TechRadar Verdict
The House of Marley Get Together Duo is an ambitious if flawed pair of speakers. They look to the future with all the eco-friendly materials used. And, they can be used as both computer or portable speakers. But, their sound quality is a bit muddy, Bluetooth is a bit too laggy, and some of the controls are a bit too complicated.
Eco-friendly materials, attractive aesthetic
Can be used in many different situations
Solid battery life for a portable unit
Somewhat muddy, bass-heavy sound
Bluetooth is too laggy for use with video or games
Can be complicated to use in stereo when wired
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House of Marley Get Together Duo: One-minute review
The House of Marley Get Together Duo were created by someone either experiencing an identity crisis or someone that was overly ambitious. There has probably never been an audio product that’s left us with more mixed feelings than these speakers. It’s not all bad but it’s not all good either as the Duo exemplify the saying “a jack-of-all-trades is a master of none.”
Of course, if you prefer the original full saying “a jack-of-all-trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one,” you’ll appreciate the versatility of the House of Marley Get Together Duo. After all, they function ascomputer speakers, bookshelf speakers that can pair via Bluetooth with a certain House of Marley turntable that we didn’t review here, or be used as aportable speaker(though that’s really only true for one of the two units).
While we weren’t necessarily wowed by the House of Marley Get Together Duo, you shouldn’t necessarily write them off. After checking out the rest of this review, you might find that they’re actually perfect for you and the things that bothered us may not be an issue for you.
House of Marley Get Together Duo: Price and availability
Frequency range:20-20,000 HzDrivers:4.5-inch full range, 1-inch tweeterSupported Connectivity:Bluetooth 5.0Audio Inputs:3.5mm, RCAOutputs:None
At $169.99 / £179.99 / AU$299, the House of Marley Get Together Duo are not quite in the budget range but certainly affordable. Of course, you must consider what you want to use them for when considering how much value they offer.
If you only plan on using them for your computer and don’t plan on taking advantage of the portable speaker functionality, something like theLogitech Z407might be a better choice. It will set you back less as it’s only $119.99 (£119.99 / AU$249.95), also comes with Bluetooth functionality, and sounds a little less muddy. There are other speakers as well, such as some ofEdifier’sofferings that are much slimmer in features but sound solid and cost less than these House of Marley speakers.
Strangely enough, if you do plan on taking advantage of that portable speaker, then you would end up spending a similar amount for an alternative with the same battery life, such as theJBL Charge 5, which costs $179 (£159 / AU$229). So, for just a little less, the House of Marley Get Together Duo provide an extra speaker and plenty more functionality, though the JBL Charge 5 does have a more balanced sound.
House of Marley Get Together Duo: Design
With dimensions of 7.9 x 4.1 x 5.1 inches, the House of Marley Get Together Duo are smaller than the average bookshelf speaker but bigger than many computer speakers. So, they don’t take up too much desk space while still providing a little more oomph and low-end (more on that later).
Aesthetically, they have a more organic look than most computer speakers, reflecting their eco-friendly approach. Most of the materials used here are of the sustainable variety. The front and back of the units are covered in bamboo while the top, bottom and sides are covered in a fabric made from recyclable materials. Even the packaging is fully recyclable.
While we’re not quite sure why the sides are covered in fabric instead of bamboo, it does make for a striking wood-on-black colorway (unless you have a cat. The fabric does attract pet hair quite easily). To add to the look, there are silicon buttons (made of upcycled materials) on top of each speaker in white.
Speaking of, the buttons don’t take too much pressure to push and are pretty responsive in use. Both speakers have the same array of buttons: volume up, volume down, Bluetooth, and Power. There are also two LED lights in line with the buttons.
However, navigating them for certain functionalities can be a pain. For example, if you want to use the speakers in stereo with an RCA connection, you have to turn on the left speaker using a long press of the power button. Then, you have to short-press twice on the same power button to select the RCA input. Only then, can you power up the right speaker? Once that’s on, you have to long-press the Bluetooth button on the left speaker for the two speakers to pair together.
