Creative iRoar Go - a compromise between Hi-Fi acoustics and portable speaker for travel

iRoar Go is the newest member of the Roar range with Superwide technology and IPX6 water resistance. Therefore, Lifehacker not only listened to music, but also measured the frequency response and even bathed the column. And now I'm ready to tell you what iRoar Go took over from previous models, what it refused and why it is half the price of Creative iRoar.

Creative iRoar Go - a compromise between hi-fi speakers and a portable speaker for travel

Design and equipment

There is nothing superfluous in the basic configuration of the device: a speaker, a power supply, three plugs, an AUX adapter (with a mini-jack socket), a USB cable and a user manual.

Creative has retained the form factor of a heavy book volume and reliable materials. Traditionally metal body. Traditionally lattice surface.

The dimensions of the device, in comparison with the Creative iRoar, have decreased by 40%, amounting to 54 × 192 × 97 mm. The column has become lighter by 25%, while maintaining a weight of 810 g, sufficient for the absence of parasitic vibrations.

The column can be placed in two ways: vertically (as in the photo below) or horizontally. In the second case, iRoar Go stands on massive rubber "legs", which also does not allow excessive resonance of the surface on which the acoustics are located.

What pleases not only the ear, but also the eye: this time Creative did not hide the resonating membranes of passive emitters under the grille. The life hacker has missed this magic since reviewing the Sound Blaster Roar 2 and allowed himself to enjoy the pulsating vibrations of the iRoar Go side radiators.

Where there is no metal, there is rubber. This solution contributes to the water resistance of the iRoar Go. The rubber seals also have a built-in user interface, but the buttons are nonetheless easy to press and respond with a pleasant click.

Despite the lack of a screen for this type of device, you always know what the iRoar Go is doing. This is facilitated by the illumination of active buttons and a panel with indicators of operating sources. Running out of battery? This will be notified by the power button, highlighted in red. Have you disconnected your USB device? The Source Indicators will instantly show you that the iRoar Go has switched to Bluetooth reception.

The connectors are hidden under rubber plugs. If you are not a carrier of long nails, then dense plugs may not seem flexible enough to you. This nuance is a necessary sacrifice on the road to IPX6 water resistance.

For travel enthusiasts and street musicians, Creative offers an eco-leather shoulder bag that does not cover the controls needed to reproduce the sound of the iRoar Go area.

Design decisions that have proven themselves in previous models and improved in iRoar Go are not only appreciated by us: the acoustics were awarded the Red Dot Awards 2016.

Functionality and alternative use

On board the device is a 5,200 mAh battery, which, according to the developers, provides 12 hours of operation without recharging. Recall that the operating time of the acoustics may differ depending on the volume of the music and the selected playback source.

iRoar Go can play music using devices connected via Bluetooth (standard 4.2) or NFC. Unfortunately, Creative abandoned aptX in this model, but support for SBC and AAC codecs remained in place.

As for wired devices, connection via microUSB or AUX-interface is available. The AUX jack deceptively resembles a mini-jack input, but as it turns out, it isn't. To connect devices via a 3.5 mm interface, you will need an adapter, which, however, is included in the basic configuration. By the way, these speakers also know how to contact PS4.

For those for whom the above playback options are not enough, the developers have traditionally provided a slot for microSD cards. The use of memory cards opens up new possibilities: iRoar Go plays MP3 and WMA with bit rates up to 320 Kbps, as well as FLAC with bit rates up to 1.3 Mbps.

Creative speakers interact with the Sound Blaster Connect app, which helps you quickly switch between playback sources, and is also responsible for adjusting the equalizer. There are a couple of dozen presets in the application base, including the main ones: "Energetic", "Warm" and Superwide.

The body of the previous iRoar model was literally bursting with a number of functions, both necessary and not very much. The capabilities of iRoar Go are more limited, but this can hardly be called a minus.

Let's be honest. When buying portable acoustics, a person wants to get reliable speakers for listening to their favorite music. An alarm clock, a nanny for a child, a tuner for a guitar - these are the excesses that iRoar Go is spared from.

But iRoar Go has a built-in microphone and will be able to record your voice in MP3 with a bit rate of 64 Kbps and then save it to an SD card. The resulting recording can be played immediately. This is how we get a full-fledged music computer from a simple set of speakers. The AUX microphone interface allows you to turn the iRoar Go into a loudspeaker for promoters or a speaker for street musicians.

As with all devices of the Roar line, on the body of the subject we will find a button for answering a call from a paired smartphone.

Well, the last (but not least) function of iRoar Go is the ability to use the speaker as a portable charger: the USB socket gives out a current of 1 A. I would like to rely on the versatility of the USB interface, but no: Creative has great fellows, but that's it. -so not wizards, to recharge the column itself through this socket will not work.

