AKG VL350 Wireles Smart Speaker - Black

Starting with the positives; the speaker produces good sound, nicely balanced to my ear. I also think it looks quite stylish, in an upmarket IKEA kind of way. The removable 'puck' control is a little gimmicky, but has a satisfying mechanical action and saves you fiddling on your phone. Connection options are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and an aux in at the back, everything you could reasonably want.Unfortunately it is massively let down by the software side. It works with Samsung's 'SmartThings' app. Unlike some other reviewers here I found initial setup a breeze, the speaker was automatically detected as soon as I installed the app. It also seems to have happily stayed connected. The problem comes when actually trying to play audio over the thing. If you're buying it with the intention of having the same audio playing from multiple speakers (multi-room), then be aware that the only way to do so is using WiFi. The only "music source" options are Deezer and TuneIn. It's also compatible with Spotify via Spotify Connect, but with reduced functionality (can't pause/skip with the remote). There is no way to play audio from your own library, other streaming services, or some arbitrary source like an app on your phone.If all you want is a standalone Bluetooth speaker, this is a decent option, but as part of a multi-room audio setup it's severely lacking. I had wondered why it was only ~half the price of apparently comparable offerings from Sonos and Audio Pro, it seems this is the answer.

This is a really impressive quality speaker for money it is now. It feels incredibly well built and has a high end look and feel to it. I bought it for a bedroom speaker and placed it into a cube storage unit that I'm sure many people have nowadays. Connected to smartthings app it's easy to use and control without having to touch the unit itself. And the remote supplied makes it very convenient too. Sound is on a par with more expensive JBL speakers I have, both internet radio and Spotify sound very good to my ears. It probably was never worth the original RRP of £400 but for the prices available today, it's a bargain. I doubt you can find a better built speaker for the money.

My first one arrived on the Monday... bit fiddly to join the WiFi and also pair the remote (removable circle on the top ) it just wouldn’t do it so never bothered with the remote as I preferred the square look. Once connected I was very impressed with the sound so ordered a second one for the next day... knowing I’d have to set as a pair to the WiFi. The Samsung app is very flakey and not intuitive at all I used them in the bedroom with one each side and WoW laying in bed one each side was amazing. Then the app kicked in and sometimes wouldn’t connect. So unreliable I had to return as a good idea that went bad ! No wonder these are reduced significantly. Note I also couldn’t get no2 speaker remote to pair (this on Bluetooth not WiFi) when switching back to WiFi from Bluetooth it needed pairing again... basically I’d had enough and returned!

I had been looking at getting a wireless speaker system for a while, I had looked at pushing the boat and treating myself by getting something like a Naim Qb, but decided for what I was going to use it for and how much it would be used it wasnt worth the cost. I began to look at cheaper alternatives, I came across the Samsung during my search, so gave it a punt, especially for the price, I haven't regretted it one bit, easy to set up, great sound quality, I cant see that the Naim would have been 10 times the sound quality, given it being 10x the price. I have tried all types of music on it, classic Ltj Bukem progressive drum and bass is crisp and clean, the bass is deep enough with just enough reverberation, it still maintains this even when you whack it up to max volume. Would I have paid the £399 when it was released, no, would I have been as happy with if i had, no, but, for this money I'd pay it all day long, am I happy? Hell yes.Only negative, i think its abit slack of Samsung not to supply a charge cable for the remote, it's only a cable, luckily I had one lying around, otherwise you canr use it.

I'm rating these 5 stars because for the price, you are not likely to get a speaker with this kind of quality. However, If you're buying these for the multiroom aspects, just steer clear. I use echo devices and the multiroom audio with them has been flawless in my experience.So what are you really getting with this? Essentially a stand alone speaker unit that is fairly portable and has excellent sound. I use mine on aux around 100% of the time. They are perfect for spaces where space does not permit having speakers and an amp.If you use the on built wifi for multiroom or casting music to them, you're in for a bad time. However, these are quality £200 speakers that have been reduced because of the quirks with their interface. That actual Vl350 unit is legitness. The Wifi on the speakers is usefull for scheduling their on/off status through smart things.Consder this item more a standalone speaker, and not a smart speaker though.