Donka's Mobile Rambles

When I got the chance to review the GrooveTube from Cygnett, I was very keen to do just that due to its very complete feature set and good price point. While this speaker system initially seemed a mixed bag to me, it quickly grew on me as the majority of original shortfalls were ironed out.
The feature set on the GrooveTube is excellent for a speaker system covering all the main areas you will require; this will charge any dock enabled iPod, uses a remote control, and includes a 3.5mm line in for the Shuffle or other audio source as well as video output via composite and s-video. Battery support in also included and for completeness sake, there is even a headphone socket on the rear.
Included in the box along with the user guide and power supply is a single dock insert. While this small number might seem to limit the compatibility of this unit, the Groovetube employs a clever trap door mechanism for holding the ipod in place meaning the included insert is really only required for the aesthetics of the ipod bay when holding the smaller nano. The GrooveTube is very obviously a ‘for iPod’ designed product and it looks like an oversized mini or nano 2nd gen liying on one edge with its tube like appearance. Construction seems good with its combination or metal and plastic and it feels weighty in the hand.
Opening the trapdoor is simply a case of pushing it in and letting it slowly spring out allowing you insert or retrieve the iPod. All iPods with a dock connector are supported in this bay making it a very universal product.
The remote control is Infrared and does seem quite cheap but works extremely well with a wide line of sight and a range easily long enough to cover the distance of a large sized room and quite probably a fair bit further. The remote will control power on/off, volume, play/pause, skip/seek, bass/treble and the full iPod menu system. I cannot stress how important it is to include this support on a remote control and I’m glad it is present and correct on the GrooveTube.
From an audio stand point, I must admit to being very much in two minds early on. I was expecting decent sound given the size and construction of the unit and some albums did sound decent but others were distinctly flat. This inconsistency can be attributed to the different quality of the iPod recordings however still left me initially feeling a bit disappointed. Thankfully after speaking with Cygnett and discovering how to correctly use the undocumented bass and treble features on the remote control, I was able to greatly improve the sound adding more warmth and detail to the music. Out of the box, this system does not sound at its best but with a little tweaking can sound very good indeed. Bass is handled very well and always feels under control and the treble is well delivered although I would have to concede that the lows and highs do not quite stack up against the best and more expensive systems out there. That being said, it will easily satisfy the needs for music in any room in the house and doesn’t exhibit any obvious signs of distortion at comfortably high levels of music.
One thing that was absent was audible amplifier hiss as this system appears to turn off power to the amplifier when no music is being transmitted. This has the benefits of no hiss, especially at high volumes and saving power however also introduces one caveat; as music starts to play again, it takes a split second for the amplifier to start up again meaning that some tracks seem to kick in almost unexpectedly and not make a graceful entrance. This can be noticed between tracks on an album depending on the gap between tracks and while it is a minor annoyance, it is an annoyance all the same! It would be better if the time before the amplifier goes to sleep was extended, even if only by a few more seconds.
Battery support is also included which makes this a very versatile speaker system and is another reason to consider this as a viable purchase although taking eight size C batteries at a time may well limit the number of times you opt to use this functionality. Still the ability to use this unit away from a mains source is very commendable.

The GrooveTube is well constructed and feels very sturdy which gives you faith that this system will handle the vast majority of knocks and keep on delivering a good sound. Designed very much in the iPod style, it is a good looking unit and discreet buttons on the top give access to standby, mute and volume controls without intruding on the design. The bottom of the unit is a large rubber section that keeps it in place and absorbs any undue vibration and similar rubber is incorporated into the small handle on the rear making it secure to carry. The amplifier sleep issue aside, the only other issue I have with this system is the blue power led which flashes while in standby mode which could prove a distraction in a dark room but is admittedly just another minor annoyance.
Small issues aside, the GrooveTube from Cygnett proves to be a very competent performer and deserves to be on everyone’s shortlist for a well specified iPod speaker system. The excellent responsive remote control, full feature set and versatility offered by battery support all complement what is a very good sounding system provided you take the time to adjust the tonal output.
Retailing for around the £100 mark, more details can be found at the Cygnett website.