Teenage Engineering’s OB-4 is far from a typical Bluetooth speaker — it offers a lot more functionality.
Teenage Engineering creates distinctive products that merge art and music, and I’ve been a dedicated user of its synthesizers for quite some time. My journey began with the budget-friendly PO synths, progressing to the OP-1 field, which uniquely differentiates itself with its design and hardware interface.
In the realm of phone design, Teenage Engineering is widely recognized for its partnership with Nothing, and newer releases like the Phone 4a clearly exhibit the evolution of that distinctive design philosophy.
Thus, it’s not surprising that when Teenage Engineering embarked on the creation of a Bluetooth speaker, it would diverge from the norm of what’s currently on the market. The OB-4 launched over five years ago, yet the speaker remains popular due to its innovative design and features that are truly one-of-a-kind.
I’ll touch on those features shortly, but first, let’s take a high-level look at the OB-4. As one would expect from Teenage Engineering, the design is quite original, with the OB-4 fashioned to resemble a retro boom box — the carrying handle reinforces this design element. The overall aesthetic is quite chic, and I appreciate the red color variant I chose; it enables the OB-4 to visibly stand out among the other Bluetooth speakers in my home.
Weighing in at a manageable 3.75lb (1.7kg), the handle makes it convenient to transport anywhere — the boxy shape is advantageous in this specific context. The handle also functions as a stand and encapsulates the built-in radio antenna, but more on that later. While the overall design is eye-catching, it is susceptible to scratches; after four months of usage, I notice tiny scratches on the surface.
The build quality is otherwise excellent, and I encountered no issues with the OB-4 during my time using it. The speaker features dual 4-inch drivers along with two tweeters, providing surprisingly detailed sound. In contrast to Bose’s speakers, the OB-4 isn’t calibrated for a neutral sound signature, instead delivering a bass-forward audio experience that’s enjoyable in its own right. If you prefer a neutral sound, you’ll have to opt for the Bose SoundLink Max.
Now, much of this is fairly conventional for this category, but it’s the additional features that truly elevate the OB-4’s profile. Let’s dive in.
You can tune in to local FM radio stations
Alongside Bluetooth connectivity and a 3.5mm input, the OB-4 comes equipped with an FM radio tuner, which is just plain enjoyable for accessing local FM stations. There’s a built-in antenna that coils around the handle, and although the signal fluctuates significantly depending on your environment, it’s a refreshing experience to listen to radio on the OB-4.
While 3.5mm is quite standard, it allows me to connect my OP-1 field to the OB-4, resulting in an effective pairing.
Instant rewind brings instant nostalgia
One of the standout features on the OB-4 is its built-in tape mode, which enables automatic rewinding — you can utilize this function with FM broadcasts as well. Essentially, the OB-4 continuously records whatever is playing, allowing you to rewind. The rolling two-hour recordings is not something you’ll use all the time, but it’s such a fun feature that I found myself rewinding tracks merely for the nostalgic factor.
It includes built-in ambient sounds — and can be used as a sampler
Disk mode on the OB-4 is distinctive with its collection of unique sounds. There’s an ambient mode, noise generator, metronome, and a karma mode featuring spiritual sounds — it’s quirky enough that I personally didn’t return to this mode after the initial test.
That said, the ambient mode and noise generator functions are quite useful, and you also receive the capability to create audio loops, transforming it into a respectable sampler.
The physical controls are genuinely enjoyable
Yes, I concede that Teenage Engineering isn’t the only brand featuring physical controls on their devices — I frequently use Marshall’s Kilburn and Stanmore — but the controls on the OB-4 are wonderfully eccentric. The volume knob protrudes from the main body and is user-friendly, but the rewind function requires you to manually turn the dial.
There are also physical buttons for switching between connection options and cycling through various selections available in disk mode. Many Bluetooth devices include a gauge to indicate remaining battery life. The OB-4 has this as well, but you must tilt it forward and backward for it to appear, adding just the perfect touch of quirkiness.
The OB-4 is distinctively unique in all the best ways
The OB-4 is priced at $579 on Amazon and $599 for the red variant, which is considerably more than most mainstream Bluetooth speakers. Nevertheless, the OB-4 is
