GOgroove SonaVERSE USB Speakers for Laptop Computer - USB Powered Mini Sound Bar with Clip-On Portable External Speaker Design for Monitor, One Cable for Digital Audio Input and Power (Black)

First off, I am reviewing this mini pc soundbar based on price-point and what I was expecting and needing from it. This item is geared more towards utility, portability and basic listening, but not endless music enjoyment - so you get what you pay for.I am an audiophile and I have a $1000 sound system plus audio interface hooked up to my main computer for mixing and enjoying music. I was desperate for a cheap, little wired soundbar to simply monitor sounds off one of my other computers/laptops when I stream - for messages and alerts. I can't use headphones, since I'm already using headphones on my main PC to monitor other stuff.I initially bought the creative pebbles v3, but they were HUGE and took up way too much space on my desk, where I have my powered speakers already taking up real estate. They simply made no sense for their size as well as the sound they were putting out. Enter the GOgrove SonaVERSE. It's sleak, it's slim, and does exactly what I need it to do.Does it have slamming bass and high fidelity sound? No. Should you crank it all the way up? Probably not, as I can see it easily get blown out. But I paid as much as I would've paid for a pair of cheap/budget headphones, so expect the same sound quality out of it. My favorite part is that it comes with a small stand to keep it vertical which lets me hide it in a particular area of my desk to hear sounds off my secondary computer.My only negative is that I don't find the USB cord to be long enough, but I imagine it's meant more for laptops and why I didn't knock a star off.

Before I go into my review, I would like to address the volume issues in other reviews. If you experience volume level frustrations, in Windows simply click on the speaker icon in the bottom right of your taskbar and click "Mixer" at the bottom of the volume slider. In the Mixer, raise the volume level on the speaker and then adjust the application sources for the sound until you are satisfied. This allows for smaller increments in volume adjustment with the speaker.Now for my review:After looking around, I narrowed my choices to the Logitech USB Laptop Speaker Z305 and the GOgroove SonaWAVE USB Laptop Speaker. They both got good reviews so I chose based the GOGroove's lower price and idea I wanted the sound directed at me. I was not concerned with surround sound on a speaker of this caliber and the whole point was to be able to simply hear my laptop better(quietly hoping music would sound good too). I will say the look of the Logitech is cool and appears slightly more compact, but I was a little leary of the fact the speakers don't face you when you are working on your laptop and not knowing how full the sound would be based on the compact size.With all that being said, I am extremely happy with my purchase of the GOGroove SonaWAVE. I use my laptop for work and frequently attend virtual meetings and presentations where my laptop speakers were not loud enough when the presenter had a soft/quiet voice. The sound is better than I expected from a small portable speaker. The USB cable is awesomely self-contained. You can easily set the speaker on the table beside your laptop if you so choose. I can hear presentations perfectly no matter the style of the presenter. When not on calls, I am now able to enjoy listening to music on this speaker as well. I wish I would have bought this sooner! This speaker is an excellent choice for people who are mobile or who don't have much space.I want to add that I have purchased Logitech computer speakers previously and they pack a decent bang for the buck. I feel the Logitech Z305 would be a good choice as well based on the ratings alone if you don't mind spending a little more money and want the "360 degree sound" experience.

The speakers on my Lenovo went out post warranty period, so I bought this instead of using headphones/ear buds all the time. I purchased this because I don't have much desk space and I didn't want to plug two things in (like power and a jack), and this single USB cable fit the bill. I almost bought another clip-on speaker in the same price range ($10-$30), but that one had multiple wires (one for power, one of the sound card/headphone jack), but that's not what I was looking for. I clipped it on top of my LG 24" monitor, which is slightly thicker than the 1/2" allowable on the sales description, but if you have anything bigger, it won't work. This one is maxed out. I also tried clipping it onto my Lenovo T430 and it was fine. It's light enough that the hinge on the laptop monitor held up fine with no noticeable strain, but for the purposes of this review, it sat on my LG monitor.It detected right away when I plugged in USB cable (it uses only a USB cable for power and sound), and for those of you that have a soundcard/headphone jack on your laptop/PC, this USB cable bypasses the soundcard and processing as the speaker has a self contained processor. I'm only mentioning this because I love adjusting the equalizer on my dolby app to tune what are otherwise pretty small speakers that eek out minimal sound quality (c'mon, we're talking about a $25 package here). With the caveat that there is about as much bass on these speakers as what comes out of an iphone, and the speakers being clipped on top of my monitor at ear level in the middle of a 20' X 30' dining room/kitchen with tile floors and bare walls, here is my review:Volume at full 100% on Pandora, and 100% on my laptop was loud enough to fill the room. I was still able to converse with someone across the room with the speakers 3 feet away from my ears, and it was obvious where the origin of the sounds were localized. Either way, my Lenovo T430 laptop nor my Macbook Pro never came close to the level of this volume. At 100% on Pandora, and 50% on my laptop volume control, I could still easily hear it clear across the room, 30 feet away. I stood 20 feet away, turned on the range hood above my stove, and I could hear it, but barely.Next came the music. I tried using the speaker with Pandora first. I played things like Low Life (Future feat. The Weeknd), which actually sounded gritty and acceptable on the intro, especially with Weeknd's vocals being so synthesized, it didn't matter. Daft Punk's Get Lucky came out enjoyable, and I even forgot I was reviewing the speaker bar. I caught the Lido edit version of Portugal The Man's track, and there was very clear stereo separation in the left and right tracks, as well as obvious layers and layers of sounds in the mix. On Adele's Turning Tables, the piano at the beginning sounded good, and the low range of her voice actually comes out audible, and was acceptable. Celine Dion's Because you Loved me and Leann Rimes How Do I Live actually sounded just as I remember, and since their voices are on the high range, I didn't feel like I missed anything. The drums in the background of LeAnn's song sound like a small thin can, but everything else was fine.At the end of the day, I'm pleased with my purchase. I did not want to add any unnecessary clutter on my desk space, nor wire clutter. If you can live with an externally powered speaker, the sound quality and size of the speaker should be significantly more conducive to a better musical experience in a similar price point, but for me, as a laptop speaker replacement/head phone replacement solution, this was perfect. I would recommend this product if that suits your bill.