REVIEW: Creative Sound Blaster FRee - A Truly Extreme Bluetooth Speaker

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Once you start using really high-quality technology, you will not be able to return to mediocre consumer goods. At least our editorial staff could not, and now Lifehacker's office is "sounding" wireless acoustics from the great Creative. It's time to review the harsher and more affordable portable speaker from this manufacturer. This is the Creative Sound Blaster FRee, a rain- and mud-immune Bluetooth speaker.

The speaker considered in my previous review, although it is portable, is simply a pity to put it on a bicycle and in general somehow expose it to the aggressive effects of an open environment. After all, this is 17 thousand rubles of "premium" and the best technologies. Such a device has no place in the rain. Let Roar 2 please the ears in the office and wait for the next kebab season, but it is better to knead the dirt with a column whose protection from spring-autumn weather is certified in accordance with the IP standard.

Water resistant

offers IPx4 protection class, which corresponds to "protection against splashes falling in any direction". Rain and water from under the wheels are not terrible for the column, and you can safely attach it to the frame or steering wheel.

The greatest concern was caused by the grill, which hides the active part of the sound reproducing system. The photographs show how the holes were dangerously filled with liquid, but during the trip and after drying, the speaker did not break down and the sound did not change. Apparently, the grid is designed in such a way as to retain water in the grid, but not let it inside. In this case, large droplets roll down the surface. In any case, the seemingly sinking column does not actually suffer, and even a moderate downpour is not terrible for it.

The other structural elements of the FRee do not raise any water resistance concerns at all. Everything is rubberized and securely closed. The control buttons located on one of the sections of the cylinder are essentially part of the rubber membrane.

The movable low-frequency radiator on the side panel also seamlessly passes into the rubberized shell of the case and, in principle, cannot allow moisture to pass through. The USB port, AUX in and microSD slot are carefully covered with a hinged rubber flap.

All in all, this gives more than decent protection against water and dirt, and if you do not plan to flush the column grill under a directed stream from a hose, then nothing will happen to FRee.

Sound and design features

To be honest, after the Creative Sound Blaster Roar 2, everything else sounds bad, even another Creative product. This is the quickest addiction to the good that I talked about at the very beginning. The loss in overall sound quality is partly due to the fact that the FRee speaker itself is more than two times cheaper than the Roar 2 (8 thousand rubles versus 17 thousand) and more than two times lighter (446 g versus 1 kg). There is not such a fancy filling, there are no separate amplifiers for high and low frequencies, there is no intelligent bass boost at low volume. All in all, I'm hopelessly spoiled by the superiority of the Roar 2.

On the other hand, other people who listened to FRee note very clear and pronounced bass with an overall uniformity of sound throughout the entire audible range and are very pleased with the quality of the music. Responsible for the bottom is the same low-frequency emitter brought out on the side panel. With a sufficient increase in volume, it fluctuates very spectacularly. The membrane is located in the recess of the body, and even if the component for attaching the speaker to the bicycle is directly above the emitter, then nothing will interfere with its work.

The cylinder-shaped design allowed the speakers to be positioned so that sound travels in all directions. The effect is 360, but in order to fully experience it, it is better to place the FRee vertically. In this position, the device resembles the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi.

Although the section of the cylinder is made at a certain angle, the column stands securely on the surface, and even an accidental weak push does not tip it over on its side.

The Loud volume boost function deserves a separate mention. In this mode, the speaker is able to “shout out” a strong headwind when driving and the noise from a KAMAZ passing by. On vacation, with Loud turned on, the device will adequately provide music to a medium-sized forest glade without obvious distortions and wheezing, even at maximum volume.

Additional functions

Creative is famous for adding some additional features to its products that make devices more versatile. In this case, the engineers limited themselves to the minimum set, equipping FRee with a speakerphone function and adding a microSD slot.

If you record music to a memory card (cards up to 32 GB inclusive are supported) and install it in a speaker, you get a standalone player that does not need a smartphone. At the same time, the control buttons are always at hand, it is convenient to press them even while driving.

The built-in FRee battery lasts about 9-10 hours of continuous playback in player mode, although the presence of energy-efficient Bluetooth 4.0 does not particularly affect the battery life when streaming music via a mobile device.

Scold

If you wish, you can find fault with FRee for some trifle. In my case, this is not entirely a trifle, but the lack of a mode of operation as an external battery. Well Creative, well, seriously, your speaker can play for 10 hours straight. Why not give the opportunity to put some of the battery charge on my smartphone, which, as always, was discharged at the most inopportune moment?

Total

The Creative Sound Blaster FRee is a great portable Bluetooth speaker for leisure and extreme sports. She perfectly copes with "sounding" a noisy picnic and does not stop working if you forget her in the wet grass or accidentally spill water on it. The speaker can withstand high-speed cycling in the rain and asks for supplements, because the harsh environment is what this device was created for.

Despite its survivability, FRee sounds great, but I didn't expect anything else from the legendary Creative. Eight thousand rubles for such equipment from such a brand is fair.