MONSTER VMAY TV outdoor speaker test – reminiscent of the 1980s, but with better technology and less lugging around

1 - Introduction, scope of delivery and technical data 2 - Manual Englisch / German 3 - Look and feel plus features 4 - Connectivity, battery, user experience and conclusion

Unboxing and functionality

After all, 8 kilos is no fun for thin children’s arms, not even when lifting it out of the box. The manufacturer has packed all sorts of things into the case, right down to the lead-acid battery, which I’ll come back to in a moment. In terms of design, it’s almost cyberpunk and I couldn’t resist taking a photo or two later on. But first I unpack the thing and find the look and feel quite appealing. In terms of price and origin. The device is aimed at users who are looking for a combination of mobile entertainment and robust outdoor design. In terms of price, it is almost in the higher segment, which could possibly be a limitation for price-conscious buyers.

01 View Front

02 View Front Right

03 Vide Side

04 View Right Rear

05 View Rear

06 View Rear Left

07 View Left

08 View Front Left

What we have in front of us after lifting it out is a portable outdoor speaker with an integrated 15.6-inch Full HD screen and a TV or FM tuner. The device therefore combines the functions of a TV and a relatively powerful speaker in a relatively compact, splash-proof housing. Apart from the screw-on battery compartment and the cable box with the HDMI, USB and antenna connections, everything is seamlessly pressed together.

The device is at least IPX4-certified, which means that it can withstand a few drops and is therefore ideal for outdoor use. Of course, it is not suitable for use in the pool or under water and it is unlikely to survive a heavy downpour for long. I had already forgotten the device on the balcony and it got completely wet at the back and at least damp and dripping at the top. Wiped it off, waited – it still worked. At least the rubber caps on the upper inlets did their job perfectly. Speaking of the panel…

In principle, you can access all the control functions provided by the electronics. The OSD takes care of the rest, although some of the complex functions can be accessed directly via the remote control (e.g. aspect ratio, which I find extremely important). Anyone who jumps back and forth between the TV app and YouTube app will know what I mean. Everything is displayed without borders.

This also applies to brightness and color tone. The channel selection of the TV and FM tuner is well-known and self-explanatory, so I don’t have to write much about it (see also the manual on page 2). And the first thing to do anyway is to select the language.

Display

Which brings us to the screen. The Monster VMAY has a 15.6-inch IPS screen with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), which delivers sharp and clear images. The IPS panel ensures wide viewing angles and consistent color reproduction so that several people can watch at the same time without any problems. The brightness is ok and you can still see something on the anti-glare display in very bright environments. This is also significantly worse. However, the runtime also suffers a little when the brightness is turned up to full and the advertised up to 8 hours sometimes only becomes 4 hours at higher volumes. However, the device managed this without complaint. With normal brightness and volume, it was a good 6 hours. Fits.

Sound quality and volume

The claim of 60 watts is of course technical nonsense, it’s like the 120 watt P.M.P.O. on the old Typhoon PC speakers with a 10 watt plug-in power supply. Based purely on the sound pressure level and comparable boom boxes, I would estimate the RMS output at around 5 to 6 watts per channel, which the 3″ full-range speakers deliver quite full-bodied and, above all, present. However, with a total of 10 to 12 watts RMS, you can achieve quite decent volumes, especially in closed rooms.

Outside, within a radius of perhaps 15 meters, it’s enough for a solid argument with the neighbors. I can’t judge the karaoke function, I’m too old for that. But if you need it, it’s included. The lack of DAB is a real shame. However, almost all Chinese models have precisely this shortcoming. I’ll come back to connectivity and the battery on the next page, as there’s no need to go on and on.