially the lighter colored ones (like this grey one) - particularly if used outdoors.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Easy Setup, Great Sound & Battery Life

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    Easy setup with loads of area-filling and clean sound from this not so little portable Bluetooth speaker. Who wants this? Anyone looking for a workhorse BT speaker for home, work or play. Urbanears is well known to me from their very nice earbuds and other personal sound products I have tested in the past. This Rålis addition to their lineup is a premium offering at its pricepoint, and they deserve praise for a job well done. The sound? While NO BT speaker is "audiophile" equipment, this Urbanears Rålis is as good as I have heard from this kind of speaker. And it SHOULD sound great at that pricepoint, right? Operation is quite simple. If you've ever used a modern device with standard symbols to play, pause, skip tracks, adjust volume and pressing a power button, you're pretty much an expert already. There are not many instructions because not much instruction is needed. The manual makes it clear as to the function of each port, button and function. • Charges in under two hours • IPX2 rating means it is resistant to splashes, so do be careful • "Multidirectional sound" provides pleasing expanded spatial effect for environment filling audio. It works! https://www.aearibbonmics.com/what-is-blumlein-technique/ • up to 20-hour use per charge (I never exhausted the battery, which lasted over 20 hours in my brief uses) • Aux input can receive output from a wired device, even while charging • Equipped with the latest Bluetooth (BT) 5.0 technology • Can simultaneously connect to TWO BT devices to share sound outputs from both through this one speaker - add an AUX input for THREE shared sound sources • Can charge mobile device through USB connector (a little bonus) • Was received with both US two-prong cord and international plug with two round pins • Nice, not overpowering bass response Choose from FOUR colors. Rålis is built with a pleasing, grainy texture. Expect a solid feel from its over six-pound heft. As can be seen from the images online, it's quite stylish! No demerits in my review as I can find nothing not to like here. Here, it's a hit and recommended to you. This sample was provided in exchange for my HONEST, no-holds-barred review.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Powerful Loud Speaker In A Mostly Compact Size

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I got the Urbanears Ralis Bluetooth Speaker imagining it would be like my previous experience with bluetooth speakers: Loud enough with some distortion. I'm no audiophile and I don't expect much, especially listening mostly to podcasts, however my experience has been that the louder I make the sound (such as in my old car with broken stereo on freeway) the more tinny or distorted the sound gets. However the Ralis is bonkers good! I accidentally forgot to turn it off and had it back in the box to keep everything together after testing it out, then turned on a YouTube video while doing some work and the sound began to thump out of the box across the room but sounded like it was right there with me. Intrigued and anxious to see what it could do without layers of cardboard muffling it I took this bad boy out and put on some of my MP3s. It was like a house party in my entire house, I could hear it clearly and plenty loud no matter what room I went in. There is a power button and Bluetooth connection button on the side and then play, skip, and volume buttons on the top or just adjust the volume from your phone like I did since its probably closer than wherever you store your speaker. The back has a AC power adapter (comes with speaker), an AUX connection, and a power out port. The box says its water resistant but at the price point I didn't want to risk testing that feature and took them at their word! I will say this is not a travel speaker despite the seemingly durable carrying strap (made of an interwoven fabric like your backpack straps are made of). Its size is small enough to take camping or to the beach with no problem but you wouldn't be taking this to school or the park to hang out with friends. Apparently it comes in several colors and you can change out the speaker grill on the front as well as the carry strap for the other colors (for an added price) but I didn't see the need to have a gray speaker with a blue grill and a red handle so I left the unit standard gray. In conclusion, this speaker is astoundingly loud for its size and feels really durable. Buttons are easy to find, easy to use, and connects with all my devices. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a really nice audio setup without using up all their shelf space to do so.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    An Awesome Speaker

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    The Urbanears - Rålis is a great portable speaker that puts out clear booming sound and deep bass. Its minimalist look is influenced by Scandanavian design and looks great in any room. It has Bluetooth connectivity that allows up to 1 or 2 devices to control, a 3.5mm aux port, and a USB port. Included inside the box is a Type A wall outlet power cord and a Type C wall outlet power cord, so whether you're buying it in the States or in Europe you won't have to worry about charging it. Overall the Urbanears - Rålis is an awesome speaker, on par with it's competition, and beating some of them on price, so you're going to get dynamite sound quality without blowing up your wallet. I love this speaker and I'm sure you will as well.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Surprising Sound and Great Features fL

