Fabriq is a relatively new brand. Its first product was Fabriq RIFF, a sound amplifier on the size of the echo point, but it is covered with a soft fabric in a variety of patterns. Not only did the Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant, but you can connect more than one to run the synciar Multi-Speaker (such as Google Cast/AirPlay). Use RIFF either MicroUSB direct charging, or covered Dock.today, the second loudspeaker, the choir. In most intentions, it is a larger and stronger version of RIFF, but with the additional reward for Alexa is always received for orders (RIFF requires the pressure button on Alexa activation). This makes it more consistent with products like Amazon Echo and Google Home, especially given the $ 99 price point. I think Fabriq is making a good speaker, but it has some problems.

Specifications

Goodness

Not very good

Design and building quality

The first thing you notice about the choir is its unique design. The entire body is covered, except for the plate on the back and bottom, with a soft fabric. There are four patterns to choose from; The “Duke of Earl” (Al -Aswad) and “Thabet” (Red inventory) sent. These patterns will be sold exclusively in Target, while “quartz” and “Midnight Blue” will be sold by Target and Amazon. Fabriq says additional seasonal patterns will be available in the coming months.

Leave: Blue midnight right: quartz

I imagine opinions about what appears to be the best/worse color that will differ greatly in the comments, but I will say that among the two models that were sent, I liked “Duke Of Earl” more. Whatever the person you choose, you will definitely stand out in a room, albeit because it is not a black plastic board.

In the foreground, there is a vertical Fabriq logo, and on its back there is a variety of controls and ports. There is a button to activate Alexa, the audio -level reversal, operation control, stop the sound, and turn it down/run. Near the bottom, there is a rubber flavor, with other controls under it. There is a reset button, a key for Alexa/Bluetooth (more on that later), and a button to disable the microphone input, and the MicroUSB shipping port.

You have two options when it comes to charging the choir. You can use the aforementioned microusb port, or set it above the charging panel. The plate is also used MicroUSB, so if the cable or wall adapter breaks/stops working, you will not have to get a new berth. Personally, I wanted to see a USB Type-C to both the dock and the speaker, but I realize that most people prefer to use a more common connector like Microusb. There is also no line in or line.

Below is an LED ring, which changes color based on what you do. It turns white when running/switching to Alexa, blue when switching to Bluetooth, in red when the battery is low, and green when the battery is full. When you talk to Alexa, there is a rotating blue animation, just like speaking to Alexa on echo or resonance.

As far as the quality of the construction goes, the choir feels strong, but it has not been announced as solid or water. So if you are planning a beach trip or the day of the pool, you must definitely have a different amplifier package.

Features

The choir is first and above all Alexa speaker. You can check the weather, order pizza, start music, and much more – all of this with your voice. The spokesman listens to the hot word “Alexa”, unlike Riff Fabriq, you don’t have to press a button before starting to speak. She did not have any problems with my voice, even from the other side of the room while speaking with a low tone.

Amazon periodically introduces new features in Alexa, which must be implemented by the manufacturer of devices, such as playing multi -room music and reminder/specified time adjustment devices. Each of these features has tried on Fabriq, and was not supported at the time of writing this report. So if you want to try the latest and largest Alexa you offer, you may be disappointed.

In addition to playing music directly through Alexa, you can use Bluetooth or Fabriq (more details about it later). There are one huge restrictions on this speaker when it comes to bluetooth and Alexa; You can only use one or another at the same time. Unlike Google Home and Amazon’s Echo, the smart assistant is completely stopped when using Bluetooth. If you want to return to Alexa, you should click on the Alexa/Bluetooth key on the back.

This restriction aside, I found that the choir worked well as a Bluetooth speaker. The sound quality was good, and the maximum range appears to be about 10 feet with the devices you tried. She has faced troublesome problems when she associated with my Chromebook, but given that this is the only device that has faced problems with, the speaker may not bear.

The third way to play music on the choir is with the FABRIQ application, which supports Tunein, iheartradio, Spotify, Tidal and NAPSter. You can also play locally stored music from your phone/tablet. This is where the Multi-Speaker. You can assemble Fabriq speakers together and use any of the guaranteed services with multiple rooms. Once you create a group, anything you choose will play through all speakers in the group.

I had no problems with Fabriq Multi-Speaker preparation, as well as trying to not assemble certain units. Instead of a button that leads to a multi -speech turning off, you should click the “Edit” button on the group and remove the loudspeakers individually. During this process, the application sometimes stumbles and has to try again. It is not the most smooth solution in the world, but at least there are a large number of supported services.

Voice quality and battery life

Of course, what is good speaker if the sound quality is bad? In general, I would like to say that Fabriq is a decent speaker. The bus responds to some extent, but there is not much a “boom”. The choir can become very loud, and even in higher sizes, I did not notice any distortion. The only problem I have noticed is that music looks a little bit (perhaps because of the fabric cover, but I just do guesses). Frankly, I don’t think most people will mind, or even note that.

Despite the round shape, it should be noted that this is not a multi -directional speaker. Music looks better when the choir is directed directly to you (with the logo in your direction). In general, I think the ordinary buyer will not have any complaints with sound quality, especially given the size of the speaker.

As far as the battery goes, Fabriq is estimated at six hours of operation with a unit battery 2200 mAh. In my test, this claim appears to be standing up. It tends to keep it about 50-75 % of the size, and I haven’t noticed a difference in the battery life between the Bluetooth and Alexa conditions.

conclusion

In general, I liked the use of FABRIQ choir. These patterns make it stand out in a crowd of black and metal loudspeakers, and make the charging panel more convenient to capture and take them with you. Alexa is great, but even when you are without an internet connection, the choir makes a good bluetooth speaker. The having to switch between Bluetooth and Alexa is a little annoying, but it is far from breaking the deal.

If you want the Alexa speaker with a wonderful look that works well on your feet as in the garden (as long as it does not rain), I think that Fabriq is a convincing product of $ 99.

• Buy Fabriq Fever from Fabriq on the web

• Buy a fabriq choir from Amazon (Blue, White)

• Buy a fabriq choir from Target