In the last 2 years, I have bought 2 Saregama Carvaan portable music players on Amazon.in, a testament to how good it is! Now first things first, if you are an audiophile, please look elsewhere. This music player is reminiscent of the transistor radios of yesteryear. Simple, beautiful, and uplifting. The sound quality may not be the best but that is not the point. The simplicity is what makes the Carvaan a wonderful gift.
What is the Saregama Carvaan Music Player?
I think a transistor radio is one of the best analogies to the Carvaan. You switch on the system and immediately music flows into your life. You don’t have to think too hard about what to play; you simply choose between different channels. The fact that the music is built-in to the system is what separates the Carvaan from all other competitors. They hold the copyright to the music so its a brilliant dual play — you’re buying both the music and the equipment to play it.
How is the sound quality?
Well, it’s not great. But if you’re looking for great sound quality, you should probably go look at JBL or Bose. Here we are focusing on great content. The content is so wonderful, the songs so great, that you forgive the bad audio. In any case, most of the songs on the Saregama Carvaan were recorded 30+ years ago, when the recording quality wasn’t that great.
You can connect your phone (Bluetooth) or a USB stick to the device as well, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you’re looking to play “other” music, you might as well get a better device from a company that focuses on audio quality.
I’ve heard that the battery life isn’t too great. Is that true?
Well, yes, probably. It’s a large device, and to be honest, I do not think its meant to be a portable player. Sure, you can take it around for a while, but its probably best served plugged in. My mother, for instance, roams around with the adapter. She has no problems whatsoever.
Who is the Carvaan best for?
For anyone who is a technophobe, of any age. The device is so simple that anyone can use it. You don’t have to wonder about which wire goes where, or what button does what! Turn it on and choose your “mood”. The music plays by itself. Obviously, the device is great for senior citizens, but even for those younger who love Bollywood’s golden hits, it a fabulous buy! It’s also available in regional languages (Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, etc), so great for everyone across India.
What comes in the box?
A music player, an adapter and some versions have a remote control. I didn’t get the one with a remote control — because transistors didn’t have remote controls back then! Let’s get with the times! 🙂
Which colour should I choose?
I initially thought the electric blue would be a nice colour, but now I’m thankful I didn’t order it. It makes the device look to plasticy and takes away from the old world charm. I’d suggest going with some of the more wooden shades. Classic music from a classic device!
How is the Saregama Carvaan Mini?
I wouldn’t really recommend it. One, the technology doesn’t seem to be very good. Lots of defects. Secondly, there are very few songs loaded on it (only 251), so definitely not recommended!
Saregama Carvaan Price in India?
You can buy it on Amazon. Depending on the version and colour, the Saregama Carvaan costs between Rs 5500 and Rs 6500 at the moment on Amazon.
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Where is service centre in Patna Bihar
Where is service centre in Patna Bihar
Poor packing and handle and poor fitting third class.. .
I bought the top of line Hartman kardon version of the product and it worked for 2 months. Since then the product has totally stopped working. I registered a complaint and was told that the on site service would be attended in 4 days. It’s over 6 days now and each time I call the support line I am made to wait for at least 15 minutes and get the same assurances that the support person will come today
Absolutely terrible service. Please be aware before you buy
Can someone send me the customer care number.
A Carvan was gifted to me by my daughter in January 2019 (may be bought in late December 2018). Within 1 month of the gifting, the instrument stopped charging. When I contacted the customer care in May 2019, I was immediately asked whether the charging pins have gone inside. I said it looks so. Then I was shocked to hear that I will be charged Rs. 1000/- for repairing my instrument, EVENTHOUGH IT IS UNDER WARRANTY. When asked why should I pay as it is a manufacturing defect, I was told that is the company policy. I had to speak to three executives and finally a lady named, told me that I have two options: (1) Pay Rs. 1000/- and book a repair of the instrument. (2) Mail to the customer care (which I did) so that it will be seen by senior executives. I wish to emphasize that the defect is a manufacturing defect ; not out of wrong usage. So it has to be covered under warranty as per Consumer Protection Act.
I also want to caution all that be careful as this company is out to make money, even on Warranty Repairs. So gifting someone may be gifting headache to them.
The charger got hot while charging. But this is out of guarantee. I will have to spend Rs 350 to purchase new charger