Boult, one of the fastest-growing wearables brands in India, has developed its reputation among customers by offering great features at affordable price points. This homegrown brand’s product portfolio includes headphones, speakers, smartwatches, and multiple categories of earphones such as wired, TWS, and more. Now, the brand has entered the soundbar market with its Bassbox X series which includes two models – 120W and 180W. Here, I’ll be talking about the 180W unit, which I received from the brand a few weeks back. Before I jump into my detailed review of this 2.1-channel soundbar (comes with a dedicated subwoofer), let’s take a look at the unique selling points of this new soundbar.
Unique selling points
When you’re entering such a crowded market with some good options available on a budget, you need to offer solid features that make you stand out. Keeping this in mind, Boult has ensured that its first soundbar comes with quite a few bells and whistles. While I’ll speak about these features in detail later, I’ll list them out here first:
- Dedicated DSP (Digital Signal Processor) for true audio reproduction.
- 5 input modes – Bluetooth v5.3, Aux, USB Type-A, Optical, and HDMI (ARC).
- 3 EQ modes – News mode, Music mode, Movie mode.
Design and build quality
When it comes to soundbars, design is an important aspect as many of us also keep our living room/ bedroom aesthetics in mind while choosing the right option. In terms of design and build quality, here’s what the Bassbox X180 brings along:
- The soundbar comes with a radial brushed metal finish on the sides and a glossy plastic finish on the top and back.
- There is a perforated mesh grille at the front with Boult branding on the left and a white LED display on the right. I personally think the LED display could have been bigger for easier visibility.
- On the right side of the soundbar, you get a few physical buttons (volume up/down, power, and next) along with a USB Type-A connectivity port.
- You also get an IR remote controller with a compact design and decent build quality.
- The other connectivity ports are present on the back of the soundbar. At the bottom, there are rubber grips that ensure the soundbar remains steady.
- The subwoofer comes with a 1.5m cable and Boult branding at front. It features a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) build.
- Both the soundbar and the subwoofer have a lightweight design, which makes them easy to move and even carry around.
- The overall build quality of the soundbar is impressive. The branding on the subwoofer could have been more subtle but it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Connectivity and setup
Let’s talk about the set-up experience of the Bassbox X180.- Setting up the Bassbox X180 is an effortless experience as you just need to connect the soundbar to the subwoofer via a single wire.
- Then you need to connect the soundbar to the power outlet.
- As the soundbar offers Bluetooth v5.3, aux, USB Type-A, Optical, and HDMI (ARC) input options, you can easily choose the option you prefer the most.
- I used both Bluetooth and HDMI (ARC) options and the pairing up process was seamless. There were no disconnection issues with the soundbar throughout the duration of my review.
Audio quality and features
Despite being a first-generation soundbar, the Bassbox X180 comes loaded with features and comes across as a polished product. Here is what it brings to the table:
- As suggested by the name itself, the Bassbox X180 delivers 180W peak output, which is especially impressive for the price. This is a 2.1-channel soundbar.
- The soundbar comes with four full-range BoomX drivers to deliver “Studio Quality” bass response.
- It comes with a 32-bit core to support 192KHz hi-res audio and a 16-bit Stereo Engine for true Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC) and Digital-to-Analog Conversion (DAC).
- You also get dynamic range control for less distortion at high volume.
- As mentioned earlier, the soundbar offers three EQ mode presets – News mode, Music mode, and Movie mode. As you might expect, the News mode boosts the mids, while the Movie mode leans more towards bass. The Music mode gives a good balance between the mids, highs, and bass to offer a surround sound experience.
- The subwoofer provides a thumping sound and packs a punch. I was not expecting the bass performance to be as good as it was, especially in this price range.
- In case you find the bass to be overpowering, you can simply adjust it using the dedicated key on the controller.
- I found the handling of highs by this soundbar to be decent but not as good as its handling of the vocals and the bass.
- Overall, the Bassbox X180 delivers a consistent sound quality and impressive bass that is a good fit for watching movies or listening to music. With decent performance in the mids, this soundbar performs well with an acoustic sound signature too.
Verdict
The Bassbox X180 is currently available for Rs 6,999 and can be bought from either Flipkart or the brand’s own website. At this price, this soundbar brings a dedicated DSP for authentic sound, multiple connectivity options, and a subwoofer that does an exceptional job of delivering punchy bass. While the soundbar does struggle with the highs a little, it will be a good fit for anyone who wants a surround sound experience for watching movies at home. With the IR remote controller, you can easily switch between different EQ presets according to the content you are watching. On top of this, you also get five input options. All these factors add to the convenience of using this soundbar and thanks to its decent build quality, the Bassbox X180 is easy to recommend.
Editor’s rating: 8 / 10
Pros:
- Bass performance is impressive
- 5 input modes
- Dedicated DSP for authentic sound
- EQ mode presets work well
Cons:
- Handling of highs could have been better
- The LED display could have been bigger
