For a soundbar, that's a wicked cheap price! But is it worth your hard-earned cash? Let's take a closer look.
First Impressions
The SonicBar BT5500 AirBass by SonicGear is packaged like spaghetti and meatballs. By that, I mean you have 2 separate units - one is long and thin, and the other short and fat. That's cause this sound bar comes with an accompanying woofer that is connected via bluetooth - super convenient!
The exterior of the soundbar is nothing to write home about - its speaker grille is covered in fabric reminiscent of your mum's pantyhose, while its sides are made of MDF covered in shiny scratch-magnet plastic. It looks sleek from a distance, but is slightly marred by the old-fashioned square control buttons on the front - a decent trade for convenience, if that's what you're looking for.
On the other hand, the woofer looks sturdily built - the surfaces are matte with glossy beveled edges. A glossy SonicGear logo is embossed on the top.
One big plus is that the soundbar and woofer are automatically synced via bluetooth - once you power them up, you're ready to go! Apart from the power cables, there aren't any extra tangly dangly cables to deal with.
Designed for Convenience
As mentioned previously, the control buttons are situated in front, allowing you to easily change the settings without craning your neck or fumbling blindly around the back like a virgin looking for some action.
In line with this design choice, the ports are situated on the side, making it easy to plug in your choice of 4 different wired inputs - AUX, USB, HDMI (ARC), and optical - the downside is that the wires will be trailing from the side instead of the back, which honestly isn't a great look.
A small remote control is included, which allows a variety of commands on top of the usual volume control and pause/play:
Mute/unmute
Adjust bass and treble
Change input
Select EQ presets
There are 3 EQ presets - movie, TV, and music. At least, that's what I assume 'move' is supposed to be.
But How's the Boom Boom Wubb?
Okay real talk - how does the soundbar sound? Not gonna lie, it was surprisingly decent for the price. It can pump out super loud music with a ground-shaking bass that rivals an Ah Beng's souped-up Myvi.
If you like something loud with lots of boom boom wubb, the Sonicbar BT5500 AirBass definitely fits the bill. I can see it fitting in nicely into a living room TV setup with its powerful 35W subwoofer.
On the other hand, if you're a super fussy music listener, the sound leans more heavily towards treble and bass tones, resulting in flatter midtones - however, this weakness is well made up for with decent stereo separation and a resounding bass that sounds great with club tunes and rock bangers.
In any case, it's not really a deal breaker - this speaker isn't geared towards music aficionados anyway. But it is definitely a great deal for those who want a minimal fuss soundbar-woofer combo for their living room / PC setups at an affordable price.
Buy or No Buy?
Here comes the verdict:
If you're looking for something to bring out the best in your music - maybe this isn't for you
...but if you're looking for something to watch movies and play games with - this does the job remarkably well for its price point
Its 65W total power output will blow most built-in TV speakers out of the water, especially in the bass department. The wireless setup is a plus, resulting in fewer wires to clutter up your living room or multimedia space.
There is also the option to wall-mount the soundbar, with the appropriate screws generously included in the package.
A wide plethora of input options, including Bluetooth 5.0 and FM Radio, ensures that it suits most people's needs effortlessly, while the remote control is handy to switch inputs without leaving the comfort of your seat.
For a mere RM349, the Sonicbar BT5500 AirBass by SonicGear is a steal for what you're getting.
If you wanna pick one up as an early Christmas present for yourself or check out the full specs, you can visit the official Lazada store here.
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