Who are Soundcast?
Soundcast is an engineering company that developed many Bluetooth products for many of the largest brands. They are based in San Diego, California.
They are tough
The baby VG1 has an IP rating of IP67! So dust, weather, submerge it under water, it’ll keep playing. Even if you strap it to your belt while performing death-defying activities, you’ll notice that it’s a metal handle, so it won’t break. The VG3, VG5 & VG7 have a down-firing subwoofer, so they can’t be submerged in water, but pretty much anything else is fine!
What are they about?
For me, they are about parties, entertainment & fun. The product deals exceptionally well with the elements, rain, UV sunlight, and to top it off, has a lot of battery juice. The bigger siblings can be left in the centre of the entertainment space & blast music (or drunken speeches) in all directions.
What about Wi-Fi multiroom music systems?
Yamaha’s Musiccast & Denon’s Heos both feature Bluetooth out, so it’s perfect. Neither brand has a high energy, weatherproof, portable solution, so an ideal fit. Sonos doesn’t have Bluetooth, so use a Sonos connect with a Soundcast Bluetooth transmitter (VGTX).
They are expensive
The elephant in the room is price, but I wouldn’t buy anything unless I see value. In the case of Soundcast & particularly VG7, you need to look more closely. It actually has 3 separate amplifiers. One amplifier is dedicated to the 7″ subwoofer. The other amplifiers power 4 other speakers. Each speaker is enclosed in its own speaker box. If something should happen to it, repairs & maintenance is simple. So having 4 independent speakers, subwoofer & amplifiers it can single-handedly fill a beer garden. Not bad for $1400. It should last way past the 2-year warranty & it’s portable, so you’ll use it more!
What about big game?
Soundcast has a Bluetooth transmitter called a VGTX, but this transmitter is special! First, you can connect it to the TV via the supplied Toslink cable. Second, it’ll beam a signal up to 50m! Normally, Bluetooth range is 20m max. Third, it features LLC which means Bluetooth lip sync. You can have the game on the big TV inside & put a Soundcast on the deck outside, creating an incredible game atmosphere, and enjoy the action without a lag.
Experience Soundcast at 562
We set up a VG7 & VG1. We want you to appreciate the most important thing the amazing sound. Bluetooth with the help of newer standards (V4∙2), better digital amps, speakers & DACs, has come a long way. In fact, these can be paired together for true stereo, taking the sound to a new level! So come in and ask us about Soundcast!
By Michael Swann
This write-up first appeared in our April 2018 newsletter.