Summer is coming. Well, this is Finland, so summer might come. Either way, you need a speaker, because your phone's built-in speaker sounds like someone playing music inside a tin can. And since you're here and not on Sony's website, you probably have both taste and a healthy relationship with money.
We sell three speakers. Three different sizes, three different use cases. All tuned by Jasse – the man whose ears are insured and who thinks 90% of all speakers sound like a radio that fell into a bin.
Three speakers, three situations
Nordell MK3 is the speaker you toss in the bottom of a boat, on the cottage terrace, or on the dock. 20W x 2 of power, IPX7 water resistance meaning it survives submersion. You can drop it in the lake and it'll keep blasting tunes down there in the mud. Battery lasts 8–10 hours, which is enough for one long sauna night's overtime. Stereo pairing with two units works if you want a soundstage wider than Henri's Alfa Romeo repair bill.
Nordell Max is the party machine. Big, heavy, and it's got RGB lights – because nothing says "the party is here" like flashing colours. Bass and treble are adjusted with separate knobs, so you can tune the sound to the situation. Neighbours complaining? More bass. Mum calling? Less bass. It also has a powerbank function, so when your phone dies in the middle of the party playlist, Max brings it back to life. TWS stereo pairing works too, if you've got two Maxes and a desire to dominate the entire neighbourhood.
Nordell Micro is pocket-sized. 200 grams, fits pretty much anywhere. IPX6 water resistance is enough for the beach and rain, but don't submerge it – it's not the MK3. Jasse tuned the Micro for clarity, so it's excellent for audiobooks and podcasts. Don't expect much bass, because physics is physics and a 40mm driver doesn't do miracles. But stick it in a corner or next to a wall, and room acoustics help a surprising amount.
Why Valco?
Let's be straight: the market is flooded with Bluetooth speakers. JBL, Marshall, Bose, Ultimate Ears – they all make speakers. Some of them are perfectly fine.
But.
Valco speakers are tuned by Jasse. That means the sound is adjusted to sound good, not just loud. Big difference. Most competitors crank the bass way up because it sells in the shop when a customer presses the demo button for three seconds. We make speakers for people who actually listen to music.
Price is another thing. The Nordell MK3 costs a fraction of what a comparable JBL or Bose does. You get the same or better sound quality and the money stays in your pocket for food. Or beer. We don't judge.
And then there's repairability. When your JBL's battery dies in two years, you chuck it in the bin. When your Valco's battery dies, we fix it in Kajaani. 14-person company, in-house repair service. None of that "send the device to China and wait three months" nonsense.
Every purchase also funds our Death Star. It's only 0.000001% complete, but Henri has already budgeted a Ferrari into the corruption fund. The Alfa Romeo can't survive another trip to the shop.
When should you pick something else?
Let's be honest.
If you need a speaker so loud the next village can hear it, the JBL Boombox is louder than anything we make. It's also three times more expensive and weighs as much as a small child, but if we're measuring in decibels, it wins.
If you want the smallest possible speaker and you're willing to pay for it, the Bose SoundLink Micro is good. But our Micro costs less and Jasse's tuning is better. Your call.
If brand matters more to you than sound quality – if you want that Marshall logo on the shelf because it looks good in an Instagram photo – then buy a Marshall. We don't compete on looks. We compete on sound and on the fact that you don't have to throw the thing in the bin.
Summary
| | Nordell MK3 | Nordell Max | Nordell Micro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use | Cottage, docks, boat | Parties, garden, BBQ | Beach, hiking, audiobooks |
| Power | 20W x 2 | Big (bass/treble control) | 8W |
| Water resistance | IPX7 (submersion) | - | IPX6 (splashes) |
| Battery | 8–10 h | Long | 3–6 h |
| Special | Stereo pairing, 3D mode | RGB lights, powerbank | 200 g, pocket-sized |
Cottage? MK3. Parties? Max. Beach or trail? Micro. If you can't decide, buy all three – the Death Star isn't going to fund itself.
And cheers for the money. Henri needs a new timing chain for his Alfa.
