Teufel launches new party speaker, tunes the home cinema and goes retro

The Digitec and Galaxus editorial team will be reporting on site from IFA 2023 in Berlin. You can find all the news and background information published so far in our overview:

It's IFA time. Or as Teufel says: home game. They are true Berliners. Nevertheless, the German sound company is foregoing a stand at the trade fair. They prefer to invite me directly to their flagship store at Bahnhof Zoo. This is often misunderstood as an understatement, but it has a completely different reason. Teufel launches almost half a dozen new products and demonstrates them all to me individually. It's too loud at the trade fair.

Motiv Home: The bass-heavy all-rounder for indoors and outdoors

The tour begins with the new Motiv Home. This is a WiFi-capable sound system. Teufel describes the speaker as an "all-in-one" system. In addition to Wi-Fi, you can also stream via Bluetooth. The Motiv Home supports a whole range of standards: Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Chromecast Built-in and the Google Assistant.

Inside, the Beelzebubs have installed two front and two side speakers. These are supported by a frontfire subwoofer and two passive cones for low frequencies. Frontfire means that the subwoofer radiates forwards, i.e. in your direction.

This is also noticeable in the sound check: The sound image certainly has depth, but the bass is definitely present. Teufel's own virtual surround standard "Dynamore Ultra" can be optionally switched on to achieve a wider sound image.

The rechargeable battery that Teufel uses lasts around 15 hours. So you can also pack the Motiv Home for travelling - you'll find a handle on the back.

The Motiv Home costs €549.99 and will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2023. It will be available in black and white. As soon as Teufel gives me a price in francs, I'll let you know.

Teufel Ultima 25 Active: Teufel also jumps on the retro bandwagon

The tour continued with the jack-of-all-trades Ultima 25 Active. This is the successor to the Ultima 20, and Teufel places the speaker between the passive Ultima 20 and the Ultima 40 Active. You can only order the speakers as a duo, whereby Teufel installs an amplifier in one speaker. You then connect your devices to this speaker. It then delivers the sound to the second speaker.

In addition to Bluetooth, you can also connect the speakers to playback devices via cable. There is an optical output and an aux port on the back. There is also a USB-C socket. This means you can connect your smartphone to the speaker if you decide against Bluetooth. You also have the choice of whether you want to listen to music or simply charge your mobile. If you still want Bluetooth: aptX and AAC are supported as codecs.

If you don't have a home cinema system, you can also connect the Ultima 25 Active to your TV. The speaker has an eARC-capable HDMI port. So you can avoid the 5-watt drone of TV speakers.

If you don't feel like doing any of that, you can just listen to the radio. The Ultima 25 Active is also DAB+-capable. So it's pretty active...

In terms of design, Teufel is following the retro trend of many exhibitors at the IFA (more details to follow). Here you can get ready for a 70s revival in terms of design. You can roll out the Flokati for the Ultima 25 Aktiv in the fourth quarter of 2023. The speaker pair comes in black or white for 499.99 euros. Swiss franc prices are not yet known.

Rockster Air 2: The Teufel party counterpart to the Ultimate party speaker

After the Ultima 25 Active, which you can fine-tune with the app, comes the speaker for the rough stuff. The Rockster Air 2 reaches a maximum volume of 115 decibels. So you can use it for parties in slightly larger rooms. You can also pair it with other Rocksters - two in Bluetooth mode and up to ten via XLR cable. Incidentally, Teufel also did this himself: in the evening there was a party where we were sounded by Rocksters.

Even without a power cable: because the Rockster Air 2 comes with a rechargeable battery. At medium volume, this should last up to 58 hours. However, this is likely to be drastically reduced at peak volume. The built-in battery means that the speaker is portable. At least within certain limits, because the weight is quite considerable. In any case, I'm not particularly keen on having to carry it around with me for very long - despite the handle and splash protection.

The Rockster Air 2 supports aptX, aptX HD and AAC. In the short sound demo in the store
I also noticed the deep bass, but also quite clear highs. I wouldn't have expected this, especially with large speakers with a party focus. The bass, on the other hand, is: the built-in subwoofer measures 25 centimetres.

The Rockster Air 2 will be available in black in September and costs 699.99 euros. The price in francs is not yet known.

Teufel Effect 2: Watch out, something loud is coming from behind!

Finally, I get to take a seat in Teufel's own cinema and listen to the new Effekt 2. They are the successors to the Teufel Effekt, which are being retired after four years. These are wirelessly controlled rear speakers for the home cinema system. You can use these as a supplement for your soundbar if the "upmixing" effect is not enough.

A little cryptically, Teufel describes the maximum volume as "higher than its predecessor", the bass as "stronger" and the surround effect as "more intense". Teufel lets me watch a scene from "Mad Max: Fury Road". I can literally feel the sound coming at me from behind. However, I find it difficult to compare the Effect 2 with its predecessors - my last impression was too long ago.

In terms of design, Teufel has taken a step back compared to its predecessor. The LED display can be switched off and the surfaces are no longer reflective. Two advantages that should not be underestimated for a device that is probably mostly used in dark rooms.

What I really like: If you set up the Effekt 2 less than ten metres from the soundbar, the transmission from soundbar to rear speaker is wireless. Of course, this only works with Teufel's own soundbars, the previous "Effekt" and the new Ultima 25 speakers.

You will also have to wait for the Effekt 2. It will be launched in the fourth quarter in black and white and will cost 499 euros. A Swiss price is not yet known.