Oppo Enco Air2 Review: Struggles to stand out

Priced at Rs 2,499, the Oppo Enco Air2 looks like a pretty sweet deal on paper with 13.4mm drivers, HeyMelody app support, and IPX4 rating. However, when faced with competing products such as the Realme Buds Q2 and the DIZO Buds Z Pro, the earbuds do fall behind in terms of features and battery life.

The Oppo Enco Air2 is the company’s latest entry-level TWS pair of earphones complete with 13.4mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, touch controls and HeyMelody app support. The device is priced competitively at Rs 2,499, but it does face its fair share of competitors including the Realme Buds Q2 and DIZO Buds Z Pro. Budget TWS have progressively been getting better, both quality and feature-set wise. In fact, it is not odd to even see manufacturers provide features such as Active Noise Cancellation at this price point these days. Alas, the Oppo Enco Air2 doesn’t boast of this feature. But does it do well in other areas such as sound quality, fit, and battery life? Read through as we put Oppo’s entry-level TWS to the test to know if these earbuds are worth your money or if you should look elsewhere.

Build and comfort

The Oppo Enco Air2 sports the half in-ear design that Apple popularised with its AirPods lineup. In fact, the earbuds look eerily similar to the older AirPods, so they don’t really stand out when in your ears. The case, on the other hand, does stand out with its half-translucent design. The lid of the case is translucent allowing you to peek at your earbuds from outside. The case is also extremely sleek and compact. So much so, that you can easily pocket these even when wearing skinny jeans. The front of the case sports an LED battery indicator and the bottom houses the USB Type-C charging port.

Circling back to the earbuds, while they may not be anything special to look at, these earbuds are incredibly lightweight. The earbuds have a half in-ear design so you don’t get silicone eartips. So despite their lightweight, some users may not get an adequate fit, especially if they have smaller ears. Even if you manage to get them to sit in your ears reasonably securely, they may pop out when exercising or running. For this reason, we prefer earphones with silicone eartips since they provide a much more snug fit. The half in-ear design also hampers passive isolation, so you can hear your surroundings pretty easily if you don’t listen to music at ridiculously loud levels. 

All in all, we’re not too impressed with the Oppo Enco Air2’s build or fit, since they are pretty run of the mill to look at and the fit isn’t the most secure you can get at this price.

Features

Priced at Rs 2,499, the new Oppo Enco Air2 come with a decent number of features, but they do get bested in this department by the Realme Buds Q2 and DIZO Buds Z Pro that you can purchase on e-commerce platforms for around the same price. The Realme Buds Q2 come equipped with a plethora of features; including some such as Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode which aren’t available on the Oppo Enco Air2.

What the Oppo Enco Air2 does have though is excellent app support. The HeyMelody app allows users to access multiple features such as Game Mode, EQ presets, and earbud controls. EQ presets, which OPPO has dubbed the Enco Live sound effects, include Original sound, Bass Boost and Clear vocals. The Original Sound preset sounds the most natural and is one by default. 

The app also allows users to customise earbud controls including the double tap, triple tap and touch and hold commands. You can choose between seeking tracks, pausing and playing music, Game Mode, Voice Assistant, and even volume level controls. There’s also a toggle for Game Mode within the app that reduces the latency down to 80ms, according to the company. In our testing, there was a slight difference in latency when Game Mode was turned on. Additionally, you can also check battery levels and perform firmware updates via the app. However, app support is not available for iOS users. 

The earphones also have other features such as IPX4 sweat and splash resistance on the earbuds and mono earbud usage. The earphones are powered by Bluetooth v5.2 with stable connectivity for the most part. Some Oppo phone models support additional features such as double-tap to click a photo and Flash Connect (similar to Google Fast Pair). Overall, these earbuds are pretty feature-rich for their price point but the Realme Buds Q2 and the DIZO Buds Z Pro definitely beat them out in this regard with ANC and Transparency Mode support as well.

Performance

Sporting 13.4mm composite titanized diaphragm drivers, the Oppo Enco Air2 produces loud sound with decent bass and mids. They’re overemphasised, but that’s necessary with half in-ear buds since they don’t have a snug fit. The resulting sound is pretty warm and thumpy, although we wish that the highs were a bit more balanced.

The highs can sound slightly muffled in the mix at times since they are underemphasised in the mix. So, genres such as rock and classic don’t sound as detailed. However, for most modern-day music, the Oppo Enco Air2 produces serviceable sound that doesn’t lag behind competition such as the Realme Buds Q2. The Buds Q2 has slightly more exaggerated bass which may please bass lovers more. 

The form factor of the earphones does pose some problems though. The half in-ear design leads to a lot of leakage, so when you’re travelling, your fellow passengers will be able to hear the tunes you’re rocking out to. Additionally, the earbuds also have lacklustre passive isolation. This coupled with the missing ANC means that these earphones are not ideal to use when travelling. You can easily hear car horns or the sounds of train tracks, so you will need to increase the volume levels which may cause hearing damage.

The Oppo Enco Air2 comes with AI Noise Cancellation for calls. The microphone picks up the caller’s voice pretty clearly, however, it does pick up ambient sounds as well. So, if you’re in a noisy environment, the call may be riddled with disturbances. However, indoors, the microphone is more than capable of clear calls.

Battery life

The Oppo Enco Air2 doesn't particularly impress when it comes to battery life. While it provides a day’s worth of battery life with the earbuds and charging case combined, the earbuds alone only provide 4 hours of continuous wireless playback. This is on the lower side when it comes to competition. Both the Realme Buds Q2 and the DIZO Buds Z Pro provide 7 hours of continuous playback with ANC turned off. The earphones lasted for 3 hours and 45 minutes in our tests with the volume levels set to 80 per cent, which is not at all impressive.

The Enco Air2 also doesn’t support fast charging, which is supported on both the Realme Buds Q2 and the DIZO Buds Z Pro. Charging the earbuds up to full from empty takes approximately 1.5 hours.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 2,499, the Oppo Enco Air2 looks like a pretty sweet deal on paper with 13.4mm drivers, HeyMelody app support, and IPX4 rating. However, when faced with competing products such as the Realme Buds Q2 and the DIZO Buds Z Pro, the earbuds do fall behind in terms of features and battery life. Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode being absent may not seem like a big deal at this price point, but when competing products offer these features and better battery life, it becomes hard to recommend this product.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ Review: The best Android tablet for most users

The Galaxy Tab S8+ is an interesting device. In my opinion, it is definitely the best Android tablet there is for most users. So if you're looking for a new tablet that's based on Android to complement your ecosystem of Android and even Windows devices, then the Galaxy Tab S8+ is definitely the device for you. But before you actually end up making the buying decision, the only question you’ll need answering is if it's a better deal compared to its elder sibling, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. As things stand, the Galaxy Tab S8+ comes in at a more affordable price point than its older sibling, but still manages to offer a similar package in terms of hardware and feature set. Which in my view automatically makes it the better choice of the two. Yes, it has a slightly smaller display than the Tab S8 Ultra, but with the Tab S8+ sporting a massive 12.4-inch display itself, there is very little reason to think that most users will miss the extra real estate. Apart from this, you get all that there is to love about the new Samsung Galaxy tablets in the Tab S8+, making it a very easy recommendation for me.

