Review of the mobile audio system with karaoke Sven PS-1500

Sven continues its journey to improve the size and power of its party speakers. Starting with ordinary Bluetooth speakers, they gradually evolved into devices that we now call “boomboxes”: compact, but already capable of creating a party atmosphere. “Partyboxes” have appeared — powerful, light-music, autonomous systems that find their place in the trunk of a car.

Today's heroine of the review, however, requires a new definition. Powered only from the mains, an MDF body, a stated power of 500 W and a weight of more than 10 kg make it far from the concept of a portable speaker. We can call it a «mobile party audio system.» “Mobile” is suitable with some reservations: the presence of wheels makes transportation easier, but climbing stairs is a real adventure.

The creators of the device also thought about its versatility. In addition to Bluetooth, there is an Aux input, jacks for microphones and musical instruments. Built-in audio processing, LED display, playback of files from USB drives, backlighting — all this makes this audio system one of the most fun on the market.

The speaker has impressive dimensions, and, therefore, its packaging also could not remain unnoticed. Perhaps it is for this reason that Sven decided to abandon the usual stylish boxes with full-color printing. In this case, the packaging is made of durable, unpainted cardboard, and a colorful sticker with an image and brief characteristics of the device is glued to the front.

The delivery set includes not only the speaker itself, but also a 2 meter long network cable, a 2 meter long wire with mini-jacks for wired connection to sound sources, as well as relevant documentation. The cables are of high quality: they are not only not too thin, but also flexible, creating a pleasant tactile sensation.

The design of Sven PS-1500 expresses its uniqueness: an angular body, an abundance of decorative elements and grooved speaker diffusers create an atmosphere of nostalgia, reminiscent of the so-called “music centers” of the end of the last century. The lighting, made in a very original way, especially stands out. Instead of the traditional illumination from inside the translucent design, RGB LEDs in the Sven PS-1500 are placed in special “ears” on the outside of the speakers, illuminating the center of the diaphragm from the outside. This approach may be reminiscent of something from the distant past, but some looking into the future is also possible. You can't really call it a retro style, but it does have a certain charm that may be to the taste of some and not so much for others.

Sven PS-1500 has dimensions of 345x953x330 mm and weighs 13 kg, approaching a meter in height. The column is truly impressive in size. Its body is made of MDF, and the plastic cover on the front panel is attached with screws, also performing a decorative function. On the back wall there are holes for two bass reflexes, as well as wheels for easy movement and a power connector.

At the top we can see a cable that acts as an antenna for receiving radio signals. Despite the presence of a tie, it leaves much to be desired in terms of accuracy and can cause inconvenience when transporting the speaker. Why the use of a removable connector for this antenna was not provided is a mystery. Especially considering that a cable is often connected to this connector for a wired connection to a sound source. On the other hand, this design ensures that the user will not forget the antenna at home — it will always be with him.

The diameter of the bass reflex holes is 70 mm; from the inside they are covered with a fabric mesh, which prevents foreign objects from entering the body.

Huge speakers with a diameter of 145 mm are responsible for creating powerful bass and mid-frequency range. Their diaphragms are made in the form of ribbed structures and covered with a reflective coating, which gives the backlight an additional effect. Visually, the speakers appear more massive than they actually are, thanks to the ribbed plastic bell in which they are housed.

There are also two tweeters, their diameter is 46 mm. The membranes are covered with a grille, which simultaneously performs a decorative function and adds “aggressiveness” to the design.

On the top of the front panel, under the logo, there is an ergonomic handle for easy transportation. This handle allows you to tilt the speaker and move it around on the built-in wheels. The handle is quite large and comfortable, easily fits into a large man’s palm without any inconvenience.

On top there is a control panel, which we will talk about in detail below, connectors for connecting external devices and an LED display.

The screen has high contrast and brightness, which ensures comfortable viewing even in bright daylight. The screen consists of five 14-segment indicators, complemented by several icons at the top. It displays all the information you need, from connection type to active EQ preset, making it easy to use.

In addition to the inscriptions, icons for the reception mode of FM radio stations, as well as play and pause icons can be displayed.

Also on the top panel there is a stand for a tablet or smartphone, which will allow you to securely place your mobile device in a position that allows you to conveniently read song lyrics from it when performing karaoke.

