Orange Amplifiers, known for making iconic guitar and bass amps for some of the world's greatest musicians, has taken its first steps into the world of portable Bluetooth speakers.
Both of the new models - the Orange Box and the Orange Box-L - feature the signature ‘orange peel’ tolex material that the company has been famous for using for decades.
The standard smaller Orange Box houses a 10cm (4in) bass driver and two 5cm (2in) high-frequency drivers, while the bigger Orange Box-L has a similar configuration, but with a larger 13cm (5in) bass driver.
Unusually, Orange uses a mix of Class D and Class A/B amplification to power its speakers: 30W Class D for the subwoofer, and twin 10W Class A/B for the full-range drivers. Both feature a two-band EQ, for more precise control over the bass and treble frequencies, sitting beside the usual volume control. Battery life is quoted at “more than” 15 hours for the smaller model, while the larger unit is mains-powered only.
In terms of connectivity, both models use Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX codec support for wireless streams and a 3.5mm auxiliary input for wired connections. An overload light is also present on both new speakers; this lets you know if you are driving the unit too hard to help avoid causing unnecessary damage to the speaker.
Orange pledges to keep replacement batteries, cables, and straps in stock into the 2030s. This plan, alongside the same rugged road-ready design seen in Orange’s instrument amps, could serve as a way of making these speakers more sustainable as a long-term purchase.
The two new Orange Bluetooth boxes are available now in black and orange finishes: Orange Box (£275 / $355) / Orange Box L (£315 / $406).
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