[REVIEW] Sonic Gear Bluetooth Speakers – Pandora Series

by johnkhor · March 7, 2014

One fine day in February, johnkhor.com received a parcel after some delay. What a happy day for me. johnkhor.com received Sonic Gear Bluetooth Speaker Pandora Series for review as promised by Sam from LeapFrog company. Many thanks for extending this opportunity to me! 🙂

Opening the box is like opening a Pandora’s box. 😛 There are three (3) kinds of Sonic Gear Speaker Pandora Series for three different and distinct needs. They are Sonic Gear Pandora Micro, Sonic Gear Pandora Mini and Sonic Gear Pandora 3.

I have to confess that I am no audiophile and I will not be able to give very detailed and technical review. I will just share from a consumer’s point of view of Pandora speakers. This opportunity really help me to get more interested in audio systems and quality sound.

Sonic Gear is going to the right direction with its Bluetooth speakers as many of us are becoming mobile and Bluetooth speakers suit our need just nice. And our tablets such iPads (specifically my iPad 2 and Galaxy Note 2) and smartphones are not really loud and quality enough for our music and movie-watching.

Both my wife and I are hooked to SonicGear Pandoras especially Pandora Mini since it is portable and more powerful than Pandora Micro. That’s our favorite Pandora after trying 3 of them. I even brought the Pandora Mini to my Chinese New Year reunion and many of my relatives asked about it.

You know that a product is successful when you unknowingly will reach to the product for use. That’s how I describe the Pandora Series. The Bluetooth connectivity is definitely attracting us to the Pandoras. Now, whenever we want to listen to muscis, watch YouTube or watch movies, we will connect to Pandora.

So, for those of you who are looking for Bluetooth speakers, you can consider the Pandora Series by SonicGear. If you don’t mind to spend the extra cash, then you can opt for Pandora Mini. If you are budget-conscious and wish to have the portability, then Pandora Micro is for you. And if you wish for something more powerful and don’t mind not to be able to bring around the speaker, then Pandora 3 is for you!

Pandora 3’s RRP is RM149 only whereas Pandora Micro is RM199 which is due to its portability. Pandora Mini is the most expensive of all which is RM299. A bit too steep for my opinion. How I wish SonicGear will reduce the speakers prices to let more people enjoy such good product.

Let’s have a closer look at each of them in term of their physical looks and their technical aspects:

The 1st picture of every Pandora Series Bluetooth Speaker is the photo that I get from their official website, www.leapfrogglobal.com just to let you compare between the real ones and the ones on their website. I would say that the photos on the website represent quite the original ones. 🙂

Pandora 3

Sonic Gear Bluetooth Speaker Pandora 3

Here is the unboxing video that I have recorded after I have received the speakers. There’s a booper which I mentioned about the Pandora 3 series which is actually Pandora series only. Sorry for that.

Features

True 2.1 signature SonicGear stereo audio
Powerful Dual Bass Reflector (DBR) produces 2.2 audio effect
Cutting-edge Bluetooth chipset from CSR
Built-in mic for hands-free function and conference calls

Technical Specifications

Total system power (RMS): 16 watts
Speaker playback frequency response: 40Hz ~ 20KHz
Built-in mid-range speaker driver: 2 x 2”
Built-in subwoofer driver: 3”
Built-in bass driver reflector: 2 x (50 x 90mm)
Signal-to-Noise ratio: ≥ 60dB
Input/output source: Bluetooth, Built-in 3.5mm AUX-in jack, Hands-free Phone Calls
Bluetooth version: CSR BC05 V2.1
Speaker input voltage: 12V
AC Voltage: 110V~240V, 50/60Hz
Product dimension: Dimension: 290 x 103 x 121mm

Pros:

2.2 audio effect by SonicGear’s powerful Dual Bass Reflector (DBR).
Louder, powerful and more quality sound compared to other Pandoras but still not as good as sound bar.
Bluetooth capabilities. No messy wires or your device stuck to a position only.
Handsfee function.
Cheap and good value for money!