Despite Google's best attempts, Android-based tablets have always found it hard to prove themselves worthy competitors to Apple's iPad line-up. However, years of trial and error appears to finally be bearing some fruit, with Samsung's latest Tab S8 series promising a lot to be excited about. We've recently had the Galaxy Tab S8+ come in for review, and quite honestly this new tablet has impressed us from the moment we unboxed the device and started using it. 

It is a sleek piece of metal and glass, which hides beneath the surface some really powerful hardware. But as is the case with all tablets, the centerpiece here is the big, bold display which offers support for Samsung's most advanced S Pen. So let's start this review by giving you a better understanding of the panel and its performance in real life.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ review: Design and display

The panel on the Galaxy Tab S8+ is 12.4-inches in size and AMOLED in make. It runs a fixed resolution of 1752x2800 pixels and is capable of touching a fast 120Hz refresh rate. The tablet also uses a familiar 16:10 aspect ratio for displaying content natively, and can also hit high peak brightness levels.   

In fact, it's one of the brightest panels you can find on a mobile device at the moment, one that can give many phones with smaller displays a run for their money with its performance. It offers punchy colours and deep blacks, with its overall performance similar to any panel found on a flagship Samsung phone or tablet.  

Offering a pixel density of 266ppi, the display ensures that text, videos, and images appear crisp and clear on the Galaxy Tab S8+. The panel also houses an in-display scanner for added security. We found this scanner to be quite accurate during our time with the device, with the scanner also being very responsive to touch.

Around the display, however, is some amount of bezel, which actually is a welcome move as it makes using the device easier by minimising the chance of accidental touches. Apart from this, the front of the device also houses a selfie camera which is centrally located when the Tab S8+ is being used in landscape mode. 

The panel on the device rests nicely on a brushed aluminium slab which melts into the display to create a unibody design. There are no curves at the back, with Samsung focusing on keeping things simple by keeping the look very minimalistic. In fact, the design language has been kept so clean that only a small portion of the back has been used for Samsung and AKG branding. Yes, there are also antenna lines and a strip to charge the S-Pen at the back. However, they only add to the looks of the tablet. 

Apart from this, the tablet's sleek frame also houses a power button and volume rocker on the right of the device, with four AKG-tuned loudspeakers, also found on the upper and bottom end of the body of the Tab S8+. Overall, all these elements come together to create what looks and feels like a truly premium device the moment you lay hands on it, and this experience is only enhanced when you power up the AMOLED display that brings great tablet experiences to life.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+: Performance and battery 

Much like other Samsung tablets before it, the Galaxy Tab S8+ is also powered by the most advanced hardware available for Android-based devices. As such, we get Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC under the hood which is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. 

The hardware ensures that pretty much all that you run on the tablet is handled without much stress. Apps of daily use including Instagram, Twitter and internet browsers perform as expected. In our time with the device, we noticed no signs of lag or stutters when using the device in the normal tablet mode -- DeX, however, was a different matter altogether. This is because the DeX mode on the Galaxy Tabs still remains riddled with bugs. Aspect ratio to app resize and crashing issues, there is a lot that Samsung needs to fix at its end before DeX based tablets can take over Windows machines. 

But like we said, outside the DeX environment, the tab S8+ gave us little to complain about, with the new tablet also doing well in games such as Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt 9 Legends. However, in benchmarks, the performance was all over the place, with the results remaining unsurprisingly inconsistent. The results were inconsistent with what we've achieved on other Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset-based devices, leading us to believe the issue is more to do with the chipset than individual devices. Having said that, when we lay the blame of the inconsistent performance on the chipset's door, we do so with the understanding that this could very well be an issue caused by an incompatible Android code -- something that can be fixed with a software update in the future -- rather than an actual design flaw in the chipset itself. 

Coming to the battery, the Galaxy Tab S8+ does not disappoint. In real-world usage, we found the tablet to easily give over a day's use even if you watch a lot of movies and stream shows on it. Gaming does bring the battery life down drastically. But for most users, the average run-time on a single charge for the Tab S8+ should be one day at least. And when the tablet does run out of charge, it offers support for Samsung's latest Super-Fast charging which promises to charge at 45W. However, the required charger is not included in the box. But luckily, the tablet is not using a proprietary standard for charging, so any charger with PD support can juice up the tablet at its high speeds. 

Galaxy Tab S8+ review: S Pen and more

No review of a Galaxy tablet can ever be completed without talking about the S Pen. And that's exactly the case for this review as well. Living up to tradition, the Galaxy Tab S8+ brings with itself the latest S Pen from Samsung, which now offers significantly reduced input latency -- down from 9ms to just 2.8ms. The input lag is so low this time that interactions between the S Pen and the tablet's screen now feel more intuitive than ever before.  

While the S Pen may not be a useful tool for all users, it is definitely going to come in handy if you like to draw or take notes on your tablet. And with advancements in processing technology, it can now also be used to translate text. These, of course, are among the few use cases of the S Pen on the Galaxy Tab S8+. When you're not using the S Pen, it can attach magnetically to a designated strip at the back of the device. Interestingly, this also serves as the charging dock for the stylus. And if you're looking for more reasons to fall in love with the new S Pen, then let us remind you that it also comes with support for Air Actions and is also compatible with the Galaxy S22 Ultra if you happen to own one. 

In a bid to make the Galaxy Tab S8+ an, even more, productivity-friendly tool, Samsung has also launched a separate optional keyboard cover accessory which we're happy to report is better than ever before. It has a built-in kickstand, which now actually holds up the tablet much better than previous kickstands did. As we mentioned above, this keyboard cover accessory is being sold separately, which honestly is a shame, as we believe this should have been included with the Tab S8+ for free. 

Galaxy Tab S8+ review: Should you buy it?

The Galaxy Tab S8+ is an interesting device. In my opinion, it is definitely the best Android tablet there is for most users. So if you're looking for a new tablet that's based on Android to complement your ecosystem of Android and even Windows devices, then the Galaxy Tab S8+ is definitely the device for you. 

But before you actually end up making the buying decision, the only question you’ll need answering is if it's better compared to its elder sibling, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. As things stand, the Galaxy Tab S8+ comes in at a more affordable price point than its older sibling, but still manages to offer a similar package in terms of hardware and feature set. 

Which in my view automatically makes it the better choice of the two. Yes, it has a slightly smaller display than the Tab S8 Ultra, but with the Tab S8+ sporting a massive 12.4-inch display itself, there is very little reason to think that most users will miss the extra real estate. Apart from this, you get all that there is to love about the new Samsung Galaxy tablets in the Tab S8+, making it a very easy recommendation for me.

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LG ToneFree FP9 Review: Super comfortable UV-cleansing earbuds

The LG ToneFree FP9 easily stands out in the sea of TWS offerings in the market due to features such as UV cleansing, the case doubling as a wireless transmitter, and Whispering Mode. They're easily one of the most interesting pair of truly wireless earphones we've tested and if you're a tech enthusiast, you may be able to spend hours exploring the buds' different features. Once you do get tired of exploring though, you have a solid pair of TWS earphones complete with excellent fit, immersive sound quality, decent battery life, and a great companion app packed with customisation options.

