Key options
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, Ethernet
- Ecosystems: Apple Home, Google Home
British built-in speaker specialist Lithe Audio unveiled a brand new all-in-one wi-fi speaker earlier this 12 months… the Lithe Audio iO1.
The iO1 is designed primarily as an outside speaker however, due to multitude of mounting choices, can also be greater than appropriate as a classy indoor speaker as properly.
I am referring to the iO1 within the singular as a result of, on your £720, you do get an all-in-one ‘Grasp’ streaming speaker, with amplification inbuilt; however there may be additionally the choice of including a passive paired speaker, for £300, to create a stereo setup too.
I’ve had the Lithe iO1 (and its passive pal) in use in my backyard over the autumn months, learn on to search out out why I liked it a lot.
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)
Design and construct
- Rugged, IP66 rated
- Quite a few vertical and horizontal mounting choices
- Black or white
With a historical past in built-in ceiling and wall audio system, you will not be stunned to be taught that the iO1 is designed to suit seamlessly into a spread of placements.
It is a rugged and virtually industrial metallic trying skinny field of tips, measuring 465 x 170 x 100mm, with loads of jagged angles and sharp factors.
It is actually obtained sufficient about it aesthetically to face out however, as talked about, it can be seamlessly ‘hidden’ due to its wide selection of mounting choices.
With none further mounts you possibly can merely place the speaker horizontally on a counter or shelf (though the included mount does give it extra stability in these situations), or it may be flush mounted in a nook in a vertical place.
To do that you merely pop the aluminium grill off of the entrance and use the screws supplied within the field to connect to your chosen nook.
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)
Moreover, for hanging from a ceiling, there’s a pendant mounting equipment or you should utilize a backyard spike if you wish to place your iO1 in your flower mattress or garden.
No matter approach you determine to put it, you may have to work out what wires, if any, other than the ability cable you may want in place.
That is as a result of there is a waterproof wiring system on the again of the speaker whereby you possibly can feed by way of your speaker wires, optical cable, Ethernet and energy, and have all of it locked in safely due to a rubber pinch-system that’s clamped down with a bit of metallic to carry every part in place.
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)
If you’re seeking to wire this speaker up then use skinny cables to make your life simpler, the optical cable that I attempted to make use of in my preliminary setup, pictured under, was too fats and I could not get the rubber in place.
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)
Additionally contemplate how you will energy the iO1. Open air, you may clearly want entry to an outside plug however indoors you should utilize present gentle circuit energy – helpful in case you are mounting up excessive or from the ceiling.
If you’re leaving the iO1 outdoor then there isn’t any have to convey it inside over the winter; it’s IP66 rated with an Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Polycarbonate housing, and it could function in -10C to 50C (-50F to 122F) temperatures.
Options
- Twin band Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- Chromecast, Spotify Join, AirPlay 2
One you are all arrange bodily, the following factor to do is to get some tunes blaring from the iO1.
The Lithe Audio iO1 presents a number of streaming choices together with Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Google Home multiroom and Spotify Join.
To profit from these wi-fi streaming choices you’ll, after all, should hook it as much as your home community however the excellent news there may be that there is dual-band Wi-Fi, and there is 2 Ethernet ports accessible too.
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)
So in the event you’re apprehensive that your home Wi-Fi will not stretch exterior, it is price contemplating whether or not you will get a Cat6 cable to it as an alternative. Ethernet can be used to daisy chain audio system.
Establishing the Wi-Fi connection by way of the Lithe app is just a little clunky, the step-by-step information might do with being quite a bit clearer; the guide truly differs from what’s acknowledged within the app.
And the Lithe app itself is fairly primary; you possibly can arrange native music sources (from NAS drives and the like) and Spotify seems as a built-in integration however you can be significantly better off utilizing the likes of AirPlay, Spotify Join or Bluetooth and easily utilizing the native streaming apps.
You do have the choice contained in the app to tweak the EQ settings although, so do not delete it out of your telephone too swiftly. There’s additionally some good preset EQs for indoor, out of doors and hanging pendant use.
If you wish to simply ignore the community facets utterly then you definately’ll be happy to listen to that Bluetooth works straight out of the field.
If you first plug the Lithe IO1 in, youâll see the LED standing gentle flashing inexperienced and the speaker ought to present up as a discoverable gadget out of your smartphone/pill/laptop computer. If it doesnât, simply push the pair button subsequent to the sunshine.
As soon as it has made a Bluetooth connection to your gadget, then that LED will flip blue. And also you’re good to go.
When you do go down the trail of utilizing the networked options – and you actually ought to as you’d solely be scratching the floor of the iO1 in the event you deal with it as only a Bluetooth speaker – then you’ve just a few choices on deal with playback.
I examined the iO1 utilizing an iPhone and a Mac and, subsequently, it was tremendous easy to make use of AirPlay. I used to be even ready so as to add the iO1 to a multi-room system with AirPlay enabled Sonos audio system with no points.
Likewise Spotify Join, the place the iO1 might be grouped with different appropriate audio system and easily exhibits up as an choice throughout the Spotify app.
