We reviewed the Creative iRoar a few months ago and it is still my favorite speaker of the year. However, it has a big issue, that is the hefty price tag that a majority of consumers can’t afford. It is also not water-resistant and quite cumbersome to carry around. Those are the reasons why that speaker couldn’t fly high.
Fortunately, Creative Labs seemed to realize the issues and fixed them all in the new Creative iRoar Go. Let’s check it out.
Unboxing
Design & Features
The Creative iRoar Go is considered the compact version of the iRoar but it actually looks more like the Sound Blaster Roar 2. We can spot some primary buttons on the front of the speaker, including the Power, volume controls, Bluetooth/Phone Call and Source buttons, along with LED notifications on the right.
Other playback controls are placed on top. There are the ROAR button, equalizer status indicator, play/pause button, previous, next, and recording buttons.
You can also find all connectivity ports under the rubber flaps here, including the power port, AUX-in, DC-out, microUSB connector, and a microSD card slot.
I’m so impressed with the design and build quality of the speaker. It’s probably the best-looking water-resistant speaker I’ve ever used. Creative still uses a metal grille, solid plastic body, and just some rubber to cover the connections and buttons. It features IPX6 splash-proof rating only, so you shouldn’t immerse it in water.
The iRoar Go is smaller than the iRoar but it doesn’t mean you will have to sacrifice any feature. You will have them all in the compact version. It even comes with all kinds of plugs for your power adapter. You can play music via the AUX port, the microSD card, via Bluetooth, connect to your computer via the microUSB port, or just plug your USB flash drive to the USB port.
Creative recommended using the Sound Blaster Connect app, however, I didn’t have a good experience with this app. It lagged and even disconnected the Bluetooth connection occasionally when I adjusted the equalizer. This is a terrible experience as all other apps run smoothly on my iPhone 7 Plus.
The battery life of the speaker is quite impressive. It could easily last a couple of weeks if you listen to music less than 1 hour per day. It is rated at 12 hours but the actual battery life might be shorter, depending on your usage. Notably, you can use the battery to charge your smartphone or tablet, so you can totally forget about bringing an extra power bank.
Audio Quality
The iRoar Go still features the 5-driver design, including an enhanced Neodymium subwoofer, dual high-frequency 1.5″ drivers and 2 passive bass radiators on the sides. All the drivers are driven by 2 dedicated amplifiers, that explains why the compact speaker is capable of producing a very loud sound.
As compared to the iRoar, the iRoar Go sounds cleaner and more balanced. The bass is also not as deep and strong, you can easily see the difference when using them in an enclosed space. Check out the sound comparison in the video below.
An advantage of the iRoar Go is that you can place it in the horizontal or vertical orientation. When you lay it down, the speaker gives a wider imaging and the bass is significantly better, especially when you play it indoors. On the other hand, when placing it upright, the sound will be more focused as all drivers are directed to your position, so you will get a much louder and clearer sound.
I mostly use other Creative Bluetooth speakers in the Roar mode. In this mode, they are not only more powerful but also deliver a wider soundstage, and the bass is improved at low volume levels. However, the iRoar Go doesn’t really shine when I turn the Roar mode on, particularly in the upright position. It even shows some drawbacks like the weak bass or distorted sound when you crank up the volume. Therefore, I highly recommend you to place the speaker in the horizontal position when you want to boost the sound with the ROAR mode.
Although the iRoar Go has some limitations as compared to its bigger brother, I actually quite enjoyed the sound. It sounds less muddy, so I can hear details and acoustic resonance of instruments more clearly. The iRoar Go is just a little bigger than the MUVO 2 but it is a lot more powerful speaker. The 2 speakers actually have very similar sonic characteristics.
Conclusion
Pros
- Beautiful design, solid build
- Water-resistant body
- Full of features
- Powerful sound
Cons
- Underwhelming app
- The bass is not as deep and strong
The Creative iRoar Go might not satisfy audiophiles or bassheads, but it’s a decent choice if you’re looking for a capable water-resistant wireless speaker. We totally recommend the product.
Specter Wireless says
Tuan, What would you recommend for a waterproof speaker? Would you be interested in checking out ours on your blog?