Creative Halo, sound and lighting at a very interesting price

Creative just announced their new speaker, Halo, a portable speaker with Bluetooth connectivity that boasts a compact design, a more than surprising sound with good bass, And that also has a surprise: lights of more than 16 million colors on the front that move and flash to the rhythm of the music so that your parties are more lively than ever.

For a very balanced price, only € 69,99 in the official Creative store, the truth is that after listening to this speaker the first thing that surprises you is its sound. We have tested it and we share our impressions about this new Creative speaker that will exceed the expectations of many.

Compact and portable design

The speaker is perfectly sized to take anywhere, but is large enough that you can consider using it in a room permanently. Its integrated battery promises up to 8 hours of autonomy, something that I have not been able to verify because after several days of use, after an initial full charge, it still remains with a half charge, so you can forget about connecting it to the electrical network and place it where you want it most. With an exterior finished in dark gray textile material (nylon) and a front in which only the small mirrored frame stands out, it will not be a product that attracts excessive attention, at least a priori. Its weight is barely half a kilogram (510gr), so transporting it is easy, it also has a small strap on one side so that if you are going to carry it in your hand for a while you do not run the risk of dropping it.

At the top, without hardly standing out from the rest of the speaker, we find a rubber part in which we have the button panel of the device. The power button, an LED that lights up when connected, volume and playback controls, and lighting control. In short, everything you need to control the music that sounds through the speaker without having to resort to our iPhone. Obviously the same control can also be done from our smartphone, even the volume. The speaker also allows us to answer phone calls, thanks to the microphone that is also in this upper part.

The back is almost a mirror of the front except for the frame, which here is not in mirror but in black plastic. This is where we will find the microUSB connector to charge the device (the cable is included in the box) and the 3,5mm jack connector to connect any other player that does not have Bluetooth, like our old iPod or a computer, using the corresponding cable (not included). There are no more connections, nor USB to be able to use some memory as an audio source. But we do have a standard thread at the bottom to be able to place it on a support.

Amazing sound with good bass

This Creative Halo boasts two speakers that cover the entire spectrum and a passive subwoofer to deliver good bass. The truth is that both for size and price, the first thing you notice when testing the speaker is that the sound is quite surprising. Perhaps the bass is a bit exaggerated, although this is for taste, but the speaker behaves very well even at high volumes, without distorting the sound. Tested with the successful UE Boom 2, perhaps one of the reference speakers in this segment, the sound of this Creative Halo does not detract at all, and its price is practically half.

16 million color integrated lighting

But the surprise of this speaker is on the front because (if you wish) you can light up your party with the more than 16 million colors that this speaker has, with different animations and the possibility of the lights "dancing" to the rhythm of the music. Personally, I am not a big fan of this type of lighting, but the young people in the house have been enthusiastic about it. Luckily this speaker can please everyone, since the animations can not only be chosen from a simple button but can also be deactivated. He showed you some samples in the following images.

You have 12 different animations that you can customize thanks to the Creative Xpectra application that you have available both in Google Play and in the App Store, completely free of charge. With the application you can vary the colors of each animation, make it move to the rhythm of the music, vary the brightness and speed of the animation, etc. As we said before, switching between one animation and another is as simple as pressing a button at the top. There are lights for all tastes, from fixed and discreet to "dancers" and colorful.

The application basically works only for lighting control, and although the customization options are many, It is missing that it had an equalization option incorporated to also be able to customize the sound speaker to your preferences. It will also allow us to activate the on, off and link notifications.

Editor's opinion

The Creative Halo speaker offers almost everything you could ask for in a portable speaker: good autonomy, good sound (especially if you like to enjoy bass), compact design and good materials, with the extra lighting that, if If you wish, it can liven up your party at night or contribute to a more relaxed atmosphere thanks to its customization options. The fact that it can be deactivated is also an advantage for those who do not want such ornaments. With an official price of € 69,99 and available in the Creative's official page, It is a very good alternative for those who want a good portable speaker that allows them to enjoy good sound at a very low price. Although some options such as a USB input or an in-app equalizer are missed, it is a product that will not disappoint whoever buys it.