REVIEW: iBall Groovy - Bluetooth Neckphone With Mic

12/28/2011 04:32:00 PM , , , , , , 70 Comments

I purchased the iBall Groovy (Bluetooth Neckphone With Mic) from Flipkart yesterday. I am pretty impressed by the service of Flipkart. Ordered it on Monday and got it on Tuesday! Used the "Cash on Delivery" option to pay.

Details and the review are after the jump.

Features:
• Behind-the-head style.
• In-Ear design with comfortable and stable wearing.
• Innovative music and call controls.
• Stereo Bluetooth headset with built-in Mic.
• Built-in rechargeable battery (through USB)
• Ideal for use at home, office and outdoor.
• Call transfer between the headset and Bluetooth Cell phone.
• Hands-free conversation from Bluetooth-enabled Cell phones or PC.
• Pause the music & Play back automatically when receives an incoming call.
• Support play/pause, previous/next track, volume up and volume down.
• Automatically connect to the last connected Bluetooth device.

Technical specifications:
• Bluetooth Version:  v2.1+EDR
• Frequency Range: 2.402GHz~2.480GHz
• Bluetooth Profile: HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP
• Effective Range: Up to 10 meters
• Power Source: Built-in rechargeable battery
• Built-in Mic: Built-in high sensitive Mic
• Working Time: Music - Up to 6 hrs, Talk - Up to 7 hrs.
• Standby Time: Up to 120 hrs.
• Charging Time: Approx. 2 hrs
• Dimensions: 63.5 x 135 × 136.5 mm (HxWxD)
• Weight: ~35 g

The M.R.P of the device is Rs. 2,250/-. I got it from Flipkart for a reduced price of Rs. 1,700/-

Advantages:
• Priced lowest in its category.
• As its an in-ear headset, no loss of sound.
• Connects to bluetooth devices easily.

Disadvantages:
• The back of the Neckphone is fixed. Can't adjust it to your liking.
• Only USB charging is available.

The package i got from Flipkart is this:


Inside i found the Neckphone with its original packing.

The package includes:
• The Bluetooth Neckphone.
• USB Charger.
• 2 sets of extra ear buds. One big and one small. The medium type is fitted in the Neckphone itself.
• User Manual.
• iBall Service Centre List.

Design and build quality:
Design is good. It sits on the ear quite nicely. Weight of the headset will not bother you. But i experienced a slight pain behind the ear where it touches. It maybe because i'm not used to a headset like this.

Build quality is not that good. Looks cheap. Some of the markings on the controls have already got erased! Maybe we have to compromise something because the headset is a low cost one.

All the controls, indicators, charging port, mic are situated in the right side. Controls available are two switches. First one allows us to control the play back. Pushing down will jump to next track and up to the previous track. Pressing the button will Play/Pause the present track.
The second button helps in various functions such as switch on/off, answer/end/reject call, voice dial/ redial last number. Pushing the button up/down will increase/decrease the volume.

An LED indicator is also there.

The charging port and the mic are situated at the bottom. Charging port is covered by rubber flap. Mic is on the right of the charging port as shown.
Working
The Neckphone got fully charged in less than 2 hours and got connected to all the devices i tested easily (includes 2 laptops, 4 mobile phones from Nokia & Samsung). All the keys responded without any problem when paired with each device. There is a slight delay in every action though.

Performance
The performance and voice clarity are at par. No surrounding noise got in when played at high volume. The performance while playing song is not as good as a Sony headset but much better than Nokia's original one.

The Mic also performed well in quiet conditions. Again the performance is at par in noisy conditions.

Battery backup is very good. Got around 6 to 7 hours working time.

Final Words
It is the lowest priced gadget in its class. For Rs. 1,700/- you get Bluetooth stereo headset with mic. Performs well though not the best.

If you are willing to pay around Rs. 1,500/- more then there is a very good alternative. Nokia BH-505.
Motorola Rokr S9-HD is also there for around Rs. 4,000/-
So its up to you whether to go for the Groovy or go for an alternative which are priced higher.

, , , , , , , 70 Comments

yespress

A techie & mobile geek as said by most of the tech bloggers. Own Android devices and love it. So blogs will be mainly based on what i own. Amateur occasional blogger. Foodie with a good appetite for Indian food. Love to travel, drive alone with only country-folk-indie music as company.

