Evaluation of Sonodyne Malhar: An Indian masterwork catering to purists in the art of pure sound
Sonodyne Audio has created a speaker that evokes a sense of nostalgia with its retro design.
Most of us seem to have forgotten pure sound’s context. Modern headphones, TVs, and Bluetooth speakers produce a cacophony of amplified bass and synthetic sounds. Audio is a personal option, however, a user must select this is how they want to listen to music. An audio device occasionally highlights the beauty of natural, live sound. The Sonodyne Malhar fits that category.
The Sonodyne Malhar, made in Kolkata, stands out as you open the box. This one’s 8-kg hardwood cabinet looks like a beatbox and says business. For veterans like myself, the simplicity evokes nostalgia. Malhar’s two front-facing drivers and tweeters and two side-facing radiators promise a broad soundstage and great fidelity.
On top of the cabinet are buttons for input modes, songs, and volume. The Malhar’s remote doesn’t let you modify bass or treble by design. If you have USB, Auxiliary, or Optical sources, you may effortlessly switch between them. Certain audio systems have vibes that make one desire to listen to certain songs. I felt Carnatic, Hindustani, and Leonard Cohen vibes from the Malhar, not simply its name. And I was right. The first playlist I listened to was a Spotify Hindustani Classical playlist featuring unfamiliar Ragas, indicating a positive start to music discovery. Not afraid, I chose Nirali Kartik’s voice and Gurjari Todi’s. Her voice soon filled the living room, drowning out this year’s December chill. As intended, her voice and the Tanpura in the background take center stage on the Malhar to help the Todi meditate. The sonic profile is warm and mellow, making it ideal for this season.
In a grander composition like Bombay Jayashree’s Manasa Sancharare, the mrudangam activates the radiators and shows the speaker can take deep lows. At a Chennai Margazhi Sabha, I couldn’t help but admire her velvety voice. That distinguishes the Malhar Soundstage.
Malhar revels in Classical and more. Malhar’s lush tone is seen in Chantal Chamberlain’s HiFi Besame Mucho or Fever Live. This speaker excels at vocal separation. The vocals are slightly ahead of the instrumentation in this three-dimensional music projection.
Interestingly, Apple Music and Spotify were streaming via Bluetooth. I tried something new and searched for the London Philharmonic, which was nominated again for Orchestra of the Year, via Apple’s Classical Music app. Bach’s Concerto for Oboe, Strings & Continuo took a few seconds to load but filled the room even at low volume. Mozart’s overture by the Vienna Philharmonic provided the same stereo impression that few one-piece speakers can achieve. It felt like Christmas in my home. To avoid the neighbors wondering why reindeer are outside my fifth-floor window, I moved on. I liked the Malhar since it stayed faithful to most Orchestra songs’ high-to-low versions. The speaker sounds OK at high levels. Malhar executes everything with richness, so you won’t be disappointed.
At Rs 37,500, the Malhar is a speaker for true music lovers. This speaker would be perfect for weekend mornings spent discovering new music and reliving my favorites. The Malhar sounds like a European sonic masterpiece. I’m delighted that an Indian enterprise is speaking out and demanding to be heard.
