We had the pleasure of testing out the SōLIS SO-3000 recently and now we’re taking a look at the SōLIS SO-7000. The SōLIS SO-7000 is yet another Chromecast enabled speaker from SōLIS. Honestly, before we tested the SO-3000 we had never heard of SōLIS but we’re glad we have now. We were much impressed with the SO-3000 for its amazing sound among other Chromecast/Google Assistant speakers. Will its bigger brother impress us just as much? Find out in the full review of the SōLIS SO-7000.
Specifications
The SōLIS SO-7000 has the following features and specifications:
- Wireless:
- Wi-Fi – 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compliant – Dual Band 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz supported
- Bluetooth 2.0
- Hi-Res audio compatible – Chromecast built-in supports hi-resolution lossless audio from select streaming services for the most detailed and natural sound reproduction
- Multi-Room Streaming and Wireless Control from Anywhere in Your Home with Chromecast built-in
- Input: Auxiliary input jack (3.5mm)
- Top-mounted control buttons
- Hi-Fi 2-way bass reflex stereo speaker system:
- One 5.25-inch subwoofer
- Four 2-inch full range drivers
- Power output: 2 x 25W RMS + 50W RMS Subwoofer
- Wooden cabinet with high gloss black accent panel
- Dimensions: 7.9”(H) x 7.9”(W) x 7.9”(D)
- Power: 120V AC 60Hz
What’s In The Box
- SōLIS SO-7000
- Power cord and adapter
- AUX cable
- Manuals and Documentation
Design
In our SO-3000 review, we enjoyed the elegance of the SōLIS design and that same language rolls over to the SO-7000. While the SO-3000 was a rectangular shape, the SōLIS SO-7000 opts for a square Borg-like look. It’s a simple cube design but is covered in beautiful black fabric accented by piano black high-quality plastics. Once again, the presentation is topped off with subtle SōLIS branding on the bottom right. I will say, the piano black accents are nice but they do tend to attract dust.
As with the SO-3000, the SO-7000 really stands out in terms of looks when it comes to Chromecast enabled and Google Assistant speakers. There is nothing along the sides or bottom and the back side only has the DC in, reset button, and AUX port. Everything else is located on the top of the speaker, here’s a rundown of the controls left to right:
- LED power indicator
- Power on/standby button
- Play/Pause button
- Bluetooth pairing and mode button
- Volume down button
- Volume up button
- LED mode indicator
The speaker is solid, the materials are premium feeling and looking. The SōLIS SO-7000 is also rather weighty which is again, interesting, given there is no battery. No battery means less portability. This isn’t a speaker you’ll be taking out of the house with you. Given how big it is though, I’m not sure anyone would want to take this out anyway.
Overall, SōLIS really has a handle on design. The SO-3000 and the SO-7000 are both really fantastic looking and well-made devices. I do wish SōLIS would have used the same heather grey material they used on the SO-3000 on the SO-7000. But that’s a minor gripe.
Ease of Use
Just like the SO-3000, the SO-7000 offers a variety of ways to connect and playback music. The most direct and simplest connection method is the AUX port. Just plug the included AUX cable into your device then into the SO-7000 and you’re ready to go.
The next easiest method of connection is Bluetooth. Simply plug the speaker in and press the Bluetooth pairing button until you enter pairing mode. Once there, head over to your device and choose the SO-7000 in your Bluetooth list, you’re done.
The final method is to connect using the Google Home app which uses your Wi-Fi network. This way is a bit more involved but super easy. Plug your SōLIS SO-7000 in, power it up, head over to the Google Home app and look for the SO-7000 on the list. Follow the instructions in the Google Home app and when you have that complete, you’re connected. Google has made connecting to a Chromecast device a simple task so this shouldn’t be an issue for most users.
Overall, the SO-7000 is just as easy as the SO-3000 set up. The old school AUX port is the ultimate no-brainer setup method while Bluetooth is next. If you want to take full advantage of the Chromecast and Google Assistant features of the speaker, then setting it up via Google Home app is the required method.
Sound
As I mentioned in the SO-3000 review, I’ve been testing a variety of Chromecast and Google Assistant enabled speakers these past few months. While there are some great sounding speakers on the market. SōLIS has really done an excellent job of offering good looking speakers as well as great sounding speakers.
The SO-3000 really impressed me with its soundstage and the SO-7000 ups the game with more depth. The SO-3000 gives you two 3″ Hi-Fi full range speakers with a tuned bass port. Those speakers have a power output of 2 x 18W RMS. The SōLIS SO-7000 offers up four 2″ full range drivers and one 5.25″ subwoofer with a power output of 2 x 25W RMS and 50W RMS for the woofer.
As with the SO-3000, the SO-7000 offers up a clean and warm soundstage. The highs and mids are well balanced but SōLIS does emphasize the bass and it is more noticeable with the SO-7000. The SO-7000 does a better job of projecting sound and can fill a bigger room than the SO-3000. Turning the volume up does not produce any noticeable distortion and this one gets much louder than its little brother.
Overall, the soundstage is wonderful. It’s vibrant, clean, balanced, and filled with spatial depth. Yes, the low end is most certainly favored in this tuning but in a good way. I never felt the bass overwhelmed anything else. SōLIS has really made two excellent Chromecast enabled speakers here.
Reception
Bluetooth reception is industry standard, 30-40 feet from the source. Connecting this to Google Home will give you the best reception since it is done over Wi-Fi and I highly recommend you use this method, and it is what I used during this review. In addition, it will let you connect to any other Chromecast/Google Assistant devices you have on the same network. You can also connect any other SōLIS speakers (or other Chromecast speakers) together.
Price/Value
The price tag on the SO-7000 is $299.99USD. That’s a full $100USD more than the SO-3000. But if you look at Amazon and Target right now, it can be had for $249.99USD, which I think is a tremendous deal over the SO-3000.
Wrap Up
The first thing you need to understand about the SO-7000 is that it is not meant to be portable. It has no battery and is pretty heavy so you’re not taking this to the beach. The SO-7000 and SO-3000 were meant to live on your shelf to look nice and sound amazing. You also need to know that it is not able to control the Google Assistant with voice. You can control the speaker via the Google Home app and use Google Assistant with it, but it is not native.
If you have a Google Home or Google Assistant device, then you can control the SO-7000 no problem, or just use the Google Assistant or Google Home app on your iPhone or Android. If you’re OK with not having portability or voice control, then the SōLIS SO-7000 is an amazing speaker and well worth the cash. If you’re needing portability and full Google Assistant control, then this isn’t for you.
