We looked the Raumfeld multi-room speakers from Teufel. This complete system, including large floorstanding speakers and compact models, has been renewed this year. A lot has changed, including the design and even the name. In this review we look at the smallest model in the line-up, the Teufel One S.
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 S
The Teufel One S is the smallest speaker in the range and suitable for use in smaller spaces such as the bathroom, kitchen or garden. We have placed the speaker in the garden, under the roof, so that we can enjoy music during the warm summer evenings. Unfortunately, contrary to the previous generation, the speaker no longer has a (splash) waterproof housing, which makes shelter a must. The One S comes with a single driver with a power of 40 watts, hot keys for operating the audio output and a mini jack and USB connection for physically linking a source. Of course, Wi-Fi and bluetooth are also present on this model.
Teufel has provided the loudspeaker with a new design with touch sensitive keys for volume, play / pause and presets. The dimensions are 8.6 (depth) at 18 (width) at 16.7 (height) centimeters. You can combine two One S models to create a stereo system. The speaker has a suggested retail price of 249.99 euro (currently 199.99 euro) and comes in a white and black finish.
Design and installation
The design has been changed a bit compared to the previous generation. Of course, taste can be disputed, but Teufel has once again provided the One S with a premium-looking design. The speaker has been given a square shape this time and has become even more compact. The rubber-covered buttons on the top have been replaced for a piece of more upscale touch-buttons and the LED light on the front has been given a make-over which makes it look more modern. We can see black fabric upholstery on the front as well as on the sides.
The installation of the Teufel One S is quite 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. Incidentally, the One S has a screw hole through which mounting on the wall is possible.
Use
The Teufel Raumfeld app is free to download for Android and iOS users. This app is basically everything that you need to get sound from your speakers. During the installation the app is already used to pair 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 controlled from the Teufel 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 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 the 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.
All in all, we are use of the Teufel One S very satisfied. Streaming audio throughout the house works perfectly. The speaker has a strong antenna and thus receives sufficient signal everywhere. Of course there are some areas for improvement and things that we would like to see again in the future. For example, an alarm function that automatically plays music would be nice, integration with IFTTT would be a nice extra (there is no smarthome integration) and we hope to see voice control in the future through the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Incidentally, the new generation of speakers lacks Google Cast, which was a useful function to stream directly to the speakers.
Audio quality
The Teufel One S is the smallest speaker in the multiroom range of the German manufacturer. But, despite its small size, the One S still leaves a good impression. No, it is not a speaker with which you fill a living room with an impressive audio reproduction, but it is a speaker that provides the smaller rooms with an excellent audio reproduction and can, for example, provide the background music in the garden. In itself, the One S is a mono speaker but if you add a second to it you can create a stereo setup.
The One S knows – looking at the segment in which it is located – a rich sound, with sufficient warmth and dynamics, but with a particular focus on the midtones. The volume can be easily opened when you have a party, without the sound distorting too much. Although we recommend a second One S in this case. The high tones are sometimes a bit too shrill, but the voices are warm and clear. The low tones are sufficient for some nice music, but they are slightly lost or uncontrolled over high volume or bass-intensive music, especially in an open space like the garden.
Conclusion
The Teufel One S is a compact and premium-looking loudspeaker with sufficient (wireless and wired) connection options to display your favorite music and broad support for services. Nevertheless, we would have liked to see support from Google Cast and some will miss Apple Music. The Teufel app is extensive and user friendly so you can get music out of the speaker in no time. 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. All in all, this One S is a great speaker for the bathroom, the kitchen or the garden, and especially for background music. It is therefore really part of a complete multiroom system, with its own role within the whole. If you like more volume and the music is more prominent, then the Stereo M or Stereo L speakers are a better (and more expensive) option.
