Review – Sonic Gear SPACE Series Compared
7 min read
Subwoofer unit comparison
Sonic Gear Space Series
RM 119+
Pros
- Good packaging
- Bluetooth audio
- MicroSD card support (Space 5, Space 7)
- Affordable
Cons
- Sub-par build quality
- Wired controller creates cable mess
- Default to Bluetooth mode is annoying
We don’t usually review a whole series of speakers in one go, but when we do, we compare all of them side by side so you have a better idea what are their differences. Enter the Sonic Gear SPACE series, it is Sonic Gear’s latest desktop 2.1 Hi-Fi speaker system with slim design. Let’s find out if any of the SPACE 3, SPACE 5 or SPACE 7 is the better choice.
Sonic Gear SPACE Series Specifications
| Sonic Gear Space 3 | Sonic Gear Space 5 | Sonic Gear Space 7 | |
| Satellite | 2 x 2-inch 2 x 5W | 2 x 2-inch 2 x 7W | 2 x 2-inch 2 x 8W |
| Subwoofer | 1 x 3.5-inch 1 x 10W | 1 x 3.5-inch 1 x 16W | 1 x 3.5-inch 1 x 20W |
| Total Power | 20W | 30W | 36W |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz – 18kHz | 60Hz – 18kHz | 60Hz – 18kHz |
| Features | Bluetooth 4.2 Audio line-in Bass & volume control | Bluetooth 4.2 MicroSD card Audio line-in Headphone jack Bass & volume control | Bluetooth 4.2 MicroSD card Audio line-in Headphone jack Bass & volume control |
Unboxing
First of all, the Sonic Gear has given a new packaging design for the SPACE series. They look clean, minimalist and professional. Interestingly, all the 3 speakers share the same box dimension for consistent logistic.
Sonic Gear SPACE 3
- Dual satellite
- Subwoofer unit
- 3.5mm-to-3.5mm AUX cable
- User manual
Sonic Gear SPACE 5
- Dual satellite
- Subwoofer unit
- 3.5mm-to-3.5mm AUX cable
- Remote control unit
- User manual
Sonic Gear SPACE 7
- Dual satellite
- Subwoofer unit
- 3.5mm-to-3.5mm AUX cable
- Remote control unit
- User manual
Build Quality & Design
Sonic Gear SPACE 3
The entry-level model of the SPACE series speakers has the most basic design. The satellite unit and subwoofer unit has cloth cover on the driver units. The overall build quality of the subwoofer is acceptable but the satellite unit could be better instead of the plasticky chassis. The control panel is located on the subwoofer unit and it is not very convenient to reach if you’re placing it anywhere other than the table.
The bright LED colour indicates which mode the speaker is currently in, blue for Bluetooth and green for AUX. While we appreciate the availability of Bluetooth mode, but then, it is very annoying because it defaults to Bluetooth mode every time you turn it off and on. This persistence is shared across all the 3 speaker models.
Sonic Gear SPACE 5
The SPACE 5 shares the dimension as the SPACE 3 with some changes in the material. While the subwoofer still has the cloth cover for the driver, the satellites now have perforated plastic driver cover. Same as before, the plastic on the satellites feels hollow-ish and flimsy.
Unlike, the SPACE 3, it comes with a dedicated multifunction controller with the ability output to headphone, multimedia control and supports microSD card. It is surprisingly heavy and would stay in its position without any issue.
Once I got the speakers set up, I can’t help to notice the cable mess introduced by this multifunction controller.
PC/Phone > Controller > Subwoofer
What a genius.
Since the Bluetooth receiver is located in the controller, it will require USB power to work. If you don’t plan to use the Bluetooth module, technically you still can directly plug the 3.5mm connector from your PC to the subwoofer. Just that the speaker will be blasting at full volume and you’ll need to use the software volume control on your phone/PC. I don’t really recommend you do so, therefore just stick with the cable mess then.
Sonic Gear SPACE 7
The highest end model out of the three is the SPACE 7. The design is a lot more premium than the rest of the series, especially with the silver/black colour scheme. While the satellite units retain the same plastic base from the lower end models, the body instead has a perforated aluminium housing and weigh slightly heavier than the other two.
The subwoofer unit is longer than SPACE 3 and SPACE 5’s subwoofer even though they all have 3.5-inch subwoofer driver but with a different power rating. It has a questionable design where Sonic Gear decides to allocate a low quality plastic base for the subwoofer. It has sharp edges and Sonic Gear could have opted the same design as the SPACE 3 and SPACE 5.
Of course, it also comes with a wired controller unit which is the same as the one comes with SPACE 5. It supports line-in, headphone out, Bluetooth and microSD card.
The same cable contraption applies here as the controller becomes the hub to connect to all the components, be it the audio source device or the speakers/headphones.
Comparison
Comparison of the satellite speakers left to right: SPACE 3, SPACE 5 and SPACE 7.
Comparison of the subwoofer unit left to right: SPACE 3, SPACE 5 and SPACE 7.
Audio Quality
Done with the build quality, moving on to the audio quality.
First of all, despite that 3 of them are rated for different RMS, to be honest, they don’t sound that much different from each another. By all means, RMS means nothing when you’re basically trying to compare the speakers that fall into the same category. That being said, even the lowest range SPACE 3 is amazingly loud that it could easily fill up a large living room.
The treble is clear and the bass is punchy for a 3.5-inch subwoofer unit. As mentioned before, the bass is adjustable across all the models so there is still room for personalisation. Speaking of which, there is a very subtle resonance that happens when the music has a certain harmonics to it, for instance, Kalafina’s “I have a dream” at 4:20 – 4:40 mark. It is not that prominent in the SPACE 5 and SPACE 7 though.
Final Words
Last, but not least, the price:
SPACE 3 – RM 119
SPACE 5 – RM 179
SPACE 7 – RM 279
At the time of writing, only SPACE 3’s pricing has been confirmed and readily available on Shopee. The rest of the models are expected to arrive in February 2018. Despite so, we believe they will still fall under RM 200, even for the highest range SPACE 7 might not be above RM250 because it is the price range that general consumer would usually spend on a pair of desktop speakers.
31/01/2018 Update: We have received the final confirmation for the price for the whole line up. While the SPACE 5’s pricing falls within our expectation, but the SPACE 7’s RM 100 premium over the SPACE 5 has caught us offguard.
Yes, for the price, you are at least getting a set of 2.1 desktop Hi-Fi speakers that have a boomy subwoofer and really loud pair of satellites. Other than that, they are as good as, if not better than your current USB speakers. Choosing the best sounding one is a tough choice as their difference is very minimal. Therefore, if you’re on the budget you won’t be losing much by choosing the SPACE 3 or the SPACE 5, meanwhile picking the SPACE 7 for the design and all the bells and whistles.
