Simple Audio Go, portable Bluetooth speaker: Review

Mumbai: Since most of you should know, Corsair, a known brand in manufacturing computer peripherals, has acquired Simple Audio a few days ago. At the same time, they also launched the Simple Audio Go, a portable Bluetooth speaker. We had our hands on a piece to check out what this portable speaker sounds like.

The Simple Audio Go is a simple, single unit which features a three-way speaker system within a small body. The Go is about the size of a standard 500 gram cake of table butter (slightly smaller, maybe). Encased in an all-black plastic chassis, the unit has a dual-tone exterior. While the front face features a metal grill, it is surrounded by a glossy black rim. The rear is matt-black rubber-coated plastic with rubber-padded feet, which are a bit sticky to keep the unit from vibrating or slipping off the table.

The unit is 6cm tall, 6.5cm deep and 12.5cm wide. On the top, you will find a Bluetooth pairing button along with two more buttons for volume up and down. Available on the rear are ports such as a microUSB for charging, a 3.5mm audio-in jack for connecting external music players and PC/laptops and a power switch to power on/off the device. The speaker has a single blue LED for charge/power notification, which blinks when it is in pairing mode. Bundled along with the speaker kit is a small carry bag, a stereo audio 3.5mm to 3.5mm jack and a microUSB cable with a power adapter to charge the internal batteries.

The Simple Audio Go features a built-in three-way speaker system which incorporates a full-range speakers and a tuned bass port. A bass reflex port is provided on the bottom for deep bass. The speaker has a built-in amplifier which can be used with almost any audio system for additional amplification. Additionally, the Go uses Bluetooth 3.0 A2DP support, which can pair with any Bluetooth-enabled device, be it smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop. The Simple Audio Go is powered by an internal rechargeable battery which can power the speaker for around 8 hours.

Switch-on the speaker and it sends out a subtle chime to let you know that it has powered on. Pairing the device is pretty simple-press the pairing button on the top for a few seconds and the blue LED will fliker to let you know it is ready to be paired. Then simply scan and pair the speaker from your phone, tablet or computer—no passcodes required.

The Simple Audio Go is pretty loud for a tiny size it displays. From across the room, the speaker has a good audio volume with decent highs and bass. However, we did find the bass a bit disappointing since the thumps were a bit hollow. Also the highs were not very tuned—high-frequency notes were a bit on the lower side. Overall, the audio quality is great, and not much to complain. The Go is great for instant parties—on a beach, on the road, in the train, a terrace party or in your office. The small unit is really loud for a mid-sized room.

The Simple Audio Go is great for instant entertainment such as casual music, movie entertainment and such. Pair it with your smartphone, computer or laptop to enjoy better quality audio instead of hearing it through the internal speakers itself. The Go is conveniently sized, which makes it highly portable. The Go also features an in-built microphone which can be also used as conference call answering equipment at the office, at home or in the car.

Priced at an MRP of Rs 6,999, we feel the unit is a bit overpriced. Other, similar speaker units, such as the ones from Jabra, have a comparable audio output and quality, but are priced fairly cheaper. However, portable Bluetooth speakers are known to cost anywhere from Rs 4,000 and upwards. Another point, to be spilled out, is the lacking AVRCP on the Go. Using the AVRCP feature, one could control the audio playback from the speaker itself, for example, play, stop, pause, forward and reverse. Furthermore, there is no option or are no buttons to answer or cut a call when using it as a hands-free with phones.

We also noted another issue, that the speaker is not well shielded from external wireless noises and electrical inductions. If you have your phone too close to the speaker, you can hear the disturbances, caused by the phone’s radio, amplified in the audio output. Hopefully, Corsair and Simple Audio take these issues and alterations into consideration for their next product. The street price of the product would definitely be lower than the MRP and we would recommend the unit if you are looking for small, portable, loud and clear bluetooth speaker system.