Soen Audio TRANSIT Portable Bluetooth Speakers Review: Looks Great, Sounds Even Better

Soen Audio, comparatively, is the newest name in the market and comes at a time when portable Bluetooth speakers have become something of a craze. And hence it is only justified why Soen Audio chose this very time to enter the Indian market with its own product.

TRANSIT from Soen Audio is the newest offering for the Indian market for the company and is shaped more or less like a trapezoid and is sized similar to a large paperback book. And just for the sake of comparison, if any of you have had the opportunity to try out Jawbone's Jambox and the other Big Jambox, you will know immediately that size-wise the device sits somewhere in between both of them.

This is Soen Audio's first arrival in the country with the TRANSIT Bluetooth speaker, and going by the first impressions, the device does have quite a price tag. And while a number of interested customers will indeed raise an eyebrow when they get to know its Rs. 12,990 price-tag, the price seems quite justified since the device isn't here to compete against the likes of Sony or Logitech in the mass market, but has targeted the likes of Bose with its SoundLink Mini.

And again for the sake of comparison, the SoundLink Mini costs Rs 16,200. However, how does the TRANSIT fare in the market, and does it have enough juice under the hood to face a stellar competition in the market? Let's take a closer look.

Overall Build and Design

The TRANSIT from Soen Audio, compared to its immediate rivals in the market, is a bit taller. And as we mentioned before, the device has a trapezoid shape and is sized similar to a large paperback book. However, to complement the build, the device has been developed with high quality and rich materials.

With overall dimensions reading at 16.9 x 3.3 x 9.7 cm, the device has a matte black finish that can also be seen around the speaker. The device also has a grill which is made from good quality metal, apart from the overall build of the device highlighting its kickstand.

Also, what Soen calls as a 'protective rubber armor' is the soft finishing the device boasts throughout that's also compliments the overall look and feel of the device.

The device has a metal kickstand that pops out of the back when you press down on the offered set of ridges on the back, enabling users to rest the device firmly on a gentle sloping recline for comfortable music playback.

The speaker, itself, is made up of solid metal with the device's kickstand also being much more pleasing than a normal plastic material would have been. On the side of the device, there are the power button, bass ports, aux-in and USB port with the power switch also lighting up in several different colors to notify you about the battery charge level.

TRANSIT also comes with the Quick Attaching MagPro Cover to protect the grill surfaces when on the go. The device folds flat when not in use, while the rest of the TRANSIT enclosure is already covered with the integrated durable TPU Rubber armor.

Performance

While the TRANSIT speaker looks good, the kind sound quality it is set to offer is even more important. And it seems like Soen has also done a great job on that as well. Throw in a variety of different genres on to the device and you will be amazed by the kind of sound quality it will produce.

The company has innovated to develop SOEN transducers specifically meant for compact audio devices. it also states that to achieve the SOEN levels of precision and quality, it has manufactured these proprietary transducers in its own factory.

These SOEN transducers have been specifically built with the exacting precision of a fine Swiss watch and are said to be the most advanced miniature transducers ever created. These leading edge transducers also produce an unparalleled full spectrum sound from a surprisingly compact size.

It is actually quite surprising to know that Soen's two miniaturized drivers are more than capable of handling high volume playback with immense clarity and ease. And that will the most major part of the device since none in the same genre have the ability to offer a great sound output as this, although we are not really moving into the Bose territory for the time being.

Also, the bluetooth connectivity is good until up to a range of 10 feet. however, beyond that, there will be the occasional and expected audio drop of about 15 feet. Also, if there's some kind of a barrier in between (like a wall), then this range is expected to reduce. Although all that will keep on depending from time to time.