Home / Buying Guide / Divoom Songbird-HQ Review: Here’s one way to liven up the party

Divoom Songbird-HQ Review: Here’s one way to liven up the party


By Timothy Teoh July 15, 2024

Staycations with friends are great, but staycations with friends AND a portable karaoke machine? So much better. Or at least, that’s the impression I was left with after using the Divoom Songbird-HQ.

Divoom products have always caught my eye whenever I walk into game stores. They’re known for putting out some seriously funky and intriguing tech, like the Times Gate and the Ditoo-Pro, to name a few. And while they don’t necessarily make headlines or sell like hot cakes, they never fail to compel you to pick them up and see what they’re all about, even if they go back on the shelves a minute later.

So naturally, I was delighted to finally get my hands on Divoom’s take on a portable karaoke machine, the Songbird-HQ, to see if there’s any substance behind the aesthetic.

Here’s what we thought about it.

Chic aesthetics from the box to the speakers

The Divoom Songbird-HQ is something that will pique interest right from the get-go. The whole set is packaged in a chic mini hardcase luggage with a handle. Inside, everything is snugly packed into separate compartments, which includes the speaker, two microphones, charging docks for the microphones, and a small box containing both a type-C cable and an aux cable.

With that being said, while it is absolutely true that the Songbird is portable, it is definitely not compact. It’s portable in the sense that it’s easy to carry around on its own, but it’s not something you can throw freely in your backpack. You’ll definitely need to cater for some space, and, at 1.3kg, you’re going to need to account for weight as well. However, once you do decide to bring it along, it’s simple enough to haul around thanks to its well-thought-out packaging.

The speaker itself takes up the majority of space in the hardcase luggage. It’s a solid speaker in terms of build quality, and by virtue of that, it packs on substantial size and weight. It comes with a strap, so it’s easy for you to carry around or hang onto something.

Probably the most noticeable part of the speaker is its intricate weave design adorning its entire front portion. Adding to it are subtle metallic accents here and there, particularly on the strap hinges and button control panels. The microphones too are aesthetic, and you can definitely see some retro influence with the grill design.

The speaker and its accompanying hardcase luggage come in two colours: white and green. Personally, I love the rose gold weave on the white option, although the green is a close second with its industrial silver grills, reminiscent of a vintage FM radio back in the day.

Decent output on mics and speakers

Speakers

Save yourself a trip to the karaoke bar – these Songbird-HQ speakers will suffice for a group of spirited friends ready to vent all their extroverted energy.

First things first, the speakers are easy enough to connect, with five convenient button controls at the top labeled with clear icons. The biggest of these buttons is the power button, which also doubles as a volume dial. On the topic of volume, these speakers can go loud – like really LOUD. This is great news for carefree and unabashed karaoke singers, perhaps not so much for their neighbours.

We suppose that’s why they decided to go with dial turns instead of volume buttons, as it’s far easier and quicker to adjust through the wide range of volume. We don’t know exactly what the maximum percentage of volume is, but it’s definitely louder than my mainstream Sony XB13.

Sound quality is decent throughout and doesn’t get too distorted when pumped to higher volumes. It’s not overly bassy, and maintains good clarity in vocals and tune.

Although you’ll most likely be connecting the speakers via Bluetooth to a phone or laptop, the Songbird-HQ offers more than one way of connectivity, including an aux cord, or an external TF card.

For us, though, we found that aside from Bluetooth, the next best way to connect the speakers is by wired connection to a laptop or PC. Yes, you can do that too. We find this a great bonus on the Divoom Songbird-HQ as you can essentially use it as your main speaker in your setup. To do this, you only need to connect the speakers to the PC via the cable provided (the same one used for charging), and you’re good to go.

You can do this for phones too, but since the cable connects via USB-C to USB-A, you’ll need to keep an on-the-go (OTG) adapter handy.

Microphone

Just like the speakers, the microphones are easy to work. Simply switch the speakers to Karaoke Mode (the last button) and turn on the microphones. They will instantly connect, so there’s no need for additional Bluetooth pairing whatsoever.

The microphones have two controls: a power button and a volume slider. For the record, the power button on the mics is also used to toggle between sound modes. There are six modes to choose from: Singer, Host, Studio, Robot, Kid, and Pop.

Frankly speaking, we didn’t find much difference between Singer, Host, and Studio modes. Unless you’re a serious audio geek, we reckon it’ll be hard for the average individual to differentiate between them too. That being said, on these modes, voices are clear and not too muffled, and honestly, not too far off from the mics you find at budget karaoke studios.

