A soundbar is a practical and affordable way to upgrade TV watching, making dialogues easier to understand and more sparkle gets added to the music. There are options that are inexpensive but can take sound to a new level while the more expensive ones come with Dolby Atmos support and what not. And then there is the Saregama Carvaan Musicbar with Karaoke, which is a value-for-money offering that will keep family members happy. The soundbar can also be a companion for those who like evergreen songs from the music label as well as those who want karaoke at home.
The 70W wired subwoofer
Look and design
Most people tend to go for the biggest box in the shop and that is what Saregama has done. And the box is packed with goodies. There is obviously the soundbar and the subwoofer unit. Then there is a big metallic box with two microphones inside (complete with battery). Finally, a packet containing all the connectors and another one with clamps to wall-mount the device.
HDMI cable can be expensive but the company has added one to the box; the same goes for the clamps. In case you decide to mount the soundbar, the process is simple and anybody can get it done.
The overall quality of the soundbar is brilliant for its pricing. The metallic speaker grill adds an expensive look to the product while there is a mesh inside the subwoofer air vent hole to stop insects from entering. The remote, though functional, could have had a different design.
The karaoke microphones come in a well-designed metallic box
Let’s talk about sound
Making this soundbar different in way of sound is the amount of bass it can pump out. Most users want a “big” sound, which you get here. The 120W sound output is made up by 2.1 channel soundbar with four speakers (50W) and 70W wired subwoofer (6.5-inch speaker driver).
As a device that helps brighten the sound of the TV, it works well and you get a balanced output with enough clarity around dialogues. I found the sound sparkles as long as you keep the max volume within 80-85 per cent, beyond which the bass takes over. Users have the choice to change bass, treble and the sound profile (music, movie, news and 3D).
But this can also be used as something more than a soundbar. You can listen to music on it. First, there are the 1,000 preloaded tracks. If that’s not something you want, you can connect your phone via Bluetooth or use a pen drive to do the same. The preloaded tracks give the set-up its uniqueness. Most of the songs are popular and there is even a booklet that comes with the entire list. I like the app support the system gets; it allows you to select easily from the preloaded songs and also make a playlist out of it. The preloaded songs can also be controlled using the buttons on top of the speaker; you can either skip one track at a time or 10 but you won’t know the songs you are skipping unless you have the booklet around. The quality of the preloaded tracks is not bad at all for casual listening. The same songs, when played over Bluetooth, have more clarity (the level of compression differs).
Obviously, the karaoke system will be something customers of this soundbar will be excited about. There are two microphones in the box and they are of acceptable quality. The microphones add echo and reverb automatically while the remote control offers some control over the output with options like mic, balance, vocal and music. For example, if you choose ‘vocal’ then more emphasis will be on voice while music will recede into the background, or you can decide to give a little speech to your family members.
The remote control has all the functions but it could have been better designed
Should you buy it?
Saregama is a trusted name and it has been doing a fantastic job with the Carvaan series of devices; it has shown the world the many possibilities when a company has a vast catalogue of music. On the device are several connectivity options — HDMI, coaxial, aux in and so on, ensuring the soundbar doesn’t become obsolete. Yes, the remote control could have had a more modern look but that doesn’t detract from what you are getting the box. The soundstage will please most families while the “extras” that come with the soundbar will give everyone something to talk about in the evening. And these “extras” — like karaoke and preloaded songs — make Saregama Carvaan Musicbar with Karaoke a success.
The soundbar has the necessary ports
At a glance
Device: Saregama Carvaan Musicbar with Karaoke
Price: Rs 10,990
High notes
- Good soundstage
- Enough connectivity cables are in the box as well as wall clamps for mounting
- Two karaoke microphones are in the box
- Good set of preloaded songs
Muffled note
- The remote control looks ordinary