Astrum – Tech Raman

Astrum ST 150 SoundBox Bluetooth Speaker Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 14:00:58 +0000

While Bluetooth speakers offer mobility and wireless advantages, a big reason I love checking out various Bluetooth speaker models are for the sheer quirky designs the manufacturers come out with. The speakers are available in various colors, shapes and designs and that attracts me a lot. Astrum is a Hongkong based company that manufacturers a range of computer accessories and speakers, what I got here is a pocket sized speaker and let’s see in this Astrum ST150 Soundbox Bluetooth speaker review how it fares in terms of design and performance.

Specifications:

Dimension: 124 x 47 x 20mm (L x W x H)
Weight: 115 gms
Bluetooth 4.0
Range upto 10m
Output: 5W x 2
Frequency response: 180Hz – 18kHz
Speakers: 32mm diaphragm (2 speaker)
Battery: 700mAh Li-Ion
Charging time: upto 2.5 hours
Play time: up to 4 hours

Box contents:

Speaker
Manual
microUSB cable
Lanyard cable

Design

Mouth organ musical instrument. That’s the first thought that came in mind when I opened the box and took a look at the device. The Astrum ST 150 is very compact and can be slid into trouser pocket. The build quality is top notch, the side has a metallic finish with chamfered edges giving it a neat, clean look. The oxidised color of the side panel makes it visually appealing. Even the power button on the right side has a quality build and sports a concentric patterned design, adding more marks to the design. Next to the power button is the microUSB port. To make carrying easier, there is an lanyard eye and the box includes a cable in case you want to use it. Sitting behind the front speaker grille are two 5 watts speakers.

Performance

Astrum ST 150 is a pint sized speaker and understandably I kept my expectations compact too. The speaker output is loud enough for the small size. The bass is weak though, if you are fond of it. The trebles are Ok but there is distortion if you crank up the volume to max. It should be noted the frequency response starts at 180Hz , so low frequency notes suffers but being a small speaker, it is ideally not for audiophile indulgence rather for better portability and sneaking it on your small bag or pocket and music on the go. There is a mic, so you can use it as a handsfree speaker phone to attend calls. The call quality is average. The Astrum ST 150 does not offer extra features like FM or SD card support. There is no aux input too.

Verdict

Astrum ST 150 retails around Rs 2700 in India which is quiet a hefty price undoubtedly. If you are looking for a pocket fitting Bluetooth speaker, Astrum ST 150 works well. Its handy and has a good build quality and you can listen on the go and is compact to drop in your pocket and move around.]]>

Astrum Symphony BT-027N Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 18:40:12 +0000

You are pampered by choices when it comes to Bluetooth speakers. Problem of plenty. Here at our review desk, we got Astrum Symphony BT-027N, portable small wireless speaker, a rectangular music box that can be easily moved around. Aimed primarily at casual music listeners, the built-in speakerphone functionality is an added advantage. We rest our case on this box here. So what Astrum offers here?

Primarily a bluetooth speaker (but also .. has)
NFC support
aux-in port music play
MicroSD card play back
Speaker phone functionality

That is quiet a versatile list to boast but ultimately it boils down to performance. So we put the speaker into test here. The Symphony BT-027N is a compact meshed rectangular box measuring 6.6 x 6.6 x 10.3mm making it easy to sneak into your hand bag. It weighs just 255g, so you don’t have to worry about the weight. The meshed cage houses a 2 Speakers + 2 passive radiators inside. If you have a chrome-fetish, you will love the abundant glean in the music box as it has good amount of glossy metallic surface around it. At first look, it looks cool with the metallic panels but it tends to get scratched easily and a closer look would disappoint you. The review unit we received already has many scratches and it doesn’t augur well. Matte finish would have been better choice than the glossy silver and they have actually used it for the ‘L’ shaped strip that is found in the middle of the box. The strip has Astrum logo with LED backlit button at one side. It is used to play/pause tracks or answer/end calls. The other side has previous/next and volume control button. The top of the box has a metallic slab and a thin vertical chrome strip connects to the bottom. You will find the aux input, microSD card slot and micro-USB port for charging at the base chrome strip. Turn to the bottom, there is a rubber strip for grip and also you find the power on/off switch.

