In Use:

While the LUXA2 GroovyR can be used wired or wirelessly, my use focused on connecting to the device via Bluetooth for wireless playback. Connecting to the GroovyR with an iPod, Android phone, or Android tablet was extremely easy, and there were no hoops to jump through to get the devices paired. Within seconds of attempting to pair, the music was flowing from the GroovyR's speakers, and I was immediately impressed. I didn't think such a small, lightweight speaker could produce such sounds, and I clearly underestimated them.

The speakers clearly aren't big enough to offer earth shaking bass, but the sound was definitely rich and covered the full range well. Some bass was there, and better than I expected, but you're not going to shake any walls and if you're really partying you're going to drown it out. The mid range and treble sounds were well reproduced, and unlike many small speakers there was nothing tinny about these. Environment can definitely impact the performance, and having a larger flat surface indoors helps produce a very rich sound. On surfaces like my desk or the dining room table, in rooms that weren't too large, the sound was great and with just a moderate volume they were very pleasant to listen to. You could definitely crank it up, but that wasn't always what I was looking for.

When outdoors, the richness wasn't quite there due to the lack of a defined space. This isn't the speakers fault, but worth noting as we discuss their use. They still sounded good, but they had to be turned up more and positioned such that the sound was directed more toward your location to be as effective as indoors. I found a similar effect when using the speaker while hanging from the wall. Whether on the pegboard in my garage or on a nail in the fence by the pool, the sound wasn't as impressive as when sitting on a hard flat surface in a defined space.

The GroovyR arrived with at least some charge on the battery, but I let it charge for the recommended 2.5 hours the night before testing was to begin. The next day I set it up on my desk around 7:30AM, and let it stream Pandora from my tablet for the whole day - and then some. I was ready to wrap things up around 4PM, but the GroovyR wasn't. We were already up to 8-1/2 hours of non-stop Bluetooth audio at moderate volumes without a break. I shut the tablet and GroovyR off, drove home, and set things up again. This time I wasn't paying attention explicitly, but somewhere around 12 hours of run time it ran out of juice. Pretty impressive. Subsequent tests, sometimes at much higher volumes, still got me through a whole day in excess of 8 hours of Bluetooth audio run time.



The promotional image above shows what the holder would look like with an iPhone in use, and be sure to note there is no case installed on either device. As mentioned on the previous page, cases make the fit and functionality far less appealing.

We have a couple of action shots of the GroovyR below. You get a bit of size comparison with the GroovyR positioned with a pair of sunglasses and a bottle cap in the below left image. In the below right image we see it out by the pool. It is not water proof or water resistant, so try not to get it wet. I typically kept it several feet farther from the pool than shown in these images, but you could still here it no matter where you were splashing around. Bluetooth range was also put to the test out by the pool, as I would leave the tablet indoors. While typically just 2-3 meters from the GroovyR, it was moved right up to the 10m limit on occasion, and even with a closed door to my house in between, the music kept playing without a hitch.



One other concern I had at the beginning of the review has also been slightly dispelled. The plastic housing is solid, but definitely not rugged. I was initially afraid of damage from less than gentle handling, but so far, so good. The GroovyR review sample has accidentally been dropped twice from about three feet on to the ground, and other than one small scuff it is showing no ill effects. Rugged construction might conflict with LUXA2's luxury aesthetic, but I would definitely be interested in a sportier version of these speakers with a more rugged housing and perhaps a more water resistant design.