The wheels are well secured, their diameter is 45 mm. Also at the bottom of the Sven PS-1500 there are small rubber feet, which ensure reliable placement of the speaker on a horizontal surface.

The tweeters are mounted on a plastic cover, which reduces the level of vibration compared to “low-frequency” speakers. This solution is quite acceptable to ensure stable operation. According to the markings, the impedance of all four tweeters is 6 ohms.

We remove the woofers and look inside the case. The interior space is divided into two separate chambers — one for each speaker. Both chambers have their own bass reflex tube, at the end of which a mesh is attached using a plastic clamp. It is obvious that the developers approached the creation of the sound of the low-frequency range with special attention. It's a bit of a pity that there is no damping material inside the body, but, as will become clear later, this does not make the bass «boomy and boomy.»

The slot-shaped hole at the bottom of the front panel can be considered as an additional resonator, but its cavity is isolated from the rest of the case. Behind the protrusion inside is the power supply. The assembly of the case is made with high quality; medium-density fiberboard 10 mm thick is used as the material for the external walls.

We remove the panel on the back wall — we see the speaker power supply, which is clearly purchased assembled from a third-party manufacturer.

On the plastic part of the top panel there are boards responsible for controlling the device and operating the display.

The SM1623B controller is responsible for the operation of the LED display. The echo effect processor is the CD2399GO.

Another board with a large radiator in the center is attached directly to the speaker body under the top panel.

To support Bluetooth, the AC23BP module is responsible, next to which there is an antenna in the form of a track on the board. The audio processing is handled by the Pulsus PS9860, but the current datasheet for this device could not be found.

We remove the radiator and remove the carefully applied layer of thermal paste, which the manufacturer did not skimp on. Under a layer of thermal paste we find two TAS5612LA amplifiers from Texas Instruments. According to the datasheet, they can output up to 250W, but only in mono mode and when using 2-ohm speakers, at the limit of their capabilities with high distortion levels. Despite this, the speaker impedance in the speaker under test is noticeably higher.

Thus, the source of the claimed 500 W on the packaging becomes clear, but this seems to be a traditional “marketing exaggeration”. Many manufacturers are following this trend, and although one can criticize the “pretty numbers”, in this case the amplifiers are truly high-quality, manufactured by a reputable manufacturer. Thus, the speaker provides a sufficient volume level to effectively perform its function.

The wireless connection can be configured through the smartphone menu or using an NFC tag. The second option is a little simpler and faster, which makes it preferable. This quick connection feature can be especially handy during a party when every guest is eager to share their music from their device. Just bring your smartphone, receive a connection request, agree — and you're done.

The speaker does not support multipoint; using the Bluetooth Tweaker utility, we traditionally obtained a complete list of supported codecs and their modes. Once again, only one codec is supported — SBC.

However, the maximum Bitpool setting is 38, while the recommended High Quality profile is 51. This can be a bit of a disappointment, but for a party audio system the codec's capabilities may be sufficient. In addition, a wired connection is available, which, as always, is easy to use: connect the supplied cable to the source and speaker, then activate the corresponding input. If you want to get full stereo sound and increase the volume, you can use the wireless support of two Sven PS-1500s at once, connecting them to one source.

Also on the top panel there are connectors for connecting a microphone and a musical instrument. The microphone input is equipped with a volume control and a reverb function activated by a special key. The settings options here are limited — you can turn off the effect or choose one of two presets, in each of which the echo will be pronounced. The lack of a full-fledged effect volume control can be disappointing, but for amateur singing this effect can still be useful. The preamplification level of the instrument input is fixed, there are no regulators or effects processors for it — you have to adjust the volume on the instrument itself, which is not always convenient, but in general it is possible.

Note the previously mentioned Aux input, intended for external sound sources, activated by the active source switch button. To the right of it is a USB port for connecting a storage device (FAT32 up to 32 GB). The built-in player supports common audio file formats: MP3, FLAC, WAV and WMA. Although the built-in screen does not display file and folder names, playback within folders is still supported. The radio works perfectly, successfully tuning most radio stations, even if the built-in cable antenna is folded up. Raising the antenna outdoors, as expected, improves reception.

There are many buttons and connectors on the top panel. For a more visual representation, let's use an illustration from the user manual. The keys require medium force and have a noticeable click, and the microphone volume and overall volume controls are presented in the form of valcoders with limited rotation angle. Thanks to the large control knobs, adjustment is easy and convenient. The current volume value is displayed on the screen. By default, when you press the keys, the speaker emits a sharp sound, the volume of which cannot be adjusted. Fortunately, this sound can be turned off by long pressing the source key.

