We review -- and get asked to review -- a lot of Bluetooth speakers. While the ones we look at might be from different makers, and of varying quality, they all share one thing in common. They’re small, and portable. Not so the Sond Audio Active Bookshelf Speakers.
The twin speakers are large, and designed to sit in the one place. This could be a bookshelf, provided you have one that’s deep enough to accommodate them, or the floor. If you enjoy listening to music, and the sound quality delivered by portable speakers doesn’t cut it for you, then the 180w these speakers offer could well be what you’re looking for.
Sond Audio is Ebuyer’s own audio brand, and my first exposure to one of its products, the portable NFC speaker, left me impressed, and so my expectations for the Bookshelf Speakers were high.
As I mentioned previously, these are sizable -- 180x215x295 mm -- and they deliver a meaty 180w of sound. They’re proper audio speakers. Despite the suggestion they can be placed on a bookshelf, it’s recommended to leave at least a 20-25 cm gap at the rear, so that will only work if you have shelves that sit away from the wall. It’s also recommended that you "break in" the speakers by listening to music casually for 24-48 hours before using them for something like a party.
The right-hand (active) speaker has all the inputs and controls. On the front there’s a remote receive window which is red when in standby, flashing red when mute, blue when on, white when connected via Bluetooth, and blinking white when Bluetooth is disconnected. There’s also a separate volume control.
On the rear is a mass of inputs. In addition to being able to connect to the speakers via Bluetooth, there’s a USB Audio In for connecting to a PC, Aux In (RCA stereo plugs for connecting a CD/DVD player), Line In (for a phone/MP3 player etc.), Line Out, Subwoofer output (for if you have a powered subwoofer you want to connect), voltage select switch (AC115V/230 V 60-50Hz) and an AC Input connection.
The speakers also come with a tiny twelve function remote control you can use to select your input, control volume and play/pause and track backwards and forwards in Bluetooth mode. While the speakers are black and stylish, the remote feels a little cheap and nasty with a white front and tiny buttons. It works and does the job as intended, but if you’re using the speakers via Bluetooth, then you’ll probably just use your phone or other audio source to manage playback.
Setting everything up is just a matter of connecting the active and passive speakers together using the supplied audio cable, plugging in the power and turning the speakers on. You can then connect to the speakers using your preferred method. The supplied manual provides drawings and detailed information to help you here. You also get a USB A-to-B cable and RCA to 3.5mm minijack cable included in the box.
I’ve been using the speakers for some weeks now -- so I’m well past the settling-in stage -- and have tested them with an eclectic range of music, from classical to modern club anthems. The quality of the sound is excellent, with a meaty bass and crisply rendered vocals. At high levels the low frequencies remain suitably taut. You can really crank up the volume without worrying about distortion, and the sound fills the room.
Some of the songs on my iPhone are, it has to be said, of dubious sound quality, and they are shown up as such when played through these speakers. It's similarly easy to spot the high quality tracks in my collection.
The Sond Audio Active Bookshelf Speakers are easy to set up, and offer great quality sound. They retail for a very reasonable £149.99, including free delivery, and can be purchased directly from Ebuyer.
Technical specs
- Speaker type / crossover -- 2.0 active / 2-way
- Tweeter / midrange / woofer -- 2x1" / 2x5"
- Normal imp / sensitivity -- 6ohm / 85+2db
- Nominal / max power -- 2x30W / 2x60W
- Frequency resp -- 55-20KHz
- Amplifier type / AC power -- Class AB/AC 110V̴ 120V-60Hz or 220V̴ 240V-50Hz
- Input connection -- Line RCA/3.5,, jack / USB Audio / Bluetooth
- Output power (RMS) -- 2x30W / 2x60W
- Cabinet / surface disposal -- MDF/GH+PVC finish
- Cabinet (WxDxH)mm -- 180x215x295mm
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