What we think
The Gear4 StreetParty Wireless 3 speaker marks an average return to the market for the company. The speaker holds its own in a market inundated with small portable speakers, but doesn’t have a lot about it which makes it stand out above the rest.
Design
Third in the line of the StreetParty speakers, it has carried across (and improved upon) the modern and stylish design from previous models.
Sleek and smooth, the matte housing has some nice rounded corners, with leaving three sides free as the grill of the speaker, helping to radiate sound out to all corners of the room.
Available in black (with red highlights on the buttons and logo), white, or silver, you can have a bit of choice over the look you want.
- Small and portable
- Bluetooth enabled
- Fairly tough
- Cheap
Pros
- Not dirt or splash resistent
- Flat bass sounds
- Low volume
Cons
- Performance:[usr 2.5 size=25]
- Features:[usr 3 size=25]
- Design: [usr 3 size=25]
- Value:[usr 4 size=25]
Rating
However, for convenience, the speaker is pretty small and so the appearance of it isn’t all that significant. Small enough to fit in a bag, the material it is constructed of is tough enough to survive the expected knocks and bumps of travelling around, although it is not a rugged speaker.
Rubber feet on the base help to ground the speaker, and stop it vibrating away across the surface. There are three buttons on the top which are easily accessible, so you don’t have to waste time fiddling around to try and change volume or answer calls.
The back of the speaker holds the charging port (a micro USB) and an aux port, keeping the wires out of the way while charging, useful if you want to listen while on low battery.
Performance
The sound of the StreetParty 3 isn’t bad, it just didn’t blow me away. The two main drivers pump out the sound at a volume that would be amazing five or ten years ago, for such a little speaker. But there are other little speakers on the market right now that do a much better job of shaking the windows, which is a little disappointing for a speaker called StreetParty.
It also packs a passive radiator, said to enhance bass tones and give a fuller sound, but it just isn’t there. The bass is a bit flat, and isn’t as punchy as could be expected.
When it isn’t aiming for the low notes, however, the sound quality is clear and crisp, and makes for good listening.
The battery supposedly lasts for eight hours of play.
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Connectivity
The StreetParty 3 connects easily to phones and other devices. Using bluetooth and NFC, it takes just a few moments to connect and begin playing music.
The connectivity is clean and uninterrupted, and doesn’t bring across any static to the music when it is playing.
The speaker works well when used as a loudspeaker extension, and can make conference calling easy, and convenient. However, for business calls, it isn’t the most professional looking of speakers.
Price
Value is very much a balancing act when it comes to portable speakers. You want small, loud, and great quality sound, but for as low a price as possible.
The StreetParty Wireless 3 is fairly cheap for a speaker of its size. Available for between £30 and £40, the StreetParty is priced well for value.
To conclude
The speaker itself is alright for a portable speaker. It is fairly average in terms of sound quality, but the price and ease of use help to make it more worthwhile. The connectivity is clean and uninterrupted, and doesn’t bring across any static to the music when it is playing.
The speaker works well when used as a loudspeaker extension, and can make conference calling easy, and convenient. However, for business calls, it isn’t the most professional looking of speakers.
