BlueAnt SOUNDBLADE – serious 2.1 sound for the computing desktop (AV sound review)
The BlueAnt SOUNDBLADE is unlike any PC/Mac/laptop desktop speaker you have ever seen or used. It is perfect for anyone who wants thumping loud music or elegant, refined, and precise sound.
Upfront, this is one of the best desktop soundbars we have ever seen, both music-wise and design-wise. It has but one caveat to universal use—it is big, and you may have space issues on smaller desks. Its design suits a flat centre pedestal display, not so much the traditional V-shape monitor legs.
Conversely, it comes in five fashion colours with a faux brushed carbon fibre matte finish – Charcoal, White, Light Blue, Olive green, and dusty pink.
Whatever your use, it will satisfy your needs better than PC/Mac sound.
Australian Review: BlueAnt SOUNDBLADE 2.1 desktop soundbar
| Website | Product Page, Manual and Quick Start Guide |
| Price | $299 |
| Warranty | 1-year ACL (2 years with online registration) |
| From | BlueAnt online |
| Made in | China |
| Company | BlueAnt is 100% Australian, Est. 2004 in Melbourne, by passionate music lovers; it designs a range of musically accurate speakers, soundbars, headphones/buds, and microphones. |
| More | CyberShack BlueAnt news and reviews |
We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. You can click on most images for an enlargement.
First Impression – WOW – Exceed
It is an eye-catcher – a low, subtle lines, desktop audio soundbar. You might be forgiven for overlooking this when shopping for desktop PC speakers because it does not look like a typical PC speaker below.
Instead, it is a low, wide soundbar designed to slip under the monitor. As we mentioned earlier, you need to ensure you have adequate desk space for this at 584 x 218 x 54mm x 1.7kg.
It comes with an IR remote control (2 AAA batteries), USB-C to USB-C and USB-A to USB-C cables, a 3,5mm cable, and eight feet extenders for higher pedestals.
Speakers – Pass+
It is a 2.1-channel (left, right, and subwoofer) speaker outputting 60W in RMS terms. That is 2 x 15W Neodymium full-range speakers and an 80mm 30W subwoofer with a passive rear port.
EQ – would like more
It has three remote control presets:
- Game – emphasises clarity and directionality.
- Music – bass boost and sound stage
- Movie – neutral sound signature
It would have been nice to see an app EQ.
Controls – remote control and soundbar – Pass+
The unit has on/off/mode, volume +/-, and a single LED that indicates mode – standby, USB, Bluetooth or AUX-in.
The remote control adds Start/pause/skip forward or back and mute.
Inputs – Pass+
- Bluetooth 5.3 SBC codec only, 16-bit/44100Hz, stereo. We must assume that it connects to Apple devices with AAC.
- USB-C (USB-A with an adapter) for PC, Mac, Android (if the device has a built-in headphone DAC) or PS5 etc.
- AUX-In – either 3-pole audio out (no mic) or RCA Left/Right to 3.5mm.
How does it sound? Exceed
It can reach 84dB on USB-C, which is very loud, considering you will probably be sitting in front of it. There is noticeable mid-bass distortion at this level, but back off to 75dB, which is very well controlled.
The soundstage is as wide as the soundbar. It has little height or surround effects – as expected from a 2.1 device. Still, there was excellent left/right separation that would benefit gamers.
The mid-bass starts from about 40Hz and jumps to 80Hz, where there is some distortion/vibration. It then flattens (good) to 6kHz, dipping slightly to reduce mid-treble harshness and flattening to 20kHz.
This is the excellent neutral sound signature we have come to expect from BlueAnt speakers. It makes me ask why so many BT speaker manufacturers get this so wrong by neglecting mid-bass and mid/high-treble, producing a speaker more for clear voice than music or games. Ten points to BlueAnt.
Missing – and it is V1.0, so let’s see where BlueAnt takes this
BlueAnt has thought of most things, so this is more about where it could go.
- Qualcomm aptX low latency or Adaptive codecs would reduce the SBC codec latency.
- AAC (we assume it is supported) needs to be there.
- App EQ.
- HDMI (1.4 or greater) would enable TV use but don’t push it.
- The left and right speakers are forward-firing, so a version with 4.1 left/right side-firing would enhance the gamers’ experience.
- The 220mm depth could be an issue in terms of design. Looking at the speaker setup, that could well translate into a narrower sound bar—the SOUNDBLADE Mini—with little impact on the sound experience.
Build – Exceed
It is very well made with a 1-year warranty (extendable to 2 years with online registration).
CyberShack’s view – BlueAnt SOUNDBLADE is a 2.1 desktop winner
I like it, but my desk with three monitors does not. Which is a shame as it so elegantly beats the hell out of desktop and PC speakers. Add its colourway options, and it’s a real winner receiving our buy recommendation.
Caveat: It is an excellent desktop speaker with a terrific neutral sound signature, but resist the temptation to use it on a TV as it is designed for desktop/personal use. It gets lost in larger spaces.
BlueAnt SOUNDBLADE Rating
We must rate this as a hybrid personal BT/USB 2.1 desktop speaker. Comparisons to BlueAnt XT120 – a 2.1 soundbar with some thump, and the BlueAnt XT100 2.0 Dolby Atmos compatible soundbar are inequitable.
- Features: 90 – It is a 2.1 desktop system with possibly the best sound you will ever hear, a remote control, three inputs (and cables) and extendable feet. What more could you want?
- Value: 80 – A conundrum. $299 is good value for what it is. With PC speakers ranging from $10 to $150 for 2.1 BT/3.5/HDMI soundbars, you have to want this.
- Performance: 90 – it is excellent for this category.
- Ease of Use: 90 – Plug and Play
- Design: 95 – with the caveat that BlueAnt also needs a SOUNDBLADE Mini.
