Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
If you want ANC for less, then these Groov-e Elite headphones are for you. If you’d like a bit of bass and decent enough quality for watching Netflix on your commute then they’ll do the job. If you want good-quality music headphones, however, then you may be left wanting. Control buttons sit on the earpiece and aren’t only easy to use but feel solid enough to last. A built-in microphone enables the use of these headphones as a hands-free kit. At this price-point, there are bound to be compromises. The Groov-e SoundBuds offer only entry-level battery life, at four hours. And while the build and fit of the units themselves and the case design are acceptable for the price, there is a limit to what the SoundBuds’ drivers can do for your music collection. There’s a 3.5mm audio port, so if you want to ditch the battery-life worry and listen without ANC then you can. Well, that’s presuming your handset still supports a headphone port.
For the price, the Groov-e Elite headphones are pretty impressive. Yes, they have a plastic feel and the ANC button does feel a little flakey, but the ear pads at least are comfortable. The headband is solid, and despite its minimal padding, still proved comfy when worn for long periods – something that not all high-end headphones can manage. As a relatively cheap pair of true wireless earbuds, the SoundBuds connect to your source device through the right earbud, with the left and right earbuds then connecting to each other. The control system worked well, although a little fiddly to change the volume. The audio quality was excellent for the price, the bass could have been a little tighter for our liking but, overall, we had no complaints. The pulsating light around the multi-function button on each in-ear is red when charging, blue when approaching full battery and off when fully charged – at which point the case stops charging.
Scores
The Groov-e Elite ANC fold away and fit in a hard-shell case that’s included in the box – a nice touch for travelling. Also included is a 3.5mm headphone cable. During our testing these all worked well (apart from the volume controls), although a separate on/off button would have been better rather than having to hold it for so long to turn it on or off. With the call features, the call quality wasn’t the greatest, it was reasonably clear but sounded tinny through both the headphones and to the person on the other end of the phone. The SoundBuds are more comfortable with mid-range frequencies that don’t push their drivers particularly hard. The Super Bass functionality offers plenty of punch from the bass end when needed. The only issue is that it comes at the cost of the high end, leaving vocals sounding a little muffled. In addition, separation of instruments is poor. In fairness, it isn’t bad for the price – it’s just unlikely to impress the the audiophiles out there.
The folding design of the Groov-e Elite is travel-friendly. The headphones can be popped into their hard-shell case and slipped into a bag without worry of damage, or accidental button pressing that could waste power. After running the Groov-e SoundBuds in, we cue up a Spotify playlist to see how they sound. First up is D’Angelo’s Untitled (How Does It Feel) and the True Wireless Stereo delivers the singer’s languorous skulking between our ears with a decent amount of detail. The treble is clear and pleasing, with higher register vocals alongside a walking high hat nicely dealt with. The connection therefore isn’t as strong as we would like – and it’s obvious when listening that this isn’t the latest Bluetooth standard, so you will get music cutting in and out on occasion. This is a novel thing in itself, but the biggest feature is that between the buds’ charging ports there’s a numerical LED display for battery status, where a flashing ‘5’is practically empty and ‘100’ is full. The design is decent and the build quality feels solid enough. Battery life could be better, but for most people who listen for only an hour or two at a time, the 10 hours should prove sufficient.
What about the Design and Controls?
If you want something really quite cute and truly wireless for little money, the Groov-e SoundBuds are worth a shout. But perhaps this is one time you should keep in mind the old saying about only ever really getting what you pay for. Again, the price reflects this – but I worry about battery quality in terms of longevity, and the number of charges this headset can take before battery life gets even lower. That said, the Groov-e Elite will see you through most flights and daily commuting. The big sell here is ANC – and it works. Slip these on, hold down the button on the left ear casing, and you’ll notice that world noises slip away. That said, the padding of the earpieces do much to reduce noise passively.
Great Deal 
New Comment