LG's lineup of ToneFree true wireless earphones incorporates Meridian sound technology and the ones we've reviewed before definitely impressed us. We now have LG's latest top-of-the-line TWS earphones called the LG ToneFree FP9. While the naming scheme could definitely use some work, these earbuds look impressive on paper. LG usually has a trick or two up its sleeve to distinguish their earbuds from competitors. The earphones come equipped with UV cleansing technology that rids the earbuds of bacteria when the case is on charge, as per LG. This feature has also been present on previous LG TWS earbuds such as the LG ToneFree FN7, we've previously reviewed. Another interesting feature is the charging case's ability to double as a wireless transmitter, allowing users to listen to non-Bluetooth devices wirelessly. But are these features enough to justify the Rs 13,990 price tag and how do these buds perform? Let's find out.

LG ToneFree FP9: Build and comfort

The LG ToneFree FP9's charging case looks very similar to the FN7 that we reviewed last year. It has a circular charging case with a small footprint that will easily fit in pockets or handbags. The earphones are available in Charcoal Black and Pearl White colour options and we got the latter for review. The matte finish of the case is pleasing to the touch and avoids fingerprints or smudges. The case is lightweight and easy to open one-handed. The magnets that hold the buds inside the case aren't very strong though and they may topple out of the case if dropped.

When you open the case, it glows blue, presumably to drive home the UV cleansing capabilities but the light is only for aesthetic purposes and the actual cleansing only happens when the case is closed and on charge. The case has an LED indicator light for charging status and another one for UVnano tech.  There's a toggle on the left to switch to wireless transmitter mode and there's a USB-C port at the back. 

The buds look simple and slightly bland, to be honest. The back of the stem has a slight glow but that's the only aesthetic flair. The top of the stems houses the touch panels that work exceedingly well with few misreadings. LG has provided medical-grade eargels or ear tips that are made from non-toxic, hypoallergenic silicone. The buds are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear, even for long periods. They barely slip out of the ears even when you're walking or jogging, which is impressive. Combined with the IPX4 rating, this makes these earphones suitable to use when exercising as well.

LG ToneFree FP9: Features

The ToneFree FP9 come with a plethora of features including some that we've rarely seen on other earbuds. Let's first speak about two of its most unique features. Starting with UVNano technology. The FP9's case uses UV light to automatically clean your earbuds. This reduces bacteria on the inner-ear mesh by up to 99.9% in 5 minutes when on charge, according to LG. We've previously tested the FN7 with the same feature and it's nice to see the company continue bringing this feature to their new devices as well. LG has incorporated this feature to reduce the chance of inner-ear infections that some may face when using TWS earbuds.

UV cleansing isn't the only unique, standout feature though. The FP9's charging case also doubles as a wireless dongle or transmitter that allow the earbuds to be used with non-Bluetooth devices. There's a toggle on the left side of the case that needs to be turned on to use this feature. Then, using the provided USB-C to aux cable, the charging case can be plugged into any device with a 3.5mm input such as a gaming console or an in-flight entertainment system. The user can then simply remove the earbuds from the case and listen to media wirelessly without using Bluetooth. It's an extremely innovative and unique feature, and during our testing, the feature worked well. There's some audio delay though and the volume isn't as high as usual.

The earphones also come with Active Noise Cancellation and Ambient Mode support. The ANC, while not as effective as competitors such as the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, is pretty decent as cancelling out ambient sound. It deals with constant sounds such as an AC's hum or a car's engine pretty well, but it doesn't suppress human voices well. The Ambient Sound Mode works pretty well and sounds adequately natural, but the performance isn't pathbreaking. 

The earbuds also come with app support. They use the Tone Free app that provides users access to plenty of features and customisations. The app has 5 EQ presets - Immersive, Natural, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, and 3D Sound Stage. Immersive and Natural were the most balanced EQ presets with Immersive having a wider soundstage. 3D Sound Stage uses Meridian's expertise to spatially up-mix media and expands the soundstage even further. You can even customise the EQ as per your own liking, but for some reason, the volume levels drop considerably when using a custom EQ. We hope LG can fix that in a software update.

Users can also toggle between noise-cancelling modes. You can choose between Low or High ANC, turn ANC off completely, or activate Ambient Mode. Within ambient mode, you can choose between Listening Mode and Conversation Mode, and the latter allows more sound in than the former. Additionally, users can also customise touchpad controls. There are volume controls too, something that isn't present on a surprising number of TWS earphones. You can also toggle voice alerts for notifications, use to find my earbuds feature to locate a missing earbud, toggle auto-pause/play, and more within the app. The auto pause/play feature works well, it is reliable enough that we felt comfortable sacrificing the pause/play control in favour of volume controls. Other features include IPX4 sweat and water resistance and mono earbud use.

LG ToneFree FP9: Performance

As with previous ToneFree earphones, LG has once again partnered with Meridian, a British manufacturer of high-fidelity audio components and systems, for the FP9. The earphones are equipped with 8mm drivers, an improvement over the 6mm drivers of LG's previous flagship TWS - the ToneFree FN7. You get SBC and AAC audio codec support, which bodes well for the most part, but we did find ourselves hoping for some aptX or LDAC action for better wireless fidelity. Meridian-tuned audio and improved drivers equate to a more immersive and refined sonic experience than what we experienced on the FN7.

The earbuds provide detailed and natural sound rivalled by very few in the consumer TWS segment. Meridian's expertise in surround sound really shows with these earbuds. These are one of the few in-ear headphones with an extremely immersive and engaging soundstage that we usually only experience with over-ear or on-ear headphones.

We also used our specialised equipment to find the sound signature of these earphones, and here's what we found out. We tested the earphones using the Immersive and Natural EQ presets, for the most part, since they are the closest to neutral. Looking at the frequency response graph generated, you can see that the bass response from 130Hz to 250Hz has a massive dip. However, we feel that this is intentional on Meridian's part since it tones down the boominess of the bass response here and maintains the details in the mids. The bass is not what buds like OnePlus or even Sony will offer you. You don't get a lot of that punchiness and drive in the bass notes, but what you do get is a clean, detailed representation.

The mids have some peaks and dips in the frequency response which may impact the detail in vocals and lead instruments slightly. The highs are exquisitely produced, even better than Sony's flagship - the Sony WF-1000XM4. Cymbals and hi-hats sound detailed and full in the mix. Overall, the sound quality is detailed, clean and technical. Bass lovers won't enjoy this sound signature but purists will definitely appreciate, especially due to the wide soundstage which is rare in TWS earphones. The imaging is also excellent within the stage and you can accurately place the position of instruments and vocals in the mix. These earphones would work excellently for those who enjoy classical and rock music.

LG ToneFree FP9: Battery life

The FP9's battery life is nothing worth writing home about. The earbuds feature a wireless playback time of 6 hours with ANC turned on, which is decent, but in total, you can get only 15 hours of total playback time with the charging case, which is mediocre at best. Essentially that means the charging case only provides one full extra charge with some juice to spare. 

If you turn off ANC though you get a whopping 10 hours of playtime on the earbuds, which is impressive. However, the total battery life without ANC is 24 hours, which is again, underwhelming. So, you'll have to charge the case more often than with competitors such as the Sony WF-1000XM4. 

In our tests, with ANC on and the volume levels set to 60 per cent, the earbuds lasted a little over 5 hours and the case provided a charge and a half. The earbuds come with fast charging though where 5 minutes of charging provides an hour of playback. There's no Qi wireless charging support though, which is disappointing at this price.

