Soen Audio, a US-based company launched TRANSIT, the company’s new Bluetooth speakers in India for Rs. 12,990. Here we have the speaker for review. The portable speaker is compact, has Bluetooth connectivity and also comes with built-in mic hands-free calls. Let’s check out the performance of the speaker in the detailed review.
Unboxing
We unboxed the speaker last month, check out the unboxing below
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvkRlOnGwB4
Box Contents
- Soen TRANSIT Wireless Portable speakers
- Fold Flat MagPro Cover
- Compact Wall Charger
- 36″ USB Charging Cable
- 36″ Audio Cable
It doesn’t come with a user manual, but you can download one online. Check out the box contents below.
The Flat-Black Magpro Magnetic Protective Cover not only protects the speakers, but also covers the sides of the speaker from gathering dust.
Video Review
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm__cDYVMZE
Design and Hardware
The speaker has a unique design and a solid build quality. It has several components such as aluminum for the front speaker grill, CNC machined aircraft grade brushed aluminum finish for the accents in the center, that extends to the back. It is compact with dimensions of 96.8mm x 169 mm x 33.25 mm, but it is quite heavy at 500 grams.
On the top and back, you have TPU rubber armor that gives soft matte feel.
It also has a retractable kick-stand that opens up once you press a button above it. There is nothing on the right side of the speaker.
On the top there is volume rocker and a option button in the center. The option button helps in Bluetooth pairing. You can press both the volume buttons to mute the audio. Even the volume rocker has a smooth rubber finish.
You can see the speaker mesh even on the sides of the speaker. On the right side there is micro USB port for charging, a 3.5mm AUX-in port, a power button with LED indicator and a Bass reflex port below that.
The LED indicator glows in White, Blue and Red colors, depending on the operation. It glows in White when it is not connected to any devices, glows in Blue when it is connected and glows in Red when it is not connected. It also gives audio feedback depending on the Bluetooth pairing and connectivity. You can also connect it to a PC, laptop or any device with a 3.5mm audio jack using the bundled AUX cable.
Sound Quality/Performance
The loudspeaker output is good without any distortion even when if the volume is full. We tried different genres of music, right from mild blues to intense rock music, Audio output in lows, mids and highs are perfect. Thanks to the proprietary SOEN Momentum port, the bass is good for a portable speaker. It also has SOEN’s proprietary digital amp and custom neodymium transducers for enhanced audio output. The output is definitely crystal clear. This should fill up a large room with its loud audio output.
Unlike some speakers that offer mono audio, this offers stereo audio output. It also doubles up as a hands-free speaker phone for your smartphones with its built-in microphone. This microphone is not visible, but picks up your voice clearly. SOEN uses Precise Talk technology to suppress the ambient noise.
Connectivity and battery life
Coming to the connectivity, the speaker has Bluetooth and 3.5mm AUX-In support which is present in most of the devices. Wish it had NFC support for quick pairing, since most of the high-end smartphones and some tablets have NFC support. It also lacks aptX, the new Bluetooth technology for better wireless audio. SOEN promises up to 8 hours of battery life with its built-in Lithium Ion battery. We got more than 7 hours of battery life over a week.
Conclusion
Overall, the TRANSIT portable speaker is definitely one of the best portable speakers in the market. At a price tag of Rs. 12,990, it is definitely costly compared to other portable speakers, but it is definitely worth paying for the premium build and good audio. It is available from its India distributor Love 4 Apple and Amazon India.
Pros
- Solid build
- Impressive audio output without distortion
- Good battery life
- Built-in Kickstand
Cons
- Priced a bit on the higher side
- Bit heavy
- Lacks NFC