I don’t drive and one of my pet hates when walking around town is having to listen to people playing music from their phones or watching something on YouTube so loudly that everyone can hear the noise. It is not what they are listening to that I have an issue with it but the poor sound quality and the fact they would rather listen to poor quality audio from a tinny speaker than invest in a decent pair of headphones or earphones.
I do a lot of travelling by train and depending on the length of the journey will listen to music from my phone or watch something on Netflix. I wouldn’t dream of annoying anyone else in the immediate vicinity with my choice of sounds so a good set of earbuds is a must for me (I prefer the in the ear type rather than over the head headphones/earphones).
There are plenty of options on the market both wireless and wired and I was delighted when Groov-e sent me their SoundBuds to review. The Groov-e SoundBuds are a pair of true wireless stereo (TWS) earphones with Voice Assistant – this means that there are no cables whatsoever, the two buds are not linked by a cable and there is not even a cable to plug in to charge them (charging is done through a clever little box – more on that later).
When they arrived, the package consisted of:
- Two wireless earbuds (one pair)
- Portable charging case
- Micro USB charging cable
- Ear caps (small and medium)
- Easy start up guide
Firstly, I had to charge the Groov-e SoundBuds. As I already mentioned, the SoundBuds themselves have no cables and do not require a cable into them to charge them. Instead they come with a portable carry case that is also a charging unit – I really like the idea of this as not only does the case charge the SoundBuds but it also has enough charge in the case to charge again if the SoundBuds require charging again while out and about. The case itself is the battery. The case needs charging first and takes around 3 hours to fully charge using a Micro USB cable – please note that no plug is supplied but most people have loads of thee in the house from their phones and other devices, or you can use you laptop to charge it.
Each SoundBud is placed into the sockets in the case, and held in magnetically, and you press the button to charge (the LED display on the case even tells you what percentage of charge is left in the case). Once fully charged you get around 4 hours of use and a fully charge case with give another 2½ charges (10 hours), giving a total of 14 hours use before the case needs recharging.
The case has a lid that closes and it small and lightweight enough (approx. 45g) to carry around in your pocket or bag.
Now that the SoundBuds are charged it was time to start using. The SoundBuds use Bluetooth 5.0 and have a range of up to 10 metres/30ft. Bluetooth 5.0 is much more energy efficient and gives you the maximum wireless usage and a standby time of around 50 hours. They are easy to pair by pressing and holding the button on each bud and once paired as long as Bluetooth is enabled on your phone or tablet and in range they should just connect.
For my ears, I had to use the medium sized ear caps. The SoundBuds were a very comfortable fit and light in the ears, weighing approx. 5g each.
The quality of the audio through the SoundBuds was excellent – much better that the output from my phone or tablet speaker.
As most people use with their phones, the SoundBuds also have a built-in microphone so that you make and receive calls at the touch of a button on the buds. If you have Siri or Google voice assistants, they can also interact with that giving you voice commands.
Overall, the Groov-e SoundBuds are an excellent piece of kit. They are very comfortable and light to wear, very easy to use and have excellent sound quality. The case is a fantastic feature as it not only protects then while not in use, but is also a portable charger with 10 hours charge in it. The only thing that I did notice, is that when the SoundBuds are running out of juice the range between them and the phone or tablet decreases – but this is a good indication that they need to be recharged.
I love the build and sound quality of the Groov-e SoundBuds, the ease of use, ease of charging and the lack of cables. The perfect companion for any phone or tablet, so there is no excuse for listening to poor quality audio that the world can hear when you walk down the street.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £64.99
For more information or to buy visit www.groov-e.co.uk.
DISCLOSURE: I received this product for free for the purpose of writing an honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
