I'm familiar with the Grace Digital dock for the original Kindle Fire. But, while it had a number of great features, it didn't work well for me since the on/off button would not properly engage with the Kindle. So I was very interested to try out their new dock for the Samsung Galaxy/Note.Very pleased! Everything feels substantial, especially the phone cradles. It comes with a total of 5 cradles to fit the Galaxy S2, S3 and Note. I'm using the dock mainly with my S2, but also borrowed a Note to try that out (worked well). The cradles hold the phone securely, and rotate for either landscape or portrait viewing. I found it very easy to swap out cradles (no tools are needed).
The dock itself can be flipped so it either rests on its side or on its back. It has non-slip pads on the both the base and the back of the dock to help keep it from sliding. I found you can also stand it on its end without any problems. It's not designed for this, so it's not the most stable position, but it's workable for me (I keep it on a small shelf above my desk, so space is at a premium).
The power cord plugs into the back of the dock. I very much like that it does not have a wall wart at the end of the plug, but rather has an inline transformer. The cord that plugs into the dock is permanently attached to the transformer; the cord that plugs into the wall has a conventional 2-prong plug. You still have to deal with a transformer (it's a rectangular box about 2 inches by 4 inches, and about 1 inch thick) but it's not at the end of the plug where it would block other outlets.
It comes with a slim remote that controls volume, power, bass and treble. You can also use it to switch to the aux input (more on that later). The remote does not control or interface with the phone it only controls the features on the dock. It includes the flat battery (CR2025 size) which is a nice touch.
The sound quality is quite good. Not audiophile good, but better than other docks I've tried in this price range. I very much like that the bass and treble are adjustable. In fact, be sure to play with them right when you first use the dock the EQ settings on mine were really out of whack when I first set it up, with no bass output at all. Once adjusted, however, the bass output was much better.
It has two 3 inch full-range speakers. Although the speakers are powered with an impressive 16 watts, a full-range speaker is just not going to provide room-filling thumping bass nor ultra-clear highs. If you want that you'll need to look elsewhere (and dig a lot deeper in your wallet to pay for it). But given the g dock's price point I'm more than pleased with the sound quality.
It has an aux input so you can plug in anything that has a standard 1/4 inch plug. I've tried it using a Sandisk MP3 player and a Kindle Fire. Works well and extends the usefulness of the dock beyond just a Samsung phone dock. It includes a male/male cord that is of pretty decent quality.
It has the ability to run off of a battery pack that is sold separately. That was not included with my review unit so I can't provide any details about it. I see that Amazon has one for the Kindle Fire dock (Grace Digital Matchstick for Kindle Fire Rechargeable Battery Pack) but I don't know if that is the right one for this dock. I imagine it is, but will check with the manufacturer and report back. Having the battery pack is a great feature for portability. Note, however, that the battery pack only powers the dock and will not power or recharge the phone. The dock has to be plugged in for the latter.
[UPDATE: The manufacturer got back to me very quickly, and confirmed that the Matchstick battery will work with the gdock]
The main misses are with the controls. Or rather, the control indicator lights. The trend in many electronics these days is to have piercing indicator lights that appear much like miniature lighthouse beacons in a dark room. I really hate that! But, ironically, I'm not found of the g-dock's approach of having very muted indicator lights. They are covered by the speaker cloth which makes them even more difficult to see. This is not a major flaw since you can see them if you're close to the dock. Plus the remote covers all the bases if you're farther away from the dock. But I'd still like a more visible power indicator to remind me to turn it off. I also wish it had larger control buttons, and had better quality speaker cloth (or, better yet, metal mesh).
But those minor issues aside, I think this is a great dock. Solid performance and nice design touches. Highly recommend.
[The manufacturer provided me with this product for review]
I really liked the fact that once you dock the Note 2, you have a cute little remote control to control everything. I thought that was very clever. Even without the remote, I still liked how you could control the volume at the base. The whole design of the station is very aesthetically pleasing. The installation manual that you get is straight forward but I had a little bit of difficulty getting it to work right away. I guess this is my fault for not being tech savvy. I even had to contact support to troubleshoot it but they were kind and courteous enough to help via email. The problem I had was to get the sound to play out of the dock speakers once it was in the dock. My fault for not knowing this but you have to make sure your phone is set up properly first (On the Note 2, Settings => System => Accessory => checkmark box audio output mode). Anyways, after I got it set up I was able to get everything to work very quickly.
