ZAAP BoomBox: A sound buy for those not too finicky about the details

Two 6W speakers, assisted by a sub-woofer, power the sound in ZAAP BoomBox

The thing about portable Bluetooth speakers is that they are available in great abundance, and the factors distinguishing each almost minimal. In that respect, at least, the new ZAAP BoomBox looks discernibly different. The mesh-like outer design is likely to instantly bring to mind the Amazon Alexa, but this is an impressive-looking speaker nonetheless — easily one of the more attractive ones around.

At the base of its cylindrical shape is the power button, with the top reserved for a slanting touch panel and a dial-inspired volume controller. Two 6W speakers, assisted by a sub-woofer, power the sound. A USB charging port and a 3.5mm jack slot are hidden under a rubber flap near the bottom.

Given its heavy-sounding name, I expected the ZAAP BoomBox to deliver quite the knockout punch. That, unfortunately, was not the case. After playing a fair bit of Raghu Dixit and the new Gully Boy album on loop, I found the bass unimpressive. The treble, too, sounded a tad harsh. Having said that, if you manage to adjust the volume right — 60 to 70 per cent — the BoomBox belts out reasonably good sound. The star here is the 360-degree omnidirectional sound feature, which essentially means that the sound quality doesn’t suffer even if you have to rotate the speaker. What’s more, you can be as far as 40 feet away and still enjoy the music. Equally reliable is the battery, which on full charge won’t have you worried for a good 12 to 13 hours — easily the standout feature of the BoomBox.

I would ordinarily have hesitated to splurge on the ZAAP BoomBox (originally priced at Rs 6,000), but given the generous discounts going — you can get it for under Rs 3,500 on Amazon as well as the official ZAAP website — the BoomBox is a sound buy for those not too finicky about the details.

Pros 
 

> Stylish design

> Long-lasting battery

> NFC connectivity
 

Cons 

> Disappointing bass, treble