Cons:

It is not portable.
Bluetooth range is not far enough. When you go into another room, the sound will start to crack.

For more information about Sonic Gear Pandora 3, you can go to this website:

http://leapfroglobal.com/sonicgear/bluetooth-speakers/pandora-3.html

Pandora Mini

Sonic Gear Bluetooth Speaker Pandora Mini

Features

The Pandora Mini is a small, portable Bluetooth speaker which runs on rechargeable batteries that double up as a powerbank you back your phone or tablet’s energy levels in case they run low in midday. It lets you bring the party with you, and is a real lifesaver in low-batt emergencies.

Technical Specifications

Bluetooth profile: support HS/HF, A2DP, AVRCP, OPP
Total system power: RMS 5 Watts
Impedance: 4Ω
Driver: 2 x 40mm
Frequency response: 100Hz ~ 20KHz
Speaker function: Bluetooth and AUX-in music playback
Handsfree function
Built-in power bank: 1800mAh
Built-in rechargeable battery

Pros:

Sound quality and loudness is better than Pandora Micro.
A backup charger albeit a bit slow since it is only 1A.

Cons:

It is very pricy.
It is not really that portable given its size.

For more information about Sonic Gear Pandora Mini, go to this website:

http://leapfroglobal.com/sonicgear/bluetooth-speakers/pandora-mini.html

Pandora Micro

Sonic Gear Bluetooth Speakers Pandora Micro

Features

The Pandora Micro portable Bluetooth speakers come in the most pocketable size for those who want it light and handy. It provides more than 5 hours of playback on mid-volume and offers many more hours of handsfree calls. Great for picnics, or when you just want something more than your laptop speakers while you’re out and about.

Technical Specifications

Bluetooth profile: support HS/HF, A2DP, AVRCP, OPP
Total system power: RMS 5 Watts
Impedance: 4Ω
Driver: 2 x 40mm
Frequency response: 100Hz ~ 20KHz
Speaker function: Bluetooth, AUX-in, and Micro-SD card music playback
Handsfree function
Built-in rechargeable battery: 5 hours continues music playback at mid-volume

Pros

Small, compact and ‘cute’ design.
Small size that is more portable.
Micro SD playback capabilities.
Louder and better than you smartphones, tablets and some laptops.

Cons:

Sound quality is the lowest compared to other Pandoras.
The touch panel is sometimes confusing. I am not sure whether I have pressed correctly or not.

For more information about Sonic Gear Pandora Micro, go to this website:

http://leapfroglobal.com/sonicgear/bluetooth-speakers/pandora-micro.html

All in all, Bluetooth is the step forward for speakers and mobility is definite taking more weight in consumer’s consideration for speakers. Once you have tried Bluetooth speakers, you will never go back to wired speakers. The connection between your device(s) to the speakers are very straightforward and easy.

And it is very considerate of Sonic Gear to add microphone function in each of the Pandoras to enable handsfree. Very smart move. With the radiation (some believe it and some don’t), it is a good extra feature. Your sound clarity will be less when you are around 1 meter away from the speaker.

With PPS, PPTV and online streaming, more consumer will be looking for a more powerful and quality speaker. Good timing of Sonic Gear to introduce their Pandora series.

I wish that in the future, a Pandora can be linked to multiple devices and each can play songs from each devices as each devices sometimes store different media files.

contact information

Leapfrog Distribution Sdn Bhd
21, Jalan PJU 3/46, Sunway Damansara 47810, PJ.
Tel: (603) 7803 6703
Web: www.mysonicgear.com | www.mypowerlogic.com| www.armaggeddon.net
Where To Buy: http://leapfroglobal.com/sonicgear/where-to-buy/

[REVIEW] Sonic Gear Bluetooth Speakers – Pandora Series

Technical Specifications

Features

Technical Specifications

Features

Technical Specifications

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