Audio Pro Addon T3: a simple and efficient sedentary speaker

Ergonomics

Addon T3 does not hide its Scandinavian origins and opts for a sleek design. Behind this apparent simplicity, we see that special care has been taken in its design and finishes: the whole is robust and the directly visible parts do not suggest any assembly mark.

Addon T3 is protected by a thick chassis covered with a slightly concrete-like material. When touched, it is slightly abrasive and you can leave behind a few fingerprints. Despite its compactness, the Addon T3 is still massive (2.12 kg) and we will rather consider it as a transportable enclosure dedicated to a mainly sedentary use. Speaking of transport precisely, the enclosure has a leather handle to facilitate its movement around the house, as well as four non-slip pads designed to stabilize it and tilt it slightly upwards.

The reproduction system is protected by several very rigid metal grids, and the control panel is covered with an aluminum plate. If you are not particularly a fan of the gray color of our test model, know that Addon T3 is available in five other colors (black, pink, orange, green or white).

In terms of connectivity and functionality, the Addon T3 is also very refined, a little too much even in the face of competition. Indeed, it only offers a wireless connection via Bluetooth 4.0 (no multipoint connection), a wired connection in 3.5 mm mini-jack and a USB port only for charging a mobile device.

The same goes for the controls, composed of 6 buttons: two for volume control, two for the choice of source, one for pairing in Bluetooth and a last one to turn the speaker on or off. It is therefore not possible to have control over music playback and to navigate between tracks. Do not expect to find a hands-free kit function either, as no microphone is integrated. Finally, Addon T3 does not have any dedicated application.

Simplistic to the end, the Addon T3 speaker offers no sound aid. Only two rows of LEDs are there to indicate the chosen source, the battery level and the status of the speaker. Nevertheless, it remains very easy to take in hand and the commands are reactive. Finally, the Addon T3 promises 30 hours of autonomy at 50% of the volume and 10 hours at 100% of the volume. We were able to verify these two promises without any harm during our test period. With a volume of 70% (which corresponds to a very comfortable listening level for the sound of a living room during an evening, for example) and a device in charge, we reach around 15 hours of autonomy.

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Audio

The Audio Pro Addon T3 has two 0.75 ”tweeters and a 3.5” woofer coupled to a bass-reflex system. The vent is located at the rear and the assembly is powered by a 2 x 5 W + 15 W power supply. The manufacturer promises a frequency response between 60 Hz and 20 kHz and, once is not custom, the actual performance lives up to the promise. Given its size, the Addon T3 shines with homogeneity, richness and precision of its sound rendering. It will particularly appeal to lovers of warm voices and sounds.

Addon T3 slightly focuses its sound signature on the bass. The bass-reflex system offers an extension in the pleasant and controlled extreme bass. Even if the effect here is rather discreet, it offers better seating and slightly deeper bass, especially with an object of this size. In view of the position of the vent, still pay attention to where you place your speaker: bringing it near a wall boosts this area, placing it in a corner accentuates it even more. The speaker favors the low frequencies a little, which gives a warm and round appearance to the overall sound rendering. The fundamental frequencies of the acoustic guitar, snare or cello are for example a little more favored. Some resonances can appear from time to time, especially between 165 and 210 Hz (note ground, among others), but this remains fairly contained. We are far from a surgical approach, but the good behavior of the membranes makes it possible to maintain good precision and avoids excessive masking effects.

Mediums also benefit from a boost, lighter this time, which pushes the impactful side and increases the feeling of general presence. Voices, among others, stand out particularly well while remaining soft. The timbres are also very well respected: a real pleasure for listening to podcasts and songs where the voices are queens, for example. This beautiful presence is also due to the strange approach of Addon T3 in monophonic summation (that is to say, in very summary terms, the way in which the speaker will superimpose the two channels of a stereo source to broadcast them through a single speaker) . Indeed, like the Klipsch RW-1 and the Yamaha WX-010, the Addon T3 focuses on the central part of the stereo. The more the sources are on the sides, the more they are recessed. This therefore gives more room to the elements located in the center - very generally the voice, the solo instruments, the drum snare, etc. It is however a shame, because we could have taken full advantage of the precision of the speaker to perceive the different strata of the scene and all the elements that compose it. It is also important to emphasize that the T3 Addon is quite directive. So do not hesitate to place it in the direction of the listening area to obtain the best possible sound reproduction.

The small Addon T3 has a nice power reserve, which also has the merit of being well controlled. Indeed, the distortion remains calm over the entire sound spectrum, even when you start to push it to its limits. It is only in the very last stages that one begins to feel the first effects in the most acute harmonics. The speaker is doing pretty well with the tedious and dense pieces (very low dynamic / high compression, very rich harmonically ...). Note, the volume control is very precise: something quite rare on a speaker of this type. Addon T3 can properly sound a relatively large room, such as a living room or dining room. It can also be used outside, but you still have to stay a minimum nearby to maintain a minimum of quality.

As far as wireless communication latency is concerned, there is nothing to report. We noted a latency of around 100 ms, largely enough to comfortably follow any type of video content.

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Conclusion

Addon T3 is a sedentary portable speaker that focuses above all on the quality of its sound rendering, and that's good! It can also count on a very beautiful manufacturing and a wireless communication presenting little latency, which also makes it a speaker of choice to watch its favorite series. However, its connection is particularly limited, almost worthy of the first wireless speakers. If you're more focused on modern features without sacrificing sound quality, take a look at the Zipp, for example, and for more mobile use, look on the side of the Xtreme.

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