LG ToneFree FP9: Verdict

The LG ToneFree FP9 easily stands out in the sea of TWS offerings in the market due to features such as UV cleansing, the case doubling as a wireless transmitter, and Whispering Mode. They're easily one of the most interesting pairs of truly wireless earphones we've tested and if you're a tech enthusiast, you may be able to spend hours exploring the buds' different features. Once you do get tired of exploring though, you have a solid pair of TWS earphones complete with excellent fit, immersive sound quality, decent battery life, and a great companion app packed with customisation options. The microphone, however, could use some work and the ANC isn't the best we've experienced at this price, but overall this is a solid package that is like no other TWS you've experienced before. While the Sony WF-1000XM4 may be the more refined overall product, the LG ToneFree FP whatever is definitely more fun to use. 

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Sony WH-XB910N Review: Stays true to its moniker

An affordable alternative to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and a bass lover’s dream, the Sony WH-XB910N has a lot going for it. Not only do you get ANC, app support, and multipoint connection support, but you also get a solid, robust build and excellent battery life. However, the ANC performance is not close to Sony’s flagship headsets, so keep that in mind. The sound signature is quite bass-forward though and may only appease hardcore bass lovers, so purists and audiophiles should look the other way.

The Sony Extra Bass (XB) lineup has always been a popular one in India, with an audience that largely prefers bass-heavy headsets. We’ve reviewed several XB headphones over the years, and they usually stay true to their moniker, being that extra bass promised. The Sony WH-XB910N is the company’s newest entrant in the XB lineup equipped with Noise Cancelling abilities. Priced at Rs 14,990, the WH-XB910N is cheaper than the company’s most premium noise-cancelling headset – the lauded WH-1000XM4 – and it comes with similar features. So, users who may not want to spend more than 20K on a noise-cancelling pair of cans may find the Sony WH-XB910N more appealing, price-wise. Additionally, those who prefer a more bass-driven sound signature may also gravitate towards these headphones. However, how do these headphones perform and are they worth their price tag? Let’s find out that and more in this review.

Sony WH-XB910N: Build and comfort

The Sony WH-XB910N’s design is reminiscent of the more expensive WH-1000XM4. The shape and styling are very similar but these headphones are lacking the copper accents that give the Mark 4s their aesthetic appeal. The WH-XB910N looks simple and plain but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The headphones are also very light, weighing merely 252g. The weight is also evenly distributed and you won’t feel stress at any one point when wearing the cans.

The headphones have an over-ear design with thick, plushy foam ear cups. The underside of the headband is also padded with foam, making these headphones supremely comfortable to wear. The urethane memory foam ear cups do get slightly warm after long periods of usage though. However, the headset is extremely comfortable to use in most scenarios including walking, jogging or merely sitting.

The headphones are very flexible so they should fit large-sized heads too. The headband extenders allow for variability in fit as well, allowing small or large-sized heads to wear the headphones comfortably. The earcups also rotate so they can sit flat on your chest when not in use. The headphones can be folded as well, so they are easily portable. Sony has provided a hard carrying case with a fabric texture, which is convenient for carrying the headphones around.

The power and ANC buttons are situated on the side of the left earcup. They’re easy to press and have pretty good tactile feedback. At the bottom, you also have a 3.5mm audio jack to listen to music passively using the provided 3.5mm cable. There’s also a USB Type-C port for charging. On the right side, you have the touch-sensitive panel on top of the earcup. You can use the touch panel to pause/play music, skip tracks, control volume levels, and activate voice assistant. The controls are simple, intuitive and worked flawlessly during our testing. 

Inside the box, you get the headphones themselves, a hard fabric-textured carrying case, a 3.5mm audio cable, a USB Type-C charging cable, and some documentation.

Sony WH-XB910N: Features

The Sony WH-XB910N serves up an array of features present in the Sony WH-1000XM4 at a more affordable price to users. Firstly, the cans come equipped with Active Noise Cancellation and Ambient Sound. The headphones are equipped with two feedforward and feedback microphones that capture environmental noise and either subdue it with ANC or amplify it with Ambient Sound mode. 

Another excellent feature present on these headphones is Sony Headphones Connect app support. The app allows access to a plethora of features and customisations including Sony’s AI-based Adaptive Sound Control, 5-band customisable EQ, 360 Reality Audio setup, Sony’s DSEE upscaling technology and voice assistant function. The Adaptive Sound Control function uses AI smarts to detect your surroundings or actions and apply a noise-cancelling mode accordingly. So, when you’re walking, it turns on ambient sound so you can hear your surroundings, and when you’re sitting it turns on ANC mode. You can tweak what activity applies which noise-cancelling mode within the app, as per your preference. 

360 Reality Audio is present but there aren’t too many apps that support the feature in India. As for DSEE, it enhances and upscales digital files to bring them as close to the original recording’s quality as possible, according to Sony. You can also toggle multipoint connectivity within the app that allows you to connect two devices to the headphones simultaneously. Additionally, you can pick between the device voice assistant or a handsfree voice assistant (Google Assistant or Alexa) within the app. We picked Google Assistant and used handsfree commands a lot to call people, have assistant read out our notifications, and more. Overall, the app is very feature-rich and allows users to have more granular control over the headphones.

As for other features, the headphones come with Quick Attention Mode which is possibly one of our favourite features to use on ANC headphones. Placing your palm on top of the right earcup activates ambient sound and turns down media volume, allowing you to have a quick conversation or pay attention to announcements at railway stations or airports. It is an excellent feature that we really enjoy using and miss having on headsets from other companies.

The headphones also support Google’s Fast Pair, allowing you to connect the headphones to your Android device in a jiffy and you can even ring them to find them if misplaced. The headphones support Swift Pair as well, allowing them to be connected to Windows 10 PCs with ease via a pop-up pairing window.

Sony WH-XB910N: Performance

The Sony WH-XB910N headphones feature 40mm dynamic drivers and support the SBC, AAC and LDAC audio codecs. LDAC is a high-quality codec that provides 96kHz sampling at 990kbps, which in turn allows for more detailed sonic representation. The headphones are part of Sony’s XB (eXtra Bass) lineup and they stay true to that moniker. While not as ridiculously lows-biased as their predecessors – the Sony WH-XB900N – they still favour the lower end of the frequency spectrum. 

The cans have a warm, V-shaped sonic signature with boosted bass and treble notes. The bass is punchy and dynamic while the mids are recessed. This sonic signature lends itself well to genres such as pop, rap, EDM and Bollywood and will please bass lovers. However, audiophiles and purists should turn away since the bloated bass can definitely sound muddy at times and hamper the clarity of the already-recessed mids. 

In tracks such as Another One Bites The Dust by Queen, the bass notes sound boomy and veil the details in Mercury’s vocals quite a bit. The sound you get is pretty one-dimensional and it doesn’t work with genres such as classical and blues. The highs can get slightly shrill as well and the drop off isn’t as precise as we’d hope as well. The soundstage is wide though and feels as if it extends well beyond the confines of your head. The headphones also suffer from sound leakage, we recorded well beyond 70dB of sound leakage, which isn’t ideal, especially when listening to music around other people.

Overall, these headphones’ sound signature is best suited to those who prefer bass-biased headphones and not to those looking for a more natural and balanced sound. However, you can use the customisable EQ within the app to tailor the sound to your liking. We found that lowering the bass and treble a bit can really make a tremendous difference.

