Testing
If you have ever paired any two Bluetooth devices, GroovyR is no different. Put GroovyR and your other device in discovery mode, then away you go. Once connected, GroovyR provides wireless sound wherever you want it (within the standard Bluetooth range). GroovyR’s sound is good for its size and shape, but there are definitely better Bluetooth speakers out there. I accept GroovyR won’t have booming bass, but I was really disappointed in its lack of clarity in higher frequencies. I tried a wide range of music including rap, electro, trance, jazz, rock, and ballads, but regardless of genre, vocals, cymbals and strong hand claps always felt muddy and underrepresented. Critiquing audio quality is pretty subjective, we all hear different things, so while this is a large issue for me, it may not be such a problem for everyone else. Also, it isn’t like anyone is ever going to use GroovyR as a reference speaker. In the end, GroovyR performs fine for what it is, a circular battery powered Bluetooth speaker with two 3W speakers built into its housing.
But what about other uses like FaceTime on Mac OS X, or playing games on an iPad? Short answer is, GroovyR works with everything you’d expect. However, most Bluetooth devices introduce A/V sync issues and GroovyR is no different. Using FaceTime with GroovyR was doable, but a little bit less optimal than normal. The A/V sync issues caused FaceTime to do a bit more echo cancellation than normal, which made the other person’s audio start a bit later than expected, often cutting off part of their first word. But, the overall quality of the call was much better than MacBook Pro’s built-in speakers and mic.
Games on an iPad suffered the same A/V sync issues. Although, since there isn’t any two-way communication, it was a bit more bearable. But if you heavily rely on sound effects to react to what’s going on around you in a game, the delay could be a huge problem. It might be easier to completely mute the game than play with delayed audio.