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I have to say I am significantly more impressed by this speaker than I expected. It has a practical, unobtrusive yet still stylish design, so it would look great blasting out tunes at the party as well as sitting on a shelf providing music in your home.It’s construction feels extremely solid and durable which is a must in any truly portable speaker. The control buttons have a satisfying feel, and work well. IPX 2 splash rating. Wasn’t sure how I was going to like the handle, but it is nice when transporting the speaker, and stows away nicely: even removable, but I wouldn’t think that necessary. The charging and input pot in the back is covered but flips up nicely and feels sturdy. Aux cable input, usb out are found here. Features: Battery-specs say 20 hours, and at 30% volume I got slightly more than that. It also includes a usb charging port so you can charge your device while your music plays, because not many phones can handle a 20 hour playlist. Bluetooth- simple, easy and quick pairing of 2 separate devices so you can share the DJ duties. Range was great at about 100ft direct line of sight. Aux in- yes it has one and it works as you might expect. Sound- I was really impressed actually. For its size it delivers a impressive sound with clear upper range, and slightly boosted bass. I appreciated this especially out doors, where I covered my pool deck in sound easily. Even at max volume I could detect little or no distortion. For parties and live events this compact speaker is phenomenal. Indoors it has enough refinement for listening to classical music, and the chops to bust out Bohemian Rhapsody easily. My 5 and 7 year old ran a full 2 hours of throwing their own dance party when we first opened it. Their batteries ran out long before the ralis! This is easily a great addition to my music loving family’s listening options. It’s not significantly taller than a home pod, and while it lacks smart speaker capability, it is in an entirely different class as far as the volume of sound it delivers. If you are in the market for a Bluetooth speaker in the under $200 price range that prioritizes function, battery life, and pleasing sound and looks, I can recommend this speaker

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Impressive Bluetooth Speaker

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    My first impression upon opening the box: This thing is big! We have three other portable Bluetooth speakers in the home, from two manufacturers, and the Urbanears Rålis is easily the largest of the group. It has a footprint comparable to a gallon of milk (not quite as deep), and its cabinet could comfortably fit all three of the existing speakers within its walls. Construction is very solid. The cabinet feels like quality materials (MDF?), and the carrying handle material and connections are very sturdy. The wife grabbed the handle and asked if we could use it poolide? You bet, Honey. It's water-resistant! The Power and Bluetooth buttons are located on the left side, and the cabinet stays put when you press them; no need to steady it with the other hand. This is not a device that will disappear into a corner on the counter – and that's okay! The Urbanears Rålis is capable of producing sound to match its stature. Room-filling sound that seems independent of speaker placement. I had it outside on the deck while I worked on a patio door, speaker was placed about 20 feet away, and the sound was very... pleasing. Regardless of genre, it sounds great. Country, Rock, Jazz, R&B, Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip-Hop; it's all satisfyingly full and rich. The good news/bad news about this speaker? It is at its best when played at medium to high volume. When music is played at a lower volume, some of the detail gets lost (my 20-year-old son perceives none of this and attributes my perception to my "old" ears). The Urbanears Rålis really seems to be tuned for bass. In a large space or outside, it sounds great. In a smaller space like my office, it's hard to find a volume where you can still distinguish the elements of what you're listening to, yet not be so loud as to be intrusive. So far, it's not so great for background music, and that is really the only negative thing I can say about this speaker. There might be a fix for that in the phone sound settings, but I’m not even going to look. That’s not what a speaker like this is for! This thing rocks. It seems to encourage you to just turn it up a little bit, and I can't wait to try it out by the pool come summer! Setup couldn't be easier. Plug it in using the included removable standard power cord (goodbye USB charger & cable!), and it's charged up in a couple of hours. Want to check battery status? Momentarily press the Power button, and an LED lights to indicate status: green (full), yellow, orange, or red (recharge). Battery life is rated at 20+ hours; it's still going strong on its first charge. Speaker connection was as easy as pushing a button and selecting it from my phone's list. Exactly what I've come to expect from my Bluetooth devices. When my wife wanted to try it with "her" music, we connected her phone, and suddenly she was the DJ! When it was again my turn, I pushed Play on my phone and was back in control. Playback and volume controls are easily accessible on the top of the device and work perfectly. There's also an Aux port for corded connection, and a USB port to power/charge your chosen device, and the power cord connection, all neatly concealed in the rear by a cool little door. So far, I’m very impressed by the Urbanears Rålis.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Big Sound (and big speaker)