As for ANC performance, it isn’t as effective as that on the Mark 4s. Low, constant sounds are dealt with pretty decently but more erratic, high-frequency sounds barely get suppressed at all. So, sounds such as high-speed fans, the clacking of a mechanical keyboard, the sound of train tracks, or people speaking make their way through almost unhindered even with ANC turned on. The cans are more proficient at dealing with sounds such as an AC’s hum, a PC’s whir, etc. Moving on to ambient sound mode, the effect provided allows users to be aware of their surroundings but the sound is slightly unnatural. The same is true for the Sony WH-1000XM4’s ambient sound mode as well, so Sony needs to put in some work in this area.

Wireless connectivity is exceptionally stable on these headphones. You get Bluetooth v5.2 which is a huge improvement over its predecessor’s v4.2. There were no lags or stutters in the connection and the latency is barely noticeable unless you really look for it. If you’re really nitpicky about this, you can use the 3.5mm cable to listen passively without any latency.

Finally, coming to microphone performance, the Sony WH-XB910N does pretty well in this regard. The headphones pick up the speaker’s voice and relay it clearly with minimal distortion. The speaker’s voice can sound slightly muffled at times, but the overall experience is a pleasant one. The headphones’ microphone is best used in an indoor setting for meetings and calls. Outdoors, the microphones tend to pick up a lot of ambient sound which may sour the calling experience.

Sony WH-XB910N: Battery life

The Sony WH-XB910N’s battery life is nothing short of exemplary. You get 30 hours of wireless playback with ANC turned on and a whopping 50 hours with ANC turned off. In our tests, the headphones managed a playback time of 31 hours with ANC turned on and the battery levels set at 60 per cent. Not just this, the headphones also support fast charging. So, plugging the headphones into a charger for merely 10 minutes will provide 4.5 hours’ worth of wireless playback time! This is extremely convenient and we barely had to charge the device through our week-long testing phase. The headphones take about 3.5 hours to charge to full though, which is a tad longer than desirable.  

Sony WH-XB910N: Verdict

An affordable alternative to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and a bass lover’s dream, the Sony WH-XB910N has a lot going for it. Not only do you get ANC, app support, and multipoint connection support, but you also get a solid, robust build and excellent battery life. However, the ANC performance is not close to Sony’s flagship headsets, so keep that in mind. The sound signature is quite bass-forward though and may only appease hardcore bass lovers, so purists and audiophiles should look the other way. There are options in the market at a similar price range with a more balanced sound signature from Sennheiser and Jabra, but if booming bass is your style, there’s really no reason to look another way.

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Sonos Roam Review: One of the better-sounding portable speakers

Priced at Rs 19,999, the Sonos Roam is a luxury portable speaker that impresses in more ways than one. Be it the seamless Wi-Fi + Bluetooth connectivity, powerful audio, or IP67 rugged build, the Sonos Roam justifies its price point, especially for those with an existing Sonos speaker system at home.

Sonos recently entered the Indian wireless speaker market to much fanfare. Given that the Sonos Move already impressed us tremendously and won the Digit Zero1 Award for the Best Performing Wireless Speaker of 2021, our expectations were high. However, it must be noted that this is only the company’s second attempt at a battery-powered speaker. The brand is otherwise renowned for its premium speakers that offer multi-device setups. Priced at Rs 21,999, the Sonos Roam is definitely exorbitantly priced in comparison to competitors from brands such as JBL and Ultimate Ears. However, it does come equipped with unique features such as Sonos’ multi-room setup. Aside from being Bluetooth powered, the speaker can also use Wi-Fi to work with your existing Sonos multi-room audio system. The speaker also packs a host of other features that we will discuss in this review. The ultimate question to be answered is if the Sonos Roam can set itself apart from the competition to be worth 20K. Let’s find out.

Sonos Roam: Build and design

With the Sonos Roam, the company retains the minimalist, classy aesthetic present in previous devices such as the Move. However, one major distinguishing factor is that, with the Roam, Sonos has focused much more on portability and overall ruggedness. The speaker is pretty diminutive, weighing merely 0.43 kg. In contrast, the Sonos Move, which is also a battery-powered Bluetooth/Wi-Fi speaker weighs a whopping 3kgs. The Roam, on the other hand, is easily portable and can be carried around in a bag or purse. The speaker boasts a honeycomb grille, however, it doesn’t wrap all the way around the speaker’s body so you won’t get a 360-degree sound.

It has a long, cylindrical shape that can be set upright or horizontally, as per your preference. If you place it horizontally, the button of the speaker has rubber anti-slip grips to keep it steady. The speaker comes with a feature dubbed TruePlay that automatically adjusts the sound based on the speaker’s orientation. We will speak more about TruePlay in the features section.

The lightweight build aside, the Sonos Roam is also rated IP67 dust and water-resistant which makes a worthwhile outdoors speaker, protecting it from elements such as debris and rain. You can even use the speaker in the shower without worrying about water damage. The speaker can even survive being underwater, according to the company, however, we advise against trying this out. 

The control buttons are on the left side of the speaker (when placed horizontally). There are volume controls, a pause/play button, and a microphone button. The pause/play button has multiple functions and can be used to seek tracks as well. The buttons are embossed and tactile, and we prefer them over the touch buttons on the Sonos Move.

On the back of the speaker, you have the power button. Pressing and holding this button activates pairing to connect the speaker to a source device. You also have the USB Type-C charging port situated under the power button. The speaker is available in two colours - Shadow Black and Lunar White. Both look classy and aesthetically pleasing, as most Sonos devices do. 

Sonos Roam: Features

The Sonos Roam comes packing a fair number of extra features that you don’t usually get with portable speakers to justify its exorbitant price. One such feature is called Sound Swap. What this feature does is, essentially allow you to “throw” the music from your Sonos Roam speaker to the nearest Sonos speaker in the area, and vice versa. Now, pressing and holding the pause/play button for one second will allow you to pair the Roam with other Sonos products and play music on the Sonos products simultaneously. Essentially, you can have a host of Sonos speakers set all over the house and pair them all together to play music all around the house at the same time. However, in order to activate the Sound Swap feature, you need to hold down the pause/play button for longer than a second. 

Now, your music should start playing automatically on the closest Sonos speaker. This feature worked seamlessly in our testing phase. We were able to easily “throw” the music from the Roam to the Move and vice versa, all without having to pull out your phone. If you want the Sonos Roam to pick up the music again, simply press and hold the pause/play button on the Roam for more than a second, once again.

The speaker, as mentioned before, works on both Bluetooth v5.0 and Wi-Fi. It has something called an Automatic Switching feature that connects the speaker to Wi-Fi automatically when in range and pairs to your phone again when out of Wi-Fi range, making the transition between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modes smooth. The speaker also supports Apple AirPlay 2, which is excellent for iOS users.

The speaker is also compatible with the Sonos app, which you will need to get started. Once you download the app, you can go to Settings > System > Add Product. Follow the instructions on the screen and you should have the speaker connected to your Wi-Fi network and your phone in no time. The app also has a product tour that explains the speaker’s controls and features. When on Wi-Fi, there’s support for AirPlay2 and other music streaming services within the app such as Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Tidal, and a few others.

Now, the speaker is also compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa in some countries, however, the feature isn’t available in India yet, which is very disappointing. This is one of the main attractions of the speaker since it basically transforms the Roam into a smart speaker (on Wi-Fi only) capable of controlling itself handsfree, controlling other smart home devices, answering questions via the web, and more. So, it’s a shame that Indian users who buy this device will not be able to access this feature, for now. We hope Sonos will implement this feature for the Indian market as soon as possible, but there’s no clear date in sight yet.

