About Creative

Unleashing Creative iRoar™ Go: The Intelligent Splash-proof Portable Bluetooth^® Speaker with SuperWide™ Technology

The Speaker Exceeds the Critically-Acclaimed Classic Sound Blaster Roar's Performance yet is Now Smaller, Smarter and Classier

BERLIN, Germany - 6 September 2016 - Creative Technology Ltd today announced the Creative iRoar Go Portable Bluetooth Speaker. Incorporating the same award-winning speaker DNA as the Classic Sound Blaster Roar and the Creative iRoar (with 5 powerful speaker drivers that includes a built-in subwoofer for room-filling audio, bi-amplified design for balanced audio delivery, and built-in processing with supported mobile phone apps), the iRoar Go now comes with significantly enhanced audio performance, improved all weather portability and an amazingly wide acoustic soundstage with its SuperWide Technology. The iRoar Go is also a prestigious Red Dot Award 2016 winner.

Award-Winning Speaker Pedigree - Sound Blaster Roar and Creative iRoar

The speaker greatly improves on the award-winning audio performance and speaker architecture of the classic Sound Blaster Roar and is bestowed with the intelligence of the Creative iRoar. Like these speakers, the iRoar Go is engineered to deliver huge room-filling audio from a small booklet-sized form factor. Although small and compact, this speaker actually features 5 speaker drivers, including a subwoofer: dual lightweight high-frequency 1.5” drivers for projecting far-field high-frequency dispersion, a built-in enhanced Neodymium subwoofer, plus two side-firing passive radiators to spread the bass out even farther.

The iRoar Go features 2 high-performance amplifiers - one dedicated to driving lows and mids, another solely for delivering highs - they produce clear, spacious, well-balanced audio without compromising on the bass. As a result, the iRoar Go is able to deliver powerful room-filling audio that is not sweet-spot dependant.

Users can even choose between placing the speaker horizontally for room-filling and balanced audio, or vertically for louder and more directed audio.

And just like the Creative iRoar, the iRoar Go also comes with a suite of intelligent smart device apps that allows users to customize and control their audio the way they want it.

Intelligent SuperWide Technology - A Super Wide Sound Stage Beyond One's Imagination

The iRoar Go is our first speaker to incorporate Creative's groundbreaking SuperWide technology that delivers a startlingly wide audio experience from a small device. This astounding technology stretches audio beyond the limits of conventional acoustic design laws as it requires a huge amount of acoustic power not available for a speaker of this size. It must be painstakingly tuned as a total system where the algorithm must work intricately with the amplifiers and speaker architecture to deliver audio magic.

The result is a feeling of spaciousness from a very small and compact system. Users will feel as if they are listening to a magically wide soundstage way beyond one portable Bluetooth speaker.

The impact of this magical technology can be experienced in 4 different placement scenarios:

ROAR Audio Mode

In scenarios such as parties or gatherings where a wider audience needs to be addressed, or simply when users want even more oomph, pressing the ROAR button will instantly and significantly boosts the loudness, depth and spaciousness of the speaker audio for an even more powerful, kick-ass, no-holds-barred listening experience.

Splash-proof-Rated at IPX6

The iRoar Go takes the Roar Series of portable Bluetooth speakers even further with its splash-proof outer casing that allows users to take the speaker just about anywhere.

Smaller, Lighter and Classier

The iRoar Go is also 40% smaller and 25% lighter in weight than the Creative iRoar.

The speaker sports beautifully machine-finished passive bass radiators caps that pulsate mesmerizingly with the bass. And, the dual brushed aluminium rings on the sides add that touch of class.

“The lateral metal rings lend this speaker a classic appearance, while simultaneously rendering it so robust that it also masters challenging conditions easily.” - Statement by the jury of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2016

Intelligent Speaker Apps for iOS and Android Devices

The Creative iRoar Go comes with the Sound Blaster Connect app for smart devices. The app enables users to control the speaker remotely and adjust audio settings such as EQ and select audio voicing profiles designed to enhance the audio experience in different usage scenarios -such as movie watching or listening to music tracks that require a more ‘live concert feel' - directly from their phone with a user-friendly graphic interface. Users can also see and select the tracks listed inside a microSD card or USB Flash drive device inserted into the speaker.

