Best List: BlueSync RGD Bluetooth speaker by GoGroove
There are those of you who like to take risks. Face it, you love living on the edge, taking your precious electronics into dusty, dirty and even wet locations.
If your dream is to play tunes at high volume while you raft Class V rapids, rappel down a sheer cliff face or just take a shower, GoGroove has you covered.
The BlueSync RGD is a super-rugged, water-resistant Bluetooth speaker that will go with you anywhere and deal with almost all the dangers you can throw at it, all for a wallet-friendly price.
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The RGD is rated at IPX4, which means it’s protected from splashing water from any angle. You won’t want to submerge this baby, or aim a hose at it, but you can let it get splashed by the shower head, partygoers jumping in the pool, or sprinklers watering your lawn.
The speaker is fully enclosed in a thick silicone ribcage of sorts, which keeps it from getting damaged when dropped. The large volume knob is a fantastic addition to a speaker you’ll be using in all sorts of situations, including those that leave your hands dirty or wet, and the solid clip on the side of the speaker will let you hang it from a carabiner or a sturdy rope. You can clip it to the top of your tent and find the volume control in the dark with ease.
Little buttons line the top of the speaker when it’s placed lengthwise on a flat surface; two to control volume, and one Pause/Play button in the middle. A blue LED indicates power and will flash when you need to recharge the RGD (which you can easily and quickly do via micro USB to get up to eight hours of audio playback). There’s even a little microphone nearby that lets you use the RGD as a speakerphone while you kick back around the campfire.
The on/off switch, USB charging port and a useful little auxiliary port for any 1/8-inch audio cable are all hidden behind a snug-fitting rubber door on the bottom of the speaker (or the side, depending on how you have the RGD sitting). It keeps dust and splashing water away from these sensitive holes into the speaker’s innards.
The sound isn’t audiophile quality, mostly due to the sealed-enclosure design that helps the RGD maintain its water-resistant rating. If you’re looking for deep, resonant bass, you’ll need to look elsewhere. The RGD puts out tight, punchy audio, though, which is a good enough tradeoff, in my opinion.
Bottom line, if you’re looking for a low-cost, rugged, water-resistant Bluetooth speaker that sounds good and won’t break the bank, give the GoGroove RGD a spin.
Cult of Mac’s Best List is a roundup of products that help us fill in our blank space. Read more Best List mini reviews.