The Google facet of issues was rather less plain crusing although. Whereas the iO1 might be added as a speaker in Google Home and be used as a part of a Google Home multi-room audio setup, I discovered quite a few points, primarily to do with grouping and quantity management.
I will give Lithe the advantage of the doubt right here although as Google’s multi-room streaming has been a multitude ever since its authorized tangle with Sonos, with options being deleted as a consequence of the search large being on the mistaken finish of some rulings.
Chromecast direct was faultless although, so in case you have an Android telephone then it is a nice choice for streaming music out of your favorite apps.
There is not any native Alexa help however you possibly can, after all, pair an Echo smart speaker with the iO1 utilizing Bluetooth must you want.
Audio high quality
The Lithe iO1 boasts a strong duo of 3-inch waterproof coated paper cone woofers, and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, and it delivers an excellent audio expertise, with high-resolution audio at 192 kHz, 24 bits.
On the coronary heart of the iO1 lies a powerful RMS energy of 100W (2x 50W), pushed by Class D (Digital) amplification.
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)
This ends in a sonic efficiency that’s not solely highly effective but additionally remarkably clear. The speaker’s frequency response of 60Hz – 20kHz (-3dB) ensures a wealthy and dynamic soundstage, whereas the prolonged frequency vary of 38Hz – 20kHz (-10dB) guarantees a deep and immersive listening expertise.
Throughout our intensive testing, the Lithe greater than matched the equally priced Triad Backyard Array Satellite tv for pc audio system, which have been initially a part of my Control4 evaluation setup, however at the moment are powered by a Sonos Amp.
The Lithe iO1 could not fairly match the excessive quantity of the Triad pair however, given it makes use of a built-in amp with no further {hardware} required, the amount stage, with out distortion, is mightily spectacular.
(Picture credit score: The Ambient)
The bass response is great, providing a deep and resonant basis that brings music to life.
Vocals are rendered with outstanding readability, making each word, lyric, and nuance clear to listen to, whether or not listening to one thing huge and brash like Welcome To Brixton by SR or one thing a bit extra delicate reminiscent of What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish.
Whereas the iO1 shines as a standalone speaker, its true potential is unleashed when paired with its passive stereo accomplice however in the event you’ve solely obtained the cash for one, it greater than lives as much as the billing as a solo artist.
When you do pair it up, it is so simple as operating speaker wire from the again of the ‘Grasp’ to the passive one; there isn’t any have to plug the secondary one in. In case you are questioning, the passive one turns into the ‘proper’ speaker of a stereo pair.
Remaining ideas
The Lithe Audio iO1 is a incredible approach of getting some nice sounding music into your out of doors area. You have to to think about energy it, and whether or not your Wi-Fi is as much as the job of reaching exterior, however in the event you can overcome these hurdles then it is a breeze to get music streaming out of your chosen platforms, through a variety of strategies.
How we take a look at
After we publish our opinions, you possibly can relaxation assured that they’re the results of âresiding withâ long-term assessments.
Smart audio system often stay inside, and even management, a smart home ecosystem, or a spread of merchandise that â supposedly â all work in concord. Subsequently, itâs inconceivable to make use of a linked speaker for every week and ship a verdict.
As a result of weâre testing smart home equipment all day, daily, we all know what issues and the way a selected smart speaker compares to alternate options that you may also be contemplating.
Our opinions are complete, goal, and truthful, and, after all, we’re by no means paid on to evaluation a tool.
Learn our evaluation course of for smart audio system to be taught extra.
Lithe Audio iO1: Specs
Speaker Specs | |
---|---|
Dimensions | 465 x 170 x 100mm |
Energy Enter Provide | 100 – 240V, 50/60Hz / 2.5A |
Color | Matt Black or White |
Woofer | 2 x 3″ Waterproof Coated Paper Cone |
Tweeter | 0.75″ Waterproof Coated Silk Dome |
Working Temperature | -10C to 50C (-50F – 122F) |
Storage Temperature | -20C to 60C (-68F – 140F) |
Web Weight | 3.7kg (8.1lbs) (Single) |
IP Score | IP66 |
Housing Materials | ABS+PC (UL f1/f2 Certification Commonplace UL746C-V0) |
Grille | Aluminium (UV Powder Coating) |
Wi-Fi | 2.4Ghz/5Ghz (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) |
Ethernet | 10/100 (In/Out) |
Connectivity | Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, Spotify Join, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Line In | Optical, auto-detecting |
RMS Energy | 100W RMS (2x 50W) |
Frequency Response (-3dB) | 60Hz – 20kHz |
Frequency Vary (-10dB) | 38Hz – 20kHz |
Impedance | 4 Ohms nominal (8 8) |
Sound High quality THD+N | <0.01% |
Sensitivity (1W/1m) | 82dB |
Protection (1 – 4kHZ) | Vertical 100 diploma / Horizontal 170 diploma |
Kind | Class D (Digital) |
Audio Compression | 192kHz / 24 bits |