Previously I reviewed Soundbot SB574 Wireless Bluetooth speaker here and was really happy with its performance overall, today I have another Soundbot product with me which I will be reviewing here. The product I'm talking about is the Soundbot SB531 Wireless Bluetooth Shower speaker which comes with an IPX7 Water & Dust resistant rating and is specially designed for use in the shower. Though I have reviewed a few Water-resistant Bluetooth speakers in the past, I haven't reviewed anything which was specially designed as a shower speaker, Soundbot SB531 is the first ever shower speaker which I got my hands on.
Before I jump straight into the review, I would like to let you know that I have personally used the Soundbot SB531 Bluetooth shower speaker for more than three weeks before writing this article and whatever I have mentioned below is purely my opinion about the product, which I think will vary depending on your individual taste, so don't take my points as the final word, instead try to understand what I'm trying to convey. Let's jump in.
Unboxing
Soundbot SB531 wireless Bluetooth speaker comes in a compact see-through plastic box, on opening which you'll find the SB531 speaker, along with a small box which further contains the accessories. You get a microUSB charging cable, some documentation, user manual and that's pretty much it. You can watch the unboxing video below to get a better idea on the stuff you get, while you do that please make sure to hit the subscribe button.
So moving on, let's take a look at the technical specifications.
Technical Specifications
Dimensions: 3.8 in x 3.6 in x 3.4 in.
Weight: 185 grams
Built-in FM Radio
Built-in Microphone for Calling
5W speaker
Signal to Noise ratio: > 85+2 DB
Playback Time: up to 8 hours
Frequency Range: 100Hz - 20kHz
Battery Capacity: 650 mAh
Charge time: 3 hours
Wireless range: up to 10 meters
Bluetooth 4.1
IPX7 Water Resistant
Design
The Soundbot SB531 Wireless Bluetooth speaker comes with a very unique circular design with a shockproof silicone bumper padding on the outside. The speaker is specially designed to float on water, perfect for bath-tubs & swimming pool. The outer silicone bumper design protects the speaker from accidental drops & bumps, which in my opinion is a great addition. The speaker comes with a detachable suction cup at the bottom which can be used to stick it on flat surfaces like tiles, mirror, glass, window, car windshield, walls and other surfaces. The microUSB charging port is hidden under a water-resistant flap, there is no 3.5 mm audio port for aux connections so Bluetooth is the only connectivity medium.
The SB531 speaker is very compact in size, light in weight and very well built. It feels quite sturdy & solid when holding in hand. The top contains five buttons which are also made up of silicone, easy to push and quite clickety. The buttons are; Power On/Off, Volume up/Next, Mode (for switching between Bluetooth & FM Radio), Play/Pause/Stop and Volume down/Previous. The microphone is present next to the Power On/Off button. Some of the functions work on a single press, while other functions require a long press to activate.
The front head of the speaker contains multi-color LED lights which light up when the speaker turned on. You can toggle between different light modes or even switch them off by single tapping the power button. Overall the speaker is quite easy to operate, it takes some time to get hang of the buttons & its functions, but you'll get it in no time.
Performance
Coming to the performance, the Soundbot SB531 wireless Bluetooth speaker performs well in most of the areas where it should, there are a few cons too. The audio quality of the SB531 speaker is pretty good and enjoyable for a shower speaker. The mids & highs are decent, the bass is average and the vocals sound clear. The speaker sounds quite low even on full volume when listening in an average-sized room. Although the volume improves drastically when using the speaker in the bathroom, which serves the purpose of it being a shower speaker.
The Soundbot SB531 wireless Bluetooth speaker is not something which can be used in a house party or expected to deliver superior audio output or heavy bass, it is a shower speaker and it is designed that way, and keeping that in mind, it serves its purpose. The Soundbot SB531 wireless Bluetooth speaker is something you'll enjoy listening to when in the shower or when hopping in a pool or for personal use at home.
The Soundbot SB531 wireless Bluetooth speaker is not something which can be used in a house party or expected to deliver superior audio output or heavy bass, it is a shower speaker and it is designed that way, and keeping that in mind, it serves its purpose. The Soundbot SB531 wireless Bluetooth speaker is something you'll enjoy listening to when in the shower or when hopping in a pool or for personal use at home.
Battery
The SB531 Wireless speaker comes equipped with a 650 mAh Li-Ion battery which delivers approximately 8 hours of music playback & talk time on a full charge with almost 80% volume. The speaker takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to charge from zero to full. During my test period, I was able to get close to 8 hours of playback on a single charge, sometimes even 8.5 hours (when listening on lower volumes) and a couple of times I got 7 to 7.5 hours (when listening on full volume). Overall the battery performance was quite good and consistent in my case.
IPX7 Water & Dust Resistant
The Soundbot SB531 Wireless Bluetooth speaker comes with an IPX7 water & dust resistant rating, which means that the speaker is capable of handling splashes, rain and can also be submerged into water. The IPX7 rating means that the Soundbot SB531 Wireless speaker can withstand immersion in water up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes, so rain & accidental splashed aren't going to do any harm to it.
The speaker is designed to float on water so it can accompany you at pool parties, casual swimming sessions or even when taking a bath in your bathtub. You can even stick it to your bathroom wall & enjoy your music when in the shower.
Conclusion
So concluding my review on a positive note, the Soundbot SB531 wireless Bluetooth speaker was my first ever shower speaker and I really enjoyed reviewing it. The speaker does its job well in the shower & in the pool. The audio quality is decent and enjoyable, I was a bit disappointed earlier with the full volume output sounding low, but when I tested the speaker in the bathroom, it sounded better as compared to when using in other rooms (obviously), so I have no complaints with the volume anymore, since the speaker serves its purpose where it supposed to do. I really liked its design & built quality feels quite sturdy in hand and also the suction cup which pretty much sticks to all flat surfaces like tiles, glass, mirror, window etc.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Price: Rs.1,990 INR
Price: Rs.1,990 INR
If you are looking for a budget compact water-resistant Bluetooth speaker for your bathroom or to use when going swimming, then you can definitely go for Soundbot SB531 Bluetooth speaker. I hope this review was helpful, please leave your comments below.
