The Audio Pro Addon T3+ is a not-so-original updated release of the brand’s all-time great, the Addon T3 from 2015. Aside from a few minor tweaks, the (somewhat) portable wireless speaker isn’t all that different in its latest form. Is this a good idea, or should Audio Pro of done a little more to drag T3 design into the modern era? What’s The Best’s William Lobley takes it for a spin to find out.
www.currys.co.uk
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Connection: | Bluetooth 4.0, Aux-in |
| Drivers: | x2 19mm tweeters, 89mm woofer |
| Amp: | Class D Digital |
| Runtime: | 30-hours half volume, 12-hours full volume |
| Dimensions: | 215 x 115 x 135mm |
| Weight: | 2.1kg |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Peerless audio quality | • Size puts a caveat on its portability |
| • Super-long battery life | • No sound cue to confirm Bluetooth connection |
| • Annoyingly cool Scandi design |
Verdict: Comfortably encompassing the design philosophies of “less is more” and “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, the Audio Pro Addon T3+ changes little from the OG 2015 model. Despite that sounding unexciting, getting hold of the speaker and putting it through its paces soon puts such qualms aside. The Audio Pro Addon T3+ is excellent, from its cool aesthetic to its vibrant audio. Plus, you can use it for 30-hours without having to even look at a mains socket. It’s blooming brilliant.
Jump to:
Build
• Weighty and blocky
• Cool style
• Well built
Right from the box, there is something special about the Audio Pro T3+. It feels robust, weighty and of the highest quality. Exactly like its forebearer, the long-running and highly awarded T3, it’s a bold and sharp-angled box. At 215mm wide, 115mm tall, 135mm deep and weighing 2.1kg, it’s a dense little package.
On its front are the speakers: two 19mm tweeters and one 89mm woofer. These are powered by a 25W Digital Class D amplifier, a classification of amp that’s notable for being light and efficient. On the rear are a black panel housing a USB and aux-in port, woofer exhaust and mains plug for recharging. Underneath are four rubber feet and a sealed panel housing the battery. On top, there’s a leather carry handle and an aluminium control panel.
The construction of the Audio Pro T3+ is exemplary, with not a thing out of place, superfluous or poorly implemented. While Audio Pro subtitles itself “The Sound Of Scandinavia”, it’s clear that the classic Scandinavian design principle of “less is more” has also found a home with the T3+.
Useability
• Best for barbecues
• Excellent battery life
• Reliable and quick connections
Technically, the Audio Pro T3+ is a portable speaker. Its battery life is really impressive, clocking up to 30-hours playback at 50 per cent volume, 12-hours at 100 per cent. However, the size and weight of the T3+ dictate how this portability is used. Yes, it can be carried, but thinking of it as something kindred with the UE Wonderboom 2 or TriBit StromBox Micro isn’t correct - the use case is very different.
The T3+ isn’t a wireless speaker that can be thrown into a backpack and used to blast music as you cycle. Its size, shape, weight and aesthetic dictate that it’s to be carried to a location and appreciated properly. The Audio Pro T3+ is best carried into the garden to a barbecue or to a local park for a picnic, or other similar outdoor events that are largely static.
Truthfully, most of the time, you’ll be more than happy having the speaker located indoors and plugged into the mains, as I did. Its modern aesthetics let it sit stylishly on a sideboard or shelf. Its rubberised feet keep it firmly in place and stops it from vibrating around, while also giving an attractive tilt to the speaker, as the front feet are considerably higher than the rear.
On top of the speaker is the control panel. The aluminium plate and control buttons feel suitably durable and look suitably stylish. There are small LEDs behind the panel which glow white to indicate the type of connection, power and battery level - it’s all rather understated and effortlessly cool.
There are six controls: on/off, pair, Bluetooth, aux, volume up and volume down. So that you don’t accidentally stop the party, the power button needs holding for a few seconds to work. Holding down the pair button makes the speaker discoverable, with device pairing taking only a few seconds.
To nit-pick in the extreme, the only negative is that the Audio Pro T3+ doesn’t make a noise to indicate a successful Bluetooth connection. It’s no big deal, given that you can quickly look at your phone or speaker indication light to see that yes, the connection has been established, because why wouldn’t it? Everything else works flawlessly here.
