G-Drop ($50) is the newest wireless speaker from G-Project, which is known for inexpensive speakers with great sound. At half the price of most waterproof speakers, G-Drop is tough and IPX7-certified, capable of floating and being submerged to depths of 3 feet for up to 30 minutes. The small Bluetooth speaker — which can be propped up or placed on its back for listening — contains one 2.5″ driver and a passive bass radiator. G-Drop’s battery is said to last for six hours between charges, and an included metal loop allows users to clip the speaker to a bag.
G-Drop might be larger than you expect for such an inexpensive speaker.
It has four “spokes” surrounding the speaker grille, all featuring separate playback and volume buttons — it’s a little more than 5.5” from the end of one spoke to another. Other buttons include an EQ button, Bluetooth pairing button, and a power button. A small locking door on one side of the speaker reveals a 5V Micro-USB charging port and line-in port. We kind of like the chunky design, especially at the price point. The speaker can be used on its edge or pointing skyward.
G-Drop feels very solid, and it’s clearly made to stand up to the elements.
We dropped the speaker in the bathtub, and it played with no issues; the bass pumped little droplets of water out of the top of the speaker. Dust is kept from getting into the ports by use of the clever locking door. Additionally, G-Drop also packs in speakerphone functionality — a real surprise at such a low price. The call quality of the speakerphone was described as “feasible” at best. We wouldn’t recommend using G-Drop for its speakerphone, but the addition of the feature doesn’t hurt the overall package.
For a $50 speaker, G-Drop is comparable to G-Project’s G-Grip, which was released nearly two years ago, for $20 more.
