The X26 Is A Decent Speaker For The Price, But There Are Some Noteworthy Shortfalls
If you stumbled across the Comiso X26 while browsing Amazon but want to know how the speaker is worth buying you’ve come to the right place. We put this speaker through a comprehensive testing gauntlet.
Like you, I’ve seen this speaker around and with it having over 20,000 reviews on Amazon, I wanted to see whether it lived up to the hype. I thoroughly used this speaker around the home and garden for a few days and compared it with similar-priced alternatives to see how it stands up to the competition.
Key Takeaways:
- The 360-degree sound design works effectively, sending audio in all directions.
- Battery performance falls short of claims, but inline with similar competitors.
- Durability, including the level of waterproofing are a concern for serious outdoorsmen.
- Easy to use controls with track skipping shortcuts.
Comiso X26
The Bottom Line
The X26 is a mixed bag. While its low price point and 360-degree sound are alluring, the audio lacks the dynamics of other recent modern releases, like the JBL Clip 5, Go 4, or Soundcore’s Select 4 Go, meaning the speaker sounds good until the volume is turned up. Its weather resistance also falls short of the modern market standards in 2025. Still, at under $40, this speaker isn’t without merit.
What I Like:
- Sounds basically the same from every angle.
- Lightweight and easy to carry.
- Can get relatively loud (86dB).
- Competitive battery life of around 12 to 13 hours.
What I Don’t Like:
- Grille collects debris easily.
- Lack of dynamic range causes audio to distort at high volume.
- IPX5 water resistance falls short of the current IP67 industry standard.
The Comiso X26 Is Small And Lightweight, Making It Versatile
The Comiso X26 is a compact and lightweight speaker, weighing less than a pound. The size is interesting, cause it’s smaller than the popular JBL Flip 6 [Available on Amazon] and UE Boom 4, but it’s larger than other smaller speakers like the JBL Go 4 [Available on Amazon] or Sony XB-100.
Unlike most speakers of its size, it’s made to sit upright rather than lay on its side, which comes with some benefits and a few drawbacks. The biggest benefit is that it allows for a wide sound spread which is great for group listening.
A subtle LED light spans across the top of the speaker just under the controls, which manages to add a touch of ambiance, especially in an otherwise dark room.
There’s also the option to choose either a black or white model, which is useful for those looking to match their decor.
I like the addition of the rubber carry loop at the top of the speaker, which provides just a bit more safety when carrying the speaker around. If you’re looking for music on the go, it can also be attached to a carabiner and then hung from a backpack or belt loop.
One area that concerns me a little is the grille design, which has small holes that easily collect dust and debris. This wouldn’t be a big concern if it had more robust weather protection, but with an IPX5 rating, I’m hesitant to clear the grille out with a powered hose and fear it may damage the speaker. Blowing it can help, but that usually transfers the dust from the grille into the interior of the speaker, which isn’t ideal.
Durability Could Be Improved, Particularly In Its Weather Protection
In 2025, it’s common for speakers this size to come with pretty comprehensive weather protection, either IPX7 or IP67 (which includes dust protection). The Comiso X26 is still water-resistant, but only against light rain and a gentle stream of water. This means no high-pressure hoses to clean it off.
I don’t find this a deal breaker, especially if you’re looking to use the speaker primarily indoors or if you find yourself rarely going out in the rain. But I’d not be comfortable using it on the edge of a pool for instance.
In terms of physical durability, the grille is moderately firm – but dropping it from more than a meter could easily cause it to dent. The area on the top of the speaker, that runs around the control panel is also made from plastic, which I also worry will break if dropped onto a hard surface.
Simple Controls That Do Everything One Needs, In One Spot
All the controls are located at the top of the speaker and include volume controls, play/pause, power, and multi-speaker pairing.
A cool feature of the X26 is that the volume controls also double as track controls. Hold down the volume up to skip forward and hold down the volume down to skip backward. While this may seem standard, the reality is a lot of budget-focused Bluetooth speakers require you to make track changes with the phone and don’t have shortcut buttons for it.
The speaker also gives an audible beep when the volume is maxed out.
