I’ve been using the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 for a little over a week now. Not in a lab, not in a showroom, just in real life. On my desk, in the kitchen while cooking, even once in the backyard while I was pretending to do yard work. And I do mean pretending, as my housemate came outside to find me asleep on the grass listening to the new.. ish, Slash album. It’s one of those devices that quietly fits into your day without demanding attention. But when you do notice it, it’s usually for a good reason.
Whether it’s the crisp audio that cuts through morning chaos or the seamless wireless charging that saves me from cable clutter, the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 feels like it was designed by someone who actually lives in the real world. It’s not flashy, but it’s clever, like the friend who always shows up with exactly what you need before you ask. The 3-in-1 design of the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 means it’s not just a speaker, it’s a powerbank and wireless charger too, which sounded like a complete gimmick to me originally, until I realised how often you actually use all three. And with up to 26 hours of playback, it’s not just tagging along, it’s leading the charge… literary.
The Packaging Made Me Pause
Before I even got to the speaker, the box had me doing a double-take. It’s got that matte, almost velvety finish that feels expensive, and there’s a magnetic flap, which is probably unnecessary, but it adds to the whole premium feel to the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2, even before getting your hands on it.
Inside, everything’s tucked in neatly. No plastic chaos. Even the charging cable is wrapped in soft fabric. I don’t usually care about packaging, but this one made me slow down a bit and take notice.
Design That Doesn’t Try Too Hard
The Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 looks clean. Minimalist, but not cold. Rounded edges, soft-touch surface, no loud logos or weird branding. It’s heavier than I expected—not bulky, just solid. That kind of weight that makes it feel like it’s built well. You could toss it in a bag without worrying, but it also looks perfectly at home next to a laptop in a café. For charging, I mean. Please don’t be that person playing music out loud in public.
It’s a 3-in-1: speaker, power bank, wireless charger. That sounded a bit gimmicky to me at first. Still kind of does, if I’m honest. I haven’t used all of it equally. But the power bank? That’s the part I keep coming back to. I’ve used it more times than I can count. During calls, while working, even once while cooking, I just dropped my phone on it and walked away. Came back to a full charge. No fiddling, no second-guessing. It’s just… reliable. It’s basically earned a permanent spot on my desk.
At 190mm wide, 80mm tall, and just 32mm deep, the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 is compact without feeling cramped. It’s slim enough to slip into a backpack or sit neatly on a crowded desk, but still has enough presence to feel substantial. You don’t need to clear space for it; it just fits. I’ve moved it around a lot, and not once did it feel awkward or oversized. It’s portable, but not quite pocketable. More like the kind of thing you grab without thinking, because it’s never in the way.
There’s a little LED ring around the base. I didn’t notice it at first. It lights up when something’s charging. Subtle. Maybe too subtle. I keep wondering if it’s supposed to do more, or if I missed something in the manual. Or maybe it’s just decorative. Either way, it doesn’t get in the way, and it’s a cool indicator… when you can see it.
The Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 wireless charging works. I tried it only a few times, mostly out of curiosity. My phone stayed in sat comfortably, which is more than I can say for a few other chargers I’ve owned. It’s nice also to just put it roughly in the spot & it charges. Often you have to hold your left hand over your head, hop on one foot & put the phone millimetre perfect on the wireless charger for it to work. The Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 is close enough, and it’s good enough to get it charging. Which seems weird to say, as they should be like that. Yet a very pleasant surprise.
I still tend to reach for a cable. Habit, I guess. That might change eventually. Or not. I’m not in a rush. But the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 has at least made me feel more confident for when & if I make that switch.
Sound That Surprises You (Mostly in a Good Way)
I didn’t expect much from the audio, to be honest. Portable speakers usually sound fine, not great. But this one? It’s better than fine. Mids are clear, vocals come through nicely, and the bass is present, not booming, but enough to feel it. I played a mix of R&B, Rap, Jazz, soft rock and some heavier stuff. It handled all of it without distortion, unless I cranked it way too high.
There’s a tiny bit of hollowness in the low end if you’re really listening for it. I noticed it once during a bass-heavy track, then forgot about it. Most people probably wouldn’t care. Or notice.
The drivers are 45mm, which is decent for something this size. You’re not getting room-shaking sound, but you’re also not stuck with that thin, tinny profile that plagues a lot of compact speakers. It’s a 10W output, and it feels like it’s tuned more for clarity than punch. Which I prefer, honestly. I’d rather hear the texture in a vocal line than have my desk vibrate.
Volume-wise, it’s a bit of a balancing act. If you turn your phone all the way up, the speaker doesn’t magically get better, it just gets louder. And not always in a good way. I tried maxing out my phone volume once, and the highs started to feel a little sharp. Not painful, just… brittle. Backing it off a notch or two made a noticeable difference. It’s one of those setups where 80% volume sounds better than 100%, which feels counterintuitive but kind of makes sense when you think about how Bluetooth audio compression works.
I also noticed that different apps behave differently. Spotify sounded great. YouTube was fine, but a bit flatter. I don’t think this was the speaker, and it’s just down to the way those platforms handle audio.
