Pros | Cons |
Voguish wooden aesthetic | Heavy and bulky |
​Seamless Bluetooh functionality | ​Audio loses clarity in largerrooms |
​Decent price | ​ |
SonicGear StudioBox 2-HD
Price: RM 499
SonicGear is a brand that I have always wanted to try out. However, I never really had a reason to check out what their audio products are like. Fortunately there was an opportunity for me to review the StudioBox 2-HD and this allowed me to finally see what SonicGear can deliver.
Design
The SonicGear StudioBox 2- HD is a relatively large speaker made out of medium-density fibreboard, ABS plastic and fabric cloth. The sturdy wood-like exterior comes in a light walnut brown shade, and is wrapped with grey fabric
The wooden exterior of the speaker evokes a voguish aesthetic of a bygone time when radios and jukeboxes were prominent devices of the day. Whether or not this feeling of nostalgia has an effect on you largely depends on your generation. As for me, I don’t feel nostalgic since I wasn’t born during that period.
Weighing at 2.43kg, it is quite heavy and inconvenient in terms of portability. And with dimensions of 28.7cm in width and 15.6cm in thickness, the speaker seems more ideal on shelves or larger tables.
Controls
The speaker controls which are located on the top are also clearly labelled. Besides the power switch and volume controls, there are also dials for adjusting the bass and treble. The current input mode is indicated by an LED light.
I particularly enjoy the power button. It uses a vintage switch that gives a satisfying ‘click’ sound when flipped.
The speaker also includes Bluetooth functionality which was an easy and seamless process to connect my smartphone and play my music.
The back of the speaker also has several ports for the different inputs.
Audio
The 3 speakers inside the SonicGear StudioBox 2-HD are able to deliver 85dB and 70W RMS audio. Furthermore, the Digital Signal Processing can digitally process audio information to improve audio quality.
Although the audio quality leaves a lot to be desired for the discerning listener, the overall sound is quite decent, nonetheless. However, it lacks clarity when placed in a larger room. Adjusting the bass and treble can help to slightly mitigate this issue, but may not completely solve it.
I feel the speaker is more suitable for small to medium-sized rooms as the enclosed space to maximise the overall sound quality. I enjoyed listening to my music with the speaker when placed in my bedroom compared to the living room.
Buy or no buy
Overall, I think the SonicGear StudioBox 2-HD is a decent speaker that could add a dash of retro style to any shelf or table it sits on. The overall audio quality varies depending on where you place it but it would probably be adequate for any casual listener.
For the retail price of RM 499, I think it is an alright speaker that would satisfy your listening experience if you are in the market for something functional and voguish.
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