Water resistance

Noticing on the box an image with water drops flowing from iRoar Go, we were overjoyed. Is it possible that the editorial office finally has acoustics that can be used for a real test drive?

Disclaimer: the choice of song may not match the preferences of the editors, but it very closely matches the characteristics described.

Frankly, pouring water into the area of the side membranes was a little scary, but iRoar Go passed the test. All electronics are reliably insulated, and the presence of holes on all sides of the column allowed water to flow out unhindered.

Compliance with the IPX6 class means that the device will continue to work properly even under the pressure of strong water jets or sea waves.

The next class of water resistance is assigned to devices that can maintain their performance when immersed to a depth of one meter. Why listen to music underwater, we do not know, but it is quite possible that Creative will release such speakers as well.

Sound

Let's move on to the key parameter of any speakers - sound. Here, sorry, I would like to make a reservation right away: Singaporean sound gurus are talented and diligent, but the full-fledged multi-channel Hi-Fi system iRoar Go still cannot replace. Not because the developers did something unfinished or did not foresee, but because they are not yet subject to control of the laws of sound propagation from a source the size of a waffle cake.

However, if someone defeats the laws of acoustics, then it will certainly be Creative. She came as close as possible to this. When using the iRoar Go from close range, you will notice that its sound is quite consistent with many full-length 2.1 speakers. Considering that we are talking about a portable speaker the size of a slightly elongated weighty book, the result is excellent.

Two positions iRoar Go for listening to music is not only a design, but also a functional feature. The horizontal arrangement is intended for a more balanced sound in large rooms and open spaces, while the vertical arrangement will give a more focused and directional sound.

Speaking about the sound balance, one cannot but mention the Superwide technology. It is this innovation that sets the iRoar Go apart from the entire Roar series, as well as from the many portable speakers from other manufacturers. Superwide is a true claim to hi-fi potential and one that casts doubt for a second about Creative's lack of magical ability.

Superwide supports four placement scenarios to customize the dispersion of sound waves. We have tested a couple of scenarios on ourselves and we want to assure you: there really is a difference. Benefits too.

With the horizontal arrangement of iRoar Go on the table, it became much more difficult to determine the exact location of the speaker, and the sound was more or less evenly distributed over the open space of the Lifehacker.

Already traditionally located on the case, the Roar button is somewhat similar to some Mega Bass mode on inexpensive computer speakers. But if in the case of budget “jenius” this function added bass, not caring about the quality of the mix and other frequencies, then the Roar mode in the Creative speakers works magic.

The sound power of the Roar is boosted by a smart processor in a balanced way, while maintaining bass density and treble detail. The mix itself is saturated as if new instruments suddenly appeared in it, filling the previously empty frequencies. Once you turn on Roar mode, you won't want to turn it off.

The choice of acoustics, like the choice of perfume or beer, is a purely individual matter. Therefore, speaking of sound, I will abandon the traditional "we" for a while. Personally, I expectedly lacked low frequencies and mids, which, when used close, was successfully compensated by custom equalizer settings. The question of the lack of frequencies arose again when moving away from the speaker. Here the Superwide function saved the situation, but the unpleasant aftertaste remained.

iRoar Go withstood comparison with the top-end JBL Charge 3 and with its predecessor Roar 2, but significantly lost to its older friend iRoar.

The sound characteristics will allow the iRoar Go to be used as a laptop soundbar and speaker for street promoters. iRoar Go is the perfect speaker for your shower or pool, kitchen or garage. To arrange an incendiary disco, of course, is problematic, but with the tasks facing portable acoustics, iRoar Go does an excellent job.

Specifications

Creative goes the beaten track using a traditional speaker set with slightly reduced power: onboard two 1.5 "tweeters, a 2.5" subwoofer and two passive radiators. The sound pressure of this cocktail reaches 85 dB.

Through the cabinet grill, we can see two tweeters and an iRoar Go subwoofer: the developers have returned to placing active speakers on one side and passive radiators on the sides.

The bi-amplification tradition has also justified its existence. The iRoar Go has two amplifiers, one of which goes to the tweeters, the other to the subwoofer, which is responsible for the mid and low frequencies.

Our frequency response test showed excellent results for portable speakers. iRoar Go noticeably lost in volume at 70 Hz, a sharp cut occurred at around 50 Hz. However, Lifehacker does not specialize in audio equipment, and therefore is ready to offer you an alternative in the form of research from professionals from France - the Les Numériques portal.

Verdict

iRoar Go is half the price of its predecessor iRoar, and for good reason. The column lost a little in power and battery life, lost an optical input, a touch panel and much more. However, the iRoar Go fulfills its price of 14,990 rubles with interest.

The main features, design solutions, quality materials and excellent speakers - all of this remained in place. Combine that with IPX6 water resistance and Superwide support for the perfect Creative iRoar Go portable speaker.

Buy iRoar Go from Creative Official Store →