The following review was graciously contributed by Roon Community contributor, Thomas. Layout and editing were added by the Roon Editorial staff to convert the forum posts to a review format.
Discovering the Escape P6 Air
I had read about the P6 Air before, but it was not clear to me if and how stereo pairing would be possible. By accident, I discovered the Escape booth at the Munich High End show in May. Unfortunately, it was not possible to listen to the speakers. But, I had a talk there, where I learned how to configure the stereo pairing with Roon. More on that is below.
A week later, I listened to the speaker at a local dealer in Germany and ordered a pair at once. I have been enjoying my Escapes for three weeks now, mainly as a garden sound system.
Sure, you can find good speakers for this price. But, it’s hard to find portable WiFi enabled speakers with the sound quality of an Escape P6 Air stereo pair.
Thomas, Roon Community Contributor
Sound Quality
There was a huge difference in sound quality with the Escape P6 Air compared to my older pair of not much cheaper SAXX-Audio AS 50 speakers I used with a Chromecast Audio dongle – and with no grouping option to my other Roon zones.
I am fortunate, because my son is grown up, and most of my neighbours are of advanced retirement age and therefore mostly hard of hearing. I love being able to listen to good-quality music at an appropriate volume outside on a warm spring/summer evening in a quiet suburb in my region. To be able to perceive something like a soundstage, or to locate instruments in a stereo setup, on the terrace in good weather with a glass of delicious wine is, for me, real quality of life!
It’s simply different than in a closed living room or listening room; even though my systems are objectively considerably better in those spaces. I’m just glad, after a long search, to have finally found outdoor speakers that largely meet my requirements.
Of course like all digital active speakers, the Escapes are DSP sounded. But there are a few options to choose from, and fewer still that can be adapted to one’s own requirements and tastes.
Creating an Escape P6 Air stereo pair in Roon
The Escape P6s were originally designed as a stand-alone solution and, in order to create a stereo effect as such, have two opposing full-range drivers in addition to the subwoofer.
Escape gave me a solution to my stereo pair requirements that uses Roon’s Procedural EQ mix filter and is better suited for outdoor use. Due to the P6 Air’s additional sound radiation to the rear a “fuller” sound image is created.
Reliable outdoor connectivity
Most of the time the connection is very stable, but it sometimes depends where on the terrace I set up the speakers. I have mesh WiFi with a router and two repeaters connected via LAN.
On one terrace, the connection runs via only one repeater – and it always works. On another terrace, my source device sometimes switches between the router and a repeater. I occasionally have problems because of this, i.e. it takes longer for a connection to become stable. The speaker connection sometimes breaks, or the signals from both speakers are not exactly synchronised. At the same time, a message appears that Roon is looking for the server. This is usually easily solved by restarting the album, radio station, or playlist.
Conclusion
With a few more days of user experience, I would add the following: Radio Paradise is usually my favourite source for daily “music consumption” when outside. But with the Escape P6 Air I can now enjoy well-produced jazz, classical, and opera – in really good quality.
20 hours on one battery charge is rarely possible in my experience, but at least 12 hours at moderate volume is absolutely feasible. Although I’ve noticed that the Escape Remote app sometimes displays my two speakers at 30% and 70 % battery capacity, respectively, at the same runtime.
Nevertheless, for me, the sound quality of the P6 Air is exceptional, even for this price point – especially in stereo pairing. They are, for me, the best sounding truly mobile outdoor speakers that I could hear so far. And, with Roon Ready as the icing on the cake that makes pairing the two zones possible.
The Roon Store only serves North America. In my particular case, being in Germany, I bought my Escape P6 Airs from an established Munich HiFi dealer. But, I hope my experience helps you in the decision-making process. I definitely recommend the Escape P6 Air!
For more details, please see Escape’s Partners page.
Tech specs:
- Connectivity: Roon Ready, Airplay 2, Chromecast, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 5
- Loudspeakers: 2 x 3″mid-range drivers; 1 x 6 1/2″ woofer
- Total amplification power: 60 watts RMS total system power
- Frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz
- DSP: Soundstage width adjustment, user adjustable EQ
- Control interface: Top panel touch controls, Escape Remote App for iOS and Android, Google Home app
- Battery: lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4) provides 16 hours at background volume / 8 hours at typical listening volume
- Dimensions: 7.8″ (W) x 21.6″ (H) x 7.8″ (D)
- Weight: 16 lbs, 8 ozs
What’s in the box
- P6 Air Wireless Speaker
- Power cord
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty/Safety Guide