Teufel Motiv Go: this speaker goes on and on

Portable bluetooth speakers often face a difficult task. Because you want portability without compromising on sound quality. Where “fixed speakers” can be as large as needed for the best sound, a portable speaker must achieve the same in a much smaller package. Fortunately, the Teufel Motiv Go a small powerhouse with an ingenious stereo technique.

Small is beautiful

The Motiv Go is certainly manageable. With a width of 20, height of 11 and a maximum depth of 6 centimeters and a weight of just under a kilo, you can easily take this speaker with you from room to room. Or outside, because it is splash-proof with an IPX5 value. To guarantee this watertightness, the buttons are provided with a rubber layer on top and the recess on the side – for the charger and an auxiliary cable – is also provided with a cover. The entire front is covered with fabric and the bottom of the aluminum housing is slightly deeper than the top. The Teufel Motiv Go is available in black and silver. A very robust and above all chic appearance.

Inside, the Motiv Go has two full-range drivers, passive membranes for (extra) bass… and a microphone. When you receive a call, you can have the conversation through the speaker. Afterwards, the music will immediately turn on again. Don’t forget the built-in battery, which, according to Teufel, can deliver up to 16 hours of music on a single charge. We have not kept it to the second, but believe this immediately. In a week, we only had to connect the Motiv Go to the charger twice. And we play music almost constantly.

As soon as you switch on the speaker for the first time, it will search for a Bluetooth signal and with a few taps in the menu of the same name on your iPhone, it is paired. If you want to pair another device for party mode, you can do so via the Bluetooth button on the side. On top we find a power button, a button for Dynamore mode, the playback buttons back, play / pause and next, and finally the buttons for volume down and up. The operation is thus intuitive, although the rubber layer sometimes ensures that a careful click is not registered. Good impressions are necessary.

Location-dependent sound

The place where you place a speaker has consequences for the sound. That is why it is always a bit difficult to assess with a portable speaker like the Motiv Go. Of course, the manufacturer does everything it can to get the sound quality as high as possible in various situations. Teufel has succeeded quite well. The sound that comes out of the speaker ranges from neat to grand, depending on the room in which you place the speaker. At the very least you get a somewhat woolly and bassy sound image, at best the Motiv Go sounds just as good as a set of fixed speakers. The latter is certainly impressive.

Teufel has also added the so-called Dynamore technology to this speaker. With the push of a button, you switch on an extra wide stereo reproduction. And it works wonders for the sound. As if the Motiv Go has suddenly become a meter and a half wide, this really seems to come from both sides. This brings an enormous depth to the mix, whereby the low, middle and high are given a lot of space to develop. Again, the power and effectiveness depends on the space – and partly on your favorite genre of music. In any case, it is useful that you can choose from two sound modes, so that you can judge what sounds best for each situation. After we activated the Dynamore mode, however, we hardly switched it off.

Conclusion

Sound quality, portability, battery life, durability and ease of use: that’s what a portable speaker is judged on. If you add that entire package together, the Teufel Motiv Go will get a big “go” from us!