Performance
• Great performance across multiple genres
• Loads of volume
The main event of any speaker is the audio performance. It doesn’t matter how smart the muted colours are, or how stylish the bronzed aluminium looks against a grey paint job (although the answer here is: very). Thankfully, the weighty little Audio Pro T3+ sounds remarkable.
I took the T3+ for a spin using my Spotify Liked Songs playlist, shuffled. It was a thrill to hear the delicacy of the all-time jazz classic I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good by Oscar Peterson Trio being represented with grace. It was even more of a thrill to hear the same speaker handle the deep bass of Glue by house-duo Bicep pump out energy clearly, alongside the song’s ethereal, staggered mid and high synths. What followed was Neat Neat Neat by The Damned, and this showcased the ability the T3+ has to leverage its precision to carry across the hectic and scrawling clamour of some solid punk racket.
No matter the genre, it’s undeniably clear that the tweeters, woofer, amp and taught chassis construction work together to deliver an accurate and impactful sound with volume to spare. The clarity of the T3+ really sets it apart from the rest of its field, with instrumentation and voices being given room to breathe, without affecting the sense of unity found in many of the best recordings. It’s impressive that Audio Pro, rather than imbuing the sound with sterility through precision, has balanced its accuracy with warmth, swagger and energy.
Because of the speaker position and the excellent isolation offered by its rubber feet, the T3+ manages to continuously perform well in household rooms of different sizes, a particularly nice fact that adds great versatility to the speaker that isn’t necessarily shared by its competition.
Price
The Audio Pro Addon T3+ retails for £179. The similarly priced portable competition includes the Sonos Roam, Sony SRS-XB43 and JBL Charge 5. Within the list, the Audio Pro Addon T3+ stands out as a very different product. This is true both visually and aurally, as it is a truly refined option.
Comparing the T3+ with non-portable options, you’ll see that it’s as expensive (or cheap, depending on your perspective) as a Sonos One SL. Which to go for is an interesting call to make. For anyone not interested in the multi-room experience, the Audio Pro Addon T3+ might just take it. It’s more stylish, the operation is simple, there are no apps to keep up with and the overall sound is more organic. However, the Sonso One SL does offer far more features for the money, including Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity.
If you like the sound of the Audio Pro but would like a multiroom experience, a little more cash you can get the Audio Pro experience with multiroom in the Audio Pro Addon C3, which comes in at £229.
Verdict
Editor's Choice
www.currys.co.uk
Description
The original Addon T3 was released in 2015. The Audio Pro Addon T3+ changes little - the woofer reflex port is different and the DSP controller has been updated. Otherwise, it’s business as usual. That means we can comfortably attribute two design idioms to the all-new T3+: the first is “less is more”, and the second is “if it ain’ broke, don’t fix it”. While on paper the decision that Audio Pro has taken to implement only the most minor of adjustments may seem uninventive and unambitious, getting hold of the speaker and putting it through its paces soon puts such qualms aside.
The Audio Pro Addon T3+ is excellent, from its modest and muted aesthetic, through its impeccable construction quality and onto its impressive and vibrant audio. Add to all of this the fact that you can access all of its quality for 30-hours without having to even look at a mains socket. It’s blooming brilliant.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Peerless audio quality | • Size puts a caveat on its portability |
| • Super-long battery life | • No sound cue to confirm Bluetooth connection |
| • Annoyingly cool Scandi design |
Looking for something a bit bigger? We've recently reviewed the Audio Pro C10 MKII - read our thoughts now!
How we tested it:
Vigorously and obsessively. The Audio Pro Addon T3+ was the way I listened to music, podcasts, Instagram Reels and YouTube Videos for over two weeks. It accompanied me to the last barbecue of the year and soundtracked a household clear out. During this time, I would estimate that 60 per cent of the time it was plugged into the mains, while the remaining 40 per cent was reliant on the battery pack.
What to read next:
Tribit StormBox Pro review: Can the Pro challenge the best in the portable speaker biz?
Sony WF-1000XM4 review: Could they be Sony’s best wireless headphones?