Creative iRoar Rock Mini Subwoofer for the iRoar Review

Creative has come out with some excellent products. Their line of Roar wireless Bluetooth speaker systems is one of them. We recently reviewed their top of the line iRoar. You don’t get much more advanced then the iRoar with it’s loaded features. It even has a small built-in subwoofer to give it some bass response. It would be extremely difficult to improve the sound of the iRoar, but Creative found a way. It came by way of the iRoar Rock. The iRoar Rock is a subwoofer that the iRoar mounts on top of.

Features and specs:

SPECIFICATIONS

• Operating temperature
  0°C to 45°C
• Fast Charge for Creative iRoar
  2-3 hours
• Interface
  Docking Expansion Port
• Driver Size
  3.75″
• Input
  100 - 240V ~ 50/60Hz 600mA
• Dimensions (H x W x D)
  160 x 245 x 150mm
• Weight
  2.4kg
• Length of power cord
  Approx. 1.8m
• Weight of power cord
  Approx. 150g each

The iRoar Rock came shipped in a nice looking box with photos of the iRoar Rock, and it’s specs. It was protected, held by custom molded foam. Pulling it out revealed a great looking subwoofer. The iRoar Rock features a 3.75” driver in a wood enclosure with a port on the side. Materials used in the construction is mostly wood, with some plastic and metal. Quality of materials used is very good. The same can be said of the fit and finish. The iRock looks and feels well made. And I really like that they used wood for the enclosure. Also included was the owner’s manual, and an array of power cords so no matter where in the world you live, you will have power for your iRoar Rock.

I like the design of the iRoar Rock. The wood enclosure is great. And while the subwoofer is not very big at 3.75”, it is in a  good sized enclosure. And the port on the side should help provide some good bass. And the mount on the top makes connecting the iRoar is very easy! Having the driver front mounted so you can see it in action is icing on the cake. I can’t wait to hear how it performs.

Using the Rock proved to be very simple.  It was just a matter of plugging it in, and setting the iRoar on top of it.  The entire top of the Rock is recessed, so the iRoar docks in it, holding it in place.  The iRoar fits in it like a glove, which also helps ensure the connector on the top of the Rock line up with the connector on the bottom of the iRoar.  It truly was as simple as turning on the Rock, setting the iRoar in place in the dock, and turning on the iRoar.  The Rock immediately recognized the iRoar.  And it was then time to jam!

The Rock is appropriately named.  It rocks!  I was impressed with the output it gave for how small the 3.75" driver is.  It isn't room shacking, obviously.  But it definitely added more low end extension and output than the sub built-into the iRoar.  To test it, I turned to some of my old school favorite 80's tunes, streamed from our previously reviewed HTC One M9, like Information Society: What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy).  Bass had good depth, impact, and played with good authority with only being slightly muddy.  Simple Minds: Don't You Forget About Me had very good definition in the kick drum in the intro of the song, as if I was right there next to the kick drum.  It sounded like my son and nephew pounding on their drum sets.  It had great depth, impact, and sounded more natural than I was expecting at this price point!  New Order: Blue Monday, the bass beats were extremely fast, crisp, and nice and tight and clean.  And it played with good authority.  ZZ Top: Gimme All You Lovin, had the same great low end extension with tight bass and played with authority.  I actually got a little too confident in the small iRock, and tried playing Also Sprach Zarathustra.   It did ok, but with the contra bass, and pipe organ, playing under 20 cycles was not in the cards.  And just for fun, I went back to New Order: Blue Monday.  I listened to the intro with the Rock, and then turned off the Rock.  It sounded ok with the small subwoofer built into the iRoar.  But when I turned the Rock back on....big difference.  The Rock is a definite MUST have with the iRoar!

For what it is, hats off to the Rock.  It is a perfect companion to the iRoar!  The iRoar Rock takes an excellent sounding portable iRoar and gives it a great lift in bass response.  The Rock helps make the iRoar a great fit for a sound system in an auxiliary room like a den, bedroom, or dorm room.  With an MSRP of $149 the Rock is well priced.  Based on it's design, features, quality, and performance, the Rock has earned our Highly Recommended Award.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.us.creative.com.