Get, Pair, Listen & Talk

Pairing the device to the Symphony BT-027N is fairly simple. A rather loud voice prompt tells you the speaker is ready when you turn on the speaker. It also prompts you when a device is paired. Once a device pairing is setup, next time it automatically connects when the Bluetooth is on. NFC pairing is pretty straight forward and just a tap away but it failed to connect at few times. Also, listening to music directly from your microSD card is a good addition and works neatly. The previous/next buttons also double up as volume controls, with a short press changing the track and a long press changing volume. A separate controls for each would have been good since at many times, when I tried increasing the volume, I ended up changing tracks and vice versa. The LED backlit around the Astrum logo turns blue when the speaker is on and connected via Bluetooth and turns green when you use aux input connectivity. In between listening to music, you can also attend calls with Symphony BT-0127N. You can press the Astrum button to answer/end a call or double press it to call the last dialled number.

The Performance Notes…

The first time I turned on the device and listened to my favourite track, I was disappointed. For all the features it packs, the Symphony BT-027N is not the best of the small blocks out there. After few hours of playing, the speaker tends to get a bit matured but still is an under performer. While the vocals are better, the background music gets muddier especially if there are many instruments. While the speaker can deliver high volume, the more you crank up the notes gets distorted. Still, you will be surprised by how much volume can come out of the small box. The base though not literally pounding the block, is better at what it delivers. The speaker is best when at moderate volume and if you are just about a casual music listener, the Symphony can play in background when you are working at kitchen, working at your desk or just reading a book on a lazy noon. Talking about the call quality when used as a hands free speakerphone , it is pretty decent with loud and clear sound. The Bluetooth range of the speaker is good enough and can extend 25-30 feet and few walls in between. The Symphony BT-027N houses a 1,300mAh battery and the company claims seven to ten hours of playback. I was able to squeeze out almost eight hours out of it.

Does the Symphony strikes the right chord?

What tilts in favour of Astrum Symphony BT-027N is being the host of connectivity options and easy set up but what puts down heavily is the mediocre performance especially considering the fact it comes at a MRP of INR 3,200 and at this range there is a better picks from popular brands like Logitech and JBL at the price point. ]]>

Astrum Power bank PB25M1A Review – Slim and fits in your wallet

Lakshmi Rajan — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:21:51 +0000

Smarter the phones become, the more hungrier they are for battery. So it makes sense to invest in a good power bank if you are traveling or constantly on move. It also makes sense to have a power bank handy in your bag for you never know when you badly need to make that one call and your phone goes to sleep due to no power. Power banks comes in various shapes, sizes and capacity and you need to pick the right one to suit your needs. At our review desk today, we have Astrum Power bank PB25M1A with a capacity of 2500mAh and flaunting a super slim body that can fit even in your wallet. If you have a device that has a battery reading around 2500mAh, this power bank could be a daily commuter with you for the simple reason it is easy to carry around. Astrum Power bank comes in a sleek package containing only the power bank. No extra cables. The deal clincher is the slim and neat-looking chasis with smooth curves. It looks good and easily pocketable. At 7.5mm thickness, it can compliment the smartphone in looks and build quality. It comes with a built in cable so you don’t have to carry a cable along to charge your Smartphone or accessories like Bluetooth speaker. On the black body, the sea blue cable looks cool and is secured neatly to the body. When required the cable can be pulled out and then secured back when not in use. Though seemingly it looks to be tightly secured and fastened, whenever pulling the cable out, it looked delicate giving me a nagging feeling it might snap out of the hinges. There is a indicator which glows red when the power bank is being charged. There is no extra cable with the box, so you need your device cable to charge the power bank. The same indicator turns blue when the power bank is charging the device. Didn’t I tell you it fits the wallet easily? On the technical front, the Astrum PB25M1A powerbank has a input of DV 5V /1A and a output of DC 5V /1A. I would have preferred a 2A output which would have charged the device quicker.

What I liked

Design
Built-in cable

What I did not like

Lack of battery level indicator
2A output would have been good.

Nevertheless, what makes Astrum Power bank a good buy is its pocketable nature. When am not carrying a bag, I can easily carry this power bank on my trouser / shirt pocket or my wallet without any bulges. For daily use as a emergency backup at the end of the day before you hit the home, Astrum Powerbank is a good buy and for more than a day travel, you should be investing on a mightier power bank.]]>

Astrum Power bank PB25M1A Review – Slim and fits in your wallet

Lakshmi Rajan — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:21:51 +0000

What I liked

Design
Built-in cable

What I did not like

Lack of battery level indicator
2A output would have been good.

Astrum Elete Tpad Mini TouchPad Keyboard Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:53:57 +0000

The Elete Tpad Mini from Astrum Holdings is a mini keyboard with a touch-pad on the rear designed to use with SmartTV, PC, laptops and Tablets. Working on a 2.4GHz wireless frequency, the keyboard connects to the devices with a USB dongle that comes out of the box. Smaller than the regular mini keyboards, the Astrum Elete Tpad makes for casual keyboard and touch control and is portable and lightweight.