I do have one small complaint about the design though. The cradle that the phone sits in should be changed in some way. The cradle they put on is probably for a S2 cradle so I had to remove the S2 cradle and replace it with the Note 2 cradle (which is provided). However, the cradles seemed so flimsy that I was almost afraid to break it when I tried to take off the S2 cradle; and the way the Note 2 cradle snaps in is a little freaky to me but the phone fits like a glove in the cradle. My personal suggestion to future models is to have a one size fits all cradle if it were possible or to have an exchangeable cradle that slides versus snaps in. It feels like over time if you have to change cradles over time then it would snap or break. I think this is perfect for the person or persons who have the same style phone so you don't have to keep exchanging cradles.
The sound quality of the system was great. I couldn't be happier. I was expecting a whiny pitchy kind of noise since the station was so small (like other stations) but quite surprisingly it sounded very full. I went ahead to stream some Netflix movies on there just for the heck of it and it was nice. I even tested the AUX cable and the quality was equally as good as if it was docked. There wasn't any pitchy or crackling noises in the background when it was on higher volumes so that made me happy. I didn't crank it ALL the way up just because I don't like the way any sound system sounds like that loud so I cannot comment on that. But overall, I was very happy with it.
All in all if you are looking for a dock for your Galaxy, I think this is it. It sounds great and it's not outrageously priced like other systems I've seen out there; and won't give you that cheap pitchy sound like those lower end ones. A+ for me, just remember to get the settings right on the phone =)
FOLLOW UP 12/14/12
After a few days of testing and doing a side by side comparison to the Bose system, my wife notices that the sound generated from the gDock is more of a direct sound while the Bose has a more full surround sound effect. She felt that the room filled with more sound with the Bose. I just thought I'd share my wife's opinion because she has a better ear at music than I do. Still, I'm keeping my rating at 5 for the sound quality at the price point compared to other units; design and the functionality of the unit(#1 REVIEWER)Gdock is designed to be used as a docking station for use with Samsung Galaxy phones. It can also be used a speakers for any device if the device is connected via AUX IN port by audio cable (included). I received this unit from manufacture for testing purposes to write an unbiased and honest review. I tested this speaker with Android Phone, our two Android tablets (Nexus and Galaxy) as well as a computer speaker. You will find both positives and negatives I encountered during my testing.
Gdock works with AC power source or alternatively can work through a lithium-ion rechargeable battery (sold separately). However, it recharges the phone only when plugged into the AC source. When it operates on the battery it only behaves as the speakers.
I am attaching a collage of seven photos numbered 1 though 7 under customer photos that I will be referencing in this review.
Photo #1 shows everything that comes in the box: Gdock, cradles, remove control, power cable, audio cable, power supply and cable.
Gdock comes with 6 holders for Galaxy SIII, Galaxy Note, Galaxy SII SGH-T989, Galaxy SII GT-I9100 SGH-1777, Galaxy SOO SPH-D719. The GDock comes pre-installed with a cradel fro S III cradle. The cradle can be removed by sliding it up, and replaced with another cradle if needed. Photo #1 shows me sliding one of the cradles into the dock.
Photo #2 shows the back of the unit, where in the center you see audio in and power connections. On the sides of the unit you see two bass ports for extending the bass performance.
One of the things I found in testing is that the sound is significantly improved if you position the unit in a way that the sound coming out of these port holes has a solid surface to reflect from. The difference was significant and significantly improved my opinion of the sound quality.
Photo #3 shows Gdock on the digital scale. It weights in at 3.3 pounds and feels significant and well built.
Gdock comes with a remote control, which has the following operations:
1. On/off
2. Mute on/off
3. Volume up and down
4. Reset to factory settings
5. Bass up and down
6. Change audio from Aux In to Samsung Galaxy
7. Treble up and down
When the unit is turned on a blue LED light on the front of the speaker is turned on. This light is a bit subtle, it shines through the speaker cloth and I did not notice it right away. I put a red square around this light in picture #7 to bring it to your attention.
PHONE TESTING (USB port):
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To position the phone in the doc the phone is slid into the cradle from the top, through the arms of the cradle and inserted into the micro USB jack connector at the bottom of the cradle. The phone can be positioned either vertically or horizontally on the doc by rotating the docking port.
Photo #4 shows the Nexus Galaxy phone I used for testing. Several important notes on the phone. The Nexus Galaxy phone is not officially listed as a supported phone. In addition the phone is normally used with an extra large battery which makes it significantly fatter than a standard battery. Despite the "unofficial" configuration I thought this test would be of interest to people who own this phone model.
