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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Pictures
    2. Style
    3. Portability
    4. Build Quality
    5. Controls
    6. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Frequency Response Accuracy
    2. Raw Frequency Response
    3. Soundstage
    4. Dynamics
  6. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. Voice Assistant
    3. App
  7. Connectivity
    1. Wired
    2. Bluetooth
    3. Wi-Fi
  8. Comments

ION Pathfinder 280 vs Monster Rockin' Roller 270X

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

ION Pathfinder 280
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Mar 13, 2025 03:41 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Sep 05, 2024 07:05 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
ION Pathfinder 280 Picture
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X Picture

Variants

  • Pathfinder 280 (Black)
  • Rockin' Roller 270X (Black)

Our Verdict

ION Pathfinder 280

Monster Rockin' Roller 270X

The ION Pathfinder 280 and the Monster Rockin' Roller 270X are similar speakers. The ION offers a slightly more balanced sound profile out of the box and gets louder with less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volume levels. It also has a full graphic EQ to tweak its sound to your liking. Both speakers have telescopic handles and wheels to transport them and also feature radio capabilities. However, the Monster comes with mic and mic/guitar inputs and can produce a more extended low-bass than the ION. It also has a Qi wireless charging pad that you can use to charge your devices.

0

Check Price

Black
Pathfinder 280
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Rockin' Roller 270X
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Pathfinder 280
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black
Rockin' Roller 270X
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black
Pathfinder 280
B&H
Black
Rockin' Roller 270X
B&H
Black
Pathfinder 280
BestBuy.com
Black
Rockin' Roller 270X
BestBuy.com
Black
Pathfinder 280
Anker
 

Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

6.8
6.7

Dynamics 
 

8.9
7.7

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.5
6.8

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

ION Pathfinder 280 Style Photo
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X Style Photo

RGB Lights  

Yes
No

Show text

Portability 
 

7.0
6.7

Dimensions Photo  

ION Pathfinder 280 Dimensions Photo
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

2,703 in³ (44,294 cm³)
2,971 in³ (48,692 cm³)

Weight 
 

23.8 lbs (10.8 kg)
26.9 lbs (12.2 kg)

Power Source 
 

AC & Battery
AC & Battery

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes

Show text

Build Quality 
 

7.0
7.0

Build Quality Photo  

ION Pathfinder 280 Build Quality Photo
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Good
Good

Water Resistance 
 

Waterproof (IPx5)
Water-resistant (IPx4)

Dust Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified

Impact Resistance 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified

Floats In Water 
 

Unspecified
Unspecified

Show text

Controls 
 

7.0
5.9

Controls Photo  

ION Pathfinder 280 Controls Photo
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

ION Pathfinder 280 Controls Photo 2
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use 
 

Great
Good

Feedback 
 

Great
Great

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Physical)
No

Call Answer/End 
 

No
No

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes

Show text

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

ION Pathfinder 280 In The Box Photo
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X In The Box Photo

Show text

Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

6.5
6.8

Frequency Response Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Slope 
 

-0.59
-0.23

Std. Err. 
 

2.91 dB
3.95 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

73.4 Hz
53.4 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

16.3 kHz
15.3 kHz

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

5.7
5.6

Directivity Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Directivity Index 
 

4.31 dB
4.48 dB

Stereo 
 

No (mono)
No (mono)

Show text

Dynamics 
 

8.9
7.7

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

100.5 dB SPL
95.7 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

1.13 dB
2.24 dB

Show text

Active Features

Battery 
 

7.1
8.5

Battery Life 
 

68.0 hrs
64.7 hrs

Charge Time 
 

7.0 hrs
7.2 hrs

Power Saving 
 

No
Yes

Charging Port 
 

AC
AC

Battery Powered 
 

Yes
Yes

Show text

Voice Assistant 
 

0.0
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Speakerphone 
 

No
No

Siri 
 

No
No

Voice Assistant 
 

No
No

Voice Activation 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone

Far-Field Performance 
 

No Assistant
No Assistant

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

No Assistant
No Assistant

Show text

App 
 

6.3
6.0

App Picture  

ION Pathfinder 280 App Picture
Monster Rockin' Roller 270X App Picture

App Name 
 

ION Sound XP
Monster Zone Control

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

Graphic + Presets
Bass/Treble

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
No

Party Mode 
 

No
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

No
No

Show text

Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

Yes
Yes

Show text

Bluetooth 
 

6.5
6.7

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.0
5.0

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

322 ms
253 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

245 ms
248 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

278.9 ft (85.0 m)
314.6 ft (95.9 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
No

Show text

Wi-Fi 
 

0.0
0.0

Wi-Fi Version 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Frequency Band 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 
 

No
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

No
No

AirPlay Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Google Chromecast 
 

No
No

Chromecast Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Check Price

Black
Pathfinder 280
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Rockin' Roller 270X
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Pathfinder 280
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black
Rockin' Roller 270X
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Black
Pathfinder 280
B&H
Black
Rockin' Roller 270X
B&H
Black
Pathfinder 280
BestBuy.com
Black
Rockin' Roller 270X
BestBuy.com
Black
Pathfinder 280
Anker
 

ION Pathfinder 280

Monster Rockin' Roller 270X

Comments

  1. Comparison

ION Pathfinder 280 vs Monster Rockin' Roller 270X: Main Discussion

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