MUZEN Wild Go Bluetooth Speaker Review

The MUZEN Wild Go Bluetooth Speaker is one of the neatest-looking Bluetooth speakers we’ve ever encountered. Plus, it’s small enough to work for travel. However, we’re curious whether its features offer a good fit for travelers trying to save space and weight and still want a high-quality product. Let’s dive in and find out!

The Rundown

The materials that we’re working with are ABS plastic, polycarbonate, zinc alloy, and rubber. That might seem like a lot, and there’s quite a bit of plastic here, but overall, it feels durable. It isn’t as rugged as other offerings from MUZEN; however, this model is no slouch. It might not be the best option for a backpacking trip across the mountains in Colorado; however, for most uses, this thing will hold up fine.

We just briefly mentioned that MUZEN makes other speakers. This is by far the most stripped-down model they’ve released, at least at the time of writing. Some others are more durable, have extra features, and even have built-in fidgets. From a travel perspective, we like the idea of keeping it simple, but you might want to check out other offerings available if you want something more unique.

The speaker has an IPX5 rating, meaning it’s highly water resistant but not submersible. For most trips, this will be fine; however, if you plan to bring it camping, it’s worth mentioning before you take it in a canoe.

The speaker charges using a USB-C port on the side. There’s an LED indicator to let you know that it’s charging, which is ideal. It comes with a short USB-A to USB-C cable, which is nice but probably not the one you want to power it with. We’d recommend something longer, but you can use whatever you already have in your tech pouch.

The highest button on the top of the speaker is the power button. When you hold it, the device turns on and plays an engine starting. It’s a novelty, but it got slightly annoying after a while. That’s a personal preference, though!

Off to the side is an orange button controlling the Bluetooth. If you’re already connected, holding the button will disconnect the device.

Below that, there’s an orange clicker to change the song. Move it towards the back of the speaker, and you’ll advance the track, and towards the front will take you backward. This is slightly hard to get used to, and we’re still getting it wrong occasionally, even after two weeks of use.

Under the power button is a volume knob, which might be our favorite part of the entire speaker. It’s a physical knob, not a button, which is fun to click. Clockwise turns the volume up, counterclockwise turns down the jams. It’s much faster than other Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested, which is ideal if you like to go from chill to party at a moment’s notice.

On the top corner, there’s a lanyard attachment point. MUZEN sells one separately, but you can attach anything you want here or leave it naked!

The bottom of the speaker has two long rubber feet that help keep it from sliding around. Although you can rest it on other sides, this is the only side with these stoppers. Although it hasn’t slipped yet, we wish there were feet on the bottom side, too. This thing is so neat-looking that we wish we could show it off more by standing it up!

The battery is 500 mAh, which feels capable for the job that it’s tasked with. On moderate volume, we average around seven hours. If you turn up the jams, it’ll drop down around five. This isn’t ideal for people listening to music all day, but it’s more than capable for the casual listener.

Regarding sound quality, this speaker does well for its size, up to roughly 70% volume level. After that, the sound gets muddled, and it’s hard to differentiate the lows from the mids and highs, and the vocals are distorted so far that even an untrained ear can tell. For songs with less dynamic range, this isn’t as much of an issue; however, it’s still noticeable. Under 70% volume, it fairs pretty well, especially for its size.

Packability

As far as size goes, this speaker does well. It measures 3 by 2.25 by 1.375 inches (7.6 x 5.7 x 3.5 cm), which will fit most pockets; however, it may bulge in some pants. That said, it works, and that’s saying something considering the sound quality this speaker offers.

Because of its compact size, you can fit this speaker into the internal organization on some smaller slings, your daypack, or a tech pouch. We think that’s rad because it lets you take your music, podcasts, or audiobooks anywhere.

The speaker weighs 6.596 ounces (187 g), so it’s noticeable when you’ve got it in your hand but light enough to warrant bringing it with you on your next trip.

Adding a lanyard will add some size and weight, but also makes it more convenient to carry places where you won’t necessarily have a bag to put it inside. Think of quick trips down to the beach, getting takeout and walking it to the park, or a morning jog. At this point, we have to mention that you should always be courteous of others out in the world if you’re playing music, especially while traveling. Quiet music is almost always appropriate in public places, though!

Quick Comparison

Another speaker we’ve tested that’s worth comparing to the MUZEN Wild Go is the JBL CLIP 4.

Although they look and feel similar in size, the JBL is much more significant when you compare the dimensions because of the integrated clip on the top of the speaker. The long edge of the JBL is 5.3 inches (13.5 cm) compared to the MUZEN’s 3 inches (7.6 cm). That’s not a huge difference, and the integrated clip is a better feature than the lanyard option, but it’s worth noting from a storage perspective. The JBL is heavier, too, but not enough to write home about (or in this review).

Regarding sound quality, the JBL has the upper hand over the MUZEN. However, at most volumes, they’re comparable. The JBL has more separation on the high ends than the MUZEN.

The JBL has fewer dynamic buttons, which can sometimes be confusing to maneuver and use different features. However, the MUZEN has buttons that are easy to hit incorrectly and then do the opposite of what you wanted, which is frustrating at times. Depending on your familiarity with gear similar to these two speakers, you might prefer one over the other.

You can’t use either as a speakerphone, so they’re equal in that regard.

Despite their similarities, these speakers have wildly different aesthetics. However, we dig them both, and you can’t go wrong with either!