Morel Hifi is one of those premium audio brands that I have been peripherally aware of, but had not had the chance to try out. The company has made a name for itself in hand-assembled car audio and home speakers. It also released a minimalist portable Bluetooth speaker called the Högtalare a few years back that was very well received. This year, Morel boosted its portable Bluetooth speaker offering in a big (or rather smaller) way with the new BIGGIE. It is clearly related to the Högtalare–minimalist, stylish and packed with high end components–but the BIGGIE is smaller, more affordable (at $249), available in a large range of colors and equipped with a faux leather handle for easy carrying.
Yes, using the BIGGIE name for a smaller speaker is a little confusing, but as you’ll see, Morel Hifi does a lot of things differently.
I’ve spent the past few weeks going hands on with a pair of Morel Hifi BIGGIE speakers. The BIGGIE is not for everyone–I wouldn’t take one camping, for example–but they put on an impressive performance and looked fantastic.
First Impression: It Looks Like It Should Be More Expensive
The BIGGIE is a minimalist box with a low gloss painted finish, a faux leather handle (embossed with Högtalare in a confirmation of its relationship to the larger Morel Hifi speaker) and two machined metal-looking circular pads on either side that hold the strap in place. Besides the handle, it’s all sharp angles. On the back of the speaker is a welcome 3.5mm AUX input and a USB-C port used to charge the speaker or to use its battery to top up a smartphone. There are no visible switches or buttons to break the surface, just the handle.
The front is completely covered by a cloth mesh grill that matches the case color and attaches magnetically. Pop it off and the BIGGIE suddenly reveals itself to be all business. The black speaker cabinet is dominated by a 4-inch woofer, with a tweeter and a bass reflex port on display, as well as a vertical row of backlit buttons.
So far as portable speakers go, I would say this falls into the smaller end of the mid-size spectrum. It’s 7-inches square, 4.5-inches deep and weighs 5.7 pounds.
So Many Colors
Most portable speakers come in one color–typically black. Some offer a few colors. Morel is producing the BIGGIE in nine different colors, including the Denim Blue and Aqua Frost of my review units. There is a color available to complement any decor or preference.
Morel Hifi also bucks trends by hand assembling its products.
First Listen: It Sounds Like It Should Be More Expensive
Looks are one thing, but how does the BIGGIE sound? The good news is Morel didn’t spend the entire budget on making a speaker that looks good. The BIGGIE has some bonafide audio credentials including that big, 4-inch woofer, a 1-inch tweeter, 60W of class D amplification with a customized DSP and a front-ported bass reflex cabinet design.
The speaker puts these components to good use. The BIGGIE plays music with a satisfying low end, solid mid-range and crisp highs. The overall tone is warm, but not muddied. Songs like Television’s “Marquee Moon” and Killing Joke’s “Love Like Blood”–both featuring a prominent bass line and a strong electric guitar presence– sounded great, making the most of the dual-driver setup. The Dandy Warhol’s “Every Day Should Be a Holiday” was pumping with energy.
There is no on-speaker bass or treble adjustment and at least at time of writing, no app, so the tuning of the speaker is the way it’s going to sound–unless you resort to your phone’s EQ. The aim is for balanced sound and the BIGGIE manages this quite nicely.
With 60W of power on tap (45W to the woofer and 15W to the tweeter), the BIGGIE has the power to fill a good-sized space with thumping music. It’s also loud enough to be heard over the neighborhood noise in a backyard party situation. Morel says the BIGGIE employs a dynamic EQ that continually adjusts the sound by volume to prevent distortion.
I should mention that the BIGGIE’s battery (USB-C charger included) is good for roughly 20 hours of use. As with any portable speaker, that will vary depending on how loud you set the volume, but I regularly went a week between charges without getting to a low battery warning. The BIGGIE also supports fast-charging, so you can go from zero to 100% in just two hours.
Also worth noting is the use of Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity. The speaker has a range of up to 165 feet and I got a good lesson in how well this works while listening to another Bluetooth speaker while swimming in my backyard pool. I’d accidentally left the BIGGIE on in my office and in the middle of a track, the music stopped. I thought my iPhone had overheated, but it had actually re-connected to the BIGGIE in my office and was playing the music in there–some 75 feet, one brick wall, two drywalled walls with vents and wiring and 2 glass doors away.
TWS: Stereo Pairing Takes Portable Wireless Sound to a New Level
If you have the budget to spend on two BIGGIEs, the sound gets even more impressive. Easy, on-speaker TWS pairing sets one BIGGIE up as the left channel and the other as the right for true, 2-channel stereo. Place the speakers six feet apart and enjoy a seriously elevated listening experience. Music has far more more depth and separation than you can possibly get from even the best mono speaker. Listening to the enhanced soundstage on tracks like “Turn It On Again” by Genesis and Boston’s “Foreplay/Long Time” made me a convert: if I was buying one of these speakers, I would definitely make it a pair.
BIGGIE Key Specs
- 2-way bass reflex portable speaker with custom 4-inch woofers and 1-inch soft dome tweeter
- 60 W Class D amplifiers (45W woofer and 15W tweeter), with customized DSP
- Frequency response 40Hz-20KHz
- Bluetooth 5.3 BLE (165 foot range, Auracast-ready)
- Backlit power, volume, Bluetooth and TWS buttons
- 3.5mm AUX input
- Removable cloth grill
- Faux leather handle
- Rechargeable Li-ion battery rated at 20 hours use @ 50% volume
- USB-C charging (and power bank mode for phones), supports fast-charging
- Includes USB-C charger and cable
- 7 x 7 x 4.5-inches, weighs 5.7 lbs
- Available in nine colors, MSRP $249
Not Quite Perfect
The one design choice I question is the decision to hide the functional buttons behind the speaker grill instead of placing them on top. Yes, the buttons are backlit so they can be seen through the cloth grill and yes, doing so makes for an even more minimalist look, but– you need to power on the speaker before the buttons light up and the power button is also concealed. You have to guess at where it is. Pushing the buttons beneath the thin cloth could also lead to wear and/or discoloration of the material.
Of course you can solve this by popping the grill off during use.
The BIGGIE also has no pretence of being rugged or waterproof. You’re going to want to avoid situations where it could get wet, dirty, or banged around. It also lacks the loudness button some portables offer to boost sound output in outdoor environments. The BIGGIE can certainly be used outside, but you should play it safe with placement.
Morel Hifi BIGGIE Recommendation
The Morel Hifi BIGGIE hits a real sweet spot for anyone who is looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker, but values style and performance over features like ruggedness and water resistance. It’s a portable that sounds as good as it looks–which is no mean feat considering how smart this speaker looks–and it’s easy to pick up and take with you. But it deserves a spot on your patio table rather than being plunked down right beside the pool, on the beach or on a log by the campfire.
It’s just a bonus that the BIGGIE is priced at a very reasonable $249. At that price, it would be awfully tempting to buy two. You could pick two different colors and have a portable speaker available to suit any mood or decor. Whatever colours you choose, together the BIGGIEs would make for a very modern looking and very capable 2-channel stereo setup.
Disclosure: Morel Hifi provided BIGGIE speakers for evaluation purposes but had no input into this review.
