Guokr GP2 review: Can smart speakers also return to sound quality?

Guokr GP2 review: Can smart speakers also return to sound quality?
Not long ago, we reported on the Guokr WiFi Speaker GP2. Gu Xiaobin, CEO of Guokr Electronics, once called for smart speaker products to return to their essence, with sound quality first and intelligence second. So as the second smart speaker after GA1, can GP2 perform well in this regard?
Now, let’s experience it together.
【Preview】
Judging from the outer packaging, the second generation of speakers should be larger than the first generation. In terms of color, it is also different from the previous silver-white main tone. The products launched this time include three styles: black, white and red.


In terms of function support, it is not much different from the first generation of speakers. It mainly supports audio output of common devices such as computers, set-top boxes, DVDs, mobile phones, etc.
Next, let’s open the outer packaging and see what color the speaker we received is.
[Unboxing]


The speaker body obtained by Diankeji this time is pure black, with a length of 414mm, a width of 175mm, and a height of 414mm. The shape is a bit similar to an old-fashioned radio.


Looking back at the first version of GEAK Audio, the body is a cylindrical triangle with a length of 185mm and a width of 75mm.
In comparison, the color and shape of GP2 are more stable than the first generation, and the size is nearly twice as large. For speakers, size is a factor directly related to sound quality. I wonder if this can bring corresponding quality improvement to GP2?


The button settings are kept simple. In addition to the two connected volume control buttons, there is only one power button. The power button can also be used to implement the "pause" and "next song" commands through different actions. There is a dot-shaped indicator light between the two physical buttons. The speaker status is displayed through different flashing modes of red and green colors.


The interfaces at the bottom include a USB charging port, a power port, a 3.5mm audio input port, and a TF card slot.
【Try it】
Like other smart speakers on the market, GP2 needs to be used with the corresponding APP.
It should be pointed out that the QR code provided in the manual cannot download the corresponding APP, and a white screen link pops up. In addition, the related applications of Geak Audio cannot be searched in some mainstream application markets. For the time being, the only way to find the download address is to follow its WeChat public account. In this regard, the preliminary work of GP2 needs to be more detailed.


GP2 supports 220V AC power supply and needs to be plugged in. It has no power storage device and is more suitable for fixed places such as home audio and video and offices.


After installing the app, first set the network mode of the speaker. The official provides three settings. However, the Wi-Fi signal provided by the GP2 tested does not seem to be stable, and it is not easy to search for the required GEAK_XXXXXX signal in the direct connection mode with a constant red light.


After completing the network configuration, you can see the online radio stations in the cloud, including Himalaya, Tiantiandongting, Duoting FM, Douban FM, Qingting FM and Tingting FM. It is reported that this speaker is equipped with an independent low-power MPIS architecture main chip, which supports almost all formats of professional audio decoding.
Next, we enter the key link of evaluating the "essence" of the audio system. We tested its sound quality by playing music. We used Nicola Sedda's All By Myself to test the audio system for the first time. In terms of its range, it is a test for both singers and audio systems. From the dolphin sound of C7 at the end, although the processing of GP2 is not as delicate as that of professional home theaters in terms of level, there is no obvious sign of electric current or distortion. The only shortcoming is that the background sound is not particularly clear.
Then, we also tested the bass-heavy songs. Surprisingly, GP2's handling of reverberation exceeded its size level. Compared with the first generation product, it was significantly improved. This may be related to its design improvement.



Looking back at the engineering drawings of GP2, we can see that it adopts a stereo dual-channel design, equipped with 4 sound units and an independent bass diaphragm. In addition to design factors, it seems that the increase in size is also effective. In terms of speaker units, GP2 adopts a stereo dual-channel design and has an independent low-frequency diaphragm. This also helps improve its sound quality.
In addition, from the perspective of volume, GP2 can fully meet the energy needs of the living room. In the semi-open space of about 40 square meters where the test was conducted, the hearing experience is best at medium volume, which can cover the entire indoor space. At a higher volume, the hearing experience is still clear at the farthest distance.
In general, the GP2 is simple and elegant in appearance; it performs well in processing heavy bass; and the volume can meet the basic living room needs. However, the stability of the signal connection still needs to be improved. However, for its price of 699 yuan, the price-performance ratio is still good.
Although there is still room for improvement in the handling of some details, we can still see the efforts made by Guokr Electronics to return to the essence of audio from the progress of GP2. Of course, in addition to this, GP2 also reflects Guokr's layout in "intelligence". Gu Xiaobin believes that in the future, after the voice control and mood control of smart homes, and the intelligence of several large items such as TVs and air conditioners, audio will have another development opportunity. Therefore, Guokr WiFi Audio GP2 is also fully connected to QQ Internet of Things. In terms of content, it covers more than 3,000 categories of music tracks such as children's books, children's education, and folk art programs, with a clear focus on families.
Regardless of what role smart speakers will play in the home field in the future, the essence of smart speakers will not change. Therefore, with the guarantee of sound quality, its further intelligence is stable and feasible.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.

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