Altogether Aiwa offers with the Exos-9 an exciting jukebox, which is suitable for various occasions and thanks to the integrated equalizer is perfectly adaptable to your own wishes. The sound is great and can be tuned down to the last detail – thanks to aptX even via Bluetooth. To start, the Exos-9 is big, heavy and loud, which makes it perfect for kid’s basement parties and both indoor and outdoor get-togethers. Even though the Exos-9 can be used outdoors, it is neither waterproof nor water resistant. Aiwa does offer an optional carrying case which gives the speaker an IPX4 splash and dustproof rating. On the rear panel, you will find a carrying handle (at the top), large bass reflex port (for improved bass response), battery compartment, and input ports.

Since the Exos-9 is the product that pulled Aiwa from the ashes, maybe they should have named it “The Phoenix” instead. Either way, the Exos-9 is a dynamite speaker that sounds great, especially outdoors. If Aiwa can add some built-in water protection and some additional smart connection options like Alexa, AirPlay or Google Play, the Exos-9 could come close to that perfect all-in-one speaker. Aiwa speakers are a good choice for anyone looking for a quality sound system. The company has a long history of producing quality audio equipment, and their speakers are no exception. They offer a wide range of models to choose from, so you can find the perfect set of speakers for your needs. Whether you’re looking for a simple stereo system or a high-end surround sound setup, Aiwa has a speaker system that will suit your needs. The JBL PartyBox 300 is a semi-portable PA system made especially for large parties and outdoor gatherings. It is a large wireless speaker from JBL that streams high-quality sound from your smartphone or Bluetooth devices at a touch of a button, with roaring acoustic drivers that pump out deafening sound quality. Deepblue3 features digital optical input while there is no digital input on the Exos-9. Also, the Bluetooth range is slightly larger on deepblue3.When it comes to sound, we prefer Exos-9. It delivers much fuller, richer, and more powerful sound than the SounndTouch 30. Aiwa Exos-9 is a nice-looking and quite large Bluetooth speaker. It’s portable and you can use it outdoors but be aware that it’s not rugged or waterproof. The midrange is clearly not a central point to the sound, as it doesn’t have the texture, or detail that you’ll probably want from a speaker, but it pairs beautifully with the bass, and provides a loud, clear, and hard-hitting overall experience. Having two midrange drivers also provides something of a wide, space-y sound, but it won’t be fully stereo, unless you will be standing very far from the speaker, and somehow right in front of it, leaving enough space for a bit of a soundstage to shape up. The detail is fair, much better than Edifier E25 Luna, which I reviewed before, but still below Edifier S1000 DB, which is about 450 USD at the moment of writing the review. The bass is powerful and punchy but controlled. The mids are very detailed and dynamic, and highs are perfectly clear. You will get this kind of neutral sound signature when the EQ is off. If you want bassier sound, or if you want to emphasize the voices and midrange, you can play with EQ presets and those adjustable EQ bands (+/- 12dB) and find the type of sound that you like. Exos-9 is also very loud. It’s one of the loudest Bluetooth speakers on the market (max SPL is rated at 100+dB) which makes it great for parties. The distortion is almost nonexistent and the bass stays controlled and it doesn’t overpower the midrange even at full volume. There is NFC as well built in the speaker, which helps you connect your source without having to search for the bluetooth, if your smartphone or source is NFC enabled.

The treble is really smooth, and doesn't have much of a sparkle or presence, but you can EQ that from the built-in EQ of the speaker, which means that you can enjoy a much more sparkly and enjoyable speaker if you take a few moments to tweak it. This will come in really handy if you'll be holding a party, as a somewhat V-Shaped sound will be the most enjoyable one for a party

How Many Db Is The Aiwa Exos-9?

The manufacturers usually advertise the playtime without offering any info about the volume at which the playtime was measured. Aiwa was more honest than other manufacturers – they claim that you can get up to 10 hours at 85dB (but it’s really hard to tell what is 85dB since the volume level is not displayed on the LCD screen). We have managed to get 9 hours at 50% volume but only 3-4 hours at full volume. The battery life and playtime depend on the volume but also on the type of music (bass heavy music means more subwoofer movement which further means shorter playtime). I have also made a full video review of EXOS 9 on Youtube, if you want to have a more visual take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClRhGCMJK3Y AIWA EXOS 9 is in a class of its own, being a bluetooth speaker, but not a very portable one, thanks to its weight, which is almost funny high, of about 7 KG, but it has a lot going on for it, including APT-X, a battery of about 15600 mAh, and even built-in EQ. Since it is a bluetooth speaker, it won't have any pairings, and there are no actual comparison point for it at the moment, but don't worry, as soon as I'll be reviewing a speaker that matches its description, it will get compared to Exos 9. This being said, the Yamaha WX-021 Music Cast 20 is similar in concept and price, and Edifier Luna also works as a comparison point, and to make it three, I will also add Edifier S1000DB to the comparison list.

EQ presets, 5 adjustable EQ bands, battery save mode, extended battery (sold separately), USB powerbank port

Bose SoundTouch 30 and Exos-9 have similar design and size (but SoundTouch 30 is much heavier). They both support Bluetooth wireless streaming and that’s about it when it comes to similarities. The sound of the Aiwa Exos-9 is powerful and very clear. Five integrated loudspeakers, including a 6.5-inch subwoofer with an output of 200 watts, ensure this. With the help of the equalizer, it was possible to adapt the AUX mode to one’s own wishes to a great extent. Everything is possible with the Exos-9, from balanced to bass-heavy to high-frequency sound. We were very satisfied with that. We noticed particularly positively that the settings are consistently maintained even at high volumes – even bass-stressed sound is still perfectly reproduced at high volumes. Conclusion It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with AIWA, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. I’d like to thank AIWA for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with AIWA EXOS 9. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in AIWA EXOS 9 find their next music companion. But if you want to become nostalgic, you’ll have to take a little hit: The original manufacturer was sold to Sony in 2002 and ceased operations in 2006. In 2013, the brand rights were sold to “River West Brands”, which cooperated with “Hale Devices”. The latter company subsequently renamed itself “Aiwa” and is responsible for the device we tested. The control panel and LCD screen are also nice features but their placement could’ve been better. The manufacturer decided to place the control panel on the top while the LCD display is located on the front panel. Placing them both on the top panel would make the speaker more user-friendly.