The Sonos Roam also comes with a feature called Automatic Trueplay that optimises the sound for the location or environment you’ve placed it in. As per Sonos, the speaker’s microphone detects the environment and makes periodic tuning adjustments to ensure the best possible sound. The microphone needs to be turned on to use this feature, of course, so ensure that the mic button is on. In our testing, we noticed minor tuning differences in different environments, but it isn’t very apparent. Lastly, the speaker supports Qi wireless charging and Sonos sells a wireless charging dock separately that will charge the speaker at up to 15W. You can also wirelessly charge it with your existing Qi wireless charger if you have one.

Sonos Roam: Performance

Equipped with two Class-H digital amplifiers, one tweeter, and one mid-woofer, the Sonos Roam delivers powerful audio which is surprising given its compact size. The sound isn’t 360-degree but it fills a medium-sized room with ease. The Sonos Move, however, delivers more room-filling, fuller-sounding sonic performance. But the Roam does come surprisingly close to it.

The bass response is slightly over-emphasised but that works well in open environments since you can still feel the punchiness. The bass response is hefty but still controlled enough to avoid too much auditory masking. 

The mids are detailed and clear, however, the low highs are slightly weak in the mix therefore, you will lose some detail in cymbals and hi-hats. This isn’t an audiophile-worthy speaker like the Sonos Move but it is one of the best-sounding portable speakers of its size that we’ve come across. The detail in the mids and the heft of the bass easily beats competing products from JBL and Ultimate Ears, however, those speakers are also usually cheaper.

The overall representation of the music is slightly bass-biased but we prefer that in outdoor speakers. If you’re using the speaker indoors, you can EQ down the bass response slightly for it to be less jarring indoors.

As for battery life, Sonos promises up to 10 hours of wireless playtime (at moderate volume levels). We listened to the speaker at about 55-60 per cent volume and it lasted roughly 8.5 hours in our tests. The speaker can also last up to 10 days in sleep mode. The speaker automatically goes into this mode when not in use.

The speaker charges with the included cable to about 50 per cent in an hour but wirelessly charging it takes about 4 hours for a full charge. Overall, the battery life is mediocre or even lacklustre compared to some options that provide 16-24 hours while having a similar footprint.

Sonos Roam: Verdict

Priced at Rs 19,999, the Sonos Roam is a luxury portable speaker that impresses in more ways than one. Be it the seamless Wi-Fi + Bluetooth connectivity, powerful audio, or IP67 rugged build, the Sonos Roam justifies its price point, especially for those with an existing Sonos speaker system at home. Features such as Automatic Trueplay and Sound Swap are also welcome additions as well, however, the convenient voice assistant feature is absent in India, which is disappointing. Also, the battery life, at 10 hours, is pretty lacklustre at this price. Overall, the speaker is extremely impressive when it comes to sound, connectivity and build but the lacklustre battery life and missing voice assistant function are pretty significant drawbacks. Nevertheless, as a whole, the Sonos Roam is an excellent offering that should be an excellent companion both indoors and outdoors.

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Amazon Echo Show 10 Review: Amazons state-of-the-art smart display

At a premium price tag of Rs 24,999, you get a similarly premium feature on the Amazon Echo Show 10 – motion tracking. The speaker’s ability to turn to you and follow you around when needed is extremely nifty in some situations such as video calls, watching shows, and more. However, if music is your primary concern, you’d be better off considering the Amazon Echo Studio or Google Nest Audio instead.

The Amazon Echo Show 10 is a unique Alexa-enabled smart speaker + smart display from the company. Equipped with motion tracking, the display rotates automatically to face you when on calls, watching videos, giving commands, and more. The Echo Show 10 uses a combination of audio and camera cues to move the screen to have it face the user directly. This product trumps usual smart displays that are usually stationary screens. Following the user around is an intuitive feature addition that sets the Echo Show 10 from other smart displays from the get-go. Priced at Rs 24,999, this isn’t an affordable device though. Nevertheless, the massive jump forward in usability provided by the moving display could make it worth the extra dough. Wondering how the Amazon Echo Show 10 fares in practice? Let’s find out. 

Build and design 

The Amazon Echo Show 10 looks nothing like the previous models in the Echo Show lineup. The Echo Show 10 fuses the cylindrical shape of the Amazon Studio or Amazon Echo with the tablet shape of previous-gen Echo Show models. So, it essentially has two separate parts – the speaker system at the bottom and the 10.1-inch display on the top. 

One of its most unique properties that sets the Echo Show 10 apart is that the display rotates automatically using visual and audio cues from the user. So, move about in a room when watching a recipe or on a video call, and the screen should follow you around perfectly making sure it is always in view for you. Users can also manually tilt the display as required. The display can even hone in on you, and zoom in to capture you better when needed, during video calls. 

The bottom of the speaker has a brushless motor which allows it to rotate 350-degrees. The device scans for any obstacles in the way during the set-up process and then sets a safe rotation radius. We will talk about how accurate the rotation mechanism is in the next section. The speaker portion at the bottom has a grille fabric material that feels pretty premium to the touch. It houses two front-firing 1-inch tweeters that work alongside a 3-inch woofer. 

On the front of the display, there’s a microphone and a 13-megapixel camera for calls and the auto-rotation technology. The camera quality is pretty decent for a smart display with crisp enough videos captured. The camera also finds use as a home security camera, allowing users to view a live feed from the Alexa app. It makes a pretty decent makeshift baby cam or security cam, especially since you can move the display around via the Alexa app to take a look all around the room the smart display is set up in.

 The screen has a 1280 x 800 resolution which isn’t as crisp as a dedicated tablet but it does the job just fine here. The display is adequately colour accurate and is enjoyable enough to watch Netflix on or make video calls. The display comes equipped with auto-brightness adjustment. It is, however, pretty reflective which can be an issue if you have bright lights staring right at it.

As for buttons, they’re all present on the top of the screen. There are physical buttons for volume levels, muting the far-field microphones, and a sliding shutter that covers the camera for privacy. There’s a power socket at the bottom of the device with a small gap for the charging cable to pass through. The device has no battery and needs to be plugged in at all times to remain powered on.

Features

Let’s talk a bit more about the Amazon Echo Show 10’s unique party trick – the automatic rotating screen. The screen is designed to follow you around the room it's placed in to ensure it is always in the user’s view as well as to keep the user in frame when on video calls with other Echo devices/devices with Alexa app or Skype. The camera sets data points to identify the user within its field of view and then rotates in the position facing towards them when activated. If there’s more than one person in the room, the display positions itself at an angle that’s comfortable for most people. 

When testing this feature, we found it to be moderately accurate when there’s one person in the room. There’s minimal jerking and jitteriness in this case and it doesn’t take too long to reposition itself as well. There may be instances that the display overshoots and faces you at an odd angle but that’s rare when you’re alone. However, as soon as there are more people added to the mix, we found that the display struggles to accurately reposition itself and makes many jerk movements in trying to reposition itself at the right angle. This may be an issue when you’re on a video call with multiple people around you. The motion tracking also fails in a dark room.

