I disagree, I find the TX-6 and OB-4 at least highly functional tools without peers. There are no mixers with the function of the TX-6 and the next closest comparables are still near the same price with several major gaps.
OB-4: The only other one I found which isn't just a bt hifi and tries to be an actual studio monitor is the iLoud, there is a new product from Fender as well. I also have the iLoud and stopped using it (worse sound, fewer useful tools). I don't think these 1-2 alternatives are clearly superior value.
Eh, I feel like most people would never use 80% of the "features" of the TX-6, which mostly feel like bolt-on justifications for its price tag. If you want a super portable mixer, something like the 1010 Bluebox is infinitely better at being a proper mixer than the TX-6 is, for half the price.
I think its a bit of a stretch to argue the OB-4 has no peers? There's no shortage of premium battery powered speakers out there. While the design may be much more to your liking, there are good options.
Unless you are going to apply speaker or room correction, no speaker has a universally flat "hifi" or "monitor like" response in all environments. What you hear is a product of both the speaker and the room, not just the speaker. For this reason alone, a portable speaker makes little sense for use as a "monitor" and that's before we get to the pretty terrible stereo channel separation going on with the drivers mere inches apart on a flat surface on this particular model. This is a fairly big part of the reason people working on audio projects tend to rely on headphones to monitor in the field.
There are plenty of battery powered speakers with as close to a "neutral" (monitor) style response curve as just making a plain ole speaker can, but again, not like almost anyone will hear that neutral curve on a portable speaker anyway!
The Sonos units can at least perform sweep tests and some room correction via a phone mic ("Truplay" in their marketing), as one example - even the portable battery powered units like the Move. The Move is also a third cheaper. Room correction will generally provide significantly more accurate or "hifi" as you put it bass response.
I completely agree the design of the OB-4 is more attractive though!
Thx for the move reference, haven't researched in a few years. Tho I need two moves to match stereo need for production so it's quite a lot bigger, I'm sure that helps the sound. I have software for sweeps and eq.
OB-4: The only other one I found which isn't just a bt hifi and tries to be an actual studio monitor is the iLoud, there is a new product from Fender as well. I also have the iLoud and stopped using it (worse sound, fewer useful tools). I don't think these 1-2 alternatives are clearly superior value.