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I'm a big music fan and I love portable bluetooth speakers. I received the Urbanears Ralis today and have used it for approximately 6 hours. Here are a few of my first impressions: 1. The size and weight. It's pretty large and heavy. The speaker is built incredibly good and sturdy. I'm not sure how "portable" the speaker will be because of the size. I'll primarily use around the house so size will not matter but if you're looking for something to put in a wagon or stroller for walks, this might not work for you. 2. The looks. Not the most pleasing to the eye but not ugly by any means.There's power button on the side and control buttons on the top. I would like if they would light up, but I'll mostly use my phone for volume control. Also, the speaker does not use USB charger. I really don't like having to carry ANOTHER cord if I bring it on road trips. 3. The Sound. This is the most important feature and this is where the speaker really shines. I've listened to hard rock, classic rock, rap, hip-hop, pop, country and talk radio on the speaker. All genres sounded terrific. Music came through clear and the vocals were not drowned out. There's a nice amount of bass for a bluetooth speaker (which explains some of the size and weight of the speaker). This speaker gets loud. You'll have no problem filling a room with sound. I also like that there's a rear speaker so you can place this on a table and get sound from multiple directions. To sum up, I own two competitor bluetooth speakers that were more expensive and the Urbanears performs on par if not better than the others. If you're in the market for a bluetooth speaker, I would highly recommend purchasing the Urbanears Ralis

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Awesome sound, but big and heavy

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    First of all, the sound is close to amazing. It has plenty of volume, and is just a little bass-heavy, but still maintaining clear mids and highs. The only real flaw is that there seems to be a noticeable "boom" at around 60-100 Hz, but I found that stuffing a couple of cotton balls into the bass port on the back muted that enough to make the sound nearly perfect. This could easily be used to fill a small boutique or coffee shop with ambient music at adequate volume. Even at full volume, there wasn't any noticeable distortion: impressive. Also, this is designed to spread sound in all directions. The sound it not that different from the front or the back, so it is suitable for setting in the middle of a room if you desire. I also tried an audio book, and it performed flawlessly. It did not try to shut down between sentences to save power. The battery life is also great, and has a USB port that is labeled as 2 amps. However, plugging in my Moto X4 reported it as a regular charger, and NOT a "turbo charger." However, big sound and a big battery come with the trade-off of a big size and big weight. You don't want to pack this in your luggage or take it on an aircraft. The speaker only has a few real "flaws." First of all, it is missing a microphone: it is a speaker only. This means that you can't take phone calls on it. Also, at this price the lack of NFC Bluetooth pairing is slightly disappointing Finally, the buttons on top are labeled in small text, with no texture on top to tell what they do by feel. If you want to use the buttons, just memorize the positions. Overall, though, these flaws are minor. This speaker is highly recommended as long as you are OK with the size and weight.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Cool Speaker

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    Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I like this speaker. I enjoy the sound quality of this device. I only purchased two of these because I read that they could be paired together. I downloaded the app and tried multiple times to make this happen. I grew frustrated with the app and discarded it. I feel that this speaker is overpriced.

    I would recommend this to a friend
    • Brand response from Customer Service
      Posted .

      The Rålis can't be used with an app, it doesn't have an app that can support it nor does it work in pairs. The Rålis is a stand-alone, independent speaker. If you have any further questions about the product, please reach out to [email protected].

