Audio Partnership, the parent company for Cambridge Audio, has recalled a series of portable Bluetooth speakers because they pose a fire hazard. The product in question is the Cambridge Audio Yoyo (M) portable speaker, sold between 2016 and 2022 in all colorways, including light grey, dark grey, and blue. According to the bulletin, the speaker can overheat enough to potentially cause a fire, or rather, the battery inside. Instructions are to dispose of the speakers immediately following local and state ordinances, namely handling them as you would combustible or dangerous materials.
Per the Consumer Product Safety Commission, recalls can be announced due to reports from the manufacturer or consumers and “other sources” directly. The CPSC bulletin for the Cambridge Audio Yoyo explains that there are four reports of the device causing fire, smoke, and the “ejection” of battery materials. While no injuries have been reported so far, the speakers should be treated as dangerous. This is similar to an urgent CPSC recall of power banks in April. Unlike the power banks, fewer Bluetooth speakers are involved: around 700 versus over 400,000 of the banks.
If you own one of these speakers, or someone in your family does, make sure they understand the risks and dispose of the device(s) properly. Knowing the guidelines for disposing of electronics that are no longer safe is very important. You can’t just throw them in the regular trash; they must go to a designated location. Finding those drop-offs is not as difficult as you might expect. You can look for lithium battery drop-off locations near you using The Battery Network’s tool. Most retailers, like Walmart, Best Buy and Costco, also have drop-off locations.
How to identify if you have the Cambridge Audio Yoyo (M) speaker?
Because this is a safety recall and there are reports of the speaker overheating, stop using it immediately if you own it, or warn anyone you know who does. Cambridge Audio says the device is affected “in every country” where it was sold, so it doesn’t matter whether you have an international version; you should dispose of it. That said, several other variants of the Yoyo series, including a small (S) and large (L) model, don’t seem to be part of the recall.
Both the Cambridge Audio announcement and the CPSC recall bulletin share the product EAN, UPC, and FD numbers, so you can more easily tell whether you have an affected model. You’re looking for the Yoyo (M) or medium size. To find the FD numbers on the speaker, flip it upside down; you should be able to see the label. The EAN and UPC numbers are for reference only.
While it may not be apparent in this case, there are usually some signs you can watch out for, many of the same signs you’d use to recognize a power bank that’s no longer safe. Those include a bulging or swelling battery, warped external housing, unusual heat during use or melted components, and strange smells or even smoke. The CPSC bulletin did explain that some Yoyo owners encountered smoke, so that’s a pretty good tell. If you run into these things with any electronics, you don’t need to wait for the CPSC to issue a recall before disposing of them, and frankly, you probably shouldn’t.
