ROBOTICSApril 8, 20261 min read26 views

Fender ELIE 6 Bluetooth Speaker Review: Big Sound, App on the Way

Fender enters the portable speaker market with the ELIE 6, a powerful device that doubles as a practice amp, though it currently lacks a dedicated control app.

Fender has been defining popular music since the ’40s, from its iconic Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars to its ubiquitous amplifiers. The brand has had a more mainstream resurgence of late, including a new flagship store in Tokyo that flaunts stylish apparel among rows of vibrant colored guitars for an experience that feels like an Apple store for rockers. It was only natural for Fender to join fellow rock ambassador Marshall in the portable speaker business, debuting its first in-house Bluetooth speakers in January at CES 2026.

The Fender ELIE (the company says this stands for “Extremely Loud Infinitely Expressive”) comes in two sizes, including the lunch-box-sized ELIE 12, and the more portable ELIE 6, which I’ve spent the past few weeks testing at home and on the go. Like its larger sibling, the ELIE 6 plays double duty, blending a traditional Bluetooth speaker with a portable amplifier for guitar, vocals, and other instruments.

The ELIE 6 isn’t the first portable speaker to double as a practice amp, but it makes a statement with a powerful three-way driver system that delivers a much bigger sound than its size suggests. Unfortunately, Fender’s lack of software experience is just as notable, with no controller app yet for basic functions like EQ, let alone extras like guitar distortion or vocal effects. Fender claims an app is coming, but its current omission makes the ELIE 6 feel like a bit of a work in progress. Luckily, even the rough draft is a whole lot of fun.

Rock Tower

The ELIE 6 makes a strong first impression, with a minimalist, industrial frame and sleek touches like a rotating metal handle cloaked in textured vinyl and a real cedar block on the top panel. A tweeter and midrange driver cast shadows behind the mesh front grille much like the brand's guitar amps. Turning the speaker over reveals a rubberized woofer in the base for low frequencies, powered by a total of 60 watts. I’ve reviewed hundreds of Bluetooth speakers, and the only one I can recall with a similarly flush driver layout is Brane Audio’s pricey (and awesome) Brane X.

Source: Wired Robotics

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