More and more wireless party speakers are coming to the market. It’s time to take a look at one that has done it right. When first looking at the ION Pathfinder 2 I thought that there was some features that were not designed for me.

Cup holders? Why would I need cup holders and when would I ever use that? Well it turns out the first thing I did was use this for some music while I chopped down a tree. With some uneven grass, I had to have some place to put my drink and sure enough  I had that place. The other cup holder has always been a great place to put my phone when I’m working.

A Microphone? I never figured myself for the MC type, so I didn’t figure I would make use of the microphone it came (which is nice quality by the way) with. Then I hosted a retirement party. Turns out talking to 74 people at once out in the yard is a little easier when you have a loud speaker with a microphone. After that, I found myself with many uses for it.

Next I wanted to look at the bold claims that the company has about the battery “100-hour rechargeable battery“. This is nuts and surely not going to last that long. With all of the snow and rain I haven’t had 100 hours outside using it yet, but i’m somewhere in the 24-29 hour time frame with 80-100% volume with bass boost and it still shows 3/4 bars. I realize that the last 30% of a battery will go down faster, but even if only lasted another 30 hours I would still consider this a smashing success considering the volume and usage out of it. I can’t imagine any scenario that will drain this battery before I can charge it again.

battery level after 25+ hours of usage

I have a Sondpex system, and I never felt like it was something that was necessary for me to have. If it broke or had any issues I probably wouldn’t have replaced it. When I got the Pathfinder 2 I only expected it to be a louder version of the Sondpex; thats where I was wrong. With the different situations that this has made easier or just plain better, I think this is now one of those required items in my life.

So what are the final thoughts about the ION:

  • Obviously I love it. couldn’t make that much clearer
  • Great sound, making yard work much better to deal with
  • Great microphone making hosting events a little easier
  •  ridiculous battery, I didn’t think it could have possibly lasted as long as it has with 75% left

So what doesn’t it do; not everything can be perfect and this is a part of everything:

  • At 100 Watts of power this isn’t the loudest speaker out there
  • That’s it

Final Thoughts – ION has been building these longer than I’ve been using them, and they knew what I wanted before I wanted it. The price for this is less than many other party speakers out there, and though it isn’t the loudest  I feel like it is well worth the cost.  If you are curious about a party speaker or wireless speaker this won’t just be another toy to have around, this will be an integral part of your outside life.