Groov-e 160 Soundbar

Verdict

Respectable worth for cash, the Groov-e 160 Soundbar’s crisp, clear, and energetic sound works effectively with TVs and flicks, although at increased volumes it’s liable to sounding shrill and unfocused.

Introduction

On this web site we’ve talked concerning the significance of enhancing a TV’s audio high quality enormously. Flatscreen TVs don’t at all times have the room to include sufficiently big speaker drivers, which ends up in a discount in sound high quality. There are occasions when an exterior answer is best and with the Groov-e 160 soundbar, you received’t need to bust open the piggy financial institution to seek out one.

Designed to be a handy manner to enhance a TV’s sound, the 160 soundbar is Groov-e’s most costly choice, however inside the soundbar promote it’s an inexpensive choice, however is it amongst among the finest choices you will get?

Design

• Practical look
• No HDMI ports
• Digital optical cable included

Groov-e describes the look of the 160 soundbar as trendy, although I’d be given to calling useful slightly than aesthetically dapper.

It’s a two-tone gray/black end with silver ringlets on both sides, the gray half seems to be moulded plastic whereas the black is the grille that takes up everything of the speaker’s fascia. It’s not probably the most inspiring look however the construct high quality is stable, nonetheless.

It’s barely large and ponderous, although extra sensible than the Majority Snowdon II’s design as if the elevated toes elevate it off its floor, it may well (simply) match beneath the body of TVs that I place it underneath with out blocking the IR receiver.

There’s an LED show within the centre of the bar that exhibits the present supply and quantity degree. The lettering and numbers can look crude in the event you’re not sitting head-on, nevertheless it stays sharp sufficient to decipher. By means of the distant, there’s a dimmer management (excessive, medium, low, and off)

There aren’t any HDMI ports with this soundbar, with bodily connections amounting to digital optical, auxiliary and USB positioned in a recessed space on the rear, and helpfully a digital optical cable is included within the packaging.

On prime of the bar are buttons for energy, enter, quantity, playback, and supply. The small, spaciously laid out distant offers just a few extra choices with extra playback choices, a mute button, and sound modes.

Unusually there’s a devoted button for ‘Film’, or you possibly can simply cycle between the opposite choices with the Sound Mode button. It appears redundant to me to have two buttons that carry out related features.

Options

• A alternative of three EQ presets
• 160W of peak energy
• Bluetooth 5.0 help

The Groov-e 160 soundbar isn’t precisely filled with options. There are three presets to select from in Film, Music, and Voice however no additional choices to regulate the EQ in every other manner.

Bluetooth 5.0 wi-fi help gives one other technique of connecting to the soundbar with a cell system.

Groov-e quotes 160W of peak energy that the 160 soundbar can obtain (a clue as to why it has its identify). Although in actuality speaker energy from the 2 medium/high-frequency drivers (25W every) and built-in woofer (40W) equals 90W of energy in most use instances.

Sound High quality

• Crisp, clear, and energetic efficiency
• Can sound brash at increased volumes
• Bass has a punchy tone

Groov-e describes the efficiency of the 160 Soundbar as crisp and clear, and for probably the most half that’s what you get from this soundbar, although some slight points serve to limit utilization of the soundbar.

Tonally it may well sound fairly excitable and energetic, which at increased volumes does go away it sounding brash in the way it goes about its enterprise, missing a level of composure and blaring sound right into a room.

This trait was most noticeable taking part in Gran Turismo 7 on the PS5, particularly when the amount was above degree 20. The Groov-e 160 Soundbar can mistake vitality for simply sheer loudness, changing into an unfocused wall of noise. It hits its quantity ceiling at degree 32, which feels fairly low however then something above 20 appears to invoke some shrillness in its efficiency.

Voices sound pure sufficient, although they could be a little exhausting in tone too, this soundbar is slightly direct in tone and it may well sound a tad strident with some feminine voices which come throughout as just a little too sharp (verging in sibilant) of their replica. Select the Voice preset and the soundbar is far smoother with voices, specifically feminine voices. Film mode serves to be just a little louder and extra dynamic.

To date, I’ve been barely on the damaging with the Groov-e 160 Soundbar however there are many issues it does effectively. Watching season three of The Mandalorian, that excitable tone rewards itself with a dynamic, clear, sharp, and attacking efficiency with the motion scenes, nevertheless it’s not all fireworks and pleasure because it calms issues down with the extra dialogue-focused scenes.

There’s no Sport mode however utilizing the Film EQ with Gran Turismo 7 did end in a crisp, clear, and detailed efficiency, with a good stereo impact and sense of area, giving a greater impression of vehicles to the left and proper of me throughout a race.

With the aircraft sequence in Tenet, the Groov-e gives a dynamic efficiency, and there’s scale and measurement to the motion sequence whether or not it’s the jet engines whipping up. Then there’s its sense of sharpness that’s nearly well-judged because the aircraft collides with autos on its strategy to crashing right into a hangar. And when it does crash into the construction, the explosion that erupts from the audio system packs a shocking quantity of punch.

Bass efficiency isn’t what I’d label as large or deep, however the 160 Soundbar manages it higher than the Majority Snowdon II does with Blade Runner 2049. The punches between Sapper Morton and Ok are articulated with extra depth, readability, and depth – the punches really feel like they damage on the Groov-e whereas they arrive throughout extra light-weight on the Majority. The Groov-e 160’s efficiency is definitely higher than most TVs it’s prone to be partnered with.

Sending music to the soundbar over Bluetooth and it’s a little bit of a combined bag. Tonally music feels stripped again, there’s not the identical degree of vitality as there’s with the Film EQ current, however the music is evident and detailed with deal with vocals.

It doesn’t sound as large because the Majority does with music, principally as a result of that soundbar’s angled audio system elevate sound increased right into a room, however the Groov-e’s bass efficiency is once more higher with Talib Kweli’s We Obtained the Beat, placing a extra detailed and exact efficiency.

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