70 comments :

  1. VaishakDecember 29, 2011 at 8:48 AM

    Dude, Good review! :)

    Take care while walking on the roads/rails :)

    Dnt want to Miss U :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. yespressDecember 30, 2011 at 1:18 AM

    haha.. ok dude! :))

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2012 at 11:08 PM

    man u got dat... n dat is
    PRESENTATION...
    NICE WORK...

    ReplyDelete
  4. yespressJanuary 11, 2012 at 3:34 PM

    thanks.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2012 at 12:17 PM

    Hi,

    Could you please post the User Guide and the Service Center sheet cos i lost those docs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. BaskarApril 7, 2012 at 2:56 PM

    hi.. can u mail me the user manual.. i seem to have lost them

    ReplyDelete
  7. yespressApril 16, 2012 at 9:27 AM

    @both the above: i don't have it now. i've given it to somebody else. sorry that i couldn't help.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMay 8, 2012 at 1:11 PM

    Have you tried connecting to a laptop,are the vista driver available?

    ReplyDelete
  9. yespressMay 10, 2012 at 6:48 PM

    i connected it to laptops with Windows 7 installed. this headset does not need any driver. if the laptop has bt and the driver is properly installed, then this headset will get connected easily.

    ReplyDelete
  10. TazMay 18, 2012 at 4:53 AM

    just purchased it for my macbook from a local store for 1750. my 13" macbook pro has comobo jack and I was using my iphone headfones for this but ppl complained that they could not hear me properly and there was a lot of disturbance. Hope this new headphoen fixes teh problem. Thansk fr d review :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. piyush yadavMay 19, 2012 at 2:06 PM

    bro ur price for the nokia bh 505 is absolutely wrong....i went to nokia care there the price of this nokia bh 505 headphones is 3220 rupees...so i bought new i ball groovy headphones

    ReplyDelete
  12. yespressMay 30, 2012 at 7:10 PM

    @piyush yadav: what are you saying? my price of bh 505 is exactly what you said!!!! you said 3220. what did i said in my post? i said "if you are willing to pay 1500/- MORE (ie, the price of Groovy 1700/- + 1500/-)" that is the price i said is 3200/-. !!

    ReplyDelete
  13. yespressMay 30, 2012 at 7:11 PM

    @Taz: you're most welcome!

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousAugust 27, 2012 at 8:24 PM

    i want to know dat this hesdset is compatible with nokia5233,other nokia mobiles & samsung star 2............pls. reply me on my email: wlcom2ank.ankit@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. amitAugust 29, 2012 at 12:35 PM

    Dear Prasad,

    Can groovy be charged with a ps3 usb cable? I have lost groovy charging cable and can't find a replacement. However, I can buy a PS3 cable.
    Thanks

    Amit

    ReplyDelete
  16. yespressAugust 29, 2012 at 2:56 PM

    @Ankit: Groovy is compatible with every BT enabled BT-headset supported mobiles..

    ReplyDelete
  17. yespressAugust 29, 2012 at 2:59 PM

    @Amit: if PS3 cable is a micro usb cable, it can be charged..

    ReplyDelete
  18. consulting criticSeptember 12, 2012 at 8:11 PM

    can you please tell me what charger to use with it,i lost mine and i can't find it anywhere

    ReplyDelete
  19. yespressSeptember 12, 2012 at 9:55 PM

    u can charge it with any micro usb cable..

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2012 at 5:05 PM

    can not connect my i ball groovy with my lappy.it's hp 540 series laptop...do you have any solution??...not able to find drivers also......plz mail me at srivastavshashank0202@gmail.com....thanks

    ReplyDelete
  21. yespressSeptember 17, 2012 at 9:54 PM

    try installing external bluetooth softwares like IVT Bluesoleil.. Its easy to connect any BT devices through Bluesoleil than the default windows software.

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousSeptember 26, 2012 at 12:24 AM

    im not able to connect in my HP laptop with Windows 7 Os. Its shows driver not found. Can any help me to get the driver to connect iball groovy head set to my laptop. Thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
  23. yespressSeptember 26, 2012 at 6:01 PM

    if you want the driver for bluetooth in your HP laptop, please go to their website and download the corresponding driver. Or else as i said in the previous comment, please use IVT Bluesoleil (a third party bt app). iBall Groovy does not have a particular driver. It connects to the lap/PC as a bt audio device.

    ReplyDelete
  24. UnknownOctober 31, 2012 at 12:18 PM

    Hi

    I have a samsung galaxy S3. What i'm curious is about the sound quality. Is it as good as the stock earphones provided by Samsung (which is pretty damn good-yeah i'm an audiophile) or better or worse. Pls let me know asap!

