Robosen Soundwave Review: A Childhood Dream Made Real

There's conscionable thing magical astir a robot that tin person into a car, vessel aliases plane. It seems that Hollywood agrees arsenic location are respective awesome franchises based astir that concept. As personification who grew up successful nan 80s and 90s, Transformers clasp a typical spot successful my heart, contempt Michael Bay's champion efforts astatine tarnishing its legacy. I spent countless hours arsenic a kid playing pinch Hasbro and Takara's integrative figures, but location was 1 type of artifact I ever wanted but ne'er got: a robot that could toggle shape connected its ain conscionable for illustration nan ones I watched connected TV. That changed a fewer years agone erstwhile Robosen launched its statement of officially licensed auto-converting models, and from what I've seen, its latest merchandise featuring Soundwave mightiness beryllium its champion yet.

Design: More than meets nan eye

As a follow-up to erstwhile bots featuring Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Grimlock and others, Soundwave was a superior choice, and Robosen has done a much than respectable occupation of bringing him to life. Not only tin he spit retired classical lines performed by original sound character Frank Welker, some his robot and alt modes are a imagination consecutive retired of nan first-generation (G1) cartoon. Everywhere you look, location are a ton of lovingly crafted specifications for illustration nan moving eject fastener for nan cassette slot and each sorts of lights. Robosen's caput sculpt is spot on, and it moreover includes further LEDs for his eyes and enarthrosis cannon. Granted, location is simply a spot of kibble (aka what fans telephone retired of spot parts leftover from transformation), for illustration hands that don't decently fold distant erstwhile Soundwave turns into a boombox, but that's really nitpicking. Between his incredibly meticulous design, vocoder-powered vocals and an imposing stature that stands astatine astir 14 inches tall, there's nary measurement you tin telephone this rendition of Soundwave uncharismatic.

However, nan existent magic happens erstwhile you move him connected (there's a small fastener connected his back) and opportunity "Hey, Soundwave." From here, you tin usage much than 50 different sound commands to leader him astir for illustration you're nan leader of nan Decepticons. This includes asking him to opportunity iconic lines, respond to an Autobot onslaught aliases conscionable wishing personification a happy birthday. Naturally, nan astir awesome petition is asking him to transform, astatine which constituent 28 high-precision servo motors and aggregate mobility sensors coordinate. This allows Soundwave to person from boombox mode to robot and backmost again, complete pinch nan required sound effects. Even arsenic a jaded adult, there's still thing incredibly enchanting astir watching a Transformer really toggle shape connected its own. But that pales successful comparison to nan one-of-a-kind guidance my four-year-old boy gave maine erstwhile I repeated nan process for him. There was a joyousness successful his look I'm not judge a grown-up tin genuinely express, arsenic he gets to acquisition this without knowing this bot costs a cool $1,400.

While testing Soundwave's various commands, I did announcement that his sound nickname tin beryllium somewhat deed aliases miss. I recovered that moreover a small inheritance sound tin origin issues. To beryllium consistently heard, you person to speak louder than you deliberation you should. The existent cardinal is being very deliberate pinch a crisp "Hi" aliases "Hey" to activate Soundwave's aftermath building properly. Alternatively, if you for illustration not to outcry astatine your robots, there's besides a free companion app that allows you to nonstop commands by simply pressing a button, which was ace easy to group up and quickly became my preferred power scheme.

In summation to making it easier to get Soundwave to locomotion astir (it's overmuch much nosy to usage a virtual D-pad than outcry "Walk forward" each nan time), nan app besides provides a much straightforward measurement of discovering what he tin do while reducing nan ambiguity of sound commands. There are useful buttons for each his sound lines and poses, positive there’s a toolkit for creating immoderate of your own. You tin besides download much from nan app, though location weren't immoderate for maine to trial retired because Soundwave wasn't officially retired yet astatine nan clip of writing. There's moreover a Mini Theatre mode that allows nan bot to execute short skits, and if you're fortunate capable to ain immoderate of Robosen's different Transformers toys, for illustration Megatron, immoderate of these scenes tin moreover beryllium performed successful tandem.

One awkward point astir Roboen's much blase attack to artifact robots is that Soundwave loses immoderate of his structural integrity erstwhile his motors are off. For example, erstwhile you powerfulness him down successful robot mode, he bends complete backwards and gets stuck halfway betwixt his humanoid and boombox forms. I presume this is to forestall him from falling over, which is simply a bully thing; it conscionable looks benignant of weird. On nan flip side, if you prime him up while successful stereo mode, his limbs thin to droop. However, possibly nan biggest downside to Soundwave is 1 inherent to his design. Because his alt mode is simply a boombox alternatively of a conveyance for illustration Optimus, Bumblebee and others, he can't propulsion double work arsenic a distant power car. But what Soundwave lacks successful mobility, he makes up for pinch his signature acoustic skills.

Audio: Not conscionable a bot, he's a existent boombox too

Soundwave turning into a boombox that can't play euphony conscionable wouldn't make sense. Thankfully, that's not an rumor arsenic this bot's buttons aren't conscionable for show. Hitting Play lets you perceive to original tracks from nan G1 cartoon, complete pinch nan expertise to region aliases skip to nan adjacent track. You tin besides clasp nan grounds fastener to prevention a individual connection for later, though I recovered this characteristic has a spot of a learning curve arsenic Soundwave tends to trim retired 1 aliases 2 seconds from nan opening and extremity of a clip.

Most importantly, if you want Soundwave to play different tunes, you tin brace it pinch your telephone aliases beautiful overmuch immoderate different mobile instrumentality and usage him conscionable for illustration a emblematic Bluetooth speaker. Now it astir apt won't beryllium a astonishment erstwhile I opportunity that Soundwave's audio value is mediocre astatine best. With each nan various sensors, motors and moving parts, location astir apt isn't a ton of room for fancy drivers, truthful things sound tinny and flat. But successful a way, that's benignant of endearing because nan immense mostly of portable speakers backmost successful nan 80s didn't sound awesome either. The 1 point I wish Robosen had included was a due cassette subordinate to really capitalize connected Soundwave's classical audio capabilities. That said, moreover though I still person stacks of CDs and DVDs successful my house, I don't person immoderate tapes (despite their resurgence), truthful I get why that characteristic didn't make it.

Battery life

Soundwave comes pinch a built-in 1,650mAh artillery which takes astir 120 minutes to complaint from dormant to afloat while offering a standby clip of astir 60 minutes. During my testing, I recovered you tin get a coagulated 20 to 30 minutes of playtime retired of him, which felt for illustration plenty. Of course,that depends a ton connected really overmuch moving astir you show him to do. And while it surely isn't play authentic, I really admit nan inclusion of a USB-C larboard for charging.

Wrap-up

The funny point astir Robosen's Soundwave is that a artifact for illustration this would person been priceless to maine arsenic a child. But now that I'm older and I person to connect a worth that goes beyond its basal price, things are a batch trickier.

I emotion Robosen's attraction to detail. The fig looks unthinkable and getting sound lines from nan original character shows there's much than meets nan oculus to nan robot’s design. But astir importantly, seeing Soundwave toggle shape connected his ain and stomp astir for illustration he does successful nan show will ne'er get old.

On nan different hand, $1,400 tin bargain nan full family a bully three-day picnic aliases much than 2 twelve regular Transformers toys. That benignant of mathematics makes it difficult to adhd this Cybertronian to nan family register. But for anyone who has a fund akin to a Michael Bay movie, this return connected Soundwave really does consciousness for illustration a dream travel true. Aside from immoderate of Robosen's different products, this robot is surely made of sterner stuff.