Creative Roar
PUBLISHED ONJuly 20, 2014 1:00 AM
While Creative Technology has been floundering with the lack of a recognisable flagship device in the market, many know that it made its name in audio.
Creative's pedigree is evident in its current range of wireless speakers.
A significant difference between the Roar and wireless speakers of the same size is that Creative has gone for an upward projecting design, where the audio flows upwards instead of straight out the front and at the listener.
The change works well for two reasons. Firstly, it fills a room much better and more strongly than regular front-facing speakers. Secondly, the placement of the internal speakers release sound from the top, as well as from the front.
If you switch the orientation and rest the speaker on its front, such that the top becomes the new front-facing speaker, you will notice a muffled presence.
Resting the Roar on its back is another possibility, but this leaves the device sitting on its panel of rear controls, which reminds me of old amplifiers.
To call the Creative Roar over-featured would be an understatement. The inclusion of USB charging, physical playback controls, an alarm button, audio recording and playback, as well as music playback from a microSD card, makes this a very Singaporean product because it seems designed for an "everything I want" user.
And did I mention the Roar has Near Field Communication (NFC), can answer calls and comes with a Roar audio amplification button to boost the volume? This enhancement is not unlike those offered by smartphones to increase the punch of the music, though I am not sure it is necessary.
The Roar has a great sound stage, with a balanced approach to mids and highs. It is especially strong on vocals, with clarity even at the highest volume settings.
Compared with the Minx Go though, it lacks a certain bass response, so some tracks come out sounding a little flat.
TECH SPECS
Price: $199
Additional features: USB charging, alarm mode, hands-free calling, microSD playback
RATING
Features: 5/5
Performance: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
This article was first published on July 16, 2014.
Get a copy of Digital Life, The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
MORE SPEAKER REVIEWS