Test: LG Music Flow P5 Special

Hi-fi audio is a finicky business. Amp the stats to 11 and you have a product that cripples your bank account faster than you can say “audio.” Tone them down and you have an unsellable device made only for audiophile wannabees. The LG Music Flow P5 Special is a speaker that can send conflicting emotions to the learned listener. An acceptable price tag, but a big name like LG? Color me curious.

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• Award-winning design. A winner at iF Product Design Awards in 2015, the LG P5 Special is a great example of minimalistic design. It shows that affordability and classiness are elements that can co-exist. It exudes a premium feel that you don’t have to break the bank for. Its most apparent design feature is the wood texture that covers most of the device. Meanwhile, the speaker is covered by an aluminum grille front and back. The bottom portion has a rubber base that prevents slippage. The device’s subtle hexagonal shape adds just the right amount of styling to make it stand on its own. A simple control wheel at the top operates the device with the basic speaker and Bluetooth functions. Finally, the right side has an inconspicuous microUSB and 3.5mm AUX port for wired functionalities.

• Extra layer of protection. For protection, it’s equipped with IP65 certification which adds a layer of water- and shock-proofing. You probably won’t need it, but having that extra layer does provide some comfort. Still, I wouldn’t take the speaker with me to the pool or the beach.

• Styling in burlap. The box comes with a burlap bag for portability. Stylish as it is, the bag is more suitable for covering the device from the elements rather than carrying it on its own.

• For your convenience? If you prefer to connect it with a smartphone, the speaker is compatible with a Bluetooth remote app that adds a bunch of convenience features like multiple device connectivity and gesture controls. All things considered, the app is just a branded music player and connection manager, though. It may be more convenient to use your usual music apps directly with the device, which was what I preferred doing anyway.

• Able performance. Sound quality is shared equally among highs, mids, and lows. I tested the P5 with a balanced helping of hard rock, jazz, electronic, and classical in a 30m² It ably reproduced the music I played in moderate volume levels. At high enough levels though, the P5 distorted music especially with hard rock. For maximum enjoyment, don’t go beyond 80% on this baby. As for volume, the speaker’s sound travelled well across the whole room.

• Buttery smooth connectivity. From the opposite corner of the same room, the speaker connected with my Samsung Galaxy S6 edge smoothly. It did experience minor connection breaks when obstacles were in the way, but this may also be a fault of the host device’s Bluetooth connectivity, though.

• A small, but capable battery. The LG P5 is powered by a 2,100mAh battery. LG boasts that the battery can last for 15 hours. A battery test pegs it around 12 hours, though. Not bad for a 2,100mAh battery. To charge, the speaker comes with a microUSB cable. It can charge from zero to full in two to three hours tops. For both casual and party use, a three-hour charge time for 12 hours is a beat worth bopping to.

• Affordability for performance. Finally, the LG P5 carries a P5,490 price tag. The features and the quality it offers handily make the P5 a worthwhile buy for both casual users and audiophiles.

VERDICT
For a company that specializes more in the smartphone and the appliance industries, LG has engineered a speaker that rivals top players in the audio business. The LG Music Flow P5 Special carries that underrated LG DNA. It’s an able Bluetooth speaker that won’t break the bank.