Luxa2 Groovy W Wireless Charging Speaker Review

Lazada Philippines

The Luxa2 Groovy W is a speaker that promises a host of features — it’s got Bluetooth, NFC, a wireless charging station that doubles as a personal powerbank, a microphone for calls, and a dedicated app. Will all these work together positively to make it stand out from all the other wireless speakers out there?

Physique

The Groovy W is a mid-sized rectangular box that comes with a separate charging base (which we’ll get to in a bit). The speaker is not at all heavy, weighing in at 596 grams. A speaker grille that protects its dual drivers is what makes up the majority of its face.

Luxa2-GroovyW-8

Up top is a glossy plastic panel that holds touch-sensitive capacitive buttons like Play/Pause and volume up and down, as well as indicators for the NFC, battery life, speakerphone, and Bluetooth. For us, we would be happier if the company went with a matte finish rather than a glossy one for its panel.

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The entire device is lined with chrome platings that go hand-in-hand with its glossy finish. Two metallic strips go around the entire speaker that positively gives an accent to the Groovy W.

Luxa2-GroovyW-5

At the back is where the power button is placed right beside the microUSB port and 3.5mm audio jack for wired connection.

Sound Quality

Let me say that the Groovy W has a decent sound reproduction in general. This means that overall sound is clear and loud, but we eventually saw a few niggles after using it for more than a week.

Although mids were impressive, we noticed that highs could be overpowering at times and bass lacked authority. We would be happier if the former was set down a notch and the latter had a little more oomph in it.

Luxa2-GroovyW-4

Cranking it up to maximum volume delivers pretty loud sound. We used it on a beach trip and we’re happy to report that it could keep up even on outdoor use. One thing we noticed, though, was that slight distortion was present on full volume. It wasn’t a deal-breaker for us. It’s just that we tend to nitpick sometimes.

In this department, we were satisfied with the Groovy W’s performance despite minor gripes.

Special Features

This speaker carries a handful of features to offer its users. One of the main ones is its Bluetooth connectivity which is the most common way of connecting to the Groovy W next to utilizing its 3.5mm audio jack. Bluetooth connectivity was easy to use and takes a short time to pair so that’s good, but we couldn’t say the same for its NFC.

We’ve tried pairing it multiple times to an NFC-equipped smartphone and what we got was an error message. We also tried using a different device thinking that the first phone had issues, but we were proven wrong — we still experienced the same error regardless of what device we used. Sadly, NFC was of no use to us during our entire time with it.

Another feature that it carries is the ability to use it as a loudspeaker. Once a phone is connected to it, users can make calls and talk to their contacts through the speaker thanks to its built-in microphone. We could clearly hear the person talking on the other end of the line and same was the case when we tried speaking.

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A noteworthy feature the Groovy W has is its separate charger. This 4000mAh slab of battery pack has a USB port meaning it can act as a standalone powerbank and charge your other devices — smartphones, tablets, cameras, etc. as long as it can be charged using a USB cable. It has its own LED indicator to show you how much power is left.

Luxa2-GroovyW-6

You may think that’s cool but it’s not the best part. Since the separate battery wirelessly charges the Groovy W through the use of Qi, users may also charge their Qi-capable devices just by placing it on top of the circular area seen above. I can personally say that I would probably buy the Groovy W because of its charging capabilities rather than its sound quality.

Luxa2App

The company also made a dedicated app for all its speakers. The Luxa2 app is available both in Apple store and Google Play store for download. With it, you can choose what music to play and control its volume but that’s pretty much it. The app is very basic with all your songs compiled in one long, alphabetical list. There are no categories like Artist, Genre, or Playlist — you only have your entire music library in one place.

Battery Life

To test its battery life we played music continuously via Bluetooth on full volume. The Groovy W lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes on its own battery. After which we placed it on top of its charging station that added 2 more hours of play time, netting a total of over five hours of continuous playback. The result was far less than its 15-hour claimed battery life, but do consider that we were streaming via Bluetooth the entire time and volume was on full blast.

Conclusion

Luxa2-GroovyW-1

The Luxa2 Groovy W is a wireless speaker that can definitely be a travel buddy. It’s not that compact but its functionality regarding charging batteries is a good backup plan for your devices when no outlet is in the area. Sound quality is good, but with minor gripes. It also gives you a choice in terms of connectivity whether to use Bluetooth or NFC although in our case, NFC didn’t work at all.

