amazon LG XBOOM GO PL5 reviews
Through learning about Xboom Go PL5, we can also evaluate the quality overview of the new portable speaker products of this Korean electronics company!
Speaking of LG, we talk about refrigerators, air conditioners, TVs, or related to sound, more people talk about necklace Bluetooth headphones. But the company also has a certain foothold in the vertical speaker market. In 2020, the company continues to penetrate the portable speaker market with the Xboom Go PL2, PL5, and PL7.
Today we will quickly box one to review the product, as well as an overview review to see if LG has. can make portable speakers well or not.
The product I chose today is the Xboom Go PL5, the mid-range version in both appearance and price.
Right on the box we also saw that this is a product between the cooperation of LG with Meridian, a British audio company that is very famous for its Amply products, home speakers. This is also the same company that helped LG develop the TONE Free headphones we looked at last time.
The accessory box is also simple, only one USB Type-C charging cord. Recently, speakers with a 3.5mm AUX port often do not come with this cord, so people need to buy more if they use it. A charge of PL5 can play music for 18 hours, a very good duration and during 1 week of use, I don’t even have to charge, just use the power that the company has pre-charged in the speaker!
And this is our speaker today. Unlike the Sony eXtra Bass which is currently designed in a fabric wrap, LG still chooses soft plastic as the material for the Xboom GO. The speaker has a dark blue color that reclines slightly to charcoal, with the upper section having controls including the power button, Bluetooth button, volume up / down, play/pause, and Sound Boost button to enable Clear Sound from Meridian.
The speaker is waterproof, so the ports on the back are shielded by a rubber port, including the charging port, the AUX port, the light-on switch, the button pairing with another speaker for stereo music, and the button that pair with multiple speakers to create a chain, two features that are really hot in any portable speaker on the market.
The Sony eXtra Bass has a color change light, the Xboom Go has a color change light too! In PL5, we have 2 LED light circles on the two sides of the speaker. A special feature is that these two sides are placed with passive vibrating membranes to enhance the sound for the two main drivers inside, whenever the bass hits, they move in and out, making the LED also move to follow.
Is this speaker beautiful? To be honest, when looking at the pictures of the Xboom Go speakers on the network, we also see that they are quite normal, nothing stands out. But we must hold in our hand to see the well-finished speaker, the main colors look elegant and the LED light is not too bright, so it also has its own beauty. For those who want bigger lights and a more aggressive look, you can definitely switch to the Sony eXtra Bass!
Seems to say a lot in terms of design, so how about the sound quality of this speaker? As mentioned above, responsible for the sound creation of the PL5 are 2 main drivers, along with two additional vibrating membranes for the bass range. With these 2 drivers, the PL5 is completely powerful enough to play in a large room, and even outdoors is not ‘bored’. The Clear Sound feature from Meridian again determines the final sound type of the speaker, because turning on and off creates two quite different effects.
Before turning on, the Xboom GO PL5 has a fairly balanced sound quality between all bands, quite easy to hear, but can be said to be a bit lacking in highlight. This is an easy-to-hear sound type, without too much bass and with the vocalist quite ‘smooth’, the treble is only up to a certain level and then rolls off, not sharp or creates a sense of metal. This sound type is not outstanding but quite suitable for the popular Chill Beat songs on Youtube, used as background music while studying, or before going to bed, it is very suitable.
But I think the sound quality of the Xboom Go PL5 really ‘comes out’ when Meridian’s Clear Sound feature is enabled. When enabled, the entire sound quality of the speaker seems to be increased in brightness, each sound range has a different upgrade to create its own impression. The bass is still only at a sufficient amount, it does not feel redundant, but after turning on Clear Sound, playing exactly at 1 point, with high stiffness.
The mid and high sections are probably getting the biggest upgrade. The vocalist’s voice no longer stands on the same level as the other tonal bands but moves forward, with the high-mid part having more energy to perform well with female singers like Celine Dion, Nataly Dawn. Turn on/off the Clear Sound feature makes it feel like the singer is singing from afar and suddenly approaching, clearer, with better details. The highs also get the same brightness, we can hear each hi-hat sound, every dice sound.
Clear Sound has clearly upgraded the sound quality of Xboom Go PL5 without any drawbacks, so I always think Clear Sound and consider this as the default sound quality as well!
So how compared to the Sony eXtra Bass speakers? The sound quality of LG and Sony goes in two distinctly different directions, when Sony has increased a lot of bass to serve strong music, dance music, so the sound quality is noticeably vibrant from the first time listening. Xboom GO including the PL5 has a brighter sound quality, evenly all bands and reasonable, just press lightly on the middle range when you turn on Clear Sound, thereby listening to more music genres. Perhaps just saying that you have also found the right speaker for your personal music, right?
Great potential!
The Xboom Go is probably a ‘summer rain’ for the compact portable speaker market dominated by the Sony eXtra Bass. These speakers seem to be aiming for a different type of sound, more balanced, not too emphasized on the bass range but focusing on the middle, so those who do not like the sound quality of Sony now have a new option while retaining all the other ancillary features.
As for the PL5, this can be considered a reasonable choice when it is not too small to lose the dual-driver system like the PL2, but also more compact and lighter than its predecessor PL7.
where can you get a LG XBOOM GO PL5 online
LG PL5 XBOOM Go Water-Resistant Wireless Bluetooth Party Speaker with Up to 18 Hours Playback – Black: Buy it now
