Audio Pro Addon C3 Portable Multiroom Speaker - Black

Product Information

This could be to accommodate the new removable mesh fabric grille, which is fixed with hidden magnets. It’s a more understated and contemporary aesthetic, and more usable too, with more buttons on the top. Another Award for Audio Pro is barely news anymore, but the fact this year the Drumfire displaced the Naim Mu-so – a product almost double the price we once heralded as the nearest to hi-fi we’d heard from a wireless speaker – as our most expensive champion in 2018 is proof it is operating on a different level to anything else around it. Play all the speakers at the same time or play them individually with their own content or music. Drag and drop to make groups and collaborate. Set the speaker you want to play and enjoy the thousands of music you have at your fingertips. You can also play music from old vinyl. Just connect your turntable to an Audio Pro addon C5 or C10 speaker and you can play some old school music in your gear. You can stream the music wirelessly to all the speakers in your setup. Audio Pro has also retuned the DSP settings, which it claims has enhanced the sonic character, but managed to keep the 30-hour battery life (at half volume; 12 hours at full volume) that has made this rugged speaker such an outdoor party favourite.

But it’s important to point out the Audio Pro is far from the most limited multi-room app out there, and its occasional bug and rudimentary nature is forgivable when you consider the price and sound quality of the speakers it's controlling. The C3 manages to sound weighty, delving deep and rendering each note with detail and texture. By multi-room speaker standards, this is a remarkably refined performance. Verdict Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 29th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.)

How we tested

C10 is something you don’t move sound often. The large speaker is superior to the others in terms of sound quality and loudness. It is for audiophiles and enthusiasts. It will go well in a large room where it will fit perfectly. In the middle is the C5 with its all-around performance. It has a small enough footprint but also performs well and gives a good bass response. It is perfect for people who want a good speaker but don’t want to break the bank. But the sleeker aesthetic does have some compromises. It means losing the ethernet port, the wi-fi/input switch and the 3.5mm aux in. The retro leather handle has also been scrapped, which makes lugging around the weighty MkII a much more arduous affair. Sized and shaped like an ashtray, the Link 1’s duties are to collect song selections from the app, connecting to your home network via either wi-fi or its ethernet input, and dispense via whichever output you have selected. As part of the C-Series, you can link together several speakers for effortless, multi-room sound. Controlled via a dedicated app, setting a multi-speaker system up around your home is easy. Thanks to Internet connection via Wi-Fi, there’s no need for any wires between rooms, either. Even more impressively, you can incorporate old Bluetooth-only Addon speakers*, by using a C3, C5 or C10 as a parent speaker. (*Audio Pro ADDON Link 1 required for function support).

Despite these changes, the Move shares enough of Sonos' design DNA to slip comfortably into its product line-up. The gently curved sides and metal grille are typical of the brand, although the silicone rubber covered section at the bottom that houses the speaker’s down-firing tweeter and new wave guide does rather stand out. Though there is a pair of unknown quantities in the Audio Pro line-up as far as we’re concerned – the Addon C-Sub can help those smaller speakers delve deeper into the low frequencies, while the A40 is set to receive a wider release following its design for the company’s 40th anniversary– our time spent with the rest of the company’s speakers allows us to confidently celebrate it as the best-sounding multi-room suite available for the money. They time with metronomic precision, but temper it with the kind of dynamic sense that captures rhythmic emphasis nicely. And that dynamic expression is a strong positive over the speakers’ entire performance, able to reflect lavish shifts and subtle nuance alike. It simply does everything right, and without fuss. Without losing its predecessor's impeccable timing, the new C10 MkII offers a slightly more even presentation. We stream Daniel Avery and Alessandro Cortini’s Illusion Of Time and are treated to a neutral and transparent presentation where each musical passage and atmospheric element is given its due diligence. Leading edges of notes throughout the more lyrical passages are clearer and more perceptible.

Audio Pro Addon C3 Multiroom Speaker: The Verdict

Small in size, big on sound, the C3 delivers astonishing audio quality for its size. The plan for Audio Pro’s Addon wireless speaker line has been straightforward. Finish the regular Bluetooth models’ architecture and sound quality, then release multi-room versions of the same speakers. It might be simple but it’s very effective. This device is an aesthetically pleasing speaker that will complement any decor. It’s a discreet speaker that can match any aesthetic thanks to its understated design and variety of color options. Also, the high-quality materials used in its construction guarantee the speaker’s longevity and robust performance. Sound Quality Living with the app is a slightly different proposition, though. In some ways it’s simple –‘drag and drop’ to partner or separate speakers, either in stereo pairs or multi-room zones, and tweak the bass and treble at your leisure. But it can be a little buggy, and is certainly limited compared to most rival systems.

For the ultimate in speaker control, each drive unit is driven by a dedicated digital amplifier. With 15 watts for the bass unit and 5 watts to each tweeter, a total power output of 25 watts is on hand to give generous, room-filling sound. As much as anything else, your chosen path for migration to multi-room should be about whose speakers you want around your house. For us, Audio Pro makes that particular decision admirably simple. The Audio Pro Addon C3 perfectly blends contemporary and traditional styles. The speaker’s rectangular design is simple and sophisticated, thanks to its rounded corners. On top of the sub is the second part of the Drumfire’s set-up, containing two 11cm woofers and a 25mm tweeter. This box has an RCA input for an external analogue source, as well as an ethernet port and 3.5mm input. It’s difficult to imagine a less stressful set-up procedure. The Audio Pro app seeks out all available products connected to the home network (with the option of adding those not already tethered manually), and they are then all there to manipulate as you wish.If you’re looking for a powerful yet portable wireless speaker, go nо further than the Audio Pro Addon C3. It’s an excellent choice for individuals seeking a portable speaker with a wide range of applications thanks to its many connectivity choices, extended battery life, and ability to play in multiple rooms simultaneously.