Unveiled at IFA 2018, the LG XBOOM Go PK7 is part of the company’s XBOOM Go portable Bluetooth speakers offering, one of an expanded lineup of XBOOM audio products which also added the XBOOM AI ThinQ smart speakers.
Marking its 60th anniversary, LG is aggressively driving its audio strategy by focusing first and foremost on sound quality, investing heavily in a wide range of R&D initiatives. At the centre of these efforts is the partnership with Meridian Audio, whose technology is implemented in LG XBOOM products.
LG XBOOM Go PK7
The XBOOM Go is the first wireless speaker offering to support aptX HD from Qualcomm which caters for lossless 24bit/576kbps hi-res streaming audio. Available in 3 models, the XBOOM Go PK3, PK5 and PK7. The LG XBOOM Go PK7 is the largest model of the LG XBoom Go series.
Design and Build
Being the largest model of the LG XBoom Go series, the PK7 weighs in at 2.85kg with dimensions measuring 320mm (W) x 167mm (H) x 152mm (D). The first word that came to my mind when I first saw the speaker was “Rugged”. Finished in matte black, the exterior of the PK7 is mainly made of hard, texturised plastic. Much of the speaker’s weight can be attributed to the built-in 10,400 mAh lithium-ion battery which provides the portable speaker with a staggering 22 hours of battery life after 3.5 hours of charging.
The design sports two horizon long bars across the top and the bottom of the speaker, which are designed as grab handles for the purpose of portability. The speaker is also fitted with four rubber bumpers at the bottom to keep both the speaker and surface safe during placement.
Designed as a portable speaker, the PK7 has a solid build and looks suitable and ready for its intended experiences in the outdoors. Complementing this, the speaker is IPX5 rated which essentially means that it is splash-proof and yes, super soakers are allowed making them ready for pool parties. Just don’t drop it into the pool.
Located at the top of the speaker are the control buttons namely; Power, Bluetooth Pairing, Increase Volume, Decrease Volume, Play/Pause, Voice Command, Clear Vocal and Enhanced Bass. When paired with an Android or Apple smartphone with an activated voice assistant, Voice Command activate your phone’s voice assistant, allowing one to control the speaker via voice. Clear Vocal and Enhanced Bass are settings which highlight LG’s partnership with Meridian. According to LG, Clear Vocal allows one to listen to the singers’ crisp and detailed vocals without distortion at the highest volume while Enhanced Bass mode creates deeper bass tones. As Clear Vocal and Enhanced Bass can be activated at the same time, this allows the PK7 to have 4 pre-set EQ modes namely Standard (Clear Vocal + Enhanced Bass off), Clear Vocal, Enhanced Bass and Clear Vocal + Enhanced Bass.
Switching on the PK7, one would be treated to an array of colourful LED lighting display. For Android users, the PK7 can be controlled using the Music Flow Bluetooth app. The app feature a built-in music player, LED lighting controls, EQ settings as well as multiple speakers pairing. Unfortunately for iOS users, the iOS version of the Music Flow Bluetooth has not been updated to support the PK7.
Turning around to the back of the PK7, one will find a splash-proof rubber-sealed back panel where you will find the charging port, AUX input jack, reset button and a pairing button to pair the speaker with another PK7 for Stereo playback.
Included in the box alongside the portable speaker is the AC adapter for charging.
Part 1: Introduction, Design and Build
Part 2: Sound Quality
Part 3: Product Specifications
Part 4: Review Ratings, Summary