During your initial set-up process, you can adjust the maximum angle you want the display to rotate which is pretty nifty for when you want to place it against a wall. Since it will not be able to rotate a full circle with a wall behind it, you can set a safe range of motion. You can also reset this anytime in the Settings menu should you choose to relocate your Echo Show 10.

As for the privacy aspect of it all, Amazon says that the processing of the images captured is carried out on the device alone and none of them is stored by Amazon. You can always use the sliding privacy shutter for the camera when you wish to, however, this turns off the motion tracking feature too. 

The feature is, no doubt, useful for instances when you’re watching a Netflix or YouTube video, making video calls, and more. The 13-megapixel camera also is great for video calls producing clear and detailed shots that can be rare even on some dedicated tablets. We also enjoyed using the device as a security cam and spying on our fellow colleagues at the Digit test labs. You can also use other communication features such as ‘drop in’, announcements and voice calls, all of which worked flawlessly.

Now, this is still an Alexa-enabled smart speaker/display, so we tested that as well. The bonus of having a screen is that you get visual cues for your questions/requests alongside Alexa’s vocal feedback. You can see the album art of a song, detailed weather information, images related to searches, full-fledged TV shows on Netflix, and much more. One complaint though, is that the display doesn’t come with a native YouTube app and plays it through the Echo’s built-in browser, which doesn’t look or perform as well. Also, Alexa comprehends most of the commands you throw at her easily and now can even respond to commands in Hindi!

As for music, you can stream through services such as Hungama Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and JioSaavn. You can do other basic things that most Amazon smart speakers allow such as setting alarms and timers, listening to audiobooks on Audible, noting down shopping lists, getting information from the internet, and activating a slew of Alexa skills. You even have the option to pair your phone to the Echo Show 10 and use it as a Bluetooth speaker of sorts, one that cannot be unplugged from its power source though. 

Like the fourth-generation Amazon Echo, the Echo Show 10 also comes with a built-in Zigbee hub for a wide smart home device compatibility. So, you can connect smart devices such as light bulbs, door locks, switches, plugs, refrigerators, and more without the need for a separate hub, app or skill. 

The device also comes equipped with a feature dubbed Alexa Guard that uses the microphone to monitor its surroundings for concerning sounds such as smoke alarms or glass breaking. It will send the user an alert when it picks up any such sounds, which could be infinitely useful.   

Performance

At its core, the Amazon Echo Show 10 is a smart speaker despite having impressive display capabilities and the motion tracking feature. Which means, sound is an integral part of the equation and overall experience. Featuring dual front-firing tweeters and a woofer, the Echo Show 10 isn’t too much of an upgrade in this department compared to the standard, latest-gen Echo speaker which has a 3-inch woofer and two 0.8-inch tweeters. 

The overall sound signature is warm but the sound may be slightly muffled at lower volumes due to the screen blocking a part of the speaker. At high volumes, the speaker has minimal distortion but does sound slightly tinny or shrill. The device fills up a medium-sized room with sound easily but the sound isn’t as enveloping as the Google Nest Audio or even Amazon’s own Echo Studio. However, the clarity of the sound is pretty great even with the screen moving since the tweeters move along with it.

The bass notes can be a bit overwhelming in the mix, especially at high volumes although you can use an equaliser to adjust the levels if you want. In some songs, kick drums can sound a bit boomy but turning the volume down will alleviate this. The mids are, however, well-represented with enough detail extracted from lead instruments and vocals and minimal distortion from the bass notes. Since the mids are also emphasised quite a bit, the emphasised lows don’t affect them too much. Overall, while the speaker produces decent, warm sound, the precision is slightly lacklustre.

Verdict

At a premium price tag of Rs 24,999, you get a similarly premium feature on the Amazon Echo Show 10 – motion tracking. The speaker’s ability to turn to you and follow you around when needed is extremely nifty in some situations such as video calls, watching shows, and more. Integrating this feature into an already smart display bumps up its efficiency by quite a bit. The 13-megapixel camera is also great for video calls, coupled with the display’s ability to pan and zoom during calls makes for a pretty seamless experience. Also, this device doubles as a security camera as well saving you from investing in both. However, if music is your primary concern, you’d be better off considering the Amazon Echo Studio or Google Nest Audio instead. 

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Philips TAB7305 soundbar Review: Enhancing your entertainment experience

What the Philips TAB7305 soundbar has going for it is good sound output for movies, music and games. It has a unique angular design as well. It has all the connectivity options one would expect from a soundbar between 15K to 20K price point. It has a simple and easy to use remote control. While its overall sound output is good, the channel separation is weak.  The soundbar has a movie, music and news mode, we wish it had a night mode and an auto EQ mode as well. However, for the duration of the review, we found the movie preset works best for all types of content. The LED indicators on the display offer a minimal way of monitoring the volume, EQ mode and input, but a display would have made reading this data easier. Overall, the Philips TAB7305 soundbar is a good option for those looking to enhance their TV viewing experience. 

 

If you own a budget TV, chances are you are happy with the performance of the panel but miss the punch when it comes to sound output. At Digit, we’ve found the 30 to 40k price point to be the sweet spot for those looking for a soundbar with very good performance and a rich feature set. Case in point are soundbars like the Sony HT-G700 (review), Philips TAPB603 Soundbar 3.1 (review) to name a few. However, lately, we have seen the 20K and in some cases the sub 20k segment offer soundbars with very good sound output and features to satisfy most users. The most interesting thing here is the sound output from some of the sub 20k soundbars packs quite the punch. Sure, it misses out on high-end features like support for Dolby Atmos, but the core sound output is very good to enhance the TV viewing experience and also indulge in some cinematic movies and immersive gaming. Today, we have with us the Philips TAB7305 soundbar. Does it live up to some of the lofty claims I’ve just presented? 

Philips TAB7305 soundbar: What’s in the box

In the box, you get the soundbar itself along with a wireless subwoofer. You also get the remote control in the box. You get two power cables and wall mounting brackets. The remote control runs on a 3V button cell which is a departure from the AAA batteries we’ve seen on most soundbar remotes. The only downside is that you don't get an HDMI or audio cable in the box which means you will need to keep one at hand when setting up the soundbar.   

Philips TAB7305 soundbar: Connectivity options

When it comes to connectivity options, the Philips soundbar has quite a decent selection considering its price point. You get HDMI ARC, optical, USB, 3.5mm AUX and Bluetooth 4.2. It would have been nice to see an HDMI passthrough port as well, but at this price point, we didn't expect it and that's ok. Just know that the HDMI ARC port on offer here is HDMI 1.4.

Setting up the Philips TAB7305 soundbar

Setting up the soundbar can be done in less than 5 minutes. The soundbar connects wirelessly to the subwoofer. Just connect the two to a power supply, connect the HDMI cable to the ARC port of your TV and to the HDMI out port on the soundbar and you are good to go. When powered on, the soundbar automatically switched to the ARC output. In some cases, you may need to switch the audio settings of your TV to ARC to get the sound output from the TV so keep that in mind.  

Philips soundbar TAB7305 Build and design

Just like the Philips 3.1 soundbar we reviewed earlier, the Philips TAB7305 soundbar has a “slanted geometric design” giving it a unique look. The angular look could give you the feeling that the soundbar will tip over to the back, but that isn’t the case. There are 2 rubber feet holding the soundbar in place on your table. The front has a plastic grill covering the drivers and this grill seamlessly transitions to the top of the soundbar giving you the illusion of top firing drivers, but that isn't the case. The soundbar has two midrange drivers and two tweeters (one of each on either side) giving you a traditional 2.1 setup. 

