The Ryobi Audio Product Users Say To Avoid (And The One They Recommend Instead)

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Over the past couple of decades, Ryobi has become a brand that almost any DIYer in the market for battery-powered tools has at least considered ponying up a few of their hard-earned dollars for. In turn, it has become virtually impossible to talk about the market's major power tool manufacturers without regularly referencing Ryobi in the conversation.

While many tools donned in the Techtronic Industries-owned brand's lively lime-green-on-black color scheme have earned raves from both professional reviewers and the consumer masses alike, not all of Ryobi's gear is so well-liked. In fact, there are a few items that both of those factions might be quick to warn potential buyers to avoid. That would seem to be just the case when it comes to Ryobi's One+ Compact Radio/Speaker. At the time of writing, that $50 speaker holds a 4.3-star user rating on its Ryobi product page. And no, it doesn't fare any better on Amazon or The Home Depot, where it's rated at four stars and 3.6 stars, respectively.

As for what users are saying about this Ryobi audio device, a lack of volume is a common point of complaint. Many claim it doesn't produce enough sound to fill smaller interior spaces and is even less effective outdoors. Sound quality is also a frequent complaint from users, as is the device's inability to consistently deliver a strong radio signal. That last issue was noted in A Concord Carpenter's review of the speaker, with that review noting the lack of an antenna as the culprit.

While the Compact Radio/Bluetooth Speaker is not particularly well-loved among Ryobi's audio gear, quite a few of the brand's other options in that category are rated quite highly by users. That list includes the Ryobi 18V One-Verse Clamp Speakers, which are selling for $120 through the brand's own web store and are currently rated at 4.9 stars by those users. For the record, the speakers are also well-liked among The Home Depot shoppers, where they hold a user rating of 4.7 stars.

To be clear, those ratings are based on 282 and 437 reviews, respectively, so they appear to be reputable. As for what those users like about the clamp speakers, many note that they are impressed with the overall quality of sound, particularly when paired with other One+ Verse devices. Users also appreciate the versatility offered by the speaker's clamping device in workplaces, with several other handy Ryobi products also benefiting from that feature. Still, other users praise the speakers for being easy to set up and pair when you're linking them up. Battery longevity is another common point of praise, with all of those positives and more also popping up in the review from Pro Tool Reviews.

As generally positive as the reviews are for Ryobi's Clamp Speakers, these speakers do have a few naysayers out there, with some users complaining about dodgy connections and underwhelming sound quality. Those complaints would seem to be few and far between, however. And let's be honest, these speakers are hardly positioning themselves as an audiophile option. So, make of that what you will. 

The purpose of this article is not only to point out one Ryobi audio device that many users have been underwhelmed by, but also to showcase one that others have found to be well worth the investment. In assembling both points of view, we scoured hundreds of user comments posted to product pages and social platforms for both Ryobi products, highlighting the most common points of praise or concern for each device as needed. Whenever possible, reviews from professional factions were also consulted to either confirm or contradict the consumer perspective. For the sake of accuracy, some of those reviews and comments may have been cited directly.