QCY SP7 Bluetooth Speaker Review: Soundbar-Like Loudness in a Portable Pack

The Indian audio market is flooded with Bluetooth speakers, with devices starting as low as Rs. 500. There are various well-known brands operating across different price brackets. OEMs like JBL, Boat, and Mivi are often considered the most popular in the market. However, recent times have also seen the arrival of newer players from China. QCY is one such brand that recently launched its SP7 Bluetooth speaker in India, which is currently available on Flipkart for under Rs. 4,000. The QCY SP7 really impressed me with what it promises to offer for its price. In my testing, I also found it delivered on most of the company's claims.

QCY SP7 Design: Looks Decent, But Feels Heavy to Carry

• Dimensions - 218.42mm x 86.75mm x 85.85mm
• Weight - 739g
• Durability - IPX7

The QCY SP7 does not take up a lot of space on your desk. I got to test the Black colour option of the Bluetooth speaker, which goes well with most desk setups. However, it is not all good for the device. The SP7 features rubberised hard plastics on the sides and a mesh body. While the body itself doesn't feel cheap to touch, the plastic sides do give away its sub-Rs. 5,000 pricing.

QCY SP7 offers decent build quality, but there is room for improvement.

QCY's SP7 also ships with an IPX7 dust- and water-resistant rating so that you can use it near a pool without worry. This sounds perfect for people who want to take their Bluetooth speakers to a pool party. I carried it to my gym, too, where I could keep it on sweaty flat benches and damp floor, without experiencing any hiccups.

While the QCY SP7 is easy to grip thanks to its textured body, the weight might feel burdensome, and I mostly preferred keeping it in my bag. The buttons are tactile, but sometimes hard to push. However, the markings on the buttons do make it easier to control volume and play/pause music.

QCY SP7 Specifications and Features: RGB Lighting Effects Look Cool, But There's a Catch

• Connectivity - Bluetooth 5.4, TF (MicroSD) Card
• Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS
• Companion App: QCY
• Ports: USB Type-C

The QCY SP7 supports multipoint Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity. Switching between my phone and laptop was smooth, and the speaker was quickly able to recognise which device the audio output was coming from. Moreover, you can use a microSD card to play your music. I tried this feature when I took the SP7 to my gym, leaving my phone behind.

It offers a frequency response between 90Hz and 20,000Hz and an 85dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The 10m operating range was also helpful in my testing. I could easily leave the music on while I went to my kitchen to grab a glass of water or answer the doorbell, without losing connection, mostly.

QCY SP7 offers multiple EQ options.

The QCY companion app, available on Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, is intuitive to use, with most features where you'd expect them. The app offers three preset audio profiles, named Default, Indoor, and Outdoor. However, there is also a dedicated equaliser menu, where you can control the sound profile.

QCY SP7's companion app has a simple, yet intuitive UI.

You can also control the RGB lighting effect from the companion app. You can either turn them off, set them to a single solid colour, or keep them at “Gradient breathing light”. The company claims 15 lighting effects. However, in my testing, I could only find five solid colours to choose from, and the gradient shifts also cycled through the same five colours. Nevertheless, the RGB lighting does look cool. But it could have done better with brighter lights than the competition offers.

QCY SP7 Performance: Fills the Room With Its Bassy Sound

• Battery - 5,200mAh Non-removable lithium‑ion
• Power Output - 10W (Highs) + 30W (Lows)
• Power Consumption - 60W (Lows); 20W (Highs)

The QCY SP7 offers a total output of 40W, making it one of the most powerful in its price range. I found that the speaker was loud enough to fill my living room with its sound. While the sound profile leans towards bass, it does not compromise the trebles. I did not find the highs to be shrill at any point, even when I played the instrumentals of I'm Still Waitin' by The Impressions. The company claims it can achieve 105dB at max volume, which is not far from the 99dB it achieved in my testing.

QCY SP7 can fill a large room with its loud, bass-heavy sound.

I also played Rakhlo Tum Chupaake by Arpit Bala, I Know by Playroom, Could It Be Another Change by The Samples, and Don't Dream It's Over by Crowded House to test its range, and I was never left wanting for more. Its punchy bass is never in your face, making you feel uncomfortable. While playing electronic music, such as Delilah by Fred Again, the QCY SP7 performed the best, making it one of the better offerings for a small house party in its price range.

Another impressive aspect is its battery life. The company claims that the QCY SP7 offers 14 hours of backup with RGB lighting off and 10 hours of battery life with RGB lighting on, and this was not too far from reality. I was able to get about 9 hours and 30 mins of battery life from the Bluetooth speaker with the RGB lighting on, while listening at 80 percent volume level.

QCY SP7 is ideal for most users looking for a powerful Bluetooth speaker at a reasonable price.

However, its biggest downside is its charging time. QCY claims a charging time of about 3 hours for the SP7. Meanwhile, in my testing, charging the Bluetooth speaker from 0 to 100 percent battery took over six hours with a 15W USB Type-C charging adapter. The company does not pack a charging adapter inside the box, and the unit I received did not have a USB Type-C cable either.

QCY SP7 Verdict

Simply put, I was impressed with the QCY SP7's overall performance. With its soundbar-level audio quality and loudness. At its retail price of Rs. 3,999 on Flipkart, the QCY SP7 punches above its weight in many aspects. However, the cheap-to-touch materials, weight, and painfully long charging time can put a damper on the party. It meets the needs of most people who are looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker with impressive audio quality and battery life, which also offers IPX7-rated durability.

Moreover, if you need to carry a Bluetooth speaker to a house or a pool party, without wanting to break the bank, you might want to consider buying it. However, if you're brand-conscious and are not willing to bet your money on a relatively lesser-known OEM, you should rather increase your budget to get similar performance elsewhere.

QCY SP7 Bluetooth Speaker Ratings

Design: 7

Audio Quality: 9

Battery Life: 8

Value for Money: 9

Overall: 8