TRANSIT by Soen portable Bluetooth speaker comes to India at Rs. 12,990

American audio equipment maker Soen Audio is set to announce its entry into the Indian market. The company will officially launch its popular TRANSIT Bluetooth speaker in the country later this week priced at Rs. 12,990. The speaker is already available at leading online retailers.

TRANSIT by Soen, a California-based company that specialises in high-end audio equipment, is a compact, premium Bluetooth speaker set that sports 1.3" x 6.6" x 3.8" dimensions and weighs around half a kilogram. The speaker is powered by a rechargeable battery that gives around 8 hours of playback time on a single charge. It also comes with a built-in mic, which means you can pair TRANSIT with your phone for hands-free calling.

NDTV Gadgets had a chance to spend some time with the speaker and our overall impression was extremely positive. TRANSIT exudes quality from first glance at the packaging of the product, to the time you hold the speaker in your hand, and of course when you start listening to music.

The build quality is excellent and the speaker comes with a magnetic cover that snaps on to offer protection from dust and accidental damage when not in use. The speaker can lie flat on its back or you can push a button to bring out the kickstand, which makes it ideal for placing on, say, a bedside table. The retail pack comes with a USB charger, a Micro-USB cable, documentation, as well as a 3.5mm audio cable (for the aux-in port).

TRANSIT by Soen has a flip power button on the side, with the pairing button sandwiched between the volume up and down buttons at the top. The Micro-USB and aux-in ports are at the side as well. Getting started by pairing the speaker with our smartphone was simple enough, like most Bluetooth speakers.

As far as the audio quality is concerned, we were impressed by the clarity of sound, which did not distort even at maximum volume. However, we found ourselves wishing that the speaker could go a notch louder. The bass performance was impressive for a speaker this size; probably the best we've come across in a compact Bluetooth speaker.

As stated earlier, the company claims 8 hours of audio playback on a single charge, but we did not get a chance to test this claim in the limited time we had with our unit.

TRANSIT by Soen retails for $200 in the US, which makes the Indian price of Rs. 12,990 extremely competitive. The product will hope to take some marketshare away from Bose Soundlink Mini Bluetooth speaker, which was launched in India earlier this year carrying a price tag of Rs. 16,200.

"Our mission is to create best-in-class products with stunning sound and elegant designs," says Hari Seedhar, co-founder and Head of Marketing at Soen Audio. "With TRANSIT by Soen we are taking portable entertainment to the next level."

Commenting on the pricing, Harpreet Kaur Sapra, co-founder & Chief of Operations, Love 4 Apple, who are the exclusive online distributors of Soen Audio products in India, said, "Our commitment to India is to bring the best in the world accessories at price points that match the global market. With TRANSIT by Soen we have matched a dollar to rupee target price, something unheard of, as far as technology goods in India are concerned."

TRANSIT by Soen is now available via online retailers like Amazon India and Love 4 Apple, with other leading retailers set to follow.