REVIEW – Tribit. Tronsmart. Treblab. Notice any similarities? They all make Bluetooth speakers and are competitors in both price and features—but do their names need to sound alike? Even I—a reviewer—sometimes get confused. I can only imagine how a regular customer looking for an affordable Bluetooth speaker might feel. To clarify a bit, this review is all about the Treblab HD-360 Portable Wireless Speaker. And for once, a number in a speaker model’s name means something—something good.
What is it?
The Treblab HD-360 is a 360° circular portable Bluetooth speaker with an impressive array of 4 10-watt drivers, a bottom-firing 50-watt bass driver, and 8 bass radiators (4 small and 4 large). Think of an affordable re-imagining of the original Apple HomePod speaker and you get the idea.
The circular exterior of the HD-360 is seamless aluminum with a cloth speaker grill at the top 25% and cut-outs placed over the bass radiators. The radiators have the Treblab logo etched into the center giving the speaker a clean, uniform look.
The HD-360’s design spreads audio in all directions. The outwardly-facing drivers and bass radiators are evenly spaced around the speaker’s circumference. This allows the speaker to be placed almost anywhere in a room allowing music to be heard equally no matter the listener’s location.
The top of the HD-360 houses a touch-sensitive panel that contains the speaker’s basic functions: Bluetooth pairing, wireless stereo, EQ mode (balanced, 3D, bass), call mic, Play/pause, volume, and play/skip tracks. When the panel is touched the function icons light up white on black. All functions are built into the speaker only, there is no smartphone app. An NFC icon allows instant pairing—except with Apple devices (of course).
This lighted monochrome panel is also similar in use to the HomePod—without all the multi-colors. The panel comes with a helpful sticker that explains the functions, but once removed the explanations disappear. It pays to store the sticker in a handy place until the functions can be learned.
What’s included?
- TREBLAB HD-360 Bluetooth Speaker
- 3.5mm AUX cable
- USB/Type-C charging cable
- User manual
- Warranty card
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Dimensions: 5.79 x 5.79 x 7.68 in
- Weight: 5.72 lbs.
- Color: Black
- Playtime: 20 hrs.
- Charging time: 2 hrs.
- Bluetooth 5.0
- True Wireless Stereo
- Water resistance: IPX4
- Phone mic
- NFC pairing
Design and features
At first glance, the Treblab speaker is missing something by not having a dedicated APP. But in a world where every gadget “needs” an app, it can be refreshing to use a product without it becoming too complex. Sure, there’s a learning curve to figuring out the icons in the touch-screen panel, but once learned, the HD-360 is an easy speaker to enjoy.
And enjoy you will. The HD-360’s circular audio does exactly as advertised. When in 3D mode, the audio takes on a—well, 3D quality! Music sounds more spatial and directionless. This 3D effect diminishes as one is farther away from the speaker, but for near-field listening, the soundstage is much wider than it would normally sound. Some may be bothered by this spatial quality and I get it. For those listeners, the Balanced or Bass modes remove the 3D effect and provide a more standard speaker sound. If you really want to expand the sound, two HD-360 speakers can be combined for TWS—True Wireless Stereo. TWS lets each HD-360 speaker become either a left or right stereo speaker. More on that magical effect later.
Using the top panel is easy enough, however, after a few minutes, the panel goes dark. Touching the panel “wakes” it up, but it must be touched in the panel’s center on the Play/pause button which, of course, is now dark. It would make more sense if the Play/pause button remained lighted for easier navigation. Note that there is no voice activation however, saying “Hey, Siri” on my iPhone did light up the panel, so go figure!
Treblab correctly calls the HD-360 a portable speaker, but it’s not the easiest to carry from room to room. Since there are no carry slots or straps, it must be cradled in both hands or there’s an increased risk of dropping. Then there’s the On/off button.
The HD360’s On/off button is a rubberized physical button that sits at the lower rounded edge. One, it’s almost impossible to find if you’re not familiar with the speaker. And two, even when you do know its location, you still have to feel around the speaker’s base to locate it. Yes, it can be accessed more quickly by picking up the speaker, but again, there are no handles. A marked On/off button at the top would be better.
Next to the awkward On/off button are USB-C charging and AUX ports protected by a thick, rubber cover. Now this is a good location for ports!
Once the HD-360 speaker is in place and paired, it’s as easy to play your favorite music as with any other Small Bluetooth speaker, There’s no lossless aptX or other audio enhancements, but Bluetooth 5.0 provides a sound that should please anyone but the most ardent audiophile—who wouldn’t use a small Bluetooth speaker in the first place.
So how does it sound? Treblab has made good use of the 4 drivers, bass driver, and radiators. The sound is clean and balanced—at least when the Balanced and 3D modes are on. Bass mode isn’t necessary unless you really prefer bass at the expense of the mids and high frequencies. There’s plenty of natural bass without the Bass mode enhancement, which muddies the sound.
My favorite mode is 3D. When turned on, the expanded soundstage effect is subtle. However, when turned off, the audio feels claustrophobic in comparison.
As a fan of electronic music, the HD-360 speaker handles the full-range frequency spectrum well. Highs are not too bright and bass is complimentary rather than boomy—with Bass mode off. It’s a pleasant, balanced sound.
Kissing the Pink’s “Desert Song” Could easily sound harsh with its sparkly, highs, but the HD-360 tames it well, yet lets the thumping bass percussion break through.
OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark)’s music is always a good test for a speaker. Their song, ‘Bauhaus Staircase” features a speeded-up mid-range synth sound with a siren sound, all underscored by slower bass percussion. A lot is going on, but the HD-360 speaker keeps everything from blending into an aural mess.
How about TWS? Totally Wireless Stereo (TWS) is becoming more popular with Bluetooth speakers—except it requires two speakers, meaning the purchase price just doubled. Once enabled though, the effect can become much more than the sound of just two speakers playing together. With TWS, one speaker plays only the left channel and the other speaker plays only the right.
Setting up TWS with the HD-360 speakers is not seamless, but it works quite well once done. Not only does everything sound louder, but the stereo effect adds a level to the music you can’t get with a single speaker. And if the speakers are placed just right, they disappear. This means that the audio appears to come from the center, but spatial-sounding. That’s what makes TWS so special. Listen to Spandau Ballet’s song “True” and you’ll understand.
Treblab has done a great job designing the HD-360 portable wireless speaker. It will look good in almost any decor and sound good in all decor.
What I like about the Treblab HD-360 portable Bluetooth speaker
- Stylish
- Affordable
- TWS implemented well
- Touch-sensitive panel
What needs to be improved?
- Please move the On/off button
- Difficult to carry
Final thoughts
The price of the Treblab HD-360 speaker recently dropped from $60 to $120. That’s a substantial reduction. It could be a temporary holiday sale—or not. Time will tell, but it does make it easier to afford TWS!
Price: $199.97
Where to buy: Treblab and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Treblab. Treblab did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
