Taking your desktop audio to the next level, the BlueAnt Soundblade delivers big sound when you’re tight on space.
When most people think of soundbars, they think about connecting one to the big television in the lounge room to beef up the sound on movie night. That’s a great option if you’re not interested in a full surround sound system, but it’s not the only place in your home where a soundbar can come in handy.
These days people also expect more when it comes to desktop audio, whether it’s listening to music, playing games or using your computer as a home entertainment centre for watching movies.
Of course, your typical soundbar is overpowered for your average desk and simply wouldn’t fit. That’s where the BlueAnt Soundblade comes in.
BlueAnt Soundblade review
BlueAnt Soundblade first impressions
The beauty of the BlueAnt Soundblade soundbar is that it’s designed to sit in front of a desktop monitor, resting over the monitor’s stand but low enough as to not block the screen.
While this is how BlueAnt intends it to be used, the Soundblade could also be a monitor stand – sitting underneath your display rather than in front of it. The sleek and elegant charcoal model ensures it doesn’t look out of place in the study or the lounge room, but it’s also available in four other colours.
The soundbar is only 60 cm wide and 22 cm deep, which means you should be able to fit it on any desk and then place your screen behind or on top. Alternatively, you could rest your laptop or tablet on top.
By default, the Soundblade is only 5 cm high, but it also comes with a set of extender feet which raise it a further 2 cm.
Speakers are built into the front, so you’ll want to ensure there’s nothing pressed hard up against it to block the sound. The soundbar also features a downward-firing subwoofer underneath for extra low-end grunt.
The right side of the Soundblade offers easy-to-reach, touch-sensitive power and volume buttons. It also comes with an infrared remote control that also lets you play/pause content and skip forward/back, as well as switch between inputs and sound modes.
At the rear on the right is a socket for the supplied AC power cable, along with a USB-C port and an old-school 3.5 mm auxiliary input for connecting audio sources. Unlike some home entertainment soundbars, there is no digital audio input or HDMI pass-through.
BlueAnt Soundblade specifications
| Speakers | 2x Full range dual voice coil, dual Neodymium magnet drivers 1x 80mm Neodymium subwoofer |
| Power | 120W peak power output |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.5 mm auxiliary Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Sound modes | Game, music, movie |
| Colours | Charcoal, White, Blue, Green, Pink |
| Dimensions | 584 x 218 x 54 mm |
| Weight | 1.75 kg |
| Price | $299 RRP |
| Warranty | 1 year (extended to 2 years if you register the Soundblade on the BlueAnt website) |
| Official website | BlueAnt Australia |
Features
In most scenarios, you’d connect to the BlueAnt Soundblade via USB-C, with BlueAnt generously including cables for connecting USB-C and USB-A devices.
If that’s no help, you can always fall back on Bluetooth, or else connect your device’s headphone output to the soundbar’s auxiliary 3.5 mm input (once again, BlueAnt supplies a cable). Unfortunately, you miss out on the extra flexibility of Google Chromecast and Apple AirPlay streaming.
The soundbar automatically detects when you change connections, or you can manually switch between inputs using the remote control. It speaks aloud to tell you which input is in use, which is handy. Likewise, it speaks up when you change between the game, music and movie EQ presets.
Connected to a computer via USB or Bluetooth, the soundbar appears as a speaker in the OS settings. At this point, the remote can wirelessly control your playback software from across the room, for a “sit-back” entertainment experience.
Likewise, you can plug in a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth or USB-C, play the audio through the speaker and control everything remotely. The Soundblade doesn’t supply power via USB to the connected device.
Quality
The BlueAnt Soundblade certainly isn’t lacking in volume or low-end grunt, but it does a better job with games and movie soundtracks than with music.
Music sounds a bit flat, especially if you have an ear for detail and are familiar with the rich, full-bodied sound you can get from a dedicated music speaker. Frustratingly, you can’t manually adjust the Soundblade’s EQ beyond the music, movie and game pre-sets. Even tweaking the sound quality on your playback device, such as Spotify’s EQ settings, isn’t enough to get really decent-sounding music.
Thankfully, it’s a better story when it comes to movies and gaming. Dialogue is clear, while the subwoofer makes its presence felt when it comes time to blow things up.
Who is the BlueAnt Soundblade for?
The BlueAnt Soundblade is best for people looking for an all-rounder to boost their desktop sound for a mix of watching movies, playing games and listening to a little music. If you’d primarily use it for listening to music, and you have an ear for quality, you’ll find better sound quality elsewhere at this price.
