The Ego Power SK1800E is a beast of a speaker – capable of 180W of power output from its seven speaker array.
It doesn't come with a battery, but you can use the same cell as Ego's power tools. Otherwise, you'll have to buy one separately.
Some firms make one kind of product and stick to it. Ego Power is not one of those – it makes electric ride-on lawn mowers, chainsaws and leaf blowers, and now it's made an extremely loud outdoor speaker. As you do.
So, if you're looking for a Bluetooth speaker that you can hear over the sound of tree felling, the SK1800E could be just the thing for you.
A toolmaker moving into speakers isn't as odd as it might sound. For example, Samsung used to make artillery, and for every Yamaha drum kit or guitar there's a Yamaha motorbike. And what unites Ego Power's various products is the company's powerful and cross-platform battery tech, which in this speaker delivers 50 hours of battery from an Ego Lithium 2.5Ah battery.
Also, like other cordless tools, the SK1800E is sold as a bare unit, so it's a case of BYOB (bring your own battery).
EGO Power SK1800E Outdoor Speaker: key features and pricing
The SK1800E Outdoor Speaker has 180W RMS output, so it's very loud, and that power is channeled into seven advanced transducers. There's a single woofer, two mid-range drivers, two tweeters and a couple of passive radiators, too.
The SK1800E also doubles as a heavy-duty power bank, capable of charging other devices via its USB-C PD port at up to 100W. And with a 2.5Ah battery on board, you can expect up to 50 hours of loud listening.
It's a chunky-looking thing that appears well protected against lumps and bumps, and it's IP54 rated for dust and water resistance. There's the obligatory Bluetooth and a 3.5mm audio input, and the speaker can be teamed up with 99 more for larger parties and events.
The downside to high power is that it tends to equate to a high price; Bluetooth party speakers with more than 100W are usually expensive – and with this speaker there is also the extra expense of a battery if you're not already using Ego Power's.
The SK1800E is currently £319 / $329 / AU$549 (about €365) and a 2.5Ah battery is an additional £117 / $152 / AU$206 (about €134).
As a package, that means it's priced similarly to powerful speakers by better-known brands, such as Sony's 180W XV800, which had a launch price of £599 / €699. However, that particular alternative is currently retailing for about 20% less than that.
