Altec Lansing HydraBoom 2.0 review: Loud and durable

Key Takeaways

• Rugged design, heavy bass, and loudness make the HydraBoom 2.0 great for outdoor parties.
• Strong durability and water resistance, 16-hour battery life, and wireless charging pad.
• Audio quality lacks refinement, focusing primarily on bass and not suitable for audiophiles.

These days, Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen and come in all shapes, sizes, and price points. Some speakers, like Altec Lansing’s latest Hydra 2.0 line, are designed with a particular purpose in mind. In this case, Hydra 2.0 products follow the company’s outdoor-friendly, “everything-proof” line of Bluetooth speakers. The lineup features speakers of all sizes, ranging from the tiny Hydratrek to the larger HydraBoom 2.0. I got the chance to spend some time with the HydraBoom 2.0 to see what this newest generation has to offer.

Price, specs, and availability

The HydraBoom 2.0 retails for $100 and is currently available from Amazon and Target. While some of the new Hydra 2.0 speakers are listed at BestBuy, this particular model is not available there for the time being.

The HydraBoom 2.0 is built like a brick, though it shockingly only weighs 3 pounds. It’s extremely rugged while still feeling portable. Once you connect you phone via Bluetooth, the HydraBoom 2.0 can play music for roughly 16 hours on a full charge. If you’re out and about for the day, the speaker conveniently also features a wireless Qi coil on the top for charging any compatible phone.

Durability in any environment is the priority in the HydraBoom 2.0’s design, and with that in mind, the speaker is rated IP67 water- and dust-resistant. Its USB-C port, used for charging the speaker, and USB-A port, which can be used to charge external devices, are covered by a fitted plastic seal, so the speaker is ready for your next day at the beach, by the pool, on a hike, or by the campfire.

What I liked about the HydraBoom 2.0

This speaker is asking for a party

From the super rugged design, the LED lighting, and the battery life, to the thumping bass and impressive power, the HydraBoom 2.0 was just asking me to throw an outdoor party of some sort. I’ve been in lots of situations where I’m hanging out with a group of people outside, like at a beach, for instance, and we want to play music, but either whatever speaker we have is too quiet, or someone doesn’t want to bring their nice Bluetooth speaker to the beach for fear of it getting wet or sandy. The HydraBoom 2.0 alleviates all those fears, as that’s exactly what it’s made for.

From the super rugged design, the LED lighting, and the battery life, to the thumping bass and impressive power, the HydraBoom 2.0 was just asking me to throw an outdoor party of some sort.

I took the speaker outside to my patio and played some music while we had some friends over and were running around outside with our dog, Peanut, and I couldn’t even turn it up all the way for fear of disturbing my neighbors. The HydraBoom’s strongest quality is that it is honest about what it’s designed for and excels in that space.

What I didn’t like about the HydraBoom 2.0

Audio quality is not the stated goal

By far the greatest weak spot for the HydraBoom 2.0 is its overall audio quality. To be fair, Altec Lansing at no point claimed that this speaker is for audiophiles, music aficionados, or for sitting around listening to a jazz or classical record, but still, for $100, I expected at least a slightly more refined sound, which I’ve certainly found before at similar price points. The HydraBoom 2.0 is unabashedly a big, rugged, bassy brick, and that’s all it promises to be. The sound is focused almost entirely on bass and loudness, leaving behind plenty of distortion, crushed mids, and almost non-existent highs. The HydraBoom 2.0 demands a fun crowd, not a discerning ear.

Should you buy the HydraBoom 2.0?

The HydraBoom 2.0 is not the only rugged Bluetooth speaker on the market, but it’s the most resilient one I’ve seen in a while. Too often, speakers come with some water and dust resistance but are more truthfully intended for indoor and careful use. Meanwhile, I feel like I could toss the HydraBoom 2.0 down the side of a hill, and I’d need only dust it off and keep playing my tunes. If audio quality is a priority for you in a Bluetooth speaker, then look elsewhere. The HydraBoom 2.0 is about being heard, having a good time, and surviving the great outdoors, not about discussing the finer points of the French horn opening to Jurassic Park.

Altec Lansing has created a rugged lineup of speakers at a fair value for what they deliver, with transparency about their use case. So if you think you are the target audience for the new Hydra 2.0, then check out the HydraBoom 2.0.