Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar review: Should you buy for Rs 13,990?

Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar review: Sound is an integral part of viewing experience. Yet, as we move towards smarter boxes, the in-built sound quality is primeval. Now, don’t get me wrong. Yes, most televisions these days are equipped with better sound technologies like Dolby Atmos but it is the overall sound output that needs to improved, with only a few TVs offering better than 20W. 

That’s where the Soundbars come in. They are fast replacing the already orthodox home theatre systems. And, why not! Soundbars offer almost similar, sometimes better sound quality while occupying less space. 

Blaupunkt, the German audio company, recently launched its new wireless Soundbar - SBWL-03 in the Indian market. The name is slightly ironical because both the Soundbar as well the sub-woofer have to be connected to a power source. We will talk about this in detail during the review. Priced at Rs 13,990, the Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar claims to deliver 250W output, has multiple music modes and connectivity options. I have been using this for a couple of weeks to watch movies, play games and listen to music. So, let’s find out whether this audio device justifies its price tag or not!

Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar review: Inside the box

The retail box is quite massive, giving you an idea about the device. But, the company has ensured that you get almost everything possibly required to connect this Soundbar. The retail box packs the Soundbar, the Sub-Woofer, a remote control, a set of AAA batteries, a 3.5mm-3.5mm and a 3.5mm-RCA cable along with screws and brackets for mounting the bar on a wall. The only possible thing missing here is the HDMI cable. 

Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar review: All That’s Good

To begin with, the product quality is quite decent. This is not most well built Soundbar and has a plastic body. But, given that you are likely to move the device very rarely, this should do. Blaupunkt has added a grille panel on the front which just adds to the look of the Soundbar and at the same time, protects the LED display. 

The product allows you to get a personalised experience by choosing from four different equaliser modes - Movie, Music, News and 3D. The Movie mode worked the best in most cases. The 3D mode is more like surround sound which adds extra depth of field but is never effective in an Indian household. 

In terms of loudness, the audio output was probably the most I have heard on a speaker. In fact, you are very unlikely to play anything on full volume unless you plan to break a few glasses or be thrown out of your society. 

The subwoofer is quite impressive as well but could have been slightly better. 

I largely used my smart TV to stream content on in-line connection and smartphone to play music via Bluetooth on Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar. The action sequences in movies are absolute fun to watch but dialogues were a bit faded, especially when characters tend to speak quietly. 

For example, the sounds of tires screeching in the opening sequence of ‘Ford vs Ferrari’ where Carroll Shelby aka Matt Damon is on the verge of winning Le Mans had me hooked. Also, the action sequences in ‘Bad Boys For Life’ combined with the iconic background score was soul pleasing. 

The sub-woofer comes into play while listening to tracks like Sia’s ‘Cheap Thrills’ or Roddy Ricch’s ‘Rockstar’. However, there is a clear distortion of sound as you increase the volume. I probably got the best output while keeping the soundbar volume at about 80 per cent while controlling it from my phone. 

While most control options are on the remote control, there is a power button, USB input and volume control keys provided to one side of the soundbar as well. 

Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar review: All That Could be a Problem

First of all, don’t let the name mislead you – THIS IS NOT A WIRELESS SOUNDBAR. Both the main device and the sub-woofer have a wire attached them to them that need to be plugged into the socket to draw power. It’s just that there is no wired connection between the Soundbar and the woofer. 

I am not able to understand how that solves the purpose! In the past, I have tested devices where the woofer was connected to the Soundbar through a single wire which would draw power as well as establish connection. 

Also, while the multiple audio modes are a blessing, they also increase your work. To get the best output, you will have to manually adjust these modes in regular intervals. 

As I mentioned before, the Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar doesn’t offer the most consistent audio output when the on-screen characters are involved in a dialogue – something that was clearly visible when I was playing The Last of Us II. The conversations very really difficult to comprehend but the output would go drastically up during action sequences, even though the volume level remained the same.  

While the connectivity wasn’t a major issue, I did face some issues with Bluetooth every now and then. The connect would break when you move to another room or even if a chair would come in the way. 

Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar review: Should You Buy?

The Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar costs almost as much as an entry-level smart TV does these days. The latter, however, lacks the kind of audio output you demand in a living room. And, if experience matters to you (like it does for me), then having a Soundbar is a must. 

The Blaupunkt SBWL-03 Wireless Soundbar offers a deeper surround sound, comes with enough connectivity options and remains consistent while playing music. The vocals and conversations tend to fade a bit. If you have the budget go for it but I would recommend you to check out some of company’s previous models and save some extra bucks. You can also checkout Cloudwalker Burst E3000 which is priced at almost half and delivers an almost identical performance.