The Ampcaddy Pro Max speaker.
Just to get it out of the way early; this post is not a jab at My Golf Spy (while entertaining, that’s not our drama).
We’ve been a fan of the Ampcaddy golf speakers since the launch back in 2014. The smart design and ample sound seemed hard to beat without upping your budget to the JBL realm, and more than enough to suit the needs of a foursome. Ampcaddy quickly became a staple in our golf bags and a focal point for our signature golf outings, so when when we heard about production on the Ampcaddy Pro and Pro Max speakers we could hardly wait.
In the meantime, we found one of our favorite new products of the year in the UpSide magnetic rangefinder, an excellent, less-expensive option measuring true distance and slope, with a badass magnet for easy cart storage when not in use. After testing the UpSide rangefinder we learned the company would also be jumping into the speaker market with its own compact magnetic device. Given the quality of the rangefinder, we expected to be impressed again, and, admittedly, began to question the strength of our Ampcaddy loyalty.
The Amcaddy Pro.
When both speakers finally launched, though, it was hard to notice any significant differences, mainly because the Ampcaddy Pro ($79.97) and the Upside SuperX7 ($79) are the same exact thing, literally. The only difference between the two is the mounting system, the Ampcaddy with its signature clamp and UpSide with the magnet, and of course the branding. Other than that there is no difference — again, literally the same exact design — both are small and compact, delivering 15 watts of sound, water resistant, rechargeable and all around great speakers. What sets them apart is more minor functionality — Ampcaddy has it, UpSide does not.
The UpSide SuperX7.
Ampcaddy launched both the Pro and the Pro Max ($129.97) speakers at the same time, the Pro Max sporting the familiar Amcaddy pill-shape design with upgraded features. The Ampcaddy speakers can be paired to the same device for up to 80 watts of sound. The SuperX7 also has pairing capability, though only with one other speaker for up to 30 watts of sound. We ran through the Ampcaddy pairing gamut using two Pros, a Pro and a Pro Max, and even two Pro Maxes, just to see how loud we could actually get with the Ampcaddy. (The two Pro Max pairing for 80 watts proved the loudest, obviously, and earned us a noise complaint from a course resident before we even finished the first hole.)
Pairing any combination of Ampcaddy’s new speakers equals stupid loud music. Really, there’s no need for more than one — even the small Pro is more than enough — but we’d be lying if we said the pairing feature isn’t a game-changer, and useful when you really want to turn up on the course. The real kicker is Ampcaddy’s clamp mounting system proving better than UpSide’s magnet as well. While the magnet on UpSide’s rangefinder is a definite selling point, the company uses the same thing on the speaker. Though small, the speaker does weigh more than the rangefinder, and just a little too heavy for the single magnet to hold it securely. If you have a fast cart or pocked cart paths, the SuperX7 will come flying off if jostled too much. Ampcaddy’s mounting system not only ensures the speaker isn’t going anywhere, the added multi-directional swivel feature makes it easy to “aim” your sound away from other golfers as the need arises (and it will).
All is not lost for UpSide, though, we’ll still be singing the praises of the company’s rangefinder and ingenuity. But when it comes to delivering the on-course soundtrack, Ampcaddy still reigns supreme.
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