Beats by Dr. Dre Pill XL portable speaker

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 12 expert reviews

Excellent:

4
Good:

7
Average:

1
Bad:

0

Pros:

The Beats Pill XL is welldesigned with an integrated carrying handle, a robust feature set, including speakerphone capabilities and a USBout charging port, and strong sound for a portable Bluetooth speaker. Also, battery life is decent at 15 hours.
Intense bass response. Powerful audio performance. Portable. Aux inputs and outputs for versatile playback options. Built-in speakerphone. Can charge external devices.
Stellar sound quality, Great battery life, Quick and easy setup, Simple controls

Cons:

Speaker requires its own AC adapter (not MicroUSB) for charging; no carrying case included
Minor distortion on seriously deep bass at top volumes. A bit overpriced

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Last revision on February 2, 2016

Reviewers Liked

The Beats Pill XL is welldesigned with an integrated carrying handle, a robust feature set, including speakerphone capabilities and a USBout charging port, and strong sound for a portable Bluetooth speaker. Also, battery life is decent at 15 hours
Intense bass response. Powerful audio performance. Portable. Aux inputs and outputs for versatile playback options. Built-in speakerphone. Can charge external devices
Stellar sound quality, Great battery life, Quick and easy setup, Simple controls
Once again – the pill capsule design is back and looks even better larger. NFC support. 15 hour battery life. Convenient carrying handle. You can charge your devices from the Beats Pill XL. Sound fills a room well. Great sonics with strong mids and highs

Reviewers Didn't Like

Speaker requires its own AC adapter (not MicroUSB) for charging; no carrying case included
Minor distortion on seriously deep bass at top volumes. A bit overpriced
Relatively uninspired design, Difficult multiunit pairing, Heavy
Takes several hours to warm up the speaker drivers. Only one color available so far

Expert reviews and ratings

100

We're not used to such high-performance products from Beats. It's true that Dr. Dre's brand has, in the past, opened up the high-end of the 'fashion' headphones market, but this is the first time it has brought out such a quality product that was in...

By DigitalVersus on May 27, 2015

The combination of the Pill XL's strong sound, excellent design and feature set make it a reasonable value despite its elevated price...

By cnet on January 30, 2015

The Beats Pill XL certainly stands out from the plethora of portable Bluetooth speakers available on the market. Aside from boasting great sound quality, it has a myriad of non-essential but useful features that help justify the $399 asking price. The...

By CyberShark on September 01, 2014

The Beats Pill just got big. Where the original Beats Pill speaker isn't really large enough to give you the thumping bass that Beats is famous for, the Beats Pill XL is. But it's still small enough to take around with you too, like the Dr. Mario version...

By T3 Magazine on July 22, 2014

Beats has been selling colourful, expensive portable speakers alongside its colourful, expensive headphones since 2012, and the Pill XL is the latest, largest and most pricey. But unlike most Beats products you can have a Pill XL in any colour you...

By telegraph.co.uk on July 19, 2014

Dr. Dre's Beats Pill XL delivers thumping, powerful Bluetooth audio in a portable design intended for bass lovers...

By PC Mag on May 06, 2014

Seemingly replacing the Beatbox Portable, and more in line with Beats Pill 2.0, Beats Electronics is rolling out its Beats Pill XL Bluetooth Speaker ($300). It shares the smaller unit's namesake shape, but this one is significantly larger at 13.3" long...

By iLounge on March 12, 2014

Beats Pill XL bests Jawbone's Big Jambox thanks to its clear, well-rounded sound...

By Engadget on March 01, 2014

Whether or not audiophiles sneer at the brand, the Beats Pill XL is not an over-hyped, sham-y, glitzed-up toy of a speaker. And while we know some will balk at the speaker's intentionally robust bass response, we feel like it has been kept in check...

By Digital Trends on February 09, 2014

When Jawbone released the Big Jambox, it was the first big tech brand with a super-sized wireless speaker to up-size from the original Jambox. Then Ultimate Ears jumped onto the bandwagon with the Boombox. Now, Beats has its own plus-size Bluetooth...

By Gizmodo on October 28, 2014

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