What is it?

A compact mini keyboard with a quirky design and a track-pad on the rear. It offers a good side grip and is powered by two AAA batteries. A wireless keyboard, it works on a 2.4GHz transmission and pairs to the devices with a USB dongle through GFSK Auto link Technology. It features 61 keys layout as well as 9 multimedia keys spread on the top. It also has left and right function switch button. It has 360 degree of operation angle. The box contents are pretty basic with a user manual, USB dongle, two AAA batteries and the keyboard. The user manual though is not user friendly but lists the technicals of the device. Surprisingly, the user manual does not even list the battery compartment position which needs to be figured out by the user themselves. Though the keys are small in size, they are well placed, tactile and good enough to tap and feed the casual inputs. The handheld gaming console type design though is not very good for serious and long typing. On the rear there is a touchpad, so you would not require a separate mouse. For handheld operations, the rear side touchpad is quiet ergonomic. The touchpad has good sensitivity. It took a little time for me to figure out the battery compartment. Once you find it out, you does appreciate the positioning of the batteries tucked behind the grip handles.

How does it perform?

From the design it is clear, the Elete Tpad is not a serious mini keyboard but for casual purposes. The keyboard is not suited for long typing but it would works great when combined with Smart TV. With the Touchpad on the rear, it is clear it is meant to be handheld and for Smart TV it is a great controller. Working on a 2.4GHz transmission and a USB dongle, it pairs with almost all devices and is not bluetooth dependent. For impromptu office presentation on laptops or PC’s it comes handy but will you be carrying it around to work would be a question here. As the user manual clearly mentions, it is good to combine with Smart TV rather than computing devices.

What it lacks?

1. No backlit 2. No laser light pointer for presentation 3. No power notification LED

Conclusion

So do you have a SMART TV? Then you can consider this Astrum Elete Tpad Mini Keyboard but if you intend to buy it solely for laptop / PC / tablet, you should be thinking of suitable wireless mini keyboard.]]>

Astrum Elete Tpad Mini TouchPad Keyboard Review

Lakshmi Rajan — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:53:57 +0000

What is it?

How does it perform?

What it lacks?

1. No backlit 2. No laser light pointer for presentation 3. No power notification LED

Conclusion

Astrum Magic Stick let's you turn TV into an Android Smart TV

Lakshmi Rajan — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 09:05:43 +0000

Still not happy with your 5.5-inch Smartphone? Something bigger than your tablet display to access the Play Store and run apps? There are many dongle like devices that you can plug into the HDMI port of your TV and turns them into a Smart TV, Astrum Magic Stick is one such device that is now available in India. The Magic Stick runs on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and features internal hardware similar to many Smartphones and tablets. It is powered by a 1.6GHz Cortex A9 CPU, Quad-core GPU and mated to a 1GB DDR3 RAM. It also supports microSD card to store media files and apps. Plugging the device into the TV to an HDMI port essentially turns the TV into a one big device running Android. Of course, you would require a bluetooth mouse/keyboard to get it worked for navigation. Astrum Magic Stick is priced at an MRP of Rs 3,999 and comes with a one year warranty. ]]>

Astrum Symphony BT-027N, a NFC Enabled Bluetooth Portable Speaker Launched

Lakshmi Rajan — Sat, 31 May 2014 10:30:55 +0000

Astrum Holdings, makers of accessories for computers, tablets and mobiles today launched Symphony BT-027N, a compact portable Bluetooth speaker that has NFC (Near Field Communication) support. With the built-in NFC users can connect their devices like smartphones, tablet that support NFC by simply tapping the device to the Speaker and enjoy the music-on-the-move anywhere. The speaker has a 2+2 drivers giving out a 360 degree sound. The built-in microphone with noise filtering is also comes handy for conference calls, hands-free. The rechargeable battery of the speaker enables up to 10 hours play time. The portable speaker is priced at MRP of Rs. 3,200 and carries a 1 year warranty.

Astrum Symphony BT-027N specifications

Total output 6W RMS
Bluetooth version 3.0
One Touch NFC support
2 + 2 drivers with passive for 360-degree sound
Rechargeable lithium ion battery (3.7V / 1300mAh)
Aux & TF card
Charging Time: 5-7 hours
Playing Time: up to 7-10 hours
Anti Skid surface.

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