Audio Pro Drumfire II Review
Audio Pro Drumfire II
Audio Pro has taken aim recently at the multi-room speaker segment and looks to challenge the dominance of Sonos. Their means of doing this is via their Drumfire speakers I was impressed with the original but now we have the Audio Pro Drumfire MKII in for review. It’s an interesting concept with modular units that can be used to provide wireless multi-room sound throughout your home. In this review, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of the speaker as well as discussing what it is like to use the base and subwoofer together although we will also talk about its merits as a stand-alone speaker as they are available to purchase separately.
Audio Pro Drumfire MKII Specification:
The Drumfire MKII is a modular unit based on the success of the original version some significant upgrades have been made while sticking with the same popular design. It can be used as a regular speaker and tweeter (named the Drumfire D2) or in combination with the subwoofer attached. When in the stand-alone mode it handles the full spectrum of sound from highs to lows. When used with the subwoofer the low end is handed over to the sub to provide bass with the top unit acting as midrange and tweeter setups.
Dimensions: 655mm tall (in combination) the top unit is 155mm and the base is 500mm. Depth and width are the same on both units at 190mm and 365mm respectively ensuring they can be used stacked.
Drivers: The top unit has 2 4-inch drivers and 2 one-inch drivers while the subwoofer unit contains a single 8-inch driver.
Inputs: Wifi (2.4ghz only), Bluetooth, Auxillary 3.5mm
Frequency response: 45-22000 Hz, 30-120 Hz
Codec Support: AAC, FLAC, MP3, WMA, and more
Control and Configuration: Audiopro App
Colors: White - Gray - Black
Build and Aesthetic Observations
The Drumfire MkII is very well made of speakers with a refined finish and good overall build quality however aesthetically I found them to be a bit boring and somewhat clunky looking. Especially sitting next to my Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A9.
To make the speakers fit together Audio Pro keeps the same boxy design similar to that found on guitar amplifiers. It has matching width and depth that allows them to be stacked while maintaining true lines. Material choices feel premium with a leather-style finish and stitching combined with soft fabric grills that are removable.
The enclosures must have some serious heft to them because the speakers combined weighed in excess of 16kg on our scales. The subwoofer is particularly sturdy to reduce the amount of resonance inside the box.
The rear of the speaker is not so well designed and it’s not decorated similarly to a PA speaker. I would have liked to see the back of the speaker be finished the same as the sides to improve the aesthetic because in this style they have to be placed against a wall.
On the back, you also find the inputs. They are not configured the same on the top and bottom units. The sub is designed to be attached to a base unit to function and the inputs for that are found on this piece. There you will find left and right channel inputs for attaching a CD player or Reciever, a port for attaching the subwoofer to the main, an ethernet port for wired connection to the router if you don’t wish to use wifi, and finally the power connector.
On the subwoofer, you have only input for the power and the connection to the base unit. However, there are switches to enable auto-on functionality as well as phase. Then to the right, you find two dials that help you dial in the level of bass you desire.
The App (Audio Pro Control)
To maximize the functionality of the MkII you need to download the Audio Pro Control app from your respective app store.
This app allows you to connect the speakers in your home and name them accordingly. Detection was almost instantaneous as was the connection.
Once connected you have some control over the speaker’s sound setting in way of bass and treble adjustments. It’s a fairly limited EQ and something Audio Pro should enhance in the future to perhaps include a 10-band EQ of some sort. You can select individual speakers and their volume as well as put them on standby or timeout.
The main reason for the app of course is to centralize your audio streaming apps. Everything I wanted was supported inside the App (Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, Iheart, Qobuxx, Alex, Deezer, and Vtuner) but they also allow you to connect your locally hosted input from this source.
Audio Pro Drumfire Sound
The sound quality is right around what you would expect for the money. First I want to talk about my experience with the base unit alone. Used by itself it’s a very detailed and clear-sounding speaker with great tonality. Easily on a par with similarly priced models from Klipsch and Bose if not actually a tad more refined.
It was a joy to use and I can see people opting for only the base unit in a bedroom, kitchen, or study while also having a base unit and subwoofer combination in the living or lounge room.
When combined with the subwoofer the sound becomes completely different. Fuller, deep and harder hitting. Relieving the top unit of bass duties opens up the sound and I could describe it as powerful. Sub-bass quantity is where you see the most benefit and the speaker is able to produce very hard-hitting notes and sustain them.
A lot to do with how they sound together will depend on both the location in the room as well as the materials. In smaller rooms, the bass was slightly dominant in a way that it didn’t complement jazz or even EDM. When used in a more open space the balance was better which is another reason I advise using it in an open area for maximum benefit. One solution is also to dial back the bass quantity using the controls, but ultimately bass is a very user-taste-dependent aspect of sound bassheads may enjoy the Drumfire without manipulation.
The clarity and cohesion test showed it to be one of the better performers in its class when tasked with replicating crowded and complicated tracks like Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Instrumentation never sounding congested the Drumfire was able to keep pace without tripping over itself and becoming muddy. Yes, we lack stereo separation for full effect but that is a drawback of design and not of the ability of the drivers.
Mid-range carries weight leading me to not classify them as neutral but it’s not warmth but volume matched into the bass that does this. The Bower and Wilkins Wedge sounds far lusher to my ears. The Drumfire pushes up to a more level playing field in decibel reach than the bass when using the subwoofer unit, it makes for an intense and energetic experience. Vocals stand up to the powerful lows and the treble holds its own as well.
This is a fun and adaptable speaker that works for many different musical genres. I wouldn’t classify any self-contained speaker in the audiophile class but this is refined and polished that to me makes it well worth the money. Better than Sonos on sound, well as an integrated system yes I think so.
Final Thoughts
I really like what Audio Pro are doing both in terms of the design and in the integration throughout their current range of products. The ability to match with other speakers in the catalog is a big bonus for me because I really don’t need to have a full-size drumfire in every room. Instead, I can grab an Audio Pro Addon C5 for the bedroom and kitchen, maybe a c3 for the study and guest room, and fill the living room up with the Drumfire. The sound is good and for around $1500 USD all in I could fill my house with a really good multi-room wireless audio system. Highly recommended, it’s a fun and well-thought-out speaker that challenges the status quo.
Official Website of the Audio Pro Drumfire II: www.audiopro.com
