Orange has become the latest guitar amp brand to expand its consumer tech lineup with a range of Bluetooth speakers, debuting the Orange Box.
The Orange Box is available in two options. One is a battery-powered model that you can take to the park, beach, wherever. There other is the Orange Box-L, which is a larger speaker unit that is equipped with a subwoofer and is powered from the mains.
Both share the same aesthetic that has made Orange Amps such a recognisable presence on stages since the brand made its debut at the end of the ‘60s, with the late Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac an early adopter. You know what to expect; Orange or Black Tolex coverings, an “acoustically transparent” wheat-coloured grille cloth, a rugged build, a control panel that’s a little arcane but that’s part of the fun, and last but not most importantly a good sound.
With the Bluetooth speaker market presently contested by the likes of Fender and Marshall, the latter who were bought out by Swedish speaker company Zound in March, that sound is all important, and Orange says they’ve got something that no one else has, with the Orange Box’s speakers driven by both Class D and A/B analogue amplifiers.
What difference will this make? Well, Orange promises “controlled, tight, punchy bass and smooth, natural mids and highs” from the speakers.
The speakers are paired to your mobile device or laptop via Bluetooth 5 and are equipped with a warning light to let you know if you are driving the speakers too hard. The Bluetooth button also doubles as play/pause, so you don’t have to reach for your smartphone to stop/start the music.
There is also a 3.5mm aux input too, and the anti-tangle aux-in cable is supplied too. Under the hood, the Orange Box has a 4” bass driver is partnered with a pair of 2” high-frequency cones.
The Orange Boxes are definitely the apples that have fallen not far from the Orange tree – all things considered, they are pretty mighty. At 50-watts RMS, Orange says it is the most powerful in its class. The larger Orange Box-L has a 5” subwoofer is complemented by a pair of high-frequency cones and you can dial in a sound with the analogue EQ. It weighs 4.3kg. The Orange Box offers 15 hours of battery life from a full charge and weighs in at 3kg.
This might seem like a sideways step for the British amp brand but diversification and growing the brand in other markets has always been part of the Orange story. Way back in the day it made fully integrated Orange turntables.
In the digital era, Bluetooth speakers might reach a wider market. The Orange Box is priced £275 / $299. The Orange Box-L is £315 / $345. Orange is also selling a gig-bag carry case as an optional extra for the battery-powered Orange Box.
For more details, head over to Orange Amps.
