Honeywell Trueno U4000 Soundbar review: Punchy sound, thumpy bass

Honeywell

Honeywell, famous for its home solution products, has ventured into the audio category in recent years. After launching its budget TWS earphones and Bluetooth speakers, the brand has now introduced soundbars in the Indian market. The Honeywell Trueno U4000 follows the Trueno U7000 soundbar and delivers 240 watts of power and includes four 57mm drivers.

But how does it fare in real life, and should you consider it at its current asking price of less than Rs 10,000? Let’s find out if it can deliver.

Design

When it comes to soundbar design, the Trueno U4000 follows the usual pattern and has four powerful drivers. It offers a flat-top design with circular edges at the sides. Like most traditional soundbars, it looks best in black and sits just perfectly with your TV or monitor set, blending in with the black screen. This also ensures that both entertainment units perfectly balance each other.

The curvy outer edge is marked by a solid grille with the Honeywell logo on the right side and the LED indicator at the middle. The red LED ambient light at the bottom lends a subtle dark red colour to your table/TV cabinet when the speaker is on. Its brightness can also be minimised and it rarely overpowers my monitor screen.

The 2.1 channel subwoofer is not so heavy and also does not require much space at the bottom or side of the desk. It snugly fits on almost any plain surface, be it your tabletop or the floor. The right side of the soundbar features multiple buttons and a USB Type-A port to change the settings or volume. These buttons have a tactile output and are a delight to use with their clicky feel.

Overall, the design of Trueno U4000 has a very premium design and complements most TV or PC setups.

Connectivity

One of the biggest cons with this Honeywell soundbar is that it lacks wireless power support and needs to be always connected with 2.4A power to operate. However, the connecting wires are pretty thin and quite long so you don’t have to worry about cramping everything together in one space.

Sadly, it does leave a mess of wires lying about behind your screen. In terms of connectivity options, the Trueno U4000 comes with all your standard connectivity options. You get a 3.5mm aux port to connect to a PC or a TV, a standard Bluetooth, optical input, and a USB port.

ports

However, there is only one HDMI/ARC port, and at this price point, we definitely would have loved more HDMI ports to connect more display units or a gaming console like PlayStation 5.

Honeywell has also provided a remote control, that can be used to change or adjust the sound profiles or sources. It is powered by two AAA batteries and offers a good connectivity range. The Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity offers a range of 10 meters, and we had no problem connecting our smartphones or other peripheral devices with the soundbar.

Sound

The Trueno U4000 also packs a proper punch when it comes to sound. It has a thumpy bass and the sound signature is pretty engrossing and surrounds you perfectly. Interestingly, the further you move away from the soundbar and subwoofer, the better and more filling the sound gets, with 3D surround effects and ample vocal separation.

When we use it to play some rock or jazz-based tracks, the U4000, with its loud 240W output power, ensures that your music fills the room with clarity and depth. The bass sounds enjoyably deep, and it’s especially sweet when you listen to it in low volume, standing right beside it.

Buttons

One glaring omission, especially at this price point, is the lack of Dolby Atmos, especially when you are binge-watching some movies or shows. The finesse that Atmos brings, especially when you want to hear dialogues or in-between background scores, was certainly a miss with this soundbar.

However, the given three Equaliser modes — Music, Movie, and News, do fine-tune the music or dialogues according to the content you are watching or listening to. Sadly, if you prefer the crisp high-end tones typical of a premium Philips or Sony speaker, you might find the output of this soundbar subpar, especially at higher volumes.

Final verdict

The Honeywell Trueno U4000 Soundbar offers a satisfactory audio experience in most parts and is packed with multiple connectivity options and sound profiles. Moreover, the availability of striking LED light and convenient indicator with remote control makes it great for overall convenience or aesthetics as well.

However, as an overall package, the Honeywell Trueno U4000 is well-suited for just casual small rooms for those looking for a bassy audio experience. Don’t expect too much on the sound quality front, especially if you watch a lot of movies or enjoy vocals with lots of instrument sounds. With its more than five kilogram weight, it is also difficult to manoeuvre it around.

In a nutshell, the Trueno U4000 works best as a standalone home speaker rather than a portable one. It is also the best for users who use multiple home devices and want a one-stop solution for their audio needs for Rs 8,499.