Creative’s latest cylinder-shaped Bluetooth speaker offers a stylish and modern aesthetic. However, a speaker’s value extends beyond visual appeal, particularly for portable devices intended for outdoor use. Our evaluation of the Creative Muvo Go revealed a device with both strengths and weaknesses, ultimately proving to be a satisfactory companion for on-the-go audio.
Overall – Creative Muvo Go
The package includes the speaker, an instruction sheet, and a USB-A to USB-C cable. Bluetooth pairing is straightforward, enabling quick setup. The speaker features five buttons for controlling power, volume, playback (start/stop, next/previous track), and Bluetooth pairing. Notably, a dedicated application is absent, a feature we missed for reasons detailed below. The USB-C port is solely for charging purposes.
The Creative Muvo Go boasts an IPX7 certification, indicating water resistance. We verified this by exposing it to direct shower stream, which it withstood without issue. This water and dust protection makes it suitable for outdoor environments. However, the design presents a potential vulnerability: the bass membranes on either side are exposed. This necessitates careful placement to avoid damage. While the surrounding material appears robust, we have some reservations about its ability to withstand significant impacts.
Sound Quality
The Creative Muvo Go prioritizes power over nuanced audio fidelity. While it delivers ample volume, the sound quality is variable. It performs well with electronic music genres, exhibiting clear sound reproduction. Specifically, Lo-fi tracks such as Johnny Ola – Nighthawk or Martin Roth – Synth City are rendered effectively, with accurate representation across the frequency spectrum. However, when playing tracks like Alan Jackson – Drive or Dave Weckl – Dis´place This, the sound quality diminishes, seemingly reaching the speaker’s acoustic limitations. The soundstage feels constrained. Adjusting the EQ to compensate would be beneficial, but this is not possible.
The Creative Muvo Go lacks application support, precluding EQ adjustments or advanced control beyond the physical buttons on the device and basic Bluetooth controls on a connected mobile device.
A notable feature is the ability to pair two Creative Muvo Go speakers for enhanced stereo imaging and a wider soundstage (a feature Creative has offered since 2018, as previously demonstrated). This could be useful for expanding audio coverage at outdoor events. In the absence of an app, this pairing process requires button combinations. While the manual suggests a relatively simple procedure, we were unable to test this function and cannot definitively assess whether an app would simplify the process.
Furthermore, the Creative Muvo Go’s directional sensitivity should be considered. The cylindrical form factor might suggest omnidirectional sound, but the speakers are positioned on one side, making speaker orientation a significant factor in sound quality.
Do we like the Creative Muvo Go then?
Yes, it fulfills its intended purpose. However, it did not impress us as much as the iRoar. We noted the lack of soundstage adjustment capabilities and limited connectivity options, restricted to Bluetooth only. We also observed that the design leaves it somewhat vulnerable to impacts, particularly on the sides, while sound quality benefits from an upright orientation.
We appreciate its 18-hour battery life, waterproof design, pairing capability, and overall simplicity. While an app could streamline certain functions, the manual operation retains a certain appeal. The speaker’s power output is also commendable. While not ideal for critical listening of complex musical arrangements, it provides ample volume and energy for casual listening in less demanding environments.
In conclusion, the Creative Muvo Go is a streamlined audio solution with inherent trade-offs. Its price point could be more competitive, given the crowded market and feature sets of competing speakers. Nevertheless, it adequately fulfills its primary function: providing background music for outdoor gatherings.
Creative provided a test unit for this review. The provision of review samples does not influence our editorial objectivity.