    Regards

    ReplyDelete
  25. yespressOctober 31, 2012 at 12:36 PM

    @Sagnik: the answer is simple. NO! :) it will not give you a good quality output. if u need the best out of you s3 with BT stereo, go for sennheiser or boss headsets.

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousNovember 17, 2012 at 2:34 PM

    does not works with my desktop message shown--- no drivers found..contact manufacturer...i have windows 7 installed

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousNovember 17, 2012 at 2:37 PM

    how do i connect i ball groovy bluetooth neck phone with mic aith my pc (windows 7 installed) I have a blue tooth device connected to my pc and file transfer thru BT is OK....with i ball neck phone i get message....contact manufacturer for drivers....windows update cannot find drivers

    ReplyDelete
  28. AnonymousNovember 17, 2012 at 2:39 PM

    it works fine with any BT enabled mobile i tried it on HTC, NOKIA, IPHONE4S and samsung windows phone

    ReplyDelete
  29. UnknownDecember 3, 2012 at 12:30 PM

    arrey doston iball groovy pc pe bluetooth se connect nahi hota re
    if any one did this please post asap...plz
    thnx... :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousDecember 24, 2012 at 5:57 PM

    hiii i am confuse between groovy and bh505 can you suggest me that which is the better one. I can spend money for both pls suggest me with specification thanx....

    ReplyDelete
  31. yespressDecember 24, 2012 at 7:54 PM

    @Sanjiv Sharma: i connected mine without any problem. Try it using BlueSoleil software installed.

    ReplyDelete
  32. yespressDecember 24, 2012 at 7:55 PM

    @Thushar: maine connect kiya hai mere pc ke sath aur laptop ke sath bhi. use it with BlueSoleil if built-in drivers are not working..

    ReplyDelete
  33. yespressDecember 24, 2012 at 7:56 PM

    @Karan: BH505 have better sound quality. No question about that! Groovy is light weight than bh505. if you are ready to spend money, i'll advice you to buy BH505 itself.

    ReplyDelete
  34. HimanshuDecember 24, 2012 at 10:01 PM

    Brother I want to ask you a question... If i want to play counter strike using this, will the internal mic be used as a microphone device to transmit voice to the laptop???

    ReplyDelete
  35. yespressDecember 24, 2012 at 10:33 PM

    @Himanshu: yeah. the mic can be used to transmit voice to the lap. you can record your voice and also chat using it. so it should work with counter strike too.

    ReplyDelete
  36. UnknownJanuary 16, 2013 at 12:10 PM

    hi Prasad,
    thanks for your detailed review,
    how is the bass and treble performance? is there any cracking or distortion in sound? does the headphone sound as a quality prod ?

    ReplyDelete
  37. yespressJanuary 17, 2013 at 11:34 AM

    you're welcome.. :-)
    groovy is strictly a no for music lovers. its just for the people who want just a bluetooth stereo to hear songs or play games. bass and treble is nowhere near good. its just ok. i haven't experienced any cracking or distortion.

    ReplyDelete
  38. UnknownFebruary 6, 2013 at 5:35 PM

    One of the best reviews i gone through !!! Keep up the good work bro !!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Soham ChauhanFebruary 10, 2013 at 3:48 PM

    Used it with my ipad 2, works great!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  40. UnknownFebruary 15, 2013 at 9:59 PM

    i am not able to connect it to my nokia phones...plzzz any one help me

    ReplyDelete
  41. UnknownMarch 25, 2013 at 11:00 PM

    Hi I'm not able to get connect iball lappie with my laptop ( DELL INSPIRON 640m) with windows 7 ultimate installed. can anybody suggest me to connect ??

    ReplyDelete
  42. UnknownMarch 25, 2013 at 11:03 PM

    I wish if prasad can help me ... ?? please help me prasad .

    ReplyDelete
  43. yespressMarch 26, 2013 at 12:29 AM

    @Brijesh: thank you.. appreciate it.. :)
    @Soham: thats great.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. yespressMarch 26, 2013 at 12:29 AM

    @Abinas & Hari: have you made the headset discoverable before trying to connect it your devices? (ie, long press the on button)

    ReplyDelete
  45. AnonymousApril 3, 2013 at 7:10 PM

    is this bt headset compatible with samsung galaxy y s5360???? its bt version is 3.0 and android version is 2.3.6 gingerbread....!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  46. manish aroraJuly 18, 2013 at 3:36 PM

    I,m unable to find the usb charger for my iball groovy.can anybody help me with specifications of the usb that should be asked for in the store?

