LUXA2 Groovy Duo Live Wireless Speaker Review

Introduction

Portable speakers are everywhere these days. From the ultra-portable compact speakers to the heavier high-end speakers that barely qualify as portable, there is a shape and size for everyone out there. Digging around the muck and figuring out what is good quality is a tough job, especially in Taiwan where gimmicks are a dime a dozen (Whatever you do, just avoid the Hello Kitty speakers). But there is one company that is doing things differently: Making GOOD products.

Fun, Fast and Easy

The Groovy Duo set of speakers is the latest in the line of portable speakers from TW company Luxa2 (pronounced “loosha”), and they are awesome!

The problem with most portables, even the high-end ones, is that they are stuck together, effectively lacking in a surround sound feel. So the Groovy Duo set did something genius, splitting up the speakers and connecting them through Bluetooth. The result? Not only do you feel like you are sitting in a live show, you also have a set of slick looking, easy to use speakers anywhere you want!

Setup was as simple as turning the speakers on, pushing a button and connecting with my iPhone. Within 30 seconds I had a portable sound-system at my disposal.

Work It Like You Mean It

One huge plus the Duo has going for it is that each speaker is exactly the same, so you can simply control the sound with the speaker that’s closest to you. The next greatest thing is that the speakers have built in lights and sounds to guide you in the right direction (if it wasn’t already easy enough).

…This, btw is a huge improvement over previous Luxa2 speakers that have a creepy voice telling you “bluetooth is now paired”, “battery is running low”, etc…

The first time you use the Groovy Duo, the speakers will need to be paired together. Next you need to pair your device. Whether it’s an smart phone, laptop or tablet, it’s super easy to do. The best part is: after doing this the first time, whenever the speakers are turned on afterwards, they will automatically find each other and connect to your device. How cool is that?

Also, you only need to connect to one of the speakers from your device, they will figure out the rest.

Not only will the speakers connect up to 10 whole freakin’ meters (33ft.), pushing the pause/play, volume or power button on one of the speakers will automatically take care of the other speaker, making control of the sound way too convenient.

Sounds Like a Winner

The Groovy Duo is easy on the eyes, but how about the ears?

Right out of the box the sound isn’t actually all that crystal clear. There is a bit of muffle coming out as the built-in settings place emphasis on the middle range. However, if you have and android phone, you can download Luxa2’s APP to adjust the sound settings to your liking and get rid of the muffle! (none for iPhone…yet).

Truthfully though, the sound quality is there and the bass is bumping, so I can’t really complain. Plus, nothing compares to having the speakers separated. It makes for a listening experience you won’t get with other speakers.

The speakers sounded fantastic on my iPhone even without the APP, and they added a huge boost to a friend’s PC. However, and this is the sad part, there was a problem with my Mac. Well, not my Mac specifically, but all Macs. I kept noticing that there was crackling noise whenever music was playing, so I looked it up and I found that this is actually a Mac problem with most Bluetooth speakers (Noooooooo!).

You see, your superbly intelligent Mac is too smart for its own good and keeps trying to find the best quality sound possible, which causes the connection to reset constantly. There was a way to fix it on older Macs, but anything after 2013 and you’re SOL with many if not most Bluetooh speakers.

(Funny enough it didn’t have problems when playing YouTube videos)

However, it’s not all bad because Luxa2 gives you a line to plug directly into your jack. It kind of defeats the point, but tell that to Apple.

Along with these great-sounding speakers and the jack chord, you also get a carrying bag and a USB splitter for charging both at the same time.

Groovy

With the Groovy Duo, you’re getting a really tight package of two amazing speakers that sound great, look great and work great on any Bluetooth enabled device. While there are some playback issues with a Mac, it isn’t the speakers’ fault and you can always plug in the old-fashioned way. The setup is simple, easy to understand and quick. You have the option of just using one of the speakers if you so desire, but with both working, it sounds like the music is live. The price is also right on the mark at $99 USD, set to be sold later this year.

Rating: 8.5/10