To sum up this Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII review: this a speaker with serious multi-room Hi-Fi performance, and there are plenty of ways to connect to it.
No stranger to T3’s lists of top-tier audio devices, Audio Pro are back with a new and improved multi-room speaker, the Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII. The best multiroom speakers give you powerful audio and plenty of ways to play your music, both of which are areas in which this speaker thrives. For something a little simpler, take a look at the best Bluetooth speakers.
Well-suited to any modern living aesthetic, it might be a little on the expensive side but it’s sure to be a champion with AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Audio Pro multiroom compatibility. Here's the full Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII review.
Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII review: price and what’s new
Available to buy now from Richer Sounds in the UK, the Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII will set you back £359. It’s not yet available in the US, but you can expect to see it hit the shelves in June.
With a refreshed design and more ways to play music, the Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII has made some major changes to the Audio Pro Addon C10.
Audio Pro has taken away the handle and added in a magnetic fabric mesh grille which gives it a more sophisticated look and feel. Plus, there are now six preset buttons, up from four in the previous iteration.
The biggest change though is its connectivity - you can now play music through AirPlay 2 or Google Cast, as well as through Audio Pro’s own app. So there are now three ways to play music over WiFi, giving a wider scope of multiroom compatibility. Like its predecessor, you can play music through Bluetooth and an RCA input on the back as well. When it comes to audio, Audio Pro has enhanced the speaker's electronics and revised the bass port design.
Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII review: design and setup
The Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII is a relatively big speaker, measuring 165 x 320 x 185 mm, so you’ll most likely want it to be in a living room. There are two rubberised feet on the bottom to prop the front upwards and it sports a magnetic fabric mesh speaker grille, take that off and you’ll reveal the classic Audio Pro look. It’s great to have the choice of two aesthetics, and you can choose to buy it in one of three sleek colourways: Arctic White, Storm Grey or Coal Black. I saw the grey which looked great in my living room, although the black version will be more likely to fit in just about anywhere. The overall design feels very smart and sophisticated, with angular edges and a matte finish, it’ll be well-suited to a modern space.
The top of the speaker has a gold-coloured brushed metal panel with six preset buttons framed with white light. You can assign your favourite playlists or internet radio stations to these by pressing one of them while the playlist or station is playing. You can also set them on the Audio Pro app.
On the left side of the panel is the power button, source button and the switch to activate Bluetooth. Beneath those are the music controls to pause or play the music, as well as to skip forwards and backwards through tracks. In the middle is a large round button to adjust the volume. All of the buttons had a nice firm click to them, they felt sturdy and responsive to use. Three small LED lights indicate which music mode you are currently using.
Setting up the speaker was easy. I had it set up on my Google Cast multiroom system, so it was just a case of opening up the app, adding a new device and hooking it up to my home internet connection. To set it up with Audio Pro, you just need to download the app and select Add Speaker. Either way, it took minutes to get up and running. As well as WiFi playback, you’ll be able to play music through Bluetooth, or through the RCA input on the back. The speaker doesn’t come with an RCA cable included though.
Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII review: sound and performance
Under the hood, the Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII consists of a 20W and 40W amplifier, dual tweeters and a 5.25-inch long-throw woofer. It’s safe to say, it’s powerful enough to fill a whole house, not just a room.
What it delivers is a wide soundstage with energetic three-dimensional sound that shows off every detail of the track whether that’s the deep low-end in drum and bass tunes, the stripped back vocals in power ballads or each individual instrument in acoustic rock songs. I didn’t notice any distortions even at the highest levels, and it was certainly strong enough to vibrate your furniture when dialled up all the way.
It was incredibly easy to listen to music through WiFi, with tracks playing almost instantly through Spotify. The Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII was a little slower to react when you select one of the presets, but given that you don’t need to faff around with your phone to access your favourite playlists, a couple of seconds wait isn’t the end of the world.
Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII review: verdict
For anyone who wants powerful sound with modern styling to use with their Audio Pro, Apple AirPlay 2 or Google Cast multi-room system, you won’t get much better than the Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII.
It doesn’t have a smart assistant built-in, it's quite pricey and they’ve taken away the handy 3.5mm audio input from the back, but even so, this is a versatile accurate-sounding speaker with loads of ways to connect. And it’s great to have the choice of using it with or without the fabric mesh grille. Yet another impressive offering from Audio Pro!
Audio Pro C10 MKII review: also consider
If you are reading this Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII review, then chances are you're looking for a multi-room speaker. For something cheaper, you won’t get much better than the Sonos One. It’ll give you the most bang for your buck in a speaker under £200, and it has Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant built-in.
But if money is no object and you want the absolute best audio quality possible, the Naim Mu-So 2 is T3’s top pick. It is eye-wateringly expensive, and it’s dead-cert to annoy the neighbours, but it’ll be worth it for the wall-shaking sound you’ll get.
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