House of Marley Get Together 2 XL speaker review: The soul of the party

After testing House of Marley’s affordable Little Bird wireless earbuds, I was eager to try something more premium from the company. Luckily, they sent us the Get Together 2 XL Bluetooth speaker, the head member of its Bluetooth speaker family.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been testing it, and I’m surprised at how great this speaker sounds, especially outdoors. That said, as a hardcore Apple user, I miss a few features from my HomePod and other speakers available on the market.

Specs

• 20-hour playtime
• Speaker Driver Size (mm): 2 x 4” Woofer & 2 x 1” Tweeter
• Speaker output wattage: 60
• Multi-pair mode
• 30-meter Bluetooth® range
• Dust and water-resistant (IP65 Certified)
• Bass Boost, Acoustic, and Marley Signature Sound EQs
• Dimensions: 17.7in x 7in x 7in (44.9cm x 17.9cm x 18cm)
• Made with sustainable materials
• 100% plastic-free and recyclable packaging

House of Marley Get Together 2 XL Bluetooth speaker design

The largest speaker of the Get Together lineup is 17.7in x 7in x 7in (44.9cm x 17.9cm x 18cm), which, honestly, is the perfect size for impressing others while still being easy to put on the car, then near a grill or pool with friends, and enjoy great sound quality.

Another great point of this speaker – and House of Marley’s product overall – is that it’s crafted with natural bamboo and upcycled fabric made from plastic bottles. It has two woofers and a tweeter, and it looks good both indoors and outdoors.

Its design feels very premium and a nice piece of furniture when you’re not using it. The Get Together 2 XL speaker has physical buttons, which is great. You can physically turn the volume up or down, change the EQ modes, and play/pause/forward/back songs.

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

On the back, there’s a “MARLEY” written on a woody finish, and you can find a USB-A for charging your smartphone, a USB-C for charging the speaker, and an auxiliary port if you prefer a wired connection.

That said, it’s a shame that House of Marley doesn’t add a grip or something I could hold the speaker while taking it out of the house. Although I can carry it with both hands, I would prefer something more convenient to hold and take elsewhere.

Features: More practical than smart

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

What I like the most about the Get Together 2 XL Bluetooth speaker is that it’s very easy and convenient to use. You just press the largest button for two seconds, pair it with your iPhone on Bluetooth settings, and you’re ready.

There isn’t anything fancy behind it, and it’s very practical. One of the top features I couldn’t test – but I know it’s there – is the multi-pair mode, which lets you pair other Get Together products with this one.

Besides that, you get 20 hours of playtime, so you can keep your listening experience anywhere you go. The speaker is IP65 certified, meaning it’s dust and water-resistant. Although I wouldn’t recommend you drop it in the pool, this speaker can survive rain or accidental water drops with no issue.

Lastly, you also get EQ Modes: Bass Boost, Acoustic, and Marley Signature Sound. We’ll discuss them in a moment.

Unfortunately, the Get Together 2 XL misses a few features standard to other competitors, such as AirPlay or the ability to pair for the first time by approaching an iPhone. It also doesn’t support Dolby Atmos technology, nor 360º sound, as it only sends the sound to the front of it. The speaker doesn’t have a built-in assistant – but honestly, I’d say it’s a point in favor of the Get Together 2 XL.

The best for outdoor parties and casual listeners, but not for purists

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

House of Marley Get Together 2 XL has a 2 x 4” Woofer & 2 x 1” Tweeter, which can get REALLY loud. The best part? You won’t get any distortion at a higher volume, which shows we’re talking about a great speaker here.

That said, it’s important to note that this is not a speaker to listen to songs below 50%. Compared to the first-generation HomePod, I feel the Get Together 2 XL sound fades at lower volumes than Apple’s smart speaker. On the other hand, both are great for loud volumes, with Get Together surpassing the HomePod.

For this type of speaker, Get Together 2 XL prioritizes the booming bass, although it doesn’t make the mids or highs de-emphasized. I listen to a lot of pop, rock, and indie. When I’m listening to OG Taylor Swift, I only need to switch to the Acoustic mode, which makes the guitar and her voice shine.

There’s also a Bass Boost mode, which is great for partying hard, but Marley Signature Sound is just excellent for most moments.

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

I don’t have any real complaints about sound quality, but precisely because this speaker is so good, I’m being picky to say it’s not made for purists. Don’t get me wrong, I’m also not an audiophile, but there are a few songs I listen to on repeat that I’m able to get all nuances with AirPods Pro 2 or a pair of HomePod 2 at maximum volume, and I feel some little things on some songs aren’t that clear.

For example, in ABBA’s Keep An Eye On Dan, there’s a part where Björn and Benny start leading the song while Agnetha and Frieda switch to backing vocals, but you really need to pay attention to listen to the boys with the Get Together 2 XL, while it’s there on the HomePod.

Again, I’m not saying you’ll be missing important parts of the song, mainly because this is a perfect accessory for taking outdoors. I think House of Marley did a marvelous job with this speaker, and again, I’m just being picky because this product is great.

Impressive battery

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

House of Marley says the Get Together 2 XL can get up to 20 hours of listening time. It takes me almost the entire week to drain the battery. In addition, you can also keep listening to your favorite songs while it is charging – but please, don’t bring it next to water while you’re doing that.

Conveniently, House of Marley offers universal charging for this product, meaning whether you buy it in the US, the UK, Europe, or Australia, you’ll still be able to use its USB-C charger with no issue as there are plenty of plugs that come in the box.

Conclusions

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

House of Marley Get Together 2 XL is one of the greatest speakers out there that you should consider having. If you like to attend several outdoor meetings and parties with your family and a few friends, this will be the speaker to take anywhere.

While you’re at home working, it will still look good in your living room or office. It usually costs $399, but it’s possible to get it from House of Marley’s website for $299.99 in some deals – and at that price point, I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Although a few smart features would be welcome, I think what this product does best is sticking to being a good speaker instead of HomePod (which tries to be smart but isn’t).

Should I buy the Get Together 2 XL?

Yes. It’s a great speaker with excellent sound quality.