I was struck by the lack of a remote control in the Sven PS-1500 package. The smaller model, Sven PS-800, as well as a number of other similar devices have it. However, for some reason, the large and powerful “party speaker” does not have this option. Fortunately, basic settings can be adjusted via a connected device via Bluetooth. However, having a remote control would obviously make interacting with the device easier.

Regarding the backlight, it is implemented in a very original way, where LEDs are placed on remote elements and illuminate the centers of the speakers from the outside. This design looks interesting, but offers limited lighting options as there are no dynamic effects such as the light «rotating» around the column. Instead, there is a simple flashing of different colors. There are only three color changing modes, as well as the ability to select a monotonous one-color glow in manual mode.

The wheels located at the bottom of the body make it easy to move the speaker from one place to another, holding it by the handle at the top of the front panel. The wheels rotate smoothly, without creating unnecessary noise when moving. The legs of the device are not too high, and the bottom is not equipped with additional protection, so you need to pay attention to the selected surface for placing the acoustics. It is recommended to avoid installation on wet grass and maintain vigilance regarding outdoor conditions as there is no level of water resistance.

The Sven PS-1500 is the manufacturer's self-proclaimed «party audio system.» In this regard, one should not expect from it “flat monitor transmission”, accuracy in reproducing musical material and the like. On the contrary, the sound is expected to be loud, bassy and impactful. In this regard, the PS-1500 fully meets expectations, providing sufficient volume levels even for relatively large rooms. However, small rooms can be unpleasant to be in at high volumes.

There is an emphasis on the bass, but they are not prone to excessive “hum” and sound relatively dense. The midrange is a little lost in the overall background, with less clarity and detail, making the PS-1500 less suitable for genres that require clarity in this range, such as rock, classical or jazz. However, with enhanced bass and relatively clear high-frequency sounds, the acoustics successfully deliver impressive performances of dance music — from light house to bassline-focused genres such as tech-trance and neurofunk.

For visualization, we present a graph of the frequency response obtained when connecting via Bluetooth and placing the microphone a meter from a vertically installed speaker.

The general nature of the graph well reflects the perception of sound — there is a noticeable emphasis on the bass and some “dip” in the mid frequencies. As noted earlier, the bass sounds moderately boomy, which is quite acceptable for acoustics with a bass reflex. In this case, even with two bass reflexes, which probably explains the presence of two peaks on the graph of the cumulative spectrum attenuation (waterfall visualization) at their tuning frequency.

Unfortunately, there is no full-fledged equalizer, but several effective and delicate presets are provided, among which “Jazz” is especially worth highlighting. This preset softens the bass, giving way to the midrange. This makes it suitable for listening to popular music, as well as genres such as rock and jazz. In addition, activating this preset can be useful during karaoke, emphasizing the voice in the background of the soundtrack.

The horizontal dispersion of sound in the Sven PS-1500 is a very good characteristic. Even when the speaker is rotated 15° relative to the listener, the upper midrange begins to recede into the background, while maintaining clarity. This effect is observed at a distance of about a meter, and at a greater distance the sound will be even more expressive. Thanks to its impressive size, Sven PS-1500 is able to effectively fill the space around it with sound.

When talking about the Sven PS-1500, it is important to consider that this is a sound system designed specifically for parties. In this regard, its characteristics and capabilities correspond to the tasks set by the developers. Party speakers are not designed to provide sound balance, detailed midrange or wide stereo imaging. Its task is to provide the most rich bass, effective lighting and the opportunity to have fun singing a few songs when everyone is tired of dancing. In this regard, the PS-1500 performs admirably.

However, there are some strange shortcomings, such as the lack of a remote control, a full-fledged tone control and limited options for controlling the echo effect for microphones — only two presets are available. Interestingly, these functions were presented in other, more compact and affordable models of Sven mobile speakers.

However, there are not many options to get such a powerful and at the same time relatively portable device with a variety of functions, backlighting and other characteristic features. The PS-1500 may not be ideal for city apartments, but in a private home it can be an excellent choice. Transportation from the living room to the veranda and back, hosting noisy parties, fun karaoke — it is ideal for such use cases.