Bluetooth 5.1 Delivers Reliable Connectivity
The X26 was recently upgraded to Bluetooth 5.1, to improve performance, and during testing, I found it was pretty reliable in holding a connection, even between two neighboring rooms. There were also zero issues in getting the speaker connected, it was as simple as turning it on and clicking connect.
Mobile App Support
Like many lesser-known brands, this speaker doesn’t have a companion app, a feature manufacturers have to invest significant amounts of money into. This limits how easy it is to adjust how the speaker sounds, but can still be done through third-party EQ apps.
Clear Sound At Moderate Volume And Distortion At High Volume Throws A Spanner In The Works
Audio performance on the Comiso X26 is a little mixed, there are areas where it does well and other areas where it would benefit from improvement.
The good parts? At moderate volume levels, the speaker sounds clear, especially in the vocals.
The 360-degree sound design is also effective, and no matter which way the speaker is facing, everyone around will get a similar sound. This makes it well-suited to small groups of friends.
In contrast, the areas where this speaker struggles are in aspects like dynamic performance, where too many varying frequencies in the mix can cause it to become slightly distorted and reduce the clarity.
It does a good job producing clear vocals within hip-hop and a lot of pop music, but when I played metal tracks, I found the more complex soundscapes would be too much for the speaker to maintain the same clarity. This caused the guitars and vocals to lack separation, which made them sound distorted. This is exacerbated by volume and the louder you make the speaker, the more distortion will creep in with these denser production styles.
For increased sound coverage, the X26 can be paired together with another X26 in a wireless stereo connection, improving soundstage and volume.
Overall, if you’re using this speaker indoors you’ll be able to get away with listening at lower volume levels that produce more clarity. However, in outdoor environments where more volume is needed, you may encounter a lack of overall quality.
This frequency response measurement I took shows a visual representation of how this speaker sounds. It indicates a lack of bass, with some inconsistencies across the frequency range. Overall, it’s not terrible, as the majority of the midrange lies fairly close to neutral, this is what causes the strong vocal performance.
Enough Volume To Fill A Small Room, But Not With Crisp Detailed Audio
In terms of raw volume potential, this little speaker can get very loud. It’s able to easily fill a small room with sound.
I used a professional measuring microphone to test the exact decibels produced at 1 meter and found it produced an impressive 85 to 87dB, which is similar to that of the JBL Go 4, Clip 5 [Available on Amazon] and Soundcore’s Select 4 Go.
However, the real caveat here is that the speaker significantly loses quality past 80 to 85% volume.
Battery Life Falls Short Of Manufacturer Claims But Still Doesn’t Suck
The listed playtime for this speaker is 24 hours, which is only accurate if played at low volume. I found that at 50% volume, I was able to get between 12 and 13 hours of playtime on a single charge.
Compared to other similar-sized speakers, this battery life is impressive, surpassing that of the JBL Go 4 for instance.
Charging is done via USB-C, and the port is located on the back bottom of the speaker, behind a weather seal.
Price & Value
Overall, I can see why this speaker is popular. It’s affordable and it sounds pretty decent at moderate volume. However, is it the best value for money out there? It depends on what you want from your speaker.
The subtle lighting effect and 360-degree sound are going to appeal to some people, but the sub-par water resistance and distortion at higher volumes are noteworthy drawbacks that warrant consideration.
While it doesn’t have the lights or the 360-degree sound, the Soundcore Select 4 Go [Available on Amazon] is also worth considering, with its IP67 waterproofing and even more affordable price tag.
Comiso X26
The Comiso X26 is a popular budget Bluetooth speaker that's available for under $40. But does its real world performance align with the thousands of positive reviews on Amazon? We tested it to find out, here's what we noticed.
Product Brand: Comiso
3.3
Pros
- Sounds basically the same from every angle.
- Lightweight and easy to carry.
- Can get relatively loud (86dB).
- Competitive battery life of around 12 to 13 hours.
Cons
- Grille collects debris easily.
- Lack of dynamic range causes audio to distort at high volume.
- IPX5 water resistance falls short of the current IP67 industry standard.