Luxa2 Groovy W specs:
Output power: 7W
Drivers: 2-piece 35mm drivers
70 x 25 passive radiator
Bluetooth 3.0
NFC
Qi wireless charging
Dimensions: 66 x 82 x 180
Weight: 596 grams
2,200mAh built-in battery
4,000mAh separate battery charger
Price: Php4,850

What we liked about it:

  • Overall decent sound quality
  • Charging station acts as standalone powerbank
  • Volume loud enough for outdoor use
  • Packed with features

What we didn’t like:

  • App lacks categories for tracks (only displays all songs in one long list)
  • NFC didn’t work on various NFC-enabled devices
  • Glossy panel is susceptible to smudges

The post Luxa2 Groovy W Wireless Charging Speaker Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Luxa2 Groovy T Magic Boom Box Speaker Quick Review

Lazada Philippines

There are different ways you could connect your music player to a pair of speakers. There’s the classic wired approach that uses a 3.5mm cable, docking the device onto the speakers itself, over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth pairing, and NFC pairing. There is, however, a newly-emerging way of doing this without the use of wires or Wi-Fi and it’s called Near Field Audio. This is what Luxa2‘s Groovy T Magic Boom Box speaker is all about — being able to amplify your music just by placing it on top, without any configuration.

Luxa2-GroovyT-2

The device is just this 5.1-inch long plastic box which is lightweight and could easily fit in most bags. It’s got an overall matte finish which doesn’t scream to be noticed and blends well when placed on top of shelves, tables, etc. The physique of the Groovy T is very basic: Its flat surface up top is where you place your music player, the front is where the two 1.5-inch drivers give out sound, and at the back are your power switch, mini-USB for charging, and AUX port.

Luxa2-GroovyT-3

The way the Groovy T works is through induction and it requires a few things. First, the music player needs to have a speaker of its own and second, it should be placed on top of the strip of white line. This area is where the device picks up the sound coming from the music player, amplifies it, and sends it out the two drivers with a louder volume. We’ve recently came across this kind of technology when Airborne Technologies introduced the AT Boom Box.

Luxa2-GroovyT-5

Here’s a video of how it works:

We would say the the Groovy T effectively amplifies the original volume from the music player. From something that could only be heard by a little, the boom box makes it audible for a group of people. As for the sound quality, it still was decent, but definitely not as good as dedicated speakers. Turning the source’s volume all the way to the maximum produced slight distortion and overall, the sound was tin-y and lacked bass.

Luxa2-GroovyT-4

You have to understand, though, that Luxa2 didn’t make this specifically for audiophiles. It was targeted more to those who just want music playing in the background with a really convenient method of doing so — simply place your smartphone or iPod on top of it and you’re all ready to go. As for the battery life the company claims that it could last 5.5 hours of continuous playback, which it did. In fact, it lasted longer than that while playing music with 50% volume. With a battery life lasting more than 6 hours, it just proved that it’s a good companion for indoor and even outdoor use.

If you’re looking for a simple music player that effectively does its job, the Luxa2 Groovy T is one of the devices to consider. It’s also competitively-priced at just Php750 so those minor niggles aren’t really something to complain about. It will be available starting this January 2015.

Luxa2 Groovy T specs:
Drivers: 2x 1.5-inch
Frequency Range: 20Hz – 20kHz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Maximum Power: 1250MW
800mAh battery
1-meter mini-USB cable (included)
31 inches 3.5mm cable (included)
130 x 47 x 69mm (dimensions)
155 grams (weight)

What we liked about it:

  • Handy
  • Positively amplifies volume from source
  • Impressive battery life
  • Priced competitively

What we didn’t like:

  • Tin-y sound
  • Lacks bass
  • Slight distortion on maximum volume

The post Luxa2 Groovy T Magic Boom Box Speaker Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Luxa2 Groovy T Magic Boom Box Speaker Quick Review

Lazada Philippines

There are different ways you could connect your music player to a pair of speakers. There’s the classic wired approach that uses a 3.5mm cable, docking the device onto the speakers itself, over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth pairing, and NFC pairing. There is, however, a newly-emerging way of doing this without the use of wires or Wi-Fi and it’s called Near Field Audio. This is what Luxa2‘s Groovy T Magic Boom Box speaker is all about — being able to amplify your music just by placing it on top, without any configuration.

Luxa2-GroovyT-2

The device is just this 5.1-inch long plastic box which is lightweight and could easily fit in most bags. It’s got an overall matte finish which doesn’t scream to be noticed and blends well when placed on top of shelves, tables, etc. The physique of the Groovy T is very basic: Its flat surface up top is where you place your music player, the front is where the two 1.5-inch drivers give out sound, and at the back are your power switch, mini-USB for charging, and AUX port.

Luxa2-GroovyT-3

The way the Groovy T works is through induction and it requires a few things. First, the music player needs to have a speaker of its own and second, it should be placed on top of the strip of white line. This area is where the device picks up the sound coming from the music player, amplifies it, and sends it out the two drivers with a louder volume. We’ve recently came across this kind of technology when Airborne Technologies introduced the AT Boom Box.

