Verdict
A square radio from Groov - e , one that ’s promiscuous to expend and produce a unspoiled public presentation with program radio , though its wireless charger does n’t quite hit the claimed execution level .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Groov - e ’s radio receiver are usually named after a office : Venice , Berlin , or Paris butthis DAB radiolooks to Greek mythology for inspiration , taking its name from the God of the Sky in Zeus .
Quite why it ’s call Zeus is not well-defined at first – perhaps it ’s just a snap name – or maybe it ’s something to do with his thunderbolts and the radio ’s wireless charging capabilities , but I ’m just spit out conjecture .
Its wireless charging accomplishment suggest a radio set that ’s more feature - pack and versatile than your common effort , a radio dismantle up with the times instead of being steady down in the past . The Zeus is a DAB radio receiver that fits more into your daily routine , but is its functioning suitable of sitting on your bedside table ?
Design
On its front is a small LCD show that ’s big and brilliant enough to see the time , place and scrolling wireless textbook but ideally , you ’d want to be nearer rather than further off to read the text . The backlight can be set in the menu ( High , Med , Low ) or a timeout set if you do n’t want it shining bright when sleeping , for example .
Around the back is the telescopic aerial , 3.5 mm stimulant , USB port for charge a gadget and the major power provision . The Zeus runs off the mains and does n’t sustain replaceable batteries .
On top is where you ’ll get hold the radio ’s wireless charging panel where you may plump compatible phone or smartphones . Simply pop it on top and you ’ll hear a quiver and it ’ll start rouse .
In terms of looks the Zeus is a functional unit , covered in all dark , its rounded corners the only real yielding to elan . Roberts ’ Radios are more attractive in this respect if your tastes skew to would be ‘ interior ornamentalist ’ , but there ’s little to complain the Groov - e ’s unfussy nature .
Features
Like the Venice , the Zeus has DAB , FM and Bluetooth ( version 5.0 ) , so you may pair the radio with a fluid machine and use it as a speaker system . There ’s room for a hefty 60 presets – 40 more than the Venice – with 30 each shared between DAB and FM .
The previously note wireless courser has 10W at its disposal , and using the Amperes Lite Charging Battery app on aniPhone 13 minithat trope works out 5.41W with subsequent try in the following days fall to as dispirited as 1.27W , much less than the advertised 10W. 10W is considered enough ( and is most uncouth ) but you may find wireless charging pad that can shift up to 15W. It ’s better to use the USB port if a gadget can connect to it .
For alarm there ’s the choice of waking up to the tones of the radiocommunication springing into life or setting a reprise buzzer , and if you have no intention of get out of bed then hitting the ‘ Snooze ’ ( Enter ) button and you ’ll get another wakeup call 9 min later . The Sleep timekeeper mechanically puts the wireless into standby for up to 90 second .
There ’s no Dynamic Range Control ( DRC ) to control high school and David Low in radio plan like there was in the Venice , but there is the choice of EQ presets which include Flat , Normal , Classic , Pop , Jazz and Rock . For some reason the Zeus ’ manual also lists Speech and My EQ as an choice but they ’re not include .
The menu interface is another easy one to grip with . contain on the ‘ Info / Menu ’ button and use the forward and back push button to navigate ; the ‘ Enter ’ to go deeper with the menu and the ‘ Info / Menu ’ to relieve back out of them . Very dim-witted , very straightforward and minimal ado or lag .
Sound Quality
This is an instantaneous dance step up from Venice in terms of its audio performance . The Zeus is more elaborated , clear , and well balanced across the frequency reach . The Venice establish to be much better with spoken Logos over music , the Zeus is better at both .
Like the Venice the tone is crisper , accent is on the treble frequencies to focus on phonation . That does launch the Zeus to sibilant tint every so often with broadcast but it ’s marginal and I find it make up by some more oomph to the low-pitched frequencies , the Zeus adopts a placid public presentation , though theRoberts Zen Plus(£99.99 ) is a clear more elaborate performer . Nevertheless , the Zeus ’ good sense of clarity is satisfactory enough .
If anything , it ’s the mid - deep area that feels a little unclear to my ears , with not quite that lucidity and legal separation evident between midrange and bass listening to euphony on Radio 6 Music . It leads to bass sounding as if it ’s a one - note thud , not really its own separate identity and at times rather unarticulate .
But I can forgive that lack of cohesiveness give the Zeus treat voice distinctly and present them foremost in the soundstage , and playing with the EQ setting does deduct a undecomposed performance from the radio receiver . The default Flat EQ is a small charmless , but Normal is cheap , more dynamical , and talkative , and both Rock and Jazz add some pep and theatrical role to the Zeus ’ carrying out .
become the mass up full knock and there ’s some distortion with voice along with a lack of lucidity but nothing I ’d say is out of ordinary . The crisper , needlelike tone does incur more sibilance , the soundstage takes on a cruder pure tone .
There is Bluetooth playback to consider too but the Groov - due east Zeus leaven to be a rather unsure effort ab initio , I have to become the volume up all the way on the receiving set and nearly all the fashion on my phone for Outkast ’s Ms. Jackson to have any comportment . It ’s a comely performance but put up against a likewise pricedBluetooth speakerin theTribit Stormbox Micro 2doesn’t boast as big a sound but sounds readable and more elaborated .
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Should you buy it?
Though it ’s wireless charge powers are a little amplify , the Zeus puts in a estimable overall performance .
Wireless charging is still no where near as fast as wire charging , but even so , the Zeus ’ operation is less than Groov - e ’s state benchmark .
Final Thoughts
Another solid radio from Groov - e , one that ’s well-off to apply and raise a dependable performance with broadcast radio . The wireless charging does n’t quite hold up up to outlook and its Bluetooth functioning ought to be a spot impregnable out the box but nevertheless , this no - ado radio is a unspoiled bedside pardner .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every wireless we go over thoroughly over an extended menses of time . We use industriousness standard test to compare feature article by rights . We ’ll always enjoin you what we notice . We never , ever , take money to review a product .
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FAQs
For iPhones that support wireless charging , the Groov - e Zeus can boost their battery by placing the phone on the charging home base .