Then there are Robot and Kid modes, which is self-explanatory and solely just for kicks. Pop mode has a little more echo, but not too drastic a difference from the first three modes.

The good thing about these mics is that they’re pretty sensitive to sound so you don’t necessarily have to have your mouth right on top of them. This adds up to it being a good sharing mic, perfect for a party of about four; and on top of that, it’s just a little more hygienic and less gross.

Keep the party going with the Divoom Songbird-HQ

Looking at the full package, the Divoom Songbird-HQ is an impactful addition to group staycations and overnight parties. It’s something I can see being brought out after dinner celebrations to keep the energy and good times rolling.

With decent sound quality output, insane volume, easy connectivity, there isn’t really anything bad to say about the Songbird-HQ speakers. Plus, the microphones are fun and easy to use. Again, even if you’re not frequently using it as a karaoke machine, the speaker on its own is pretty impressive.

The RM659 price tag does seem like heavy investing, but we’re convinced once you’ve crossed that bridge, you’ll find the Divoom Songbird-HQ well worth the money.

If you’re interested in getting the Songbird-HQ, you can purchase it through Divoom’s official Malaysia distributor, Lumos. Head over to Lumos’ official website, or their official store on Shopee. Alternatively, you can also find it on Divoom’s official Lazada store.

To stay updated on the latest Divoom products, don’t forget to follow Divoom’s and Lumos’ official Instagram pages!

Read more of our review below!

Static PS article footer (PNG)

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Galaxy Z Flip 5: What’s new?


    By Timothy Teoh July 12, 2024

    Samsung’s summer Galaxy Unpacked was all about its foldables smartphones, namely the latest versions of their Galaxy Z Series. Like all new reiterations, we like to take a look at how far the new models have come from the previous generation.

    We’ve already compared the Z Fold 6 against the Z Fold 5, now it’s time to see how the Galaxy Z Flip 6 compares against the Z Flip 5.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Spec comparison
    Galaxy Z Flip6Galaxy Z Flip5
    Launch PriceRM4,999 – 12GB+256GB
    RM5,599 – 12GB+512GB
    RM4,499 – 8GB+256GB
    RM4,999 – 8GB+512GB
    ProcessorSnapdragon 8 Gen 3Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
    External Display3.4″ Super AMOLED, 720×748, 60Hz, Gorilla Glass Victus 23.4″ Super AMOLED, 720×748, Gorilla Glass Victus 2
    Internal Display6.7″ Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, FHD+ (1080×2640), 120Hz, 2,600nits (peak)6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, FHD+ (1080×2640), 120Hz, 1,750nits (peak)
    Rear Camera50MP (f/1.8) wide w/ OIS
    12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide
    12MP (f/1.8) wide w/ OIS
    12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide
    Front Camera10MP10MP
    Battery & Charging4,000mAh, 25W wired, 15W wireless3,700mAh, 25 wired, 15W wireless
    ProtectionIP48IPX8
    Wi-Fi & BluetoothWi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3
    NFCYesYes
    Thickness14.9mm (folded), 6.9mm (unfolded)15.1mm (folded), 6.9mm (unfolded)
    Weight187g187g
    Updates7 years Android updates, 7 years security updates4 years Android updates, 4 years security updates
    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

    Much like the Z Fold 6, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 undergoes an excruciating price hike. It’s still a far more affordable option than the Z Fold 6, and at least there’s an increase in RAM which takes some bitterness off the RM500 price increase.

    Other than that, it goes through similar changes as its Fold6 sibling. In the design department, the Flip6’s edges are now squared off, giving it a boxier look.

    Galaxy Z Flip5

    There’s no changes in the size or shape of the external and internal screen, so you’re essentially working with the same displays you’ll find on the Flip5. The only difference being that the peak brightness of the internal screen now hits 2,600nits.

    The Flip6 also gets a direct upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

    There are a few notable improvements in hardware, with the Z Flip6 now utilizing a 50MP main camera, up from the 12MP that was on the Z Flip5. There’s also a larger 4,000mAh battery, a promising increase from last year’s 3,700mAh.

    Hardware aside, Samsung has integrated a host of new Galaxy AI features into the Flip6, including two-way translation when the phone is in Flex Mode, and Drawing Assist that turns sketches into images.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

    Like the Fold6, the Galaxy Z Flip6 will get 7 years of Android updates and 7 years security updates.

    Read more of our articles below!

    Static PS article footer (PNG)