Portronics, a known manufacturer of audio, power and other accessories in the market, recently came up with a small wonder—the Sound Pot. We had this unit for quite a while and here is what we have to say.
The Sound Pot is a tiny little Bluetooth-enabled portable mono speaker. The speaker looks like a miniature flower pot. Completely black in colour, the exterior has a rubberized finish with rubber feet for extra grip on a flat surface. Light in weight, round and slightly oddly shaped, the Sound Pot measures 95.5mm in height, 54.5mm in diameter and weighs just 180g. The top is a tad larger than the bottom and tapers slightly towards the front, which helps face the speaker grille to the listener.
The top features a black metal grille, while the bottom features a rubber feet and a physical power button. Apart from the power button, there are absolutely no controls on the unit. On the rear side you will find a micro USB port for charging the speaker and an AUX audio input jack. A tiny red LED on the rear alerts you with a blink when the unit is charging. When the charge is complete, it stays lit up continuously. It would have been nice if this could have been a dual-led so it can turn green when charging is complete. The plus point here is that the speaker will allow itself to be charged even when in use—no more compromise on your favourite music when it’s charging.
The Sound Pot features a 4 ohm driver with an output of 3 Watts. It runs on Bluetooth 4.1 in a maximum range of 10 meters. The Pot is powered by an internal lithium rechargeable battery that lasts you an easy 4 – 5 hours of continuous music, depending on the volume output and the distance of the speaker to the phone. The speaker also features a built-in microphone which allows you to make voice calls directly from the speaker itself. You can use it as a speakerphone or a handsfree unit when in your car or at home. Sadly, the speaker does not have any buttons to answer or cut off the calls.
As for the performance, the speaker is an incredible little monster. The audio quality is great and has a decent amount of bass when compared to its small size. You can feel the speaker vibrating to the bass, and the weight and rubber feet ensure it stays in the fixed place. If kept on a table or on the mattress, you can actually feel the vibration with the beats, giving you that additional feel to the music.
At first we did not expect this small music box to impress us. But when we switched on the tiny midget, we had a different opinion. The Sound Pot is really loud. The volume can be shrill, but it won’t ruin the audio quality, even at peak volumes. The bass remains stable and the trebles are great too. In a large, closed party hall, you can easily hear the loud music with clear audio. Pair it with a tablet, mobile or a laptop, and listen to your favorite music or enjoy a music, you will definitely have no complains. In fact, when compared to the JPL GO, we found the Pot’s audio quality and volume very impressive, and that too at less than half the cost.
The only drawback that we could speak about the product is that it does not have any controls. An AVRCP would definitely have helped. But if you look at the other side of the coin, the Sound Pot is a true handsfree portable speaker which allows you to control it from your phone, completely. No running to the device to change volume levels. But yes, when you need to change tracks or answer/cut a call, an AVRCP feature would definitely work as a life saver. The other small complain we had about the unit is that the exterior is entirely rubber-finished. Oily hands causes smudges (though it can be wiped away) and if you drop it accidentally, you can see scratch marks across it. Though the issues with the exterior are not as much as we probably described here, it is definitely a small concern. We have witnessed a lot of rubberized finished products that get sticky in time—thanks to the hot climate here in India. The product looks completely bad if the rubber coating wears off. As for now, the unit was with us for almost three months and we have had absolutely no wear and tear on it, even though we used it extensively.
Verdict: For a price of just Rs 1,499, the Sound Pot is a true value for every rupee spent on it. We would definitely recommend the Sound Pot to those looking for a compact, personal portable audio solution or if those who are planning on gifting something within the budget.
