Zebronics Passion Bluetooth speaker review: Compact yet good in performance

Design looks premium with fabric finish

Zebronics Passion is lightweight and compact portable speaker weighing in at 164 grams. The fabric finish and glossy silver edge give it a premium look despite its budget price tag. There is a rubberized tag to attach the speaker to a backpack or carry it around with ease.

At the front, there is a Zebronics logo in metallic finish that goes well with the overall looks of the speaker. We have the orange color variant of Zebronics Passion but there are other colors such as beige, pale blue and pale green as well.

Moving on to its rear, the speaker has a charging port, a microSD card slot (an interesting addition) and an AUX connector. There is a reset pin hole and a microphone for calling functions. There is a rubberized anti-slip ring for additional grip when it is placed on a flat surface. At the top, we have the volume controls (also used to go to the next and previous tracks), power button and play/pause button.

 

Pairing isn’t complicated

Talking about connecting the speaker to your smartphone, you will get to know that the pairing process is really simple. You need to press and hold the power button. Then, you will hear that the speaker is in the Bluetooth mode. Also, a blue LED indicator will blink from within the fabric finish at the front. Now, you need to turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and search for the speaker. Over here, the device with the name ZEB-PASSION has to be tapped to pair the speaker with your smartphone.

Performance and sound quality

During my usage, I found that the Zebronics Passion no-meager performer.. The compact Bluetooth speaker renders a clear audio output, which is loud enough despite its compact size. Usually, speakers of this size and pricing render a flat audio output without bass. Though this one doesn't render an impressive bass output, it does perform well. The sound quality is acceptable and decent enough to enjoy music playing in your phone or laptop. However, on using it at maximum volume, I could notice slight distortion in the output. I also used the speaker for voice calling and the audio quality was free from disturbance.

What's interesting is that this Zebronics Bluetooth speaker also comes with a wireless FM Radio. You can scan the FM channels available by pressing the play/pause button once.

Battery performance is good

When it comes to battery performance, the device lasted for over 2 hours of continuous playback, which sounds decent given its pricing. A battery icon displayed on my smartphone next to the Bluetooth icon on the status bar. This shows the battery level left on the Zebronics speaker and is helpful in getting to know the battery life left in the speaker.

Verdict

On the whole, if you are looking for a light weight and portable Bluetooth speaker at a budget-friendly price point, then this one is meant for you. It has a nice and sleek design with the fabric finish at the front. Even the sound quality and functionalities such as microSD card slot and wireless FM make it a value for money offering by making it unique from the rest in the market.

However, the Zebronics Passion is only meant for users who prefer portability. It can make up for a good personal speaker but not for those who want a richer audio experience.

Notably, this speaker faces competition from many such budget Bluetooth speakers in the market offering similar user experience. But what makes it different from most of its rivals is the little bass output that it renders.