At this point, I’ve already reviewed a couple of Tronsmart Bluetooth speaker in the form of the Tronsmart Element T2 and the compact Tronsmart Element Splash, they both sounded great with very impressive build quality and I am wondering if it would be the same with what we’re going to look at today.
Today, we have the Tronsmart Element Groove that offers a very compact form factor and boasts a “Passive Radiator” speaker design that in theory, will provide more bass and enhance low frequencies even in such a small form factor.
MY INITIAL BREAKDOWN
Pros: Compact, Durable, Great sound quality with ample amount of bass, IPX7 waterproof, TWS Feature, Long battery life, USB Type C port
Cons: Passive radiator is exposed, Delay with audio and video sync over Bluetooth
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Element Groove Bluetooth Version: 4.2 + EDR Transmission Distance: 30m/100ft (open area) Water Resistant: IPX7 Power Supply: DC 5V/1A Battery Capacity: 3.7V/2500mAh Charging Time: About 2.5 hours Play Time: Up to 24 hours (medium volume) Output: 10W Frequency Range: 115Hz-15KH Driver Unit: 4Ω5W/50mm Distortion: ≤1.0% Speaker: 58mm Connector: USB-C charging port, 3.5mm aux-in port, TF/Micro SD card slot Dimension: 4.05 x 2.24 x 4.05in / 103 x 57 x 103mm Net Weight: 463±5g / 13.33±0.2 oz
WHAT’S IN THE PACKAGE
1 x Element Groove wireless speaker 1 x Charging cable 1 x 3.5mm AUX cable 1 x 60cm lanyard 1 x Warranty card
FULL REVIEW
Design and Construction
In terms of design and construction, the Tronsmart Element Groove is packed into a very small octagon-shaped form factor housed by a very robust casing. It has a ton of weight to it at 442g (my own measurement) and it feels really solid all around.
In front, we have the main speaker unit protected with a mesh speaker grill with hard plastic protection around it. The sides of the speaker are protected with rubber to absorb any form of impact which makes it even more durable.
At the back, we have the so-called “Passive Radiator” to provide better low-end frequencies, more on that later but in terms of this design, to be honest, I am a bit worried as it is exposed to the elements and is very susceptible to bumps and possible damage especially that the cone is quite fragile.
I am not sure if they did this to prevent any effect on the audio quality if there’s mesh protection on it, but in my opinion, I would prefer to have a little sacrifice in audio quality, rather than have it easily damaged since this speaker is built and designed to be tossed around while traveling, hiking and stuff like that.
Moving on, let’s see all the other details about the Tronsmart Element Groove.
We also have here at the back, the USB Type C charging port, the microSD card slot and the 3.5mm port for Aux input all of which are protected by a rubber flap for waterproofing.
At the top, we have our usual control buttons like the power button that also doubles as a reset button, the play/pause button that also doubles as the mode button to switch from Bluetooth mode and TF card mode, you can also use the same play/pause button to answer, reject and redial calls since this speaker has a microphone unit as well that you can find in front. And lastly, we have the volume up and down buttons that you can also use to forward and skip tracks by pressing and holding it for a couple of seconds.
On its corner, we have a detachable hook wherein you can attach the included shoestring so that you can hang this anywhere you like.
At the bottom, have some technical information about the Tronsmart Element Groove like its certifications and the input voltage that is 5V, which means you can charge it with a standard 5V/1A wall adapter albeit, unfortunately, is not included.
Bluetooth Pairing and Connectivity
As with all the Tronsmart Bluetooth speakers that I’ve tried, pairing the Tronsmart Element Groove to my smartphone was a seamless process. All you have to do is turn on Bluetooth on the Tronsmart Element Groove by pressing the power button for a couple seconds and it will automatically go to pairing mode, turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone, pair it, and you’re all set.
In terms of connectivity, it has a transmission range of up to 30m on an open area, so unless you place this in a room with walls and a lot of obstruction from your smartphone, you will not have a problem with the signal.
True Wireless Stereo
Like the Tronsmart Element Splash, this speaker supports TWS or True Wireless Stereo mode. Essentially, you pair two of these together to act as stereo speakers which will provide even better audio quality and improve the overall listening experience. You can watch my demonstration here if you’re interested.
Microphone Quality
The microphone quality is usable, it’s not the best quality but the voice coming from the built-in microphone is still pretty understandable.
Other Features
The Tronsmart Element Groove comes with a shoestring that you can use alongside the built-in hook so that you can attach the speaker anywhere you like. Although it’s quite disappointing that this one doesn’t have an included carabiner like what we saw with the Tronsmart Element Splash and the Tronsmart Element T2.
A 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable is also included so that you can directly attach your smartphone to the Tronsmart Element Groove through the AUX port at the back and enjoy your music and videos without any delay.
Battery Life
For such a small device, I am really impressed with the battery life of the Tronsmart Element Groove, it is rated at 24 hours of continuous music playback and as per my actual testing, it actually does reach that at around 23hrs at 60-70% volume via Bluetooth. I even had to move it away while testing it because my ears became tired listening to music the whole day!
As per specifications, charging time is around 2.5 hours but for my testing, it actually took me around 3.5 hours using a fast charger. It’s a bit longer than I’ve expected but for 24 hours of music playback, I think it’s worth the wait.
IPX7 Water Proof Feature
The Tronsmart Element Groove is rated with IPX7 Water Proofing, which means it can withstand water splashes or even be soaked in water up to 1m. This makes it good for outdoor activities even on a rainy condition so you can listen to your tunes without worrying about it.
Sound Quality with Passive Radiator
The Tronsmart Element Groove boasts a passive radiator design, which basically allows the speaker to increase the low-end frequencies without using any other electronic device aside from the main speaker unit. It works perfectly on this kind of small form factor so that the air pressure coming from the vibration of the main speaker unit transfers seamlessly to the passive radiator at the back without introducing other noise. This is also better in some degree compared to the usual bass reflex design that has vents or ports that might introduce noise due to the velocity of the air coming in and out of the vent, not to mention the size difference of both the design since the passive radiator can fit on a smaller form factor like this.
With the passive radiator design, the Tronsmart Element Groove provides an ample amount of bass even on such a small size which is very impressive. With this, I think the sound quality is overall better than the similarly small-sized Tronsmart Element Splash. Aside from bass, the mids and highs are also very clear and the overall sound quality is very good. In terms of loudness, it’s safe to say that this tiny device can fill a small to medium sized room without any issue and it doesn’t distort much at higher volume.
VERDICT
For such a small device, the Tronsmart Element Groove is very impressive both in terms of build quality, design and overall sound quality with its passive radiator feature. The only downside for me really is the exposed passive radiator that may cause unwanted damage prematurely, especially if you toss this around your bag and whatnot, a speaker grill protection would have been perfect for me but then again, I am not sure if that would cause any sound quality issue if there’s a mesh protection in it. Regardless, the Tronsmart Element Groove is a very powerful portable audio device that can withstand splashes and other elements and is a perfect companion for active people out there.
