Draft:SOUNDBOKS
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Last edited by Bearcat (talk | contribs) 15 days ago. (Update) |
Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. Soundax (talk) 16:29, 13 July 2026 (UTC)
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| Type | Private (ApS) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Audio equipment |
| Founded | 2014; incorporated 2015 |
| Founders | Jesper Theil Thomsen Christoffer Nyvold Hjalte Emil Wieth |
| Headquarters | , Denmark |
Area served | Worldwide (40+ countries) |
Key people | Jesper Theil Thomsen (CEO) |
| Products | Portable Bluetooth loudspeakers; audio-reactive lighting |
| Website | soundboks |
SOUNDBOKS (stylised in all capitals) is a Danish audio equipment company headquartered in Copenhagen that designs battery-powered portable Bluetooth loudspeakers marketed for outdoor and party use. Founded in 2014 by Jesper Theil Thomsen, Christoffer Nyvold and Hjalte Emil Wieth, the company grew from speakers built for the campsite of the Roskilde Festival into a direct-to-consumer brand selling in more than 40 countries.[1][2]
The company is known for products with high maximum sound pressure levels, user-swappable batteries and rugged enclosures, and for a multi-speaker wireless-linking feature. It reached international markets after taking part in the Y Combinator accelerator and a Kickstarter campaign in 2016.[3][4]
History
[edit]
SOUNDBOKS began in 2014 as a project by three friends who built loud, battery-powered speakers for the campsite of Denmark's Roskilde Festival. After advertising the speakers online they received around 400 orders and, according to Forbes, generated roughly US$300,000 in sales within three months, leading them to incorporate the company in 2015.[1] Early units were assembled by hand in small numbers.[2]
In 2016 the founders joined the Y Combinator Winter 2016 batch and launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised several hundred thousand US dollars in preorders, funding the first internationally distributed model.[3][4] The company subsequently raised about US$3 million in 2017 from investors including former Bang & Olufsen chief executive Tue Mantoni and Matthew Bellamy of Muse, and by 2023 had raised roughly US$21 million in total.[1][3] SOUNDBOKS expanded internationally through the late 2010s while keeping its headquarters in Copenhagen and adding operations in the United States.[1]
Products and technology
[edit]Speaker generations
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The product line has advanced through several generations. The first crowdfunded speaker (2016) offered Bluetooth, a swappable battery and a maximum output of about 119 decibels; a second generation followed in 2017.[2] The third generation (2019) raised maximum output to about 126 dB using three 72-watt Class-D amplifiers with two woofers and a tweeter, and added a bass "Pulse Reflex Port" and XLR/TRS inputs.[2][5] The company later broadened the range with the smaller Soundboks Go (2022), the fourth-generation Soundboks 4 (2023) and the compact Soundboks Mix (2026).[2][3][6]
| Model | Released | Max. output | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soundboks (Kickstarter) | 2016 | ~119 dB | First Bluetooth model; swappable battery |
| Soundboks (Gen 2) | 2017 | ~119 dB | Direct-to-consumer; powder-coated finish |
| Soundboks (Gen 3) | 2019 | ~126 dB | XLR/TRS inputs; Pulse Reflex Port |
| Soundboks Go | 2022 | ~119 dB | Smaller (~9.2 kg); 3.5 mm input |
| Soundboks 4 | 2023 | ~126 dB | Fourth-generation flagship |
| Soundboks Mix | 2026 | ~121 dB | Compact (~9 kg); Bluetooth 5.4 |
Design and technology
[edit]
SOUNDBOKS speakers use rugged polycarbonate/ABS cabinets with silicone corner protection and IP65-rated electronics. All models use removable battery modules that can be charged internally or externally, later revised to USB-C charging.[2][7] A feature marketed as "TeamUp" allows multiple units to play in synchronisation via the SKAA wireless protocol developed by Eleven Engineering, with one unit acting as host; a companion mobile app provides an equaliser and preset sound profiles.[8][5]
Lighting
[edit]In August 2025 the company released Lightboks, a portable, battery-powered audio-reactive light that synchronises its output to music in real time. It weighs about 1.75 kg, is IP65-rated, charges over USB-C and works with speakers of any brand.[9][10]
Critical reception
