G-Project G-Go review: G-Project G-Go

A few of us here in the office have been looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker that will work in the shower. Alas, G-Project's $69 G-Go (G-100) speaker, which is available in Target stores, is splash-resistant but not waterproof, so it might not quite fit the bill. But it's close.

6.4

G-Project G-Go

The Good

The <b>G-Project G-Go</b> is portable wireless Bluetooth speaker that's water-resistant and has a unique design that's highlighted by an integrated carrying handle. The unit can be powered by four AA batteries for up to around 8 hours. There's also a built-in USB port for charging other portable devices such as a smartphone.

The Bad

There isn't a rechargeable battery, and sound is only OK.

The Bottom Line

Its sound may not be impressive, but the G-Go's unique design, affordable price, and splash resistance make it appealing for casual listening.

The speaker comes in blue, black, or white, and has an integrated handle for carrying it around, which makes it look a little like one of those industrial flashlights. There's no built-in rechargeable battery like some portable Bluetooth speakers have, but you can get up to 8 hours of on-the-go use with four AA batteries.

You can stream music to the G-Go from any Bluetooth-enabled device, which includes virtually all smartphones and many tablets, including the iPad and higher-end Android tablets (the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet do not offer Bluetooth).

Additional features include a 3.5mm audio input for non-Bluetooth audio devices (cable not included) and a USB port for charging any USB-compatible device such as an iPhone or Android smartphone. We always appreciate that feature.

Like other Bluetooth 2.0 speakers, this one's rated to have a range of about 30 feet but I managed to stream music from my iPhone to it from about 50 feet away without a problem.

While the G-Go isn't being marketed as a shower speaker, G-Project says that it is "designed to be used in kitchen, bathroom, beach, pool, patio, and other environments with potential exposure to water." To reiterate, submerging the product in water is a no-no, though a spokesperson did tell us that if it was "in the shower with you (off to the side) and it got wet, it would be fine."

The sound was about what you'd expect from a $69 Bluetooth speaker: OK but not great. It just doesn't have a lot of detail or particularly punchy bass and when you crank the volume you'll get some distortion. At mid- to lower volumes it's just fine for casual listening and those with less discerning ears will probably think it sounds pretty decent.

While the G-Go's sonic capabilities didn't exceed my expectations, the value proposition here is really the design. It weighs 2.3 pounds (with batteries installed) and with the built-in handle it's easy to carry from room to room or outside onto the patio. Again, you shouldn't expect to get big booming music out of this speaker, especially outdoors, but for basic listening in the bathroom, at the pool, or at the beach it performs fine.

Other alternatives include the Logitech Mini Boombox and some of the other compact Bluetooth speakers, which retail for around the same price or slightly more (see our roundup of best portable Bluetooth speakers for under $100). The advantage to those models is that they have a rechargeable battery, and they're very compact. They might not offer quite as much sound output but they're not far off. If I had my choice, I'd probably lean toward the Mini Boombox, but I do like the G-Go's industrial flashlight look had people asking me, "What the hell is that?"