This 3-foot-tall, record-shaped Bluetooth speaker with a screen that displays lyrics and animations popped up on many a For You Page in October, the video typically featuring an influencer removing the R1 from its neon-green box. What made it somewhat viral was not, however, the product, but its price. “Consumerism final boss” was one representative comment. (Along with many others noting its unfortunate resemblance to a robot vacuum.) “For $1,700? Surely we’ve lost the plot,” notes Best Products’ Josiah Soto in a follow-up article. Though the speaker is currently “only” $1,049 at Amazon and Walmart, it’s still a bizarre price for what’s still just a single speaker with a screen, many of which exist for $300 or less.
When one arrived to test for this guide, I admit my expectations were low, but in person, it at least looks more high-end than you might expect, sitting on stylish, tapered walnut legs with a slot for hiding the cord. The black “record” frame is a Jamo-licensed speaker containing a 6.5-inch subwoofer, two 105 x 50 mm midrange drivers, and two 0.75-inch tweeters. The whole setup weighs almost 35 pounds and connects via 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. When the R1 is on, it can display album covers, lyrics, and animated visual effects; when off, it can be set to display a giant, vintage-inspired 24-hour flip clock. I wish there were more “off” display options, and it’s more of a novelty item than a legitimate speaker (for those, see our recommendations here), but I can note is that it is not for apartment dwellers on higher floors—I set it upstairs in my house to test how audible the bass was through the ceiling, and the answer is very. —Kat Merck
