Back in the day, when I went to a high-street retailer and asked for speakers to be kept in the lounge, the store manager showed me bookshelf speakers. I came back and realised why all speakers look the same as if they are made to please a broad set of users. Apparently, the folks at Sevenaire too were looking for the same answers but they did something to bring the fun back to speakers. The Saturn 360 is unlike anything you have seen, a speaker which also doubles as a table. That’s an out-of-the-box idea that should be appreciated. But does the concept of blending speakers with a piece of furniture work? I tried to find the answer in my review. Sevenaire Saturn 360 review: Rs 25,990 Sevenaire Saturn 360 review: Design It’s a table with a speaker. That’s how I’d like to define the Saturn 360. In an era where most traditional speakers look a certain way, it’s exciting to see Sevenaire has taken a different route to design a speaker that draws attention. There is no dearth of speakers on the market, but the Saturn 360 is like furniture. It has a personality to it - and the Saturn becomes a part of your personal space, with the speaker somewhat fading into the background. Sevenaire sells the top/speaker and table legs as part of the package. As I said before, the speaker can be used as a bedside table or can be kept anywhere in the room. The top circular portion is covered with real wood and there’s fabric around the entire thing. The Saturn 360 speaker can be purchased in two finishes - a light ash wood top with a light brown fabric, or dark walnut with grey fabric. The unit I reviewed came with a dark walnut wooden finish. It’s not going to be to everyone's taste as the overall style is a bit on the conservative side. Overall, the speaker feels sturdy and solid. Setting up the speaker is a short process. Once you open the box, take the top/speaker side and flip it, and then attach three wooden legs; they can be easily screwed into the base - no tools needed. A trio of control buttons for power, play/pause, and volume are placed on the top Around the back, you will notice two USB ports that can charge devices like your smartphone, the power adapter’s barrel connector, and a 3.5mm line-out connector. Interestingly, the Saturn has a built-in 6,600mAh battery that can be charged with the included charger, which means even if the power is not there, music can still be played. It lasts roughly between 6 and 7 hours on a single charge. Also, on top of the speaker, the wooden portion can charge your iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 Pro Max. Keep in mind, however, that the Qi charger is a bit slow but this option is at least there. The Saturn 360 supports Bluetooth, so it’s easy to play audio on it from an iPhone, Android smartphone, or PC. The speaker comes with a built-in HD microphone, meaning you can attend voice calls. Unfortunately, Saturn neither supports Amazon Alexa nor Google Assistant. That’s a bummer, but it doesn’t matter too much to consumers I’d say. If you buy two of the Saturn speakers, they can be used as a stereo pair to become some sort of party speaker. Sevenaire Saturn 360 review: Sound Sure you can praise its built and aesthetics, but they are secondary. Regardless of how you look at the Saturn 360, it is primarily a speaker. Housing six speakers and four bass radiators, the speaker is capable of 360-degree sound. Although the speaker is quite capable, it's not a direct match to Apple’s now-defunct HomePod or Amazon’s Echo Studio. Listening to Here comes the Sun by The Beatles, the speaker rides high with clear vocals and acoustic guitars. However, it does not handle the bass well as it tends to overpower vocals. But I feel the Saturn 360 can fill a living room or bedroom with sound, and it’s capable of getting pretty loud. Sevenaire Saturn 360 review: Should you buy it? If you’re looking for a decent speaker for a bedroom or office — and if you want something aesthetically pleasing, the Sevenaire Saturn 360 makes the cut. It’s refreshing to see a fresh take on speakers, something I wish other brands should take notice of. For many consumers, it makes a lot more sense to purchase a speaker with an assistant built-in that doesn’t cost much. But to me, the Saturn 360 is more of an experimental product.