And then there’s UNISYNC. I didn’t think I’d care about multi-speaker pairing, but it’s actually kind of cool. You can link up to 50 compatible speakers, and if Sprout would like to send me 50, I would be honoured to test that for you and play music in sync across them all.
I only tested it with two; I borrowed a second unit from a friend who owns their Speaki Bluetooth speaker, and it worked surprisingly well. No lag, no weird echo. Just seamless playback. I imagine it’d be great for outdoor setups like a BBQ or even a casual get-together where you want music in more than one room or just to add depth to a large room. Not something I’ll use every day, but it’s nice to know it’s there, if and when I need it.
It’s not immersive in the cinematic sense, but it’s engaging. You can sit with it, let it fill a room, and not feel like you’re missing something. That’s rare for a speaker this size, especially with it being a 3-in-1. I wouldn’t use it for a raging party, but for everyday listening, background music, podcasts, even a quiet moment with a favourite album on your backyard lawn when you should be mowing. It holds up beautifully.
Since writing the original review, I thought I was done with it. But lately, I’ve found a new appreciation for the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2. I was at a friend’s place for a Dungeons & Dragons session; he’s got a whole library of ambient tracks on his phone: dungeon themes, peaceful meadows, intense boss fights with stressful, pulsing tones. It adds so much to the atmosphere. The only issue? His Samsung S22 is… well, let’s just say it’s seen better days. The speaker’s weak, the battery drains fast, and we had this awkward USB-C cable stretched across the table just to keep it alive.
That’s when I realised the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 was kind of perfect for this. The sound is deeper, clearer, and the immersion? Way better. It felt like it was made for tabletop sessions like this. He ended up buying one for himself the next day just for D&D.
Battery Life That Just Keeps Going
Sprout claims the battery lasts around 26 hours when using the speaker alone at 50% volume, and based on my experience, that seems pretty accurate. In my case, I had my phone charging while streaming YouTube videos at about 85% volume, and the speaker still lasted roughly 10 hours. That’s impressive. My phone didn’t lose any charge, and my office was filled with music all day.
I didn’t track usage minute by minute, but I used the speaker on and off throughout the week. Sometimes I charged my phone with it, other times I just listened to music, and it held up really well. Even when charging my phone, the battery didn’t drain too quickly.
Bluetooth pairing was seamless. No delays, no fiddling with settings. It connected instantly and was ready to go..
I kept expecting the battery to dip suddenly, like maybe after charging my phone or leaving it paired overnight, but it didn’t. Even with moderate use, it held up. I’d listen to music for a couple of hours, unplug my phone, forget about it, come back the next day, and it was still going. Not fully charged, obviously, but not dead either. That kind of quiet reliability is rare.
The internal battery is rated at 37Wh (equivalent to 10,050mAh at 3.7V), which explains a lot. It’s not just powering the speaker; it’s also handling wireless charging and USB output. I assumed that would eat into playback time more aggressively, but it’s surprisingly well-managed. I charged my phone twice and still had enough juice left for a full morning of lawn listening.
Charging it back up takes a few hours, Sprout says, around four. I plug it in, walk away, and I was running errands for a little over 4 hours, so they are probably smack on their timings. As it was full and ready for me for more lawn work.
A nice touch is a battery indicator, too. Just a row of white LEDs. Simple, readable. No app, no guesswork. It’s something simple, but I like it. As my last power bank was a bit more mysterious, it would just randomly run out. Normally, at the worst time.
Final Thoughts: It’s Easy to Like
After a few weeks with the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2, I’ve stopped thinking of it as a gadget and started treating it more like a desk companion. It’s not trying to impress with flashy features or bold claims, which feels odd to say about a 3-in-1 I originally thought would be gimmicky. But it quietly does what it’s meant to, and does it well enough that you notice, without demanding attention.
The 3-in-1 design still feels a bit unconventional, maybe even unnecessary on paper. But in practice, it works. I didn’t expect to use the power bank as often as I did, or for the wireless charging to be this forgiving. And the speaker? Surprisingly good. Not perfect, but as good if not better than most portable speakers I’ve tried, and that’s rare, especially for one with so many other features.
There’s a kind of restraint in how it’s built. From the packaging to the materials to how it handles battery life, it feels like someone actually considered how it would be used day to day, and not just how it would look in a product shot.
I still reach for a cable; my own bias doesn’t fully trust wireless charging yet. I still notice the occasional hollowness in the bass. I still wonder what that LED ring is really for or if it is just some weird indication that there is something on the base. But none of those things feel like deal-breakers and are more nitpicking. They just make it feel more real. Like something designed for actual people, not just reviewers.
Would I recommend the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2? I truly would, though it may not be for everyone. If you want booming sound or ultra-minimalist design, there are other options. But if you want something that fits into your life without fuss, charges your phone while you work, and plays music without sounding like it’s coming from a tin can, then yes, the Sprout Maverick Hybrid 2 is worth a look.
And if you happen to fall asleep on the lawn with it playing Slash in the background or your half-elf hunter throws an Axe into your barbarian… I won’t judge you.
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