Audio

Creative iRoar Go Review

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November 30, 2016 13 Min Read
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Featuring IPX6 dust and water protection, the Creative team are back with the smallest and lightest speaker in the Roar series yet.


Product on Review: Creative iRoar Go
Manufacturer: Creative
Street Price: UK: £159 US: $199

The Roar PWS (portable wireless speaker), has firmly been cemented in the market and has become a well loved product. Many consider it to be the perfect all-rounder, and has often been dubbed as the Swiss Army knife of wireless speakers due to its versatility and inclusive nature. Early criticisms fell to its size and mass, Creative then presented the Roar 2 which is 20% smaller by volume, and 100g lighter than its predecessor. Next in line came the Roar Pro, sharing many similarities with the original Roar, but features an improved battery/lifespan, the advanced aptX low latency codec and support for the iRoar mic, allowing it to become a good quality portable PA or karaoke machine. In our most recent outing, we felt the power of the iRoar, along with the companion subwoofer dock, the iRoar Rock. The self-titled ‘most intelligent speaker on the planet’, is undisputed and it sits as current primo of the Roar series. Despite delivering just about everything you could ever want from a speaker, the iRoar doesn’t quite have it all; its still rather large and heavy, and it isn’t weather proof.

The iRoar Go addresses that, coming in 25% lighter and 40% smaller than the iRoar, it is the most portable Roar speaker yet. Adding to that, it has an IPX6 protection rating, meaning that it is sealed against dust, and has a waterproof rating to the equivalent of being jet-blasted from all angles for 3minutes and should not show any signs of seepage, or failure. This means less concern on those poolside, or seaside trips, still be sure not drop it in the toilet or the ocean. Despite these changes, the iRoar Go still features that fantastic bi-amplified 2.1 design and versatile connectivity. To control the iRoar Go, Creative have developed a supporting desktop and mobile app (Sound Blaster Connect) that gives advanced controls and features.



Overview by Creative
Your audio experience comes alive with depth and immersion that makes you appreciate the aural wonders of SuperWide™ technology. It delivers a sound stage so wide that you won’t believe it’s coming from this little speaker. Just like its bigger counterparts, the iRoar Go has wireless capabilities, and it multi-tasks as a built-in MP3/FLAC player, voice recorder, Bluetooth speakerphone, an external USB Sound Blaster sound card and a battery bank. Don’t let its size fool you, for the iRoar Go is a fearless speaker that’s not afraid of water. It is water-resistant with an IPX6 rating so no splashes can spoil your fun.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions (H x W x D): 54 x 192 x 97 mm
USB Cable Length: Approx 0.7m
Weight: 810g (28.5oz)
Color: Black

Included Accessories
1 x Microphone Adapter
1 x USB Cable
1 x Wall Power Adapter and Plugs

Recommended Usage
Wireless Streaming: Yes
Movies / Music: Yes
Outdoor: Yes
Water/Dust-Resistant: Yes

Controls / Connectivity
Bluetooth® VersionBluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth ProfileA2DP (Wireless Stereo Bluetooth)
AVRCP (Bluetooth Remote Control)
HFP (Hands-free Profile)

Supported Codecs
AAC
SBC

Near Field Communication (NFC): Yes

Connector Type
Bluetooth
AUX-in
USB

Volume Level Control: Yes
Bass Level Control: Yes
Treble Control: Yes
Tone Control: Yes

Features
Drivers1 x 2.5″ Subwoofer
2 x 1.5″ Tweeter
2 x Passive Radiators

Design: Bi-amplified Design
Microphone: Built-in

Supported Platforms for Wireless Audio (Minimum Requirements)
Mobile/Smart DevicesMobile / Smart devices with A2DP -enabled Bluetooth technology
ComputersCompatible with PC (Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10)
Apple Macintosh equipped with Bluetooth wireless stereo

USB Audio: Yes

Battery Specifications
Battery Type: Built-in Li-ion5200mAh
Battery Life: 12 hours
Charging by: Proprietary Adaptor
Charge Mobile Devices: USB 1.0A Max Output

Mobile Applications
App NameSound Blaster Connect

Supported Platforms: Android, iOS

Others
microSD Slot: Yes
Supported Audio Formats
MP3 (Up to 320kbps)
WMA (Up to 320kbps)
WAV (Up to 16 bit 48kHz PCM)
FLAC (Up to 48kHz, 1300Kbps)

Other Features: IPX6

Packaging & First Look


The packaging clearly shows off the main feature of the iRoar Go, that it is a weatherproof Bluetooth speaker. It also gives a special mention to the new super wide technology.


At the back there is an overview of all the features with additional translations in French and German.


