If you’re in the market for a Bluetooth speaker, audio quality is one of many aspects that needs consideration. Features such as design, portability and most importantly, ease of connectivity with multiple smartphones and other Bluetooth devices is critical.
DESIGN
When we received the Samsung R7 review unit recently, our first reaction was one of awe. It is easily one of the most gorgeous looking Bluetooth speakers available today. You will be hard-pressed to find someone who would call it ugly.
Place it on a side table or a chest of drawers and not only will it enhance the beauty of the platform it rests on, it will make the entire room look classy.
When testing the review unit provided to us by Samsung, we couldn’t help but notice how the R7 seamlessly blended into all types of rooms. It would enhance the appeal of a messy teenager’s bedroom as well as a gorgeously minimalist living room with an unparalleled sea-view. It is neither in your face nor subtle. The round elongated shape it embodies provides the right amount of understated elegance.
Our white test unit (there is also a black version available) with chrome embellishments looked amazing in a room with white walls. For some reason, everyone who saw the review unit assumed that the speaker doubled up as a lamp.
USP
The unique selling proposition for the Samsung R7 is its 360-degree sound. What it means is that you can place it in the centre of the room and you will hear the same clarity of sound from all around the speaker, which is impossible for a unidirectional speaker to deliver. While this is an excellent feature to have, the practicality of it is rare. There is little reason for someone to place a Bluetooth speaker in the centre of any room, especially since you will need to plug the speaker into an electrical socket to power it on.
That said, when we placed the speaker on a table against a long wall, bang in the middle, we could hear the same quality of sound on both ends of the wall.
CONNECTIVITY
If there’s one thing as important as sound quality on a Bluetooth speaker it is connectivity. While Samsung does give you a smartphone app for multi room and multi device connectivity (yes, you can link multiple R7s to fill the entire house or to create a home theatre experience), most people will simply like to connect via bluetooth and play using their default music app.
In this regard, the R7 gets 10/10. I have rarely seen Bluetooth devices connect, disconnect and connect back so quickly. I tried doing so with phones and tablets from different manufacturers as well as different operating systems. The results were always swift and painless. It understood multiple devices and connected without any hassle whatsoever, making the whole wireless experience amazing.
AUDIO LOSS
As long as you do not have a wall coming in between your music streaming smartphone and your R7, the sound loss is almost non-existent. The clarity is crystal clear and there is practically no distortion whatsoever. We never found any interference or disturbance during the period we tested the device and were quite amazed by the technology that has gone into creating such a robust music listening experience.
SOUND
One of the biggest problems with Bluetooth speakers in general is the quality of the sound when you play music. With most people now aware of what high-end sound systems sound like, be it expensive headphones or state-of-the-art tower speakers, the experience from most Bluetooth speakers is frankly depressing.
Surprisingly, the Samsung R7 has managed to rise above the mediocrity and has delivered a wireless music listening device that is distortion free while belting out clean highs and mid-range sounds. The R7 is definitely one of the better sounding Bluetooth speakers available today. It provides the complete range of sound you need when listening to music and the only drawback is the bass.
The bass, as expected from any small device, leaves a lot to be desired. Can’t wait for the day some engineer finds the missing solution to creating exceptional bass from a small speaker.
At extremely high volume the distortion is minimal and comparable to the best Bluetooth speakers out there. At a high volume you can fill all of the rooms in your house with music from one Samsung R7. Our only suggestion is that the vocals could be a tad sweeter.
CONCLUSION
If you are looking for a gorgeously unique-looking Bluetooth speaker to go with your classy modern interiors and want fast and painless Bluetooth connectivity with multiple smartphones, then the Samsung R7 will more than make you happy. The sound is pretty decent and the only drawback is the bass (to be honest I’m yet to come across a Bluetooth speaker that provides exceptional bass). It is both value for money and one of the better sounding devices in this category available in the market today.
Our recommendation to Samsung – in addition to defying the laws of physics to deliver exceptional bass out of such a small unit – is this: the white unit for some reason screams LED lamp, so see if it can be lit up in its upcoming iteration. And please make the higher notes a tad sweeter.