    ReplyDelete
  47. UnknownOctober 15, 2013 at 10:36 AM

    I lost my charger and unable to charge it. will u please give me a name of the USB cable. please..

    ReplyDelete
  48. AnonymousNovember 2, 2013 at 2:48 PM

    can we wear helmet while using this headset!

    ReplyDelete
  49. UnknownNovember 29, 2013 at 7:30 PM

    I have this purchased in 2012. I have not used for an year. This is not getting charged now.. WHat should I do now, Please sugest. I am based in Hyderabad

    ReplyDelete
  50. UnknownJanuary 3, 2014 at 8:58 PM

    I lost my charger and unable to charge it. will u please give me a name of the USB cable. please..

    ReplyDelete
  51. AnonymousMarch 14, 2014 at 3:23 PM

    i need to know if this works with lumia phones and as well as with asus laptops. please reply soon.

    ReplyDelete
  52. roysMarch 28, 2014 at 2:47 PM

    How to charge the headset is there any indicator light will display while charging.

    ReplyDelete
  53. ap technicianApril 3, 2014 at 7:39 PM

    hello dear
    i ll lost my start -up button.....,Please sugest servicing centers at hyd
    I am based in Hyderabad

    ReplyDelete
  54. mannJune 11, 2014 at 4:12 PM

    i connected my iball groovy head set to dell lappy but sound still come from external speakers only

    ReplyDelete
  55. shubhamAugust 6, 2014 at 1:51 PM

    I lost ma groovy usb charger plz suggest me which one should I take??

    ReplyDelete
  56. ѕυмαη νєямαOctober 28, 2014 at 3:42 PM

    I bought it from here : https://www.discownt.com/iBall_Bluetooth_Neckphone_with_Mic_Groovy_A5 i dono how to configure it with my dell 16gb ram laptop....please help me..!!

    ReplyDelete
  57. VireshDecember 13, 2014 at 12:31 AM

    Can you suggest me a genuine website for purchasing BH-505? The market is flooded with fake products.
    Bought one from Amazon. The seller sent a used one. Had to return after a long argument.
    Flipkart has 2 new sellers selling this product. So I am apprehensive. A genuine link would be handy.

    ReplyDelete
  58. UnknownMay 31, 2016 at 4:32 PM

    In regard of learning about various specifications for Bluetooth Headphones Online, one should make it sure how he or she wants to use the headsets. The average Bluetooth headsets allow the users to enjoy their service for a little more than four hours while a better and high quality model will let the users use it for nearly 10 hours at a stretch. Most of the modern Bluetooth headsets are v2 or v3 versions. A modern Bluetooth stereo headset online comes with several controlling buttons through which the users can receive and reject the calls, play or pause MP3 or MP4 players and any other audio files. Some of the Stereo Bluetooth headsets have redial buttons as well.

    ReplyDelete
  59. SaRaJ PaN MaSaLaApril 12, 2017 at 7:23 AM

    I broke my charger...
    Wanna buy new one...
    Where to get that...
    Its almost out of stock!
    Plz help

    ReplyDelete
  60. AnonymousMay 25, 2017 at 2:01 PM

    I connected it with my old mobile but now i am not able to connect it to my new one... How do i do it?? Can anyone please help me

    ReplyDelete
  61. AnonymousMay 28, 2017 at 2:13 PM

    what is the indication of charging in iball Groovy A5

    ReplyDelete
  62. Ashutosh ChakrabortyJuly 24, 2017 at 7:18 PM

    I paired my groovy with a phone in advance but now I want to change the phone. Please tell me how to do it. The groovy doesn't seem to acknowledge other phones

    ReplyDelete
  63. RickypontingOctober 27, 2017 at 7:04 PM

    I just read your article and found it very informative. You have provided a nice review about iball groovy bluetooth neckphone. Well, if someone is looking to buy a new one then it is recommended to check this list of bluetooth headsets before buying one. You will surely find the best one for your needs on this link.

    ReplyDelete
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  66. UnknownJuly 23, 2020 at 4:31 PM

    But it's chargwr not working

    ReplyDelete
  67. UnknownJuly 23, 2020 at 4:32 PM

    I want only charger

    ReplyDelete
  68. UnknownJuly 23, 2020 at 4:32 PM

    How can i purches

    ReplyDelete
  69. AnonymousJuly 27, 2020 at 12:52 PM

    I lost my iball groovy charging cable which usb cable is suit for it

    ReplyDelete
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