  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 4 out of 5 stars

    Small & Portable

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    It's a nice looking small speaker,heavy for the size, seems well made, it is bluetooth compatible also has auxiliary & usb connections. You have the option to change the color of the carrying strap/handle & the speaker cover on the companies website make it your own style. Simple instructions for bluetooth connection even comes with a spare plug for foreign country power outlets. The speaker is loud not big crowd loud but loud enough to enjoy while cleaning the house, in the garage or in the backyard while bbqing. Only problem is there is to much bass & I couldn't figure out how to adjust that no button for less bass like some wireless speakers give you the option of extra bass or not, couldn't adjust it on my phone or ipod when connected to the speaker so I feel that it muffled the lyrics of songs you could barely hear the singer over so much bass no matter the genre of music, from country,oldies,rap,jazz tried everything so I was disappointed about that. But I enjoy the size for east travel & storage, the quality all the way down to the handle & it stays charged for hours, it will also charge your phone when plugged into the usb which was useful.

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Industrial Strength Speaker!

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    I’ve worked in radio broadcasting for many years and have worked with dozens of professional speakers and I’d be proud to use this one on one of my remote broadcasts. It’s that well made. This thing is SOLID. You pick it up and you can feel the quality. It weighs a little over 6 pounds but is easy to carry with the heavy-duty cloth strap on the top. I did some research on their website and the unit has two 5-watt tweeters and a 10-watt woofer. And did I mention that this speaker is LOUD? Seriously, I’ve never heard such powerful but clear sound powered by Bluetooth coming out of my Smartphone. Trust me, this one speaker is all you need for a party in your backyard. One charge keeps this baby running for over twenty hours! When you do need to charge it, it comes with a power cord that you plug directly into an AC power outlet. No need to search for a USB source of power to keep it running. (It also comes with a 2 prong European power cord in case you find yourself over there). The back of the speaker contains a USB output so you can plug in your Smartphone and keep it charged while the speaker is on. Inside the little door on the back where you plug in your power cord, is a 3.5 mm input jack for a wired source of music, if you’d like to use your speaker that way. It’s really perfect for outside use. It’s rated IPX2 for water resistance which means you don’t have to bring it in for a light drizzle or splashing, but if it really starts raining you’ll want to keep it covered. All the buttons on the speaker are flush to the cabinet, so you’re not likely to accidentally hit a button or have a button break off in transporting the speaker. There are five buttons on the top to control your music. It’s nice that there is are up/down volume controls up there. Many Bluetooth speakers require you to raise and lower the volume through your phone or other source of music. With this one you can change volume plus pause or skip to the next song or go back to the previous one if your music source will allow that. The bottom line here is that there are several speakers available at this price point, but if you’re interested in one, you really need to audition this baby at your Best Buy store. But you’d better do it with a salesperson near you, otherwise someone is sure to come over to tell you to turn down the volume!

    I would recommend this to a friend
  • Tech Insider Network Member

    Rated 5 out of 5 stars

    Night of the living basshead

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    Tech Insider Network Member
    Posted .
    This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.

    It gets so deep you swear you feel it in your chest! How in the world does a puny plain package deliver such clean, crisp, deep, heavy bass? When you look at it nothing really screams performance. But pick it up and you notice the heft and think "Something good has to bee in here." The conservative look hides some impressive performance. So, yes, I'm a basshead. But I like clean bass and I don't like the bass to overpower the other sounds too much. I want to hear the vocals and other instruments cleanly while still pounding your chest as you struggle to breath... the Ralis is too small to knock out your breath but I have a feeling Urbanears can put out a speaker that does. The Ralis really pumps out the low frequencies without distorting the others and can read full volume and still sound good. I filled up a 500sqft office area with sound loud enough to start a party with. Urbanears really built this speaker with quality. Now if you don't like a lot of bass you may be able to tame it with your devices EQ. If not then this might not be for you. For me the sound is tuned just the way I like it. Deep with enough mids and highs to hear everything. I swear, every time I get a new speaker I keep saying it's "the one" but this time I really think it is. It's small enough to be portable (though on the heavier side), massive battery life, and the sound! You gotta hear one in person. It's just amazing!

    I would recommend this to a friend
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