Sonodyne is an Indian audio producer that has been round for over 50 years, and whereas it normally caters to fanatics, its newest merchandise are geared toward a wider viewers. The Malhar joins Alaap, Antara, and Bandish, and it’s the strongest wi-fi speaker Sonodyne has to supply.
I used dozens of Bluetooth audio system over the course of the final decade, together with moveable choices just like the Tribit StormBox 2 and the outsized StormBox Blast, or greater items that should be plugged in, like Trettitre’s distinctive TreSound 1 or the Marshall Stanmore. In truth, I used the Stanmore repeatedly for practically a decade now, and it has served me very nicely.
The Malhar is in the identical class because the Stanmore in that it must be linked to a wall outlet. That is comprehensible when you think about that the speaker produces 180W of sound, and it’s even bigger than the Stanmore. The Malhar debuted at ₹37,500 ($445) again in 2022, and it’s now obtainable for ₹31,999 ($380) on Amazon India — which is lower than what you’d shell out for the Stanmore III.
The speaker has a particular design, and the chassis is made out of MDF — giving it rigidity — and completed in a shiny coat. I am not an enormous fan of shiny designs normally, however the Malhar appears good in its personal proper, and the construct high quality is beautiful. There aren’t any rounded edges, however the blocky design works within the speaker’s favor, and the sizing offers it a domineering presence.
You will discover the ability and quantity buttons on the prime of the unit, and you may swap between 3.5mm in, USB, optical, or Bluetooth modes with relative ease. The buttons are on the smaller facet, and fiddly to make use of. Fortunately, the Malhar has an IR sensor situated up entrance, and also you get a distant bundled within the package deal. That is how I managed the speaker within the month I used it.
The distant allows you to management music playback, change connectivity modes, regulate quantity, and it has a mute button. Rounding out the connectivity, the optical, 3.5mm in, and USB ports are situated on the again, and there is a secondary USB-A port that delivers 5W of energy. Coming in at 8kg (17.6lb), the Malhar is significantly heavier than the Stanmore III as nicely (5.4kg (11.9lb)). This is not a speaker you may simply carry round; it is as a substitute to be positioned in a single location.
Sonodyne sells the Malhar in white, black, purple, and pure picket variants, and I obtained the black model of the unit. If something, the black model does a disservice to the Malhar, making it look a bit of uninteresting; if you happen to’re within the speaker, you must get it in white or purple. Given the shiny end, the speaker picks up a variety of mud, and it’s simply seen on the black variant.
There is a metallic grille masking the woofer and tweeter items, and it provides a little bit of distinction to the design — if you happen to’re getting the white mannequin. Like all different Sonodyne merchandise, the Malhar is designed and manufactured in India. The Sonodyne emblem is highlighted on the entrance, and the way in which the brand is written is harking back to sure dental model, and it is amusing.
Coming to the sound, the Malhar has two 5-inch woofers, two 1-inch silk-dome tweeters, and twin 5-inch passive radiators situated on the edges. The speaker makes use of a Class D amp, and it goes as much as 180W. I linked the Malhar to my Pixel 9 Professional XL and iPhone 16 Professional Max, and I did not see any issues with Bluetooth connectivity — it maintained a rock-solid sign.
Apparently, the Bluetooth pairing sound ought to be instantly acquainted if you happen to’ve taken a practice in India; Sonodyne put in the PA methods in a number of Indian railway stations, and the Malhar makes use of the identical jingle once you join a telephone to the unit.
The sound high quality is nothing in need of phenomenal; the Malhar produces a reverberating bass with loads of vigor, however it’s managed, and does not bleed into the mid-range. The mids are pure and clear-sounding, and vocals shine by means of. The treble has glorious vary, and that is the place the Malhar stands out towards its rivals.
Sonodyne clearly is aware of what it is doing in relation to tuning its audio system; the Malhar is simply as succesful at dealing with orchestral ensembles as it’s at heavy metallic — and every little thing in between. I used the speaker for dozens of hours, alternating between RATM, Ghost, Nightwish, Batushka, Thylacine, Daft Punk, Com Truise, and Miles Davis. The Malhar had no bother with any style, and it has a particular edge over the Stanmore on this regard.
The one omission (because it have been) is that you do not get the choice to regulate the EQ. This is not strictly vital as Sonodyne did a masterful job with the tuning of the Malhar, however there have been cases the place I wished to crank up the bass a bit, and that is not doable. I consistently regulate the dials on the Stanmore to tailor the sound to my preferences, however there is not a solution to do the identical right here.
That stated, there is a vibrancy to the sound that you just simply do not get with different Bluetooth audio system, and it’s addictive. In the end, the Malhar is without doubt one of the finest — if not the very best general — Bluetooth speaker I’ve used, and the truth that it does not price greater than the Stanmore makes it an immediate advice.
The Malhar appears nice, is constructed to final, and it sounds higher than some other Bluetooth speaker I used up thus far. If you happen to’re in India and need a dwelling speaker, you must simply decide this up.