“The iRoar Go is the best speaker we've ever designed to date. In terms of size, weight, looks, and acoustic performance, it surpasses all my tall and unrealistic expectations. It is also the most challenging endeavour we have undertaken. It takes breaking all the rules of acoustic engineering to deliver something so good, so nice, so small,” said Sim Wong Hoo, Creator of the Sound Blaster and CEO of Creative Technology Ltd.

“The team pulled out all the stops to deliver the unimaginable SuperWide technology that is something so breathtaking it is akin to magic. Like magical illusions, the algorithm psychoacoustically tricks your ears into perceiving sound coming from the extreme corners of the room instead of the small speaker in front of you. It creates an expansive stereo soundstage that can be experienced even from different parts of the room. Finally with its Captivating Beauty, Heart-Grabbing Fidelity, Mind-Blowing Power, Unreal Sizeߪ there's no other speaker like the iRoar Go!”

The iRoar Go also comes packed with a whole host of useful features:

Integrated MP3 player with Lossless FLAC Codec Support (MicroSD or USB Flash Drive)

The iRoar Go features an integrated FLAC and MP3 player that allow users to play audio directly from a microSD card or USB flash drive, so users do not need to always commit their smartphone to play music. The player even allows users to skip music folders so that they can navigate to their songs faster without having to tediously cycle through all their individual tracks.

Speakerphone Teleconferencing

With its built-in high quality microphone providing for clear 360° voice pickup, the iRoar Go is able to take calls when connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth.

Personal PA System

iRoar Go is a powerful compact Bluetooth speaker made for audio entertainment and is also a personal PA system (public address system) when used with most wired or head-worn microphones.

Integrated Voice Recorder

The iRoar Go features an integrated Voice Recorder that utilises the speaker's built-in microphone or external microphone, allowing for versatile one-touch recording to an inserted microSD card.

HD Audio (AAC) Bluetooth Codec Support and NFC-Enabled

The speaker is able to connect wirelessly via Bluetooth, and also utilises the AAC Bluetooth HD audio codec for the highest quality audio and lowest possible latency. The speaker also features the latest Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, allowing users to quickly and easily connect to Bluetooth devices, requiring only a simple tap from an NFC-enabled smart device to the speaker to pair and establish a connection.

USB Audio with Sound Blaster Enhancement

The iRoar Go is not just a wireless speaker for smart devices. Users can connect it to their PCs or Macs via USB to enjoy clear digital audio from their desktops or laptops. Connecting the speaker via USB enables advanced PC audio processing via the downloadable software, Sound Blaster Connect, and full access to the SBX Pro Studio™ suite of technologies that intelligently enhance audio in real time.

SBX Pro Studio Features:

• SBX Crystalizer™ − restores the “highs” and “lows” that are compromised during audio compression to create an audio experience as the original artist intended
• SBX Surround − creates unprecedented levels of audio realism by producing virtual speakers around, above and below the listener
• SBX Bass − dramatically improves the sound experience by expanding the low frequency tones
• SBX Smart Volume − intelligently minimizes abrupt volume changes by automatically adjusting the loudness of audio playback
• SBX Dialog Plus − intelligently enhances voices in music and movies for drastically clearer vocal range

Dual-Purpose Battery

The iRoar Go also features a dual-purpose battery. The large, built-in 5200 mAh Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery can be used to charge smartphones and tablets, apart from providing up to 12 hours** of audio playback.

** Actual battery life will vary with use and settings and environmental conditions.

Pricing and Availability

Creative iRoar Go is priced at USD199.99. It will be available at the online store at www.creative.com from September 2016.

For in-country retail store availability, please refer to authorized dealers.

For more information, visit www.creative.com.

About Creative
Creative is a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Famous for its Sound Blaster® sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment with cutting-edge audio solutions which include premium wireless speakers, wireless headphones, and powerful audiophile-grade amplifiers and digital audio converters. Today, Creative re-invents the Sound Blaster, which has a user base of over 400 million, with its ground-breaking Sound Blaster Roar and Sound Blaster X7 that aim at the new mobile networked generation by bridging the worlds of the computer, smartphones, and tablets. Creative's proprietary technologies, innovative hardware, applications and services leverage the Internet, enabling consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment - anytime, anywhere.

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This announcement relates to products launched in Asia Pacific. Availability is subject to change without notice and may differ elsewhere in the world according to local factors and requirements. Creative, the Creative logo, iRoar, Sound Blaster and SBX Pro Studio are trademarks or registered trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd in the United States and/or other countries. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Creative Technology Ltd
Eugene Chong
(65) 6895 4190
yochong@ctl.creative.com