Cute, however not for audiophiles

In the event you have interaction with numerous gaming and gaming-adjacent content material on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, there is a good probability you’ve got seen some unboxing movies of the Divoom Ditoo. It has been described as all the pieces from a vital to a vital non-essential, with its capabilities as a clock, a toy, and a Bluetooth speaker on show.

However my query is: is it any good? No matter what an influencer asserts, I’ll have some questions in relation to a $130 speaker that appears to be extra of an aesthetic object than a bit of audio tech. So I attempted out the Divoom Ditoo and put it to the check to see the way it holds up as a speaker, a pixel artwork show, and all the remaining.

Worth, specs, and availability

What’s up with this tiny retro computer-shaped speaker?

The Divoom Ditoo is a transportable Bluetooth speaker formed like a retro laptop with a CRT monitor, full with six mechanical keys as management buttons. The speaker has a little bit of heft to it by advantage of its design, weighing 533 grams. It is available in 5 colours: pink, black, blue, inexperienced, and white. It is not waterproof, so do not take it outdoors or spill any water on it.

The speaker connects utilizing Bluetooth 5.0, and it will possibly additionally hook up with units utilizing USB-C. It has a 5000mAh lithium polymer battery, with a battery lifetime of round eight hours, and it expenses utilizing USB-C.

To make use of the customized pixel artwork options on the Ditoo, you might want to obtain the Divoom app, which is obtainable on Android and iOS.

The Divoom Ditoo is obtainable on Divoom’s web site, in addition to Amazon, for $130, although it’s usually on sale for $100.

What I preferred concerning the Divoom Ditoo

It is definitely an cute speaker, there isn’t any denying that

One of many primary appeals of the Divoom Ditoo is that it is cute. It appears to be like like a tiny CRT monitor with a mechanical keyboard, what’s to not adore about it? I had it sitting on my desk whereas I used it, and it was like having a cute knickknack on my desk that additionally has a perform. Everybody who got here into my condo whereas I reviewed it picked it up and marveled at it. Nevertheless it’s definitely an eye catching little speaker.

The pixel artwork side was fascinating. To customise the artwork on the speaker, I needed to obtain the Divoom app, which has quite a lot of sections to look by. The touchdown web page for the app is the gallery, the place you possibly can flick thru different peoples’ pixel artwork creations that you simply’re free to make use of in your Divoom Ditoo. There’s additionally a tab referred to as “professional” filled with very elaborate pixel artwork made by individuals who have tens of hundreds of followers and have numerous ranges. Subsequent is the album tab, which has artwork categorized by tags.

Creating my very own pixel artwork was very straightforward, which I appreciated. The very last thing I might need is for the speaker to have a studying curve. I made a couple of designs with numerous frames, so I used to be mainly making pixelated animations to show on the speaker whereas I listened to music or podcasts. The default pixel artwork choices that react to the sound enter have been additionally actually enjoyable.

I actually loved the mechanical keys, as a mechanical keyboard fanatic. After doing a little bit of digging, I discovered that the switches on the keys are Outemu Blue switches, that are similar to Cherry MX Blue switches, a very fashionable mechanical key swap amongst keyboard nerds. The switches on the Divoom Ditoo really feel extraordinarily satisfying to press down, and I discovered myself fiddling with the speaker lots when it was turned off as a result of the keys have been so enjoyable to press.

Lastly, I respect that I can play video games on it. They’re easy arcade video games primarily based on video games like Snake and Flappy Fowl, however they’re entertaining nonetheless.

What I didn’t like concerning the Divoom Ditoo

As a speaker, it is middling at greatest

Past the pixel artwork side and the truth that the speaker appears to be like like a cute knickknack to have in your desk, there’s, arguably, the important thing characteristic of the speaker: the speaker itself. I am not notably impressed with the sound high quality from the speaker. It does get fairly loud, however I discovered that the bass begins to sound a bit distorted. I additionally often heard crackles or pops when listening to music that I do know does not have any added within the manufacturing, which whereas not an enormous deal, is not splendid for a speaker. The upper treble frequencies, like snares and cymbals, might be fairly tinny at instances, too.

I feel that at this value, the speaker ought to not less than sound a bit higher. This seems like a sub-$50 Bluetooth speaker, and I do know that the primary promoting level of the speaker is the aesthetic attraction of it, however I feel if you happen to’re shopping for a speaker, it ought to sound good, proportional to how a lot it prices not less than. This isn’t a speaker for audiophiles, and whereas numerous the advertising and marketing is towards players as nicely, Bluetooth audio just isn’t good for gaming due to latency. This speaker is for informal listening, not something that may endure from a little bit of lag.

I additionally was not an enormous fan of the accompanying Divoom app. The person interface is a bit clunky and gradual, and I discovered myself a bit confused by numerous elements of it. What makes somebody an “professional” based on the app? What are these ranges related to numerous accounts? Why would I need to speak to somebody over an app I needed to obtain to make use of a speaker? It additionally requested for lots of permissions, together with my location, which I declined. I do not respect when an app asks for extra private data than is completely mandatory, and I’d say that an app for a speaker does not want my location beneath any circumstances.

Do you have to purchase the Divoom Ditoo?

The Divoom Ditoo speaker is for individuals who need one thing cute that sits on their desk that shows enjoyable customizable pixel artwork, with the additional advantage of being a Bluetooth speaker. It’s a very cute speaker that may most likely slot in with the desk setup of a comfy gamer with numerous different knickknacks round their setup, full with RGB lights.

This speaker just isn’t actually for anybody that falls outdoors of that class. As a speaker, it is middling at greatest, and the pixel artwork characteristic can get previous fairly rapidly. In the event you’re not tremendous dedicated to it, it is most likely not going to be value your cash. TikToks claiming that this speaker is an “important” are actually overblowing it — it is only a speaker with a enjoyable show and an app. That is the sort of product that may doubtless be an impulse buy greater than something, and will probably be a reminder of your over-consumption issues a couple of months down the street.

Divoom Ditoo Pixel Artwork Bluetooth Speaker