Last week we extensively looked at the Teufel One S a compact multiroom speaker for small spaces and for example the garden or the bathroom. In this review we look at a slightly larger model from the line-up; the Teufel One M. This model offers more power and a wider spread for larger spaces.
Raumfeld becomes Teufel
Anyone who knows Teufel knows that the company already has multiroom systems for a while. However, these were released under the name Raumfeld. The loudspeaker technology from Teufel, combined with the streaming technology from Raumfeld. This year the German company tackles it differently and the multiroom solutions are again released under the name of Teufel, but then powered by Raumfeld.
The Teufel multiroom speakers are active speakers that can communicate with each other via WiFi. , controlled by a Teufel controller app (free download) and basically only need to be connected to the wall by means of a power cable. From the app you have access to Spotify (Connect), Tune-in Radio, your own stored music, Tidal, Napster, WiMP, Last.FM, SoundCloud and equipment connected to the line-in connection. There is also a USB 2.0 port and an Ethernet port for wired connection. Unfortunately the support of Google Cast has disappeared from the speakers this year and we still can not see Apple Music back.
Teufel One M
The One S tested last week is the smallest speaker in the range and particularly suitable for use in the bathroom, kitchen or garden. The One M is a larger size and therefore suitable for larger rooms. This speaker is especially developed for the bedroom, the office or just the living room. The Teufel One M comes with four tweeters, two midrange drivers, woofer and two passive bass membranes. The combined power is 125 watts. Two tilted tweeters and Dynamore DSP technology should, according to Teufel, create a wide sound field.
Furthermore, the speaker has shortcut keys for controlling the audio output and a mini jack and USB connection for physically connecting a source. Of course, Wifi and bluetooth 4.2 are also present on this model, and hi-res audio formats such as Apple Losless and Flac are also supported. Teufel has provided the loudspeaker with a new design with touch sensitive keys for volume, play / pause and presets. The dimensions are 19 (depth) at 42 (width) at 20.5 (height) centimeters. The speaker has a suggested retail price of 499.99 euros (currently 449.99 euros) and comes in a white and black finish.
The Teufel One M is on sale via the website of Teufel.
Design and installation
If we compare the design of the Teufel One M with the design of the previous generation (the Raumfeld One M), the difference is mainly in small details. For example, the notch on the underside has disappeared. There was previously the woofer, which is now processed at the front. The new speaker is slightly wider and comes with smaller buttons that give a slightly more premium feel. The LED light on the front has also received a make-over which makes it look more modern. We see black fabric upholstery on the front as well as on the sides. All in all it is a tightly finished and premium-looking speaker.
The installation of the Teufel One M is fairly simple. Once put in the right place it is a matter of plugging the plug into the socket and possibly connecting one of your devices to the line-in input or USB input. Then it is a matter of following the steps in the Teufel app to have your speaker (s) connected to the network within a few minutes. A child can do the laundry.
Use
The use of all Teufel multiroom speakers is, apart from perhaps some buttons on the speaker itself, the same. For all models, and therefore a multiroom network, you need the free downloadable Teufel Raumfeld app on your Android smartphone or iOS device. The application is basically everything that you need to get sound from your speakers. During the installation the app is already used to connect and set up your speakers, but after that you also use the app to select the speaker / zone, choose the input and determine the volume.
Most sources, including Tune-in and your own music can be operated from the Teufel Raumfeld app. However, there are services that work from your own application, including Spotify. When you open the Spotify app you immediately see the speakers at the playback devices and you can check the view from the Spotify app. However, in the Teufel Raumfeld app you can, after the speaker has been activated via Spotify, choose a previous or next number and adjust the volume. In addition to the volume, you can use the equalizer for all speakers to adjust bass and treble.
The use of Teufel multiroom speakers speaks for itself. The button with the Teufel logo at the bottom is an important part; this is because you select the speaker / zone on which you want to start listening to music, while you do not influence the other speakers. When you first choose the input, for example Tune-in, that input is displayed directly on the active or last active speaker, something you have to take into account. Under the speaker / zone there is also ‘adjust zone’ so you can add an extra speaker to the zone, temporarily in any case. For example, if you want to play music in both the living room and outside, select the living room, click on ‘customize zone’ and also tick the outdoor speaker. Next you select the input to be played on that speaker (s), for example Tune-In. You can also select all speakers so that you hear the same music throughout the house. For Spotify, in the Teufel app you select the speakers to be played on, after which you can select this group and control the display in the Spotify app. You can not select multiple speakers in the Spotify app.
The application also offers various functions and options. For example, you can set certain radio stations as favorites, the app keeps track of what you are often running and is made into a list, you can put channels or songs in the queue and you have the possibility to view your history of played sources. With the settings you can add extra speakers to a room / room, change the names of speakers, switch the status LEDs on or off and set the number of decibels with which the line-input has to be increased.
In terms of use it is with the Teufel One M certainly good. The speaker is ideal for streaming audio throughout the house, thanks to a good WiFi antenna, and an application that is fairly easy to use. For the entire Teufel multiroom system, however, we would like to see some expansions and improvements, including integration with IFTTT (or other smart home applications), an alarm clock function with automatic audio playback and voice operation integration through, for example, the Google Assistant. There is another important point that is missing compared to last year; Teufel has chosen not to integrate Google Cast anymore so direct streaming through the standard of Google has disappeared.
Audio quality
We have the previous generation One M in our office so for the comparison we have first turned it on . When we then activated the new Teufel One M, a world of difference was heard. There was so much difference that it seemed as if we were dealing with two completely different loudspeakers.
The ‘old’ version of the One M comes into its own in the higher frequencies. There is more life and scope here, but because there is less focus in the middle segment and the low tones here and there are not very convincing, this speaker can sound a little shrill. The new One M is actually the opposite. The middle area is a lot warmer and more detailed, but the high tones do much less than with the old version; we would almost say that they have gone too far to the background. In addition, the low is uncontrolled at some numbers; It goes through, too much. If you compare both speakers then the old One M is a bit hard and bright but detailed and clear, while the new version puts too much emphasis on the low and middle segment, but because of that it gets a bit warmer. So they are two very different worlds; both are not perfect but both are not very bad either. The Teufel One M – that’s what it’s all about here – has a warm reproduction, with deep but sometimes uncontrolled basses and a wide sound field (wider than its predecessor). On the other hand, it lacks the rich highs, which is one of the reasons why it sometimes sounds (for the trained ear) as if someone sings in a pillow. That is, of course, exaggerated, but it does show where the focus of the speaker lies. All in all it’s a great speaker for the office or bedroom, but the real music lover with a trained ear can look better in the line-up.
Conclusion
In terms of ease of use and design Teufel has the One M is a great speaker at home. This model is easy to install, fits in almost every room, is part of a multiroom system in no time and has a premium appearance. Teufel uses its new multiroom speakers to maintain a ‘closed’ multiroom solution, which makes integration with other smart home solutions impossible. At that point we would have liked to see some innovations. The audio playback of the One M is not for everyone. If you enjoy a warm display, with the emphasis on low and middle segments in particular, this is a nice loudspeaker for, for example, the office or the bedroom. Do you want more of a speaker, especially in the dynamics in the high and the right balance, then there are better speakers. In any case, we recommend not to use this speaker as the audio system that allows you to listen to your favorite music in the living room. Then there are really better (and more expensive) options such as the Stereo L or Stereo M.
The Teufel One M is on sale via the website of Teufel
