Teenage Engineering makes unique products that stand at the intersection of art and music, and I’ve been a long-time user of its synthesizers. I started out with the affordable PO synths, and moved to the OP-1 field, which stands out in its own way thanks to the design and hardware interface.
In the context of phone design, Teenage Engineering is best-known for its collaboration with Nothing, and recent products like the Phone 4a show a clear progression of that unique design aesthetic.
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It’s no wonder, then, that when Teenage Engineering sets out to make a Bluetooth speaker, it’s different to everything else available today. The OB-4 debuted over five years ago, but the speaker continues to do well because of its refreshing design and feature-set that you just don’t see anywhere else.
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I’ll get to those features in a bit, but before that, let’s do a high-level overview of the OB-4. As you’d imagine from Teenage Engineering, the design is rather unique, with the OB-4 is styled to look like a retro boom box — the carrying handle reinforces that design choice. The overall look is pretty stylish, and I like the red color option I got; it allows the OB-4 to stand out visually against every other Bluetooth speaker I have in my house.
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It isn’t particularly heavy at 3.75lb (1.7kg), and the handle makes it easy to take anywhere — the boxy design works to its advantage in that regard. The handle doubles as a stand as well, and it houses the built-in radio antenna, but more on that later. While the overall design is striking, it is prone to scratches; after four months of use, I see minute scratches on the body.
Build quality is otherwise great, and I didn’t see any problems with the OB-4 in the time I used it. The speaker has dual 4-inch drivers alongside two tweeters, and it delivers surprisingly detailed sound. Unlike Bose’s speakers, the OB-4 isn’t tuned towards a neutral signature, instead offering a bass-heavy sound that’s delightful in its own way. If you want a neutral sound instead, you’ll need to get the Bose SoundLink Max.
Now, all of this is pretty standard in this category, but it’s the rest of the features that make the OB-4 stand out so much. Let’s get started.
You can listen to local FM radio stations
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In addition to Bluetooth connectivity and 3.5mm in, the OB-4 has an FM radio tuner, and it’s just plain cool to be able to listen to local FM broadcasts. There’s a built-in antenna that coils around the handle, and while the signal varies quite a bit based on your surroundings, it is novel to listen to radio stations on the OB-4.
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While 3.5mm is standard enough, it lets me connect my OP-1 field to the OB-4, and it’s a pairing that works really well.
Instant rewind is instant nostalgia
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A unique feature on the OB-4 is a built-in tape mode that lets you automatically rewind — you can do that with FM broadcasts as well. Basically, the OB-4 constantly records whatever is playing, and you get the ability to rewind as a result. The rolling two-hour recordings is something that you won’t use extensively, but it’s such a cool feature that I found myself rewinding music just for the nostalgia.
It has built-in ambient sounds — and you can use it as a sampler
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Disk mode on the OB-4 is unique in that it has built-in sounds that are very different. There’s an ambient mode, noise generator, and a metronome, and a karma mode with spiritual sounds — it’s weird enough that I didn’t use the mode after testing it out once.
That said, the ambient mode and noise generator features are quite handy, and you also get the ability to create audio loops, turning it into a decent sampler.
The physical controls are legitimately cool
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Yes, I know that Teenage Engineering isn’t the only brand that has physical controls on their products — I use Marshall’s Kilburn and Stanmore daily — but the OB-4 controls are delightfully weird. The volume knob juts out from the body and is easy enough to use, but the rewind feature needs you to physically turn the dial.
You also get physical buttons to switch between connectivity options, and cycle through the various choices available in disk mode. On most Bluetooth devices, you get a gauge to show remaining battery life. The OB-4 has one too, but you need to tilt it back and front for it to show up, and that’s the right amount of quirky.
The OB-4 is unique in all the right ways
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The OB-4 retails for $579 on Amazon and $599 for the red model, and that’s quite a bit costlier than most mainstream Bluetooth speakers. However, the OB-4 is anything but mainstream, and the unique styling, sound signature, and litany of features make it a Bluetooth speaker like no other. If you just need a Bluetooth speaker, there are dozens of alternatives that deliver great sound. But if you want something that’s truly unique, the OB-4 is the obvious choice.
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