Teenage Engineering OB-4 is not new: the unique speaker from the Swedish company has been out for years now, but recently, it’s gotten a new array of colors. Since its release, it has garnered a small army of fans, as well as people who absolutely don’t get it. It’s easy to see why: it’s a very weird piece of tech. And expensive, too. The OB-4 is for people who can afford to buy quirky, eccentric electronics, but that doesn’t mean that it’s bad. Not at all.
Unboxing experience and the design
The word quirky is not something that I use often in my reviews, but this time, it’s warranted. Everything about the Teenage Engineering OB-4 screams “I’m special,” and that starts with the unboxing. The box here is very thin, repeating the outline of the speaker perfectly. I have to say, I fumbled with it way too much, trying to find a way to open it without ruining the box (I like to keep the boxes, okay?)..
The OB-4 is a gorgeous device, no arguing about it. In fact, its looks are what attracted me to it in the first place. It’s unlike any other speaker I’ve tested: it’s not round and has weird buttons in strange places. It’s unpredictable. Learning how to use it reminds me of the 90s, and that makes total sense since the device is very retro in some places.
I have the white model here, but there are lots of other fun colors on sale. It can be purchased in Black, Red, Navy, Ochre, Grey, and Orange.
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Taking a closer look, it’s obvious that the OB-4 was created to be striking. In my mind, it’s a modern iteration of a boombox, especially with its convenient handle that (spoiler!) hides a radio antenna.
The OB-4 measures 232.5 x 284 x 57.5mm and weighs just 1.7kg, making it portable while still capable of filling a room with 92dB of stereo sound. In-person, the speaker is much smaller than I’d expected, but it’s quite hefty. I wouldn’t call it lightweight, either, but Teenage Engineering had to hide the battery somewhere.
The most interesting part is probably the upper edge. Here, you will find a few buttons that are at first very confusing. These allow you to change the input, press play, control the volume and… play around with the “tape.” More on that later.
The handle is curious: it’s sturdy and convenient to use, and it can be even used as a stand.
The build quality overall is excellent, making me feel a bit better about the 549 USD price tag. The speaker is made in the Czech Republic.
Magic radio
Teenage Engineering never called the OB-4 a Bluetooth speaker — that’d be too predictable. Instead, they named it the “magical radio.” Sounds cool, not going to lie, although I have a big question of whether FM radio is relevant at all in 2024. Not to me, no, but that doesn’t mean that it should be forgotten.
The OB-4 makes listening to the radio as hassle-free as possible. The second I turned it on, it started playing the local radio station, which was shocking seeing as it’s just arrived in Canada from Sweden. Changing the radio is as simple as changing the track on a CD — all it takes is one press of a button. Seems like the OB-4 looks for the signal in the background, which is very unlike my previous experience with radio.
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This is also where the speaker reminds me the most of the boomboxes and old cassette players I used to play with as a kid. The OB-4 has a rolling 2-hour recording feature, meaning it records everything you hear constantly. It simulates endless looping tape perfectly and allows you to have fun with the stuff you’ve recorded. You can rewind the radio, or loop any part of the song. Looping is easy: hold down Input and Play with any audio playing. Let go to define the loop’s end, and the speaker will continuously play that section until you tap Play once more. It’s fun and very easy, instantly making the OB-4 much more than just an overpriced BT speaker with a dashing design.
There’s also an Ambient mode which turns any sound input into a drone, creating a weird, even spooky, ambiance.
The OB-4 is great at finding radio waves, but if you’re in a remote location, you might want to use the additional antenna that can be hidden in the handle. It’s yet another instance where I said “That’s smart!” out loud.
Controls
Controlling the device is easy but takes some getting used to. You turn it on and off by rotating the volume button, and that is the most fun volume button I’ve seen in some time. It has a motorized mechanism that actually reacts to volume adjustments over BT, turning seemingly by itself when you’re changing the volume. There’s no other way to describe it except for “cool as heck.” The mechanism itself is extremely smooth.
You can also control the speaker via the orthoplay play. The app is as unique as the speaker itself, with a minimalistic design and minimum functionality. There’s also a small screen hidden on the upper edge.
Besides the volume knob, there’s a tape button that’s moving every time a song is playing like a small compact disc. You can interact with it: touch it, and it will rewind. You can also scrub back and forth like a real DJ. Fun for you, not so much for whoever is trying to listen to music beside you.
Sound
The OB-4 is weird enough to forget that it’s actually a functioning BT speaker. More than that: it’s one of the best-sounding speakers I’ve ever heard, although it’s also one of the most expensive ones, too.
The OB-4 speakers have a frequency range of 52-25,000 Hz delivered through a flow-optimized bass reflex duct and semi-unified chamber. They utilize two 4-inch long throw high power capacity neodymium woofers and a pair of high-efficiency ferrofluid cooled neodymium tweeters powered by two 38W ultra high-efficiency class D amplifiers. The speakers support both Bluetooth classic and Bluetooth 5 LE wireless connectivity.
The stereo speakers are incredibly boomy and powerful, and they stay clear even at high volumes. I was mighty impressed by the sound here, especially considering the compact size of the device. The most impressive is the bass; it’s a bit overpowering, but that’s okay for a speaker like that.
Portability
Every device that has a handle immediately gets bonus portability points, but in the case of the OB-4, not everything is clear. The built-in LiPo battery provides up to 8 hours of high-volume playback on a single charge or up to 72 hours of normal volume FM radio listening, so that’s all good.
The problem is that the speakers here are not protected at all. Sure it looks nice, but there is no way you are taking this speaker to a beach. The ability to add protection would have been so much appreciated, but no. You also get no case of any kind, which, considering the glossy design, is a bit of a letdown. All of that means that while it’s possible to take the OB-4 with you, it also presents you with additional challenges. And it’s loud. Annoyingly loud if you want it to be. Maybe don’t take it on a hike.
Verdict
Teenage Engineering OB-4 is not new, but it’s still one of the best-looking and best-sounding speakers out there. Its main issues are the price and a lack of line out. A line-out would open up more creative possibilities for recording and using the OB4 as part of a studio or live setup. But other than that, it’s a stellar and unique speaker with a distinct personality that most modern tech lacks.