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The Blue Tees Player speaker is portable and powerful – perfect for the golf cart. Wonderful sound quality. Simple operations and high level of waterproofing.
Introduction
I’m all for music on the golf course under one of two conditions: you’re playing solo or are absolutely certain everyone in your foursome is cool with it. In either case, the music needs to sound great. With that common condition my key focus, I took a Blue Tees Player speaker out for a spin.
Setup & Ease of Use
Accompanying the Player in its box were a user manual, charging cable, and lanyard. Before referencing the user manual, I decided to see if the unit had power. I was rewarded with a pleasant guitar strum tone telling me it did. There’s no button labeled on/off, but intuition guided me to the crossed tees graphic. Pairing with my phone was simple via the Bluetooth setting. I pulled up my music app, and bingo – instant sound.
I assumed correctly that the large + and – symbols control volume, but was surprised by the unimpressive maximum output. Then I slid the volume button higher on my phone and wow – the Player really cranked out the volume.
Learning the other features of the Player required reading the user manual. Simplified, the crossed tees button can also pause/play music and answer/end/reject phone calls. The +/- buttons can also skip/replay music tracks. Below those three buttons is a subtle embossed mode button that switches between indoor and outdoor modes and turns on/off pairing for multiple speakers (I only had one Player so I wasn’t able to evaluate this feature).
Blue Tees recommends giving the Player a full charge (4-5 hours) before initial use and also once a month. My NASA engineer buddy told me years ago that batteries have memories, so running them down, charging fully and everything in between is a good idea. Now that I’ve showed off my NASA connection, let’s jump to performance.
Performance
The golf-centric feature I haven’t addressed yet is the magnet, located in a nodule labeled PLAYER on the side opposite the control buttons. It’s strong, holding the Player in place even over some serious bumps and tight turns. Using the Player away from the cart on a counter or table, the magnet strip makes a good base, keeping the unit oriented for optimal acoustics.
On the subject of acoustics, I could not tell a difference between the indoor/outdoor modes. I did play in a lot of basement rock bands in my younger days, but I still consider my hearing very sharp. Regardless, the sound quality of the Blue Tees Player is excellent. Rich, deep, and clear, with the volume turned up or down.
I never had any issues with continuous play out on the course, but my phone was never more than a few feet away in the cart dash. Blue Tees states that 10 meters is the unobstructed maximum for an uninterrupted connection. If you keep your phone in your pocket and wander off in the woods for a lost ball, you might have connection issues – but only for 3 minutes at most.
The pause function, which you engage with a short press of the crossed tees, can be invaluable. No fumbling for the phone or messing with the volume buttons when the situation called for instant silence.
I’ll close the Performance section with the final feature advertised on the Blue Tees Player box – IPX7 Water Proof. I learned that IPX7 means the device is rated for protection from water intrusion at a depth up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Now I have no worries about being caught out in the rain – or using the Player for tunes around the pool.
Value
The Blue Tees Player retails for $129.99, which I find to be a fair price for what it offers. You can find smaller, clip-on speakers under $100, but they lack sound quality and volume output. Similarly, there are models with equivalent acoustics for less money, but they lack the magnet – a key feature in my book. Additionally, the unit has a solid, high quality feel that may not convey from the photos.
Conclusion
If you’re a golfer who enjoys music while playing and appreciates sound quality, the Blue Tees Player speaker is designed for you. The strong magnet keeps the speaker in prime acoustical position. Simple basic operations allow you to focus on the next shot.
Visit Blue Tees HERE
Matt Meeker
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