I admit I’m partial towards Indian brands that can hold their own against global ones and stand tall in the face of intense competition. Sonodyne is one such brand and has built up a solid reputation in Hi-Fi systems and home audio. It has now ventured into Bluetooth speakers as well, with its portfolio including models that get their monikers from Indian classical music — Antara, Alaap, Bandish, and Malhar. The Antara is the entry-level model in the lineup and is currently listed at Rs 13,499. I gave it a listen over a few days to figure out how it fares.
Table of Contents
Design
The Antara features a blocky, minimalist design, and comes in back or white colourways. My review unit is white, and looks nice with its glossy finish. The fit and finish are good, though there are some areas of improvement visible on close inspection — nothing that raises any red flags though. A black metal grille occupies most of the front, with a Sonodyne logo placed in the centre.
The top has a strip of rubber that bears the controls for music playback, power, Bluetooth, volume and inputs. There’s no backlight for the controls though, and the rubber is prone to collecting dust particles, especially between the raised portion of the buttons. The sides have a pair of passive radiators. The design is IP65 rated for resistance against dust and water, so using it at the poolside shouldn’t be an issue. Measuring 250 x 86 x 98mm, the Antara isn’t too big and can be shoved inside a backpack, though the 1.5kg weight could make you think twice about doing that.
At the back, a bunch of ports are hidden under a rubber flap. There’s a USB Type-A port for connecting a flash drive loaded with MP3 songs, a 3.5mm aux-in, and a Type-C port for charging. There’s also a pre-out for connecting an external subwoofer, if you so want. A charging indicator LED is also located on the back. It’s worth mentioning that Sonodyne includes a Type-A to Type-C cable and a charging adapter in the box, which is a nice touch.
Specs and features
Not only does the speaker allow you to connect an external subwoofer, a pair of Antara speakers can be connected together in duet mode for a more immersive listening experience. Inside, the Antara has a couple of 2.5-inch drivers that work along with two 2.5-inch passive radiators and two tweeters to give you a stereo soundstage, with the total power rated at 40W. Wirelessly, the Antara works over Bluetooth 5.4, which is the latest BT standard and promises improved battery life and range. There’s no companion app though, and no way to customise EQ. There is, however, inbuilt DSP equalisation that ensures zero distortion. The 3,350mAh battery inside is rated for up to 12 hours of use, and needs about 4.5 hours via the bundled charging adapter.
Audio
Straight off the bat, the Sonodyne surprises pleasantly with its clarity and richness. Pump up the volume to the max and it’s clear that the bass doesn’t have the punch some folks might prefer, especially with genres like EDM and rock. That said, the option to connect an external subwoofer via the pre-out port should be helpful in this case. Genres like classical and jazz shine with clear, rich sound that doesn’t distort even at max volumes.
Verdict
Priced at Rs 14,999 and currently listed online at Rs 13,499, the Sonodyne Antara seems better suited for personal listening than powering a party, and for specific genres / use cases… which isn’t a bad thing at all. As a wireless Bluetooth speaker, the Sonodyne Antara’s strengths lie in producing clear, distortion-free audio, along with providing ample connectivity options like a dedicated subwoofer pre-out and the ability to pair two speakers together. The solid build and IP65 rating help too.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Pros
- Clean, rich sound
- Ample connectivity options
- IP65 rated
Cons
- Bass lacks punch
- No companion app