Luxa2-GroovyT-5

Here’s a video of how it works:

We would say the the Groovy T effectively amplifies the original volume from the music player. From something that could only be heard by a little, the boom box makes it audible for a group of people. As for the sound quality, it still was decent, but definitely not as good as dedicated speakers. Turning the source’s volume all the way to the maximum produced slight distortion and overall, the sound was tin-y and lacked bass.

Luxa2-GroovyT-4

You have to understand, though, that Luxa2 didn’t make this specifically for audiophiles. It was targeted more to those who just want music playing in the background with a really convenient method of doing so — simply place your smartphone or iPod on top of it and you’re all ready to go. As for the battery life the company claims that it could last 5.5 hours of continuous playback, which it did. In fact, it lasted longer than that while playing music with 50% volume. With a battery life lasting more than 6 hours, it just proved that it’s a good companion for indoor and even outdoor use.

If you’re looking for a simple music player that effectively does its job, the Luxa2 Groovy T is one of the devices to consider. It’s also competitively-priced at just Php750 so those minor niggles aren’t really something to complain about. It will be available starting this January 2015.

Luxa2 Groovy T specs:
Drivers: 2x 1.5-inch
Frequency Range: 20Hz – 20kHz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Maximum Power: 1250MW
800mAh battery
1-meter mini-USB cable (included)
31 inches 3.5mm cable (included)
130 x 47 x 69mm (dimensions)
155 grams (weight)

What we liked about it:

  • Handy
  • Positively amplifies volume from source
  • Impressive battery life
  • Priced competitively

What we didn’t like:

  • Tin-y sound
  • Lacks bass
  • Slight distortion on maximum volume

The post Luxa2 Groovy T Magic Boom Box Speaker Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Luxa2 Groovy T Magic Boom Box Speaker Quick Review

Lazada Philippines

There are different ways you could connect your music player to a pair of speakers. There’s the classic wired approach that uses a 3.5mm cable, docking the device onto the speakers itself, over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth pairing, and NFC pairing. There is, however, a newly-emerging way of doing this without the use of wires or Wi-Fi and it’s called Near Field Audio. This is what Luxa2‘s Groovy T Magic Boom Box speaker is all about — being able to amplify your music just by placing it on top, without any configuration.

Luxa2-GroovyT-2

The device is just this 5.1-inch long plastic box which is lightweight and could easily fit in most bags. It’s got an overall matte finish which doesn’t scream to be noticed and blends well when placed on top of shelves, tables, etc. The physique of the Groovy T is very basic: Its flat surface up top is where you place your music player, the front is where the two 1.5-inch drivers give out sound, and at the back are your power switch, mini-USB for charging, and AUX port.

Luxa2-GroovyT-3

The way the Groovy T works is through induction and it requires a few things. First, the music player needs to have a speaker of its own and second, it should be placed on top of the strip of white line. This area is where the device picks up the sound coming from the music player, amplifies it, and sends it out the two drivers with a louder volume. We’ve recently came across this kind of technology when Airborne Technologies introduced the AT Boom Box.

Luxa2-GroovyT-5

Here’s a video of how it works:

We would say the the Groovy T effectively amplifies the original volume from the music player. From something that could only be heard by a little, the boom box makes it audible for a group of people. As for the sound quality, it still was decent, but definitely not as good as dedicated speakers. Turning the source’s volume all the way to the maximum produced slight distortion and overall, the sound was tin-y and lacked bass.

Luxa2-GroovyT-4

You have to understand, though, that Luxa2 didn’t make this specifically for audiophiles. It was targeted more to those who just want music playing in the background with a really convenient method of doing so — simply place your smartphone or iPod on top of it and you’re all ready to go. As for the battery life the company claims that it could last 5.5 hours of continuous playback, which it did. In fact, it lasted longer than that while playing music with 50% volume. With a battery life lasting more than 6 hours, it just proved that it’s a good companion for indoor and even outdoor use.

If you’re looking for a simple music player that effectively does its job, the Luxa2 Groovy T is one of the devices to consider. It’s also competitively-priced at just Php750 so those minor niggles aren’t really something to complain about. It will be available starting this January 2015.

Luxa2 Groovy T specs:
Drivers: 2x 1.5-inch
Frequency Range: 20Hz – 20kHz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Maximum Power: 1250MW
800mAh battery
1-meter mini-USB cable (included)
31 inches 3.5mm cable (included)
130 x 47 x 69mm (dimensions)
155 grams (weight)

What we liked about it:

  • Handy
  • Positively amplifies volume from source
  • Impressive battery life
  • Priced competitively

What we didn’t like:

  • Tin-y sound
  • Lacks bass
  • Slight distortion on maximum volume

The post Luxa2 Groovy T Magic Boom Box Speaker Quick Review appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.