INTRODUCTION

    When I was young the very first thing I'd do when going to bed at night would be to turn on the radio and tune to one of my favorite FM stations until i fell asleep. To be completely honest this isn't something that withstood the test of time and so listening to FM radio is something I haven't done in years, at least outside of testing certain products. What changed things for me was the introduction of internet radios and even though I didn't really use them to listen to music I was always fascinated that I could listen to radio broadcasts from all over the world. The Majority Bard is one such internet radio and that's also what I've been using every day for just over 1 month.

   Founded by two friends from Cambridge in 2012, Majority has gone on to become an Amazon best-selling brand with a device in over three million homes across the globe. From the very beginning, founders, Eddie Latham, and PJ Scott’s focus has been to use ground-breaking technology to deliver quality consumer electronics at an affordable price. “Our goal has always been inclusivity” Latham and Scott use their years of know-how to continue to build a brand that designs products for a variety of budgets.

   The Bard Internet Radio Music System (currently available in both black and white colors) is among the most compact all-around models Majority currently has in their product lines featuring dual 4-inch (10cm) speakers and a 5-inch (12cm) bass (2.1 stereo system) for a maximum output of 100W (PMPO). By all-around i mean that not only can the Bard be used as FM radio with RDS (87.5–108MHz), DAB/DAB+ radio (174–240MHz) and Internet Radio (25.000+ available stations) but it can also be used with Spotify Connect, as a podcast streamer and as a music player via USB (only supports MP3 files - not for charging). It also features Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity for audio streaming, aux audio in and headphones out ports and a 2.4” screen color TFT display (320x240p). Typically, Majority covers the Bard Internet Radio Music System with a 3-year limited warranty and as with all their products they will plant a tree for every single one they sell.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A large product picture is placed at the front of the box along with the main product features, 3-year warranty. company logo and the serial number and barcode.

You can register your Bard via a 2D barcode placed on the left side of the box in order to enjoy the 3-year limited warranty.

Another product picture is printed at the rear of the box right next to the main product features and beneath the company logo.

The bard is placed between two thick pieces of cardboard the top of which has its remote control on its exterior.

Along with the Bard, its power adapter and remote control inside the box you'll also find 2 AAA batteries, 3.5mm cable, warranty paper, declaration of conformity paper and the user instructions.

THE BARD

The 2.1Kg heavy all-black enclosure of the Bard measures 235mm in length, 129mm in depth and 135mm in height.

At the front we find the 2.4” screen color TFT display (320x240p) along with a volume/navigation control knob, 6 buttons and the IR receiver.

At the top of the enclosure and under a grille we find the 5-inch upwards firing bass driver.

The 4-inch drivers are placed on the sides of the enclosure again covered with grilles.

Moving at the rear we find the radio antenna, vent, USB port, 3.5mm aux input, 3.5mm headphones port, on/off power switch and the DC in.

The enclosure sits on four round rubber feet.

Once again Majority bundles a somewhat basic remote control which however has every button you'd need.

LCD MENUS

The Bard main tab lists all of its maiun functions (FM radio, internet radio, podcasts, Spotify, USB, DAB+, Bluetooth, Aux in and settings menu).

Internet radio can be used either by searching for a specific station, location, popularity or discovery (random ones).

Same thing more or less applies for podcasts as you can see from the above picture.

The USB port supports MP3 playback via FAT16, FAT32 formatted drives with a maximum capacity of 128GB (supports up to 5000 files per directory and a directory depth of 8).

FM (and DAB/DAB+) radio functionality is as expected more simplified.

There's also a graphical main menu from where you can navigate to the above tabs.

As mentioned earlier you can also connect the Bard to your devices either wirelessly via Bluetooth or wired via 3.5mm aux.

From the settings tab you can access the equalizer, network (connect/disconnect), time and date, language, factory reset, software update, setup wizard, device info and backlight adjustment.

CONCLUSION

    The Bard might be a compact internet radio / music player, but its 2.1 speaker system actually packs quite a punch. Yes, it’s not meant for large parties and at high volume levels you may even encounter some audio distortion but for the most part it’s more than enough to fill a large room with balanced audio. Bass levels are ok and as for mids and highs they are crisp and detailed enough for one such device. If the USB port was able to reproduce FLAC audio files or if the built-in Bluetooth connectivity was LDAC or aptX HD compatible I’d be obviously asking for more in terms of speaker clarity/detail but unfortunately this isn’t the case. The positioning of the left and right speakers although good for room coverage/fill it’s not ideal for a person sitting right in front of the Bard. Tiny details for most people probably but for demanding users this could make a difference. In terms of build quality once again Majority offers a mid-range product but even though the Bard is really nothing special in that regard it looks nice and blends in easily no matter where you place it.

    At the time of my review the Bard Internet Radio Music System retails for 166.67Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) and for £149.95 inside the UK (Amazon.co.uk), a price tag which is very balanced, just like with all Majority products to date. Overall, even though the Bard by Majority doesn’t bring anything new to the table it’s compact, looks nice, offers good volume levels with equally good clarity/detail, delivers on most features of similar products (even ones priced two-three times over) and is priced well so the Golden Award is in order.

PROS

- Overall Audio Quality
- FM RDS Radio / Internet Radio / Podcasts / DAB / DAB+
- Spotify Connect / UnDOK App Audio Streaming
- USB Media Player (MP3)
- Wired 3.5mm & Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity
- 2.4” Color TFT Screen
- Available In Black & White Colors
- Tree Plated With Every Sale

CONS

- USB Audio Format Compatibility (MP3 Only)
- Speaker Positioning (For Some)