Clint Odin Review
Clint Odin
Go ahead punk, make your day with Clint’s wonderful Wi-Fi speaker
Verdict
Pros
- Massive bassy sound with eloquent high frequencies
- Solid build quality and striking design
- Impressive features
Cons
- No Bluetooth
- Fairly expensive
- Long-winded PC setup
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £319.95
- DLNA, AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Internet radio support
- 2 x 25W power output
- Multiroom capable
- Hi-res FLAC playback up to 192kHz/24-bit
- Works with Clint Asgard app
What is the Clint Odin?
Odin is a funky wireless speaker from Danish brand Clint that allows you to stream music via DLNA, AirPlay, Spotify Connect or internet radio over its built-in Wi-Fi connection. You can also use it as part of a multiroom music system with other Clint speakers using the company’s Asgard app on iOS or Android devices.
The feature list looks great, but for many the real draw will be the quirky contemporary design, the sort we’ve come to expect from Scandinavian brands such as Clint. But is there substance behind the style? Let’s find out…
SEE ALSO: 10 Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers 2015
Clint Odin – Design and Connections
Odin is a full size speaker designed for use in large rooms. At 394mm tall by 243mm wide, it’s too big for desktop placement – it’s most at home on the floor in the corner of the room, perched on the optional foot stand. The build quality of the solid aluminium enclosure is superb, although the plastic buttons on top are a bit clunky.
Sure it looks a bit like a waste paper bin with its dotted white aluminium mesh, but Odin is an undeniably striking unit. The curvy three-sided enclosure is an arresting sight, and the white finish complements the silver foot stand nicely. A graphite grey version is also available.
The thick aluminium stand provides a sturdy base, raising the speaker 50mm and tilting it upwards by 8º. The top bar is the same shape as the speaker, creating a cradle for it to sit snugly inside. If you don’t opt for the stand, a thick rubber pad on the bottom of the speaker itself keeps vibrations at bay.
The only display is a column of five lights (four white, one purple or blue) at the bottom of the front edge, which flash when connecting and turn solid when connected. Otherwise the look is clean and clutter-free. The top buttons include volume, play/pause, multiroom and mute.
Odin is all about wireless connectivity so don’t expect an abundance of sockets on the back, but there is a 3.5mm minijack input and a USB port that lets you play music from iOS devices (and share Wi-Fi settings) but it’s a shame it won’t play music from other USB devices. It’ll also charge your devices and let you upgrade the software. The Wi-Fi Setup button helps you hook the unit up to your router.
Clint Odin – Features
Odin allows you to stream music from Apple devices using AirPlay, or from non-Apple devices via DLNA. It supports a decent range of formats including MP3 and FLAC up to 192kHz/24-bit. You can even stream music directly to Odin over a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network, which Clint calls Music Direct. It’s just a shame there’s no Bluetooth, which would have provided a quicker, easier way of streaming from non-Wi-Fi devices.
Users with a Spotify premium account can use Spotify Connect to stream music from its vast catalogue, while internet radio can be accessed through the Asgard app.
Odin’s Class D amplifier offers 2 x 25W of power and its bass reflex enclosure is designed to deliver rich, deep bass. The onboard DSP allows you to control the bass, midrange and treble using the Asgard app.
Multiroom (WHA) support lets you stream music to up to four Clint speakers around your house, or create a stereo pair using two Odins as the left and right channels. The first speaker switched to multiroom mode acts as the master while other speakers are slaves. Clint’s range also includes the smaller Freya speaker, which has a rechargeable battery and can be easily moved around the house.
Clint Odin – Setup and Operation
There are several ways of connecting Odin to your Wi-Fi router. The first and easiest is using WPS, which involves pressing the Wi-Fi Setup button followed by the WPS button on the router. A female voice confirms the connection by saying “your device is now connected”.
Apple devices are equally simple to connect. Plug it into the USB port, press the Wi-Fi Setup button and allow Odin to share its settings on the onscreen dialogue box.
A slightly more complicated method is to connect through the web browser on a PC or phone. This involves holding down the Wi-Fi Setup button, connecting your PC directly to the Odin and configuring the router settings in the browser. It’s long-winded but it works.
It’s worth noting that you need a good strong Wi-Fi connection to get the most joy out of Odin – set it up in the same room as the router if possible. We tried connecting upstairs with the router in the living room and it had trouble locking on, as well as dropping out during playback.
Clint’s Asgard app is easy to use thanks to its clean, stripped-back layout. The main screen shows you the selected source with a cluster of playback controls at the bottom and a volume slider. The speaker icon at the bottom takes you to the multiroom menu, where you can select which speakers to play music through or play music in stereo through two Odins. You can even send one source to one speaker and a different source to another. The note icon at the bottom allows you to choose a music source – DLNA, Radio, Spotify Connect or the device you’re using.
Tap a speaker in the list and you can visit the setup menu – here you can adjust the EQ, select Eco Saving mode, update the firmware or check the network settings.
Clint Odin – Performance
As you’d expect from a speaker named after Thor’s dad, Odin delivers a truly thunderous performance. All the hallmarks of a top-class speaker are there – sparkling, expressive treble, a rich midrange and deep, punchy bass that hugs the beat tightly as it bounces along. This strong bass output is perhaps its greatest asset, as it lends satisfying weight to everything you play.
What’s also impressive is they way Odin dominates the room and fills it with music. Despite the modest 50W rating there’s plenty of puff in its lungs, which is great for big spaces – particularly when you stick it in the corner as recommended. It also doesn’t require much provocation from the volume controls to deliver a loud, commanding sound.
Playing Frank McComb Live In Atlanta, Odin brings the show to life with snappy drums, smooth vocals and warm Rhodes, while the fast, funky basslines are kept firmly in the pocket. Mute trumpet solos are prominent without sounding thin or harsh and the terrific top-end reproduction allows percussion and hi-hats to shine.
On the downside, despite being a stereo speaker you don’t get the precise stereo imaging of a traditional two-channel setup – we didn’t have a second Odin to test them as a pair – but that’s inevitable given the unit’s unusual design. In any case the loud, enveloping sound more than makes up for it.
Should I buy the Clint Odin?
With its quirky Scandinavian design and powerful performance, Odin is the ideal wireless speaker for style-conscious listeners with large rooms to fill. Not only does it sound big and commanding, but it’s also well-balanced, refined and cohesive. Odin isn’t cheap, but performance this good rarely is.
If that’s not enough to convince you, perhaps the feature list will. It supports DLNA, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, internet radio and even multiroom playback – all controlled through a slick, intuitive app. Only the lack of Bluetooth and relatively narrow stereo imaging gives us any cause for complaint, but in all other respects Odin achieves god-like status.
SEE ALSO: Best USB Headphone Amps 2015
Verdict
Clint’s avant-garde Wi-Fi speaker keeps your listening options open with support for multiple wireless sources and delivers a thunderous, room-filling performance. Only Bluetooth would have made it better
Trusted Score
Score in detail
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Design 9
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Sound Quality 9
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Features 8
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Value 8
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Usability 9
Audio Codecs
MP3 | Yes |
Apple Lossless | Yes |
AIFF | Yes |
AAX | Yes |
WAV | Yes |
AAC | Yes |