As with all the Roar series, the iRoar comes with a multi-power adaptor which is great because not only is it convenient for cross-border sales, but it means if you travel, you will likely have the adaptor you need across many parts of the world. Also included is a microphone adaptor enabling the iRoar Go to be used as a portable PA device, or for singing, as well as a 1.8m USB-microUSB cable. Again it is a shame that there is no carry case included, even a simple nylon bag would be appreciated.


The iRoar Go is the smallest we have seen in the Roar series yet. This extra space may come from lighter drivers, smaller dimensions, and the smaller, more efficient battery (5300mah vs 6000mah). And so there is a narrower control zone with buttons and indicator lights. The iRoar Go is black with silver trims and looks as robust as it does elegant. The buttons and connections all have rubber seals to prevent water seepage to the electronics. Because of the nature of this product, in which there are direct openings to the electronics, it would be very difficult to achieve IPX7 rating (fully submersible) without doing away with much of the features and versatility the Roar provides. Who knows, maybe Creative may make an ultra durable IPX7 rated iRoar that only features nfc/Bluetooth connectivity… maybe that could call it the ‘iRoar RAW’…


Here you can get a better visual idea of the relative size of the iRoar Go, which is around 25% smaller than the iRoar by volume. Its 54 x 192 x 97 (mm) dimensions makes it approximately the size of a lady’s large purse.

Closer Look



Behind the mesh you can vaguely see that the two 1.5″ tweeters and the 2.5″ subwoofer all fire upwards in a similar arrangement seen in the Roar 2.


The metal edging seems to act as a protective barrier at the edges. The front features two rubber feet for an upright orientation, another feature seen on the Roar 2, however this time the feet are pre-attached.


The passive side radiators are made from a machined metal with the Creative branding. Though they seem quite exposed, they are solid, and the IPX6 rating will mean that they won’t let water or dust penetrate into any vital parts.


All the buttons have a rubber covering, while the IO section has rubber gaskets protecting them from anything getting in.


This does of course cause a slight inconvenience for when you do need to access them for charging or connecting any cable, but its a worthwhile trade off.


The rear controls are orientated so they are correctly viewed in the upright position. There are general media controls as well as recording playback controls and a dedicated ROAR! button.


Underneath there is no docking point to be used with the iRoar Dock, which is a shame. Though, aside from the non-slip rubber feet, there is also a meshed grill underneath, this could be to allow water to drain, or even as part of the super wide sound dispersion/tuning.

Software


The software in either its mobile or desktop iterations both seemed to have problems getting started at first, mostly as they are unsure if the device/system was connected to the iRoar Go. To fix this, I powered the iRoar Go off then restarted, all good. Unlike the iRoar, which has several different apps available, the Sound Blaster Connect app for the iRoar Go seems to have a more unified control including access to stored media on the SD card/USB drive. It gives complete control over the EQ as well as the various Sound Blaster technologies and DSP (digital signal processing). Overall the GUI is easy to navigate and much more fun and contemporary than the aging Sound Blaster suites found on their soundcards. This focus integrating more controls via smart devices is likely enabled by the Bluetooth 4.2 standard, as part of the IOT (Internet of Things). This balanced focus on hardware/software technology that reveals their in-house aptitude with audio technology seems to put them at a huge advantage against competitors that may not quite have the same level of technological integration as others may have to rely on various third parties to deliver similar features, thus decreasing the reliability and increasing costs.








Performance Testing

Setup, Design & Observations
Out the box, the size of the iRoar Go is visually impressive as it truly looks and feels like more like a speaker that one would regularly carry around with them. Though it is also significantly lighter than all the previous Roar models, it retains that quality construction and comparable density that makes one think ‘wow, this feels powerful’.

The buttons feels nice to press and as they are hard buttons, they don’t suffer from any slight delays as observed with the iRoar. The source button is convenient to swap between all sources instantly as indicated by the LED lights. The only real annoyance I observed was when trying to open the I/O covers, if you have no fingernails, you will likely need to look around for a little tool to act as a lever.

As with the other Roar models, the iRoar Go features various power management features, including going into auto standby after 28hours of inactivity while plugged into the mains. This can be deactivated by the mobile/desktop app should you wish. If there is no activity for 15minutes via any source, it will auto power down to protect the battery, this mode cannot be disabled.

Battery life seemed fairly reasonable, it had at least 7 hours continuous use, then intermittent use over two days before telling me the battery is low, so from full charge a 10-12 hour lifespan seems reasonable depending on situation. It is worth noting I had ROAR! mode enabled the whole time, which is likely to diminish the battery quicker.

