Block OPUS S black

Block OPUS S champagne: smart speaker with a round screen

A 63-centimeter disc standing on three wooden legs, with a round screen at its center that displays the lyrics of the current track, your photos or what is happening on your smartphone. The speaker combines a 170-watt three-way active system, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in a single cabinet, and can be controlled either from an app or with a simple rotary knob.

A 19-inch screen at the center of the front panel

The circular LCD screen measures 19 inches diagonally, or around 48 centimeters, and occupies the entire central section of the speaker, with the drivers arranged around it. During playback, it displays lyrics synchronized with the music, and the menu lets you choose the accompanying animated background and the font effect used for the text. A dedicated setting lets you report a timing discrepancy or an error in the displayed lyrics, indicating that synchronization depends on the database used and is not accurate for every track.

The screen also has uses beyond music: it displays photos and videos sent from a phone, while screen mirroring reproduces the full display of an iPhone or Android smartphone, provided both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. In standby, the OPUS S can display a clock, with several styles to choose from, and play white noise for relaxation or falling asleep.

Three active ways and 170 watts in a single cabinet

Behind the front panel, sound is divided between three types of drivers: a 25-centimeter woofer, two 10-centimeter midrange drivers and two 5-centimeter tweeters. Each has its own amplification channel: 100 watts for the woofer, 25 watts for each midrange driver and 10 watts for each tweeter. This is the principle of an active speaker: the signal is split into frequency bands before amplification, and each amplifier handles only its assigned range.

A woofer of this size, housed in an 82-centimeter-tall cabinet, gives the OPUS S a low-end foundation that more compact wireless speakers cannot achieve. The single cabinet does, however, impose a limitation: one speaker cannot reproduce the separation of a stereo pair. To address this, Block offers a pairing mode that links two OPUS S speakers as left and right channels. The manual calls for at least 10 centimeters between the speaker and the wall, a minimum distance that should be increased if the bass sounds too heavy.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.4 and the HiSounds app

Bluetooth 5.4 supports any phone, tablet or computer, without any special setup: the speaker appears as “Opus S” in the device list. Wi-Fi provides access to screen mirroring, software updates downloaded directly by the speaker and the HiSounds app, available on iOS and Android. The network connection is set up through the app or directly on the screen, entering the password with the rotary knob.

This knob, located at the rear, brings together all the physical controls: a long press turns the speaker on or off, a short press opens the menu, and turning it adjusts the volume. The OPUS S has no wired inputs, whether analog, optical or HDMI: the rear panel is limited to the knob, the power switch and the mains socket. Every source must therefore connect via Bluetooth or the network.

Champagne finish and wooden legs

The champagne version combines a light golden shade with the natural wood of the legs, while the black version takes a more understated approach. The three legs screw into the cabinet by hand, in the order specified in the manual, and the unit measures 63 centimeters wide, 82 high and 22 deep, weighing around 18 kilos. The shallow depth makes it easy to position against a wall, near a sofa or in a corner of the living room, on a stable, level floor. The LCD screen does not tolerate direct sunlight or nearby heat sources well, a point to bear in mind when choosing its location, near a large window, for example.

Technical specifications

Product type and screen

• Product type: smart speaker with screen
• Screen: LCD with a 48.26 cm diagonal

Audio specifications

• Speaker system: 3-way
• Total power: 170 W

Connectivity and control

• Wireless audio streaming: Bluetooth
• Wireless network: Wi-Fi
• App control

Power supply

• Supply voltage: 100–240 V
• Frequency: 50 / 60 Hz
• Maximum current: 2 A

Dimensions and weight

• Dimensions (width × height × depth): 630 × 820 × 220 mm
• Weight: 20 kg