{"id":479,"date":"2014-08-03T09:46:10","date_gmt":"2014-08-03T14:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theaudiomagazine.com\/?p=479"},"modified":"2015-01-16T14:02:48","modified_gmt":"2015-01-16T19:02:48","slug":"creative-technology-soundblaster-roar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theaudiomagazine.com\/?p=479","title":{"rendered":"Creative Technology – Soundblaster Roar"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Product_SB_Roar_See_Through\"<\/a><\/span>by Richard Alan Salz – editor<\/span><\/p>\n

Forget what you may think you know about portable one-piece wireless speaker systems, the Creative Sound Blaster Roar represents a sea change in what will now be expected of products in its class. This is simultaneously due to what the Sound Blaster Roar is, and paradoxically, what it is not!<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we wade too far in to the specifics, let’s take a quick look at the salient features of the device:<\/span><\/p>\n

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First of all, this is primarily a device that is designed to be used paired to wireless Bluetooth devices. In addition to the familiar standard coded Bluetooth connection schema, the Roar features a mode that allows it to pair to multiple devices, or even act as an open connection (one that any device can connect to without needing a password.) That said, wired operation (either analog through a 1\/8\u201d mini-jack, or USB tethered \u2013 in conjunction with a Windows or Macintosh computer) is certainly an option. Standalone operation is also possible through the use of the on-board micro-SD card slot. Two units can even be hardwired together to act as a dedicated \u201cleft\u201d and \u201cright\u201d speaker with an optional cable.<\/span><\/p>\n

One thing that separates this unit from most of the units in the marketplace today is that it shies away from the ubiquitous \u201cboom tizz\u201d (too much bass with an overly bright high frequency response) type of sonic voicing. This is a direct result of both the construction characteristics of the unit, and the goals of the design team.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A major design difference between the Roar and its competitors is that it features a total of five drivers (three active and two passive), where typical units feature just two. The two drivers on the side of the unit are passive (not electrically connected, though acoustically connected), the two drivers in the front handle the mid\/highs, and the driver on the top handles the low frequencies. This increased radiating surface is one of the major reasons behind the Roar’s spacious sound-staging and impressive clarity.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The mid\/high and the low frequency drivers are powered by separate amplifiers. This has multiple benefits, including preserving sound-staging (preventing a low frequency transient in one channel from collapsing the soundstage when the amplifier runs out of power) and allowing amplifier and speaker characteristics to best suited to their intended task.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Another (obvious) physical difference between this unit and most all of its competition lies in its form factor. The Roar is oriented like a hardcover book laying flat…rather than the \u201con-edge shoebox\u201d design of similar sized devices (think Jambox or Bose Soundlink). Creative contends that this design makes for a more stable physical and sonic presentation. They compare it to the boxer type engine that Subaru uses for its cars, and BMW for its motorcycles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that we’ve covered the physical plant, so to speak, lets take a quick look (not easy!) at some of the additional features of the unit:<\/span><\/p>\n