The top of the soundbar also has a glossy strip with Philips's branding in the centre. On the far right of this glossy strip are the touch controls. You have four touch-sensitive buttons for volume, power and source. Personally, I am not a fan of touch controls but that’s a personal preference. You may like them. 

On the right of the soundbar, you have all the sources neatly written one below the other and that’s because the LED on the front right of the bar shifts to show which output is selected. This is a neat way of telling you which is the current source without resorting to a display. These LED lights are also used to indicate the volume level and the subwoofer level. The only place where I think the LED indicators are confusing is with the EQ settings. Press the EQ setting and you will have one red and one white, or one red and two white or one red and three white LED indicators blink for a few seconds. These correspond to the movie, music and news EQ respectively and it can get confusing for some. It would have been a better user experience to have the three modes on the remote control or a display to tell you which mode the soundbar is in. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen simple LEDs indicate the current sound mode setting or volume of the soundbar. We’ve seen the same on the Yamaha YAS-209 and faced the same pros and cons there. The advantage of the Philips is that the LEDs are on the front-facing the user while those on the Yamaha are on top of the bar making it difficult to see from your viewing position. 

The ports are neatly laid out at the back of the soundbar in a single line and facing outwards. They are convenient to reach and well spaced out so you can use multiple inputs simultaneously. 

The subwoofer does not have the same angular design and the soundbar and is more traditional in nature. It has a side-firing driver and a duct at the back and the front has a clean black finish. It could easily be mistaken for a side table blending into your living room decor based on its position which is nice. There is an LED indicator at the back to show that it is connected to the soundbar.

Philips TAB7305 soundbar Performance

For the duration of this review, we connected the soundbar to a TV via ARC for watching movies and TV shows and we connected it to a smartphone via Bluetooth for music. We played the same music via YouTube on the TV via ARC connection to judge the difference between Bluetooth streaming and music played via the TV. Overall the performance of the soundbar is very good with a few shortcomings expected from a bar at this price point. The overall sound output will definitely enhance your viewing experience especially if you own a budget or mid-range tvs like say the redmi smart TV (review), OnePlus U1S (review), Mi TV5X (review), and more. So yes, if you have a TV in this price range, then this soundbar can up your audio experience. Let’s break it down. 

Movies

This soundbar can get quite loud for movies and at about 70 to 80 percent volume could fill a 12 x 14 feet room with sound. Now granted the sound will come only from in front of you, but we didn’t expect any surround effects from a 17K soundbar. It does however do a very good job at enhancing the audio with some small misses. So the race at the 13-minute mark in Ready Player One is filled with a lot of bangs and swishes with cars crashing, jumping over ramps and a King Kong destroying the city in the background. The soundbar adds a tremendous amount of bass to this scene (which you can control if you need it to be less) and also does a good job of representing the highs as well. It's the mids where the vocals reside where we wish the performance were slightly better. So while you will be able to hear the protagonists speak in the middle of a high octave action sequence, their voice volume is slightly lower than I'd like. This is usually resolved via a dedicated centre channel or a voice mode. But it isn't bad here, it's just something you'd notice. 

However, in a drama movie where you need to hear characters talk on screen with a softer or minimal background score, the vocals are well audible and clear and there is enough texture and gravel in voices for you to sit up and take notice. 

While the quality of the overall sound output is improved for movie watching, there is a clear lack of channel separation. So a car whizzing from the left to the right will not have the same effect on the sound. Having said that, the overall experience when watching movies is definitely enhanced when compared to the TV speakers and will definitely give you an immersive experience.

Music

Playing songs like Mamacita by the Black Eyed Peas or even songs by The Weekend and Daft Punk which have a strong bass presence was a treat on this soundbar. It’s well known that the music taste in India is slightly bass biassed and it looks like the soundbar is tuned for the same. You can reduce the bass if you don't like it and the vocals in this case are clear and the overall music is very enjoyable. We played the same set of songs on YouTube with the bar connected via HDMI to the TV and over a smartphone connected to the bar via Bluetooth. While the connection to the TV was of course better and clearer the Bluetooth playback was no slouch. The soundbar can also get loud enough for those party nights.

There was very little difference between the movie and music preset when playing music and you can choose whichever one suits your taste. While music purists would still prefer a pair of Mackie CE-5X for a music experience (which is available at a similar price point), the multipurpose nature of the soundbar should work well for most users. 

Gaming

This is where things get interesting. We played games like Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (review), Spiderman: Miles Morales (review), Dirt 5 (review) and more on the TV and the experience were very good. Once again the lack of channel separation was felt but the audio quality was far superior than what one would expect from TV speakers. There is one trick that worked at giving us a slightly better channel separation experience. 

The PS5 (review) now supports 3D audio via TV speakers but does not support the same for soundbars. However, changing the audio output on the console to TV (while still using the soundbar) we calibrated the 3D audio settings and found the experience to be a tad better when using the PS5 for channel separation. There were some instances where mixed audio between action and conversations in Miles Morales felt jumbled but that's an exception as most of the time the audio experience was good. 

Once again we found a good amount of bass, especially when racing the cars in Dirt 5 and each Venom punch in Spider-Man landed with a satisfying thud from the speakers. It might sound like repetition but the performance of this soundbar is more to do with enhancing the overall quality of output from the TV rather than surround effects and considering the price, that upgrade in quality enhances your overall experience.

Philips TAB7305 soundbar Remote control

Speaking of the remote control, the bundled remote control with the soundbar is quite well built and better than the one you get with the YAS 209 which is twice as expensive. It however runs on a button cell rather than AAA batteries so you may want to keep one in spare, just in case.  

The remote control that comes with the Philips TAB7305 shares the angular design of the soundbar. It has a really slim form factor with some sharp edges. The buttons on the remote control have a rubberised finish adding a certain amount of grip when you navigate the remote control. In addition to selecting the source, you have access to playback controls, EQ, volume and subwoofer levels, power and mute button. The layout of the remote is surprisingly convenient and the buttons have a satisfying click to them.

Bottom line

There are a lot of soundbars one could consider between the 15 and 20K price bracket and while we haven't reviewed all of them, we can compare the Philips TAB7305 to the ones that we have. At one end of the spectrum, we have the Zebronics Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro (review) which boasts Dolby Atmos support, 4K HDMI passthrough ports and a host of features. But at its core, the performance of the Zebronics Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro is very underwhelming. We also have a soundbar like the Sony HT-S20R (review) which is a soundbar with rear speakers for a surround sound effect and is a mere Rs 3,000 more expensive than the Philips. But yes, the downside there is you will need to run wires through your room for the 5.1 setup, making it quite a task. The Philips TAB7305 is a simple 2.1 setup that is plug and play and caters to one simple need - improving the sound from your TV. It doesn't have the best channel separation and it has all the basic features one would expect. Its strength is in what matters - overall good sound output for an immersive movie, music and gaming experience. It's easy to set up and easier to use. While I would have preferred a display, the LED indicators get the job done for source, EQ and volume. If for a budget of 15 to 20K you just want to considerably improve the sound output from your TV then you can definitely consider the Philips soundbar TAB7305.

from Audio Video Reviews https://ift.tt/98nDXh0