Early Verdict
Sony V44D delivers an admirable sound quality and also comes loaded with connectivity and smart features. The portable home audio system will appeal consumers who never miss out a chance to throw a party.
Pros
- +
Lots of connectivity features
- +
Good audio performance
- +
Appealing design
Cons
- -
A tad bulky
Why you can trust TechRadar
Design 4/5
Features 4.5/5
Performance 4.5/5
Usability 4/5
Value 4.5/5
Sony has always tried to innovate do something different when it comes to audio department. The Japanese tech giant gave the world its first portable music player, the ever popular Walkman in 1979, and since then the company has evolved significantly by regularly producing new products.
The recent ones to join the list of Sony audio products are MHC-V44D and GT4D Home Audio Systems that are designed to address the needs of entertainment enthusiast by offering high power sound output contained in attractive portable packages.
We got our hands on MHC-V44D, which is a tower one-box portable home audio system, equipped with a number of connectivity features. It is priced at Rs 29,990 and is available on e-commerce platforms, Sony's official website and retail stores across the country.
Let's find out what Sony has to offer with this multi-functional home audio system.
Specifications
Output Power : 660W
Connectivity: Analogue Audio Input (1), Analogue Audio Output (1), Composite Video Output, HDMI Output (1), Microphone Input (2), USB Port (1), Bluetooth, NFC, HDMI out, Songpal smartphone app
Features: Motion control, Karaoke support, LDAC and DSEE support
Lighting Effect: Speaker light, Party light
Dimensions (W X H X D): 293 x 798 x 288mm
Weight: 14KG
Price: 29,990
What is it?
Sony V44D is a one-box tower multi-functional speaker unit that comes equipped with a number of connectivity and smart features. The audio system allows you to play music wirelessly over Bluetooth, can be connected to a compatible device via aux-input cable and can also play audio through USB drives, CDs, DVDs and FM Radio.
The audio system has party lights, DJ sound effects and also features karaoke mode. It is specifically designed to be lugged easily anywhere and comes with in-built handles to help you carry it from one place to other.
Design
The Black coloured tower speaker comes with one-box design with all the controls positioned on the top.
The centre has a large dial to control the volume with Bluetooth pairing button and DJ functions such as Isolator, Flanger, Sampler positioned around it. Budding DJs can actually try their hand on mixing two audio signals or isolating them to tweak with the audio effects. The Isolator, Flanger and the regular audio mode has different volume levels that all can be controlled by the circular dial.
The left side of the circular dial has switch on/off button, stop/play button, a button to switch on/off the Party Lights and a USB port. Four buttons are also placed to change the audio modes- Fiesta, Sound Field, Mega Bass and Football, which comes real handy if the audio system is connected to a TV or a smartphone.
One the right side, you have Karaoke and FM controls with Mic 1 and mic 2 inputs. A button is also placed on the bottom right to eject CD/DVD tray.
The party lights are placed on top and can easily illuminate a large hall with multicoloured light effects.
The front of the speaker looks quite appealing. There are dual 1.5-inch cone type tweeters on the top at either sides of the Sony branding. Next are the dual 3-inch mid units and then a large 8-inch woofer at the bottom, which reflects light as per the audio you are playing.
The audio system has a very sturdy built quality that easily manages the balance even if you playing audio at maximum volume.
The video out, HDMI out and TV In/Out ports are positioned at the back side of the audio system.
Connectivity- All areas covered
Packed with various audio inputs and output connectivity options, Sony V44D can be easily paired with a TV, MP3 player, USB, smartphone or any other musical instrument. The audio system also features a DVD/ CD player that allows you to enjoy the tracks on the discs.
You also got features like Bluetooth and Near Field Communication (NFC) connectivity to connect your mobile devices, PCs or a Mac book. Besides, the audio system also has built-in FM and LDAC capabilities.
You can also install Sony's in-house SongPal app that makes it possible to control the audio playback via smartphone if speakers are not in reach. The song pal-fiestable app also allows you to add your own DJ effects and control party lights directly from your smartphone.
Performance
The audio performance delivered by V44D is just amazing. The audio system is able to deliver super loud yet crisp audio with the help of mega bass amplifier (660W output power). It doesn't matter if you are playing through USB, CD or over Bluetooth; the audio quality is top notch, thanks to Sony's LDAC technology that enables the transmission of Hi Quality Audio, even over a Bluetooth connection.
Besides, the DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) really works in up-scaling any compressed music content and results in rich quality audio experience.
The audio system has a very well balanced sound profile and sounds really good even at maximum volume levels. You can argue that the sound is unidirectional because of the woofer and speakers placement, but the loud volume level compensates for the same.
With V44D, you can literally push things up without worrying about sound getting distorted. The speaker performs admirably well at lower, mid level and higher volume. Tracks with intense sub bass content like Matstubs, Top Shelf, DJ Magic Mike's Feel the Bass, etc. played with flawless bass carrying lots of oomph and detail. The vocals also sound crisp and clear irrespective of the volume levels you are playing.
Overall, the audio quality is simply admirable and the sound that V44D delivers is more than enough to spice up a house party.
Likes
The one-box tower form factor makes Sony V44D an all-in-one audio gadget for audiophiles. The audio system can be easily carried around and also delivers on audio front.
Dislikes
There's a very rare chance that we don't come across any noticeable flaws and Sony V44D is one such audio equipment. The unidirectional sound effect is also minimised by the good audio level produced by the woofer and speakers.
However, at 14Kg, the audio system feels a tad heavy.
Verdict
Sony V44D is an all-in-one audio system that makes a statement for itself with its looks and excellent sound output. The audio system serves as a great companion for indoor or outdoor parties and will definitely appeal true audiophiles with the kind of sound quality it delivers.
Rohit Arora is the Senior Correspondent at Gizbot, OneIndia. He has been exploring technology since early 90s and started working with Print media in 2014. After writing for PC Quest, Voice & Data and Data Quest for over 14 months, I joined TechRadar in 2016 (Noida). Rohit provides strategic ideas to leading tech brands for new product launches and marketing campaigns.