Quite a pain just to use an analog connection, which we needed to do when using these as computer speakers. Why was that necessary? The House of Marley Get Together Duo has three different types of connectivity: Bluetooth, RCA, and Aux in (3.5mm). Though Bluetooth is the most convenient, it suffers from latency noticeable enough that we couldn’t use it for video, which is strange as it’s supposed to be Bluetooth 5.0.
House of Marley Get Together Duo: Performance
Unless you’re trying to power a house party, there’s more than enough volume on tap with the House of Marley Get Together Duo. It gets plenty loud. So, whether you’re using it for a computer setup, a small get-together, or even in a listening room paired with the House of Marley’s Stir It Up turntable, you won’t be wanting for volume.
Where you may be a little disappointed is in these speakers’ sound quality. We definitely had higher expectations. It’s hard to say that they just sound bad. But, they have a very colored sound quality that has an outsized low-end (though not a lot of sub-bass extension as there’s no subwoofer). Frequencies sitting between the low and mid-range in particular are very pronounced, almost overwhelming the rest of the frequency range, to the point where we can hear a frequency somewhere in there resonating inside the speaker cabinets.
The rest of the mid-range is similarly a little too full sounding while the high-end is barely there. We don’t find the high-end to sound veiled or muffled but it is a bit weak. In essence, the sound quality is somewhat muddy and seems to be the kind of frequency range someone who wanted to listen to house music would design (though probably with more high-end).
While we’re not blown away by the Get Together Duo’s sound quality, their ability to function as a portable speaker is a nice addition that somewhat makes up for the lackluster, though not terrible, sound. Yes, you can only use the right speaker as a portable speaker but it offers 20 hours of use before needing to charge which is more than most portable speakers. And, since it is a bit bigger than most portable units, it offers more volume.
Should I buy the House of Marley Get Together Duo?
Buy it if…
You want an eco-conscious productOnly a few companies have made a concerted effort to produce eco-friendly products. The House of Marley has certainly done that with the Get Together Duo.
You want versatilityThe House of Marley Get Together Duo can be used as computer speakers, bookshelf speakers, and a portable speaker.
You want multiple forms of connectivityWith Bluetooth, RCA, and a 3.5mm Aux in, you have multiple ways to use them.
Don’t buy it if…
You like balanced audioThe sound quality is, in our opinion, muddy. There are plenty of alternatives with a more balanced sound.
You need Bluetooth for videoThe Bluetooth connectivity has a latency issue. If you’re just listening to music, that’s not an issue. But, for any other use, it is.
Also consider
Fluance Ai41They might be expensive for computer speakers but they’re worth every penny. The Fluance Ai41 have a deep, rich sound that will make you forget they’re just a pair of active bookshelf speakers. And, while they won’t fill a room, they will significantly upgrade any computer’s audio.
Read our fullFluance Ai41 review
SteelSeries Arena 9If you’re a gamer, then surround sound is something that you want as part of the experience. Instead of using a pair of headphones, you can get the real deal with the SteelSeries Arena 9. Of course, they cost double the Fluance Ai41, but they come with a total of six speakers including a subwoofer and rear speakers.
Read our fullSteelSeries Arena 9 review
Logitech Z407While the Fluance Ai41 are going to sound a bit better, the Logitech Z407 are the ideal 2.1 system to use with a computer setup. They sound good, have USB connectivity, and take up much less deskspace.
Read our fullLogitech Z407 review
House of Marley Get Together Duo: Report card
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James Holland loves checking out gadgets of all sorts, whether it’s audio equipment, laptops, or vacuums (especially of the robot variety), and does so for a number of Future Publications including TechRadar, Top Ten Reviews, Homes & Gardens, and T3. He’s built up an expertise for in-depth reviewing over the last four years. When he’s not putting in the work on the latest tech, he loves to travel, play music, and eat questionable food.
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