There are various features that aren’t included with the iRoar Go, though one could argue whether or not they are essential features or not. One is that it doesn’t seem like there is a sleep timer, which is a battery saving and convenient mode for those that like to sleep with music, or even use music to put their children to sleep. I was hoping Creative would expand on this feature to even include an actual clock/timer/alarm mode or even digital radio.

We also feel it is worth discussing the lack of the aptX codec which seems like a carefully considered action by Creative. As the realm of audio codecs is something that is fairly complex, I guess we can trust them in its relevancy. The aptX codec is a proprietary wireless codec that compresses audio for the purpose of wireless transmission. It’s omission may be due to reducing costs, or simply it may not be needed, either due to the implementation of Bluetooth 4.2 or because most contemporary devices can compress/decompress files with fair competency. Regardless of the actual reason for its omission, we didn’t notice any issue with wireless audio playback.



Splash testing… That’s a splash right? Well, after a pint of water thrown over it, we observed no problems and was happy to continue playing music while splashing water back at us. No negative effects were observed during our testing time, and it ended up drying out fine. I guess the result would be a little different if it was a sugary soft drink, but I would just recommend dousing it with water to clean it off after. Just don’t submerge it in water, it is not rated to do that so don’t risk it.



Multimedia
Playback is as impressive as you would expect, loud, room filling audio with the clarity and accuracy that is enjoyable. The bass has a good presence from low volume (thanks to the auto Terabass), to its maximum volume with ROAR! mode enabled. The super wide modes were interesting, as they rely on room acoustics and positioning the iRoar Go in a specific manner. Though the difference was noticeable, giving a wide, stereo experience when in the correct orientation, giving the illusion of a large presence than the relatively small iRoar Go. However for outside listening, this is fairly null. Outside, the iRoar provides good presence as those far field speakers do their job at projecting the sound. The bass did seem like it was a little weaker at travelling farther distances, that being said, it is perfectly reasonable for room/garden size occasions.

Microphone
As standard the iRoar Go features an integrated microphone which is perfectly acceptable for conversation and conference calling via your phone. Via PC, the microphone remains reasonable, but won’t I wouldn’t recommend as your go-to solution unless you have no alternative. It lacks some of the fancy features that the integrated microphone in the iRoar has, but the simplicity makes it more user friendly for conventional purposes while doing away with any of the potential problems that could arise with the various microphone modes the iRoar has. Of course, should you wish to, there is also a voice recording mode that will be saved onto your SD card.

Conclusion


The iRoar Go is a much needed addition to the Roar series of Bluetooth speakers and from our testing, readers can be confident that they will get the fantastic full fledged Roar sound experience in a lighter, more compact shell that can withstand rough weather and debris. So whether you are reporting in a hurricane, or simply want that great audio while on your trip to the beach, the iRoar Go is the one to take with you.

The iRoar retains that famous versatility as it is able to accept various audio sources (may as well mention that is does support the PS4 too) and there is little missing from the repertoire that people would trade for the convenience and peace of mind that IPX6 rating provides.

Creative are clearly moving from strength to strength and the tighter integration of smart controls via the Sound Blaster Connect app looks set to open up more possibilities in future. In fact, there are very few downsides to consider with the iRoar Go. If we overlook things such as the obstructive rubber IO flaps, which are there for good reason, the only real mentions are things that is doesn’t have. The most notable thing I can think of which could cause an inconvenience is that it doesn’t charge via the micro USB connection. This means, if you are using it via PC/Mac/PS4, you will also need to plug in the power cable. As with all before it bar the iRoar, it doesn’t come with a carry bag, the added value of providing a simple nylon carry/storage bag would please many people.


In regards to the features I would love to see on a future Roar product, it would be great to see Creative include a headphone amp which allows people to get the most out of that DSP. Combining the might of the Sound Blaster X7 with the iRoar… that would be a match made in heaven!

The iRoar Go is the smallest and most portable speaker in the Roar series, yet doesn’t compromise on its versatility and powerful sound. The IPX6 rating will provide that essential peace of mind when you are by the pool, seaside, or are simply having a BBQ during the British summer.

Pros.
+ Smallest/lightest Roar yet
+ Flac support
+ IPX6 Dust and Splash proof
+ Good quality, room filling audio
+ Bluetooth (NFC), SD card/USB drive, USB (PC/Mac/PS4) and AUX playback.
+ Auto Terabass
+ Built in microphone/voice recording
+ Includes microphone adaptor
+ Sound Blaster Connect app for Windows, Android, and iOS
+ Power out for mobile charging

Cons.
– No included carry bag
– Doesn’t charge via micro USB
– Not compatible with iRoar microphone


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