KEMIMOTO Midnight 40B UTV Sound Bar review

REVIEW – As I continue to remodel and upgrade my home office/Studio to be a warm interesting and creative space, I have been introducing things like Steampunk shelves for an added industrial look, and I have been looking for unusual items to give me the feel I want. When this KEMIMOTO Midnight 40B 16” 2-Speaker Louder RGB UTV Sound Bar with Built-in Battery was offered to the gadgeteer team for review, no one selected it because it seems that none of us has the type of vehicle it is designed for. I decided I would find a way to use it as an indoor speaker to enhance my office while maintaining the ability to go portable with it at any time. Here is a glimpse of my journey.

What is it?

The KEMIMOTO Midnight 40B 16” 2-Speaker Louder RGB UTV Sound Bar (Built-in Battery) features over 200 dazzling lighting modes that sync to the beat, fade in and out, flash, and jump,  300 watts of power, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology to ensures distortion-free sound reproduction without any interference from engine noise. This all provides an extraordinary audio-visual experience.

What’s included?

• 1 x KEMIMOTO Midnight 40B 16” 2-Speaker
• 1 x DC Power/Charging Cable
• 1 x Speaker Mount
• 1 x Hardware Kit
• 1 x User Manual

Tech specs

Design and features

• 200+ Lighting Modes: KEMIMOTO Midnight Soundbar features a 5-side ambient ARGB light with 200+ lighting modes (iRISBeat music sync, fade, flash, jump, solid, or OFF, etc.) via APP. In iRISBeat Mode, the LED lights synchronize with music beats, creating a lively and dynamic ambiance for parties and rides. Plus, in low-light conditions, you can turn on the all-white reading light in DOME Mode to read maps, or manuals to enhance the visibility.
• 300W Powerful Sound: With 2 tweeters and 2 midranges, this 300W peak power UTV soundbar produces THD<1%, 82Hz-22k Hz frequency, and a DSP system. The DSP system ensures that each midrange and tweeter works individually, resulting in distortion-free sound reproduction. Enjoy crystal-clear treble and solid vocals with the KEMIMOTO hi-fidelity soundbar and never worry about the sound being overshadowed by the engine noise.
• IP66 Weatherproof Outdoor Soundbar: Made of Marine Grade weatherproof aluminum alloy design, this UTV sound bar is born for outdoor use. It can work in high humidity, low temperature, and dusty environments, withstanding extreme weather conditions from -20℃ to 85℃. The upgraded built-in protection technology prevents the speaker bar from breaking in extreme weather and power surges during vehicle starts. Elevate your off-road experience with this dependable partner.
• 4 Connection Ways: Enjoy easy pairing and reconnection with the V5.3 Bluetooth connection, compatible with smartphones, MP3, tablets, computers, and other Bluetooth-enabled devices. The UTV soundbar also features USB input/output ports for power supply and connection, as well as TWS connection mode to connect 2 speakers simultaneously for wider music coverage and a vibrant atmosphere. The Daisy Chain (aux in, aux out, USB) lets you connect as many soundbars as you wish for a huge party.
• 20-Minute Installation: No drilling required. 2 installation methods – hang it on a tube or stand it on a surface. This UTV Bluetooth soundbar (L16″ x W4.6″ x H5.0″) can be easily installed on any 1-inch – 2-inch roll cage of UTV, ATV, golf cart, and marine boat. Enjoy your favorite tunes in just 20 minutes and save your valuable time. The installation videos are available to help you install it with ease.
• 3-Second Quick Installation & Built-in Battery: With the 3-Second Quick Clip handle, you can take it anywhere and anytime for your music party. The UTV soundbar comes with six 18650 long-lasting built-in batteries for 10 hours at the most (light-off cases) providing a total capacity of 5000mAh, allowing for up to 300 cycles of usage without needing external power.

The KEMIMOTO Midnight 40B UTV Sound Bar review is made from ABS and alloys. It is rugged and sturdy with a quick-release mount on the top center and a comfortable padded nylon strap handle. There are speakers in the front and on the sides. there are LED lights just about everywhere including on the bottom. The connectivity is on the back and includes a USB port for charging accessories from the built-in battery, audio in and out ports, DC charging in and out ports, and a battery charging LED indicator. On the front of the speaker in the middle between the 2 front speakers, there are the button controls. Below the controls, is an LED indicator that indicates that the audio source is either Bluetooth or connected to the audio in port.

Installation, Setup

The KEMIMOTO Midnight soundbar is designed to fit on the roll bar of an ATV or other type of outdoor vehicle including watercraft. Since I decided to try to make it fit in my home studio, I found a 90-degree Wall Mount Bracket on Amazon and mounted it to the bottom of an existing shelf. I then adjusted the included quick-release bracket to face the right direction and mounted it to the bar. The speaker easily connects to the quick-release bracket. For charging the built-in battery, I connected the included cable to the DC in port, and the other end to a DC 12v 10a Male Cigarette Lighter Plug. I plugged the DC plug into the DC port on my EcoFlow Delta 2 Max Power Station which provides 12.6V DC and up to 10 amps. This meets the specs of the speaker. I also connected a 3.5mm stereo to RCA L/R audio cable between the audio out of the speaker and the subwoofer to send a signal to the subwoofer.

Performance

The KEMIMOTO Midnight 40B 16” 2-Speaker Louder RGB UTV Sound Bar with a Built-in Battery performs well. The sound is great for everyday listening and will be great when outdoors. The ability to add a subwoofer works well for my in-house adaptation. The light show and lighting options are nice and the companion app does a great job of displaying the true versatility of the lighting. The control pad works well and the Bluetooth and audio cable connectivity are rock solid.

App:

The following video shows how I mounted the speaker in my home office/studio and provides an overview of how it works:

What I like about the KEMIMOTO Midnight 40B 16” 2-Speaker

• The great build quality
• The nice rugged look
• The built-in battery
• The customizable light show
• The nice sound it produces
• The app
• The quick-release mount to make it portable
• The comfortable carrying handle

What needs to be improved?

• Although designed for outdoor/vehicle use, I wish it had a standard AC charging option to recharge the built-in battery for portable use.
• I know I am not using it the way it is designed to be used, but I still wish that it had a remote control so I could turn it on/off while at my desk (wishful thinking, that’s all)

Final thoughts

The KEMIMOTO Midnight 40B UTV Sound Bar with a built-in battery is a nicely built, rugged speaker with a nice rugged look. While it is built for vehicle and portable use, I am happy that I could adapt it for my in-house studio and still keep it portable. It sounds nice with the subwoofer connected and as a portable standalone speaker. I like it.

Price: $289.99
Where to buy: KEMIMOTO website and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by KEMIMOTO. KEMIMOTO did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.