[edit]Reviewers have consistently identified loudness, durability, battery life and the swappable-battery system as the products' defining strengths, while premium pricing is the most common criticism.[11][12][13] Reviewing the Soundboks 4, Tom's Guide called it "not a one-trick pony", praising its clarity at low volumes as well as its outdoor loudness, and Forbes described it as "solidly built, rugged, loud (but with high quality audio performance)" and able to double as a guitar amplifier or public-address system.[11][12]
Critics generally agree the speakers are tuned for high-volume outdoor use over critical listening. The Soundboks Mix (2026) received broadly positive but qualified reviews: outlets praised its bass and battery life while noting its older Bluetooth 4.2 standard, limited inputs and price.[13] Reviewers also noted that the Mix omits the built-in lighting found on some competitors, a role the company fills with the separate Lightboks.[14]
Business and operations
[edit]SOUNDBOKS operates primarily as a direct-to-consumer brand, selling through its own website and shipping internationally, supplemented by selected retail and distribution partners.[3] The company is registered in Denmark as an Anpartsselskab (ApS) and retains its headquarters and design operations in Copenhagen.[1] In a 2023 interview, chief executive Jesper Theil Thomsen said the company had moved away from a growth-at-all-costs model toward slower, self-sustaining growth, describing its intention to behave more like a hardware manufacturer than a venture-backed startup.[3] The company emphasises product longevity through repairability: batteries, grilles and other parts are user-replaceable, and multiple generations of speaker share compatible battery modules.[2][7]
Brand and marketing
[edit]The brand is stylised in all capitals as SOUNDBOKS, while individual products are written in mixed case (for example, "Soundboks 4" and "Soundboks Mix"). Its marketing centres on outdoor gatherings, festivals and spontaneous social events rather than on audiophile listening, and it has cultivated an online and offline user community.[2][6] As a recurring design detail, the speakers' volume indicators are marked to "11", a reference to the film This Is Spinal Tap.[3]
Funding and finances
[edit]SOUNDBOKS is privately held and has been financed largely by angel investors alongside institutional backers including Copenhagen-based Heartcore Capital and Best Nights VC, the venture arm of Jägermeister. A June 2023 round of US$8.6 million brought reported total investment to approximately US$20.93 million.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Farmbrough, Heather (19 December 2017). "How A Young Danish Speaker Startup Took Off". Forbes. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Soundboks Go review: Bluetooth loud made more portable". New Atlas. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Burns, Matt (26 October 2023). "Soundboks is scaling high-volume, high-energy speakers across borders and cultures". TechCrunch. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b "Soundboks (YC W16) is Making the World's Loudest Battery-Powered Speaker". Y Combinator. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b "SOUNDBOKS (Gen. 3) review". SoundGuys. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b Sparrow, Mark (19 March 2026). "Soundboks Mix Is The Latest Party Speaker To Come From Denmark". Forbes. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b "Premium, Powerful, and (Just) Portable: SOUNDBOKS Go Bluetooth Speaker Review". GearJunkie. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ "The Soundboks Go offers loudspeaker sound in a more portable package". Engadget. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ "SOUNDBOKS Launches Lightboks: Music-Synced Lighting for Every Party". Magnetic Magazine. August 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ "SOUNDBOKS Lightboks Debuts as Portable Audio-Reactive Party Light". Gear Diary. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b Moon, Brad (18 November 2023). "Review: SOUNDBOKS 4, A Mammoth Bluetooth Performance Speaker". Forbes. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b "SOUNDBOKS 4 review". Tom's Guide. 13 January 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ a b "I just tested Soundboks' portable party speaker — and it's so close to being great". Tom's Guide. April 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
- ^ "Review: Soundboks Mix". LB Tech Reviews. 21 March 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
External links
[edit]Category:Audio equipment manufacturers Category:Companies based in Copenhagen Category:Danish companies established in 2014 Category:Consumer electronics brands Category:Loudspeaker manufacturers Category:Y Combinator companies