Sonodyne Bandish review

Although it doesn’t break any new ground when it comes to design or form factor, it’s a clean and timeless aesthetic that only gets enhanced by the Bandish’s phenomenal build quality and expensive feeling materials. 

The inert cabinet is solidly braced and feels monolithic, while the top panel holding the buttons is carved out of aluminium, giving it a luxurious and built-to-last feel. Even the drivers are slightly recessed into the front baffle with integrated grilles, keeping things fuss free and less prone to damage.

What the Bandish lacks in flamboyance, it makes up for in sonic dexterity. Although it’s equipped with USB, optical and analog inputs for external sources, since it’s a “wireless” speaker, we naturally gravitated towards our iPhone serving up some lossless Apple Music to begin the proceedings. Instantly, what you notice is a warm tonality that is reminiscent of high-quality British bookshelf speakers and it’s the one ingredient that makes you want to keep listening. 

Keep pressing on and more attributes surface. The heft in the low-frequencies is finely blended with superb definition and richness that belies its compact footprint and even smaller drivers. Amit Trivedi’s Tu Juhi Re is supremely melodic with a prominent bass line used to anchor the track, and the Bandish manages to time things supremely, causing involuntary foot tapping. Always a good sign. 

Switching gears to test out the stereo worthiness of a single-box speaker, there aren’t many tracks that are as effective as Wish you were here by Seguridad Social. It maintains its signature dramatic left to right stereo panning and a well resolved bass guitar that ensures you’re immersed into the recording. More importantly, it manages to retain the depth information that you’d typically expect from a high resolution bookshelf speaker and that’s what makes it listenable for much longer periods than most other speakers of its price or form factor.

The Bandish also has to toe the line between physically small drivers producing a seemingly larger sound, and that is only possible by manipulating a multitude of parameters via a digital signal processor. While it can make a hero out of small speakers, there’s no free lunch here either. What the Bandish has to pay as price is dynamic prowess. 

Transients can lack the snap that larger drivers unencumbered by a digital nanny so easily manage. Sonodyne also likes to keep things safe and under control with regards to maximum SPL, so if you’re used to spending your nights out in clubs sitting on bass bins, you may find yourself wanting for more power or more headroom. 

Sonodyne has managed to keep the price point extremely attractive and thus, has forsaken any sort of smart chops you might expect from a single-chassis speaker in 2022. There’s no built-in voice control or streaming apps, neither does it have an Ethernet port like we saw on the similarly formed Como Audio Musica, but it’s also a monumental ₹50,000 cheaper than the Como!

If it’s any consolation, you can get double the volume by adding another Bandish via a cryptic sequence of pressing the Bluetooth button on both units, but since each unit is already a self contained stereo speaker, pairing two Bandish speakers in a room will only give you more oomph.

Even the remote is kept functional, with large keys to select input and a D-pad for volume and playback controls. Its plasticky white body works well if you have a white unit, but with the more traditional wood or black colour options, it may look a bit incongruous with the overall aesthetic.

Of course, you almost expect great sound from a hi-fi brand with such a rich legacy of making studio monitors and when it comes to the basics, the Bandish gets it absolutely spot on. Great timbral accuracy, satisfying bass weight and depth and highs that are smooth and silken, just like the material used to form the half-inch units. 

Sure, a dedicated app would have unlocked a whole lot of functionality and would make it easier to link multiple units around a house if you wished to. But at the same time, there’s something charmingly simple about the Bandish that makes it a no-brainer for anyone looking to add great sound by the bedside, office desk or even augment a large LED TVs anaemic sound system. 

You’ll be guaranteed great sound for a great number of years and given Sonodyne’s experience in the studio and professional sound industry, this could be the clincher.