1) Two of the cradles fit the Nexus Galaxy phone with the standard battery: Galaxy SIII and Galaxy SI SGH-T989.
2) When the phone had its extra large battery installed none of the cradles fit, but the unit could be inserted into the USB connection without the cradle. It made a good connection as indicated by the Battery App (see below). Photo #5 shows the side view of phone with the extra large battery on Gdock.
Photo #6 show the phone charging. I used Battery App by Elvison to determine the device recognized the charging source. 'AC' status means the charging is at full charging rate. 'USB' status indicates charging at a lower charging rate. 'Discharging' status means that the charging rate is below the power that the device is consuming so it slows down the discharge rate but does not re-charge. The battery app showed that the phone is connected and is charging at USB rate. This is not surprising, since the USB connector has to be a data connector to carry music data to the speaker.
Difference between a charging cable and a data cable:
Charging cables short the two data connections together (rendering them useless for data transfer), but this fools devices to see them as an AC power connection, and thus accept the higher current of the charging source.
SPEED OF CHARGING:
Gdock USB source ... 1% charge in 10 minutes
(by comparison AC source charges this phone 6% in 10 minutes)
Photo #7 shows the phone playing music. However, Nexus Phone appears to be incompatible with the speaker. The speakers did not engage, even though the battery app showed that the phone was connected and recognized by Gdock. Since this phone was not officially listed as a supported phone I am not deducting any stars from the rating, but this finding was a surprise to me and I wanted to share it with other Nexus Galaxy phone owners.
OTHER DEVICES (AUDIO IN port)
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The rest of my experiments was using the audio jack on the back of the unit. I tested Gdock with Nexus 7 Tablet, Galaxy 7.7 Tablet, and as desktop computer speaker. As I mentioned earlier the key to getting good sound from this speaker is to put right agaist a wall or in our case a window pane. This really improved the bass performance. The front facing stereo speakers generate crisp and clear sound, the mid-range was very good. With speaker against the surface the bass sound was reasonable.
When I was testing this speaker as a computer speaker I compared it (using the same piece of music and two different computers) to Cambridge Soundworks speakers and Labtec speakers.
These speakers did not perform as well as my Cambridge Soundsworks but better than Labtec speakers.
To summarize:
------------------------------
1. The mid-range of the speaker was very good, bass performance somewhat weaker but reasonable.
2. Charging is at USB rate
3. Speaker does not work with Galaxy Nexus phone, the charger does work.
Ali Julia reviewI set up this Grace Digital GDock in my office at work a few days ago, and have been enjoying listing to internet radio via Pandora and iHeartRadio apps ever since. Using my company cell phone (a Galaxy S3) and this speaker, we are able to listen to music throughout the whole office and into the back warehouse as well. The GDock comes with 5 different cradle adapters, for the Galaxy S1, S2, S3 and the Note 1 and 2. I use the adapter for the S3 with the GDock, which came with it already pre-installed. The S3 slides right into it, and plugs in at the base. Each of the docks can also be rotated sideways, which in turn sets your device screen on landscape view.
The speaker has power buttons and volume buttons on both the GDock itself (at the top) and also on the wireless remote control that comes with it. The remote is small, not much larger than the palm of my hand. It would easily fit into a pants pocket. You can also adjust the treble and bass or mute the speaker, all from the remote. A battery is included, so you won't need to buy one for the remote control prior to using it.
The included auxiliary cable plugs into the back of the speaker, allowing you to use all kinds of other (non-Galaxy) devices. We've used the auxiliary cable with several other players so people could listen to their play-lists. We've used MP3 players, iPods, Kindle Fires, etc. All have worked great!
The speaker is weighty and feels solid. Not cheap and flimsy at all. It comes with a wall power adapter, and there is also an optional rechargeable battery made for this speaker (sold separately). When your device is plugged into the speakers dock, it will play your music and also charge your Galaxy at the same time, assuming you're using the wall adapter to power it. After reading through the included information, I did see that if you're using the optional rechargeable battery with this GDock and it's not plugged in to the wall adapter as well, it will just play music and not charge your device at the same time. This way, the power in the rechargeable battery is saved for running the speaker for as long as possible.
This GDock has been great to have in the office, and everyone loves it. It works well, sounds great and will play music as loudly or as softly as we want it. Even right now I'm downloading a playlist of Christmas music to my phone, so we can have it playing in the office for the holidays on the GDock. I was provided a sample unit from the manufacturer for an unbiased review of its performance. Grace Digital makes a wide variety of nice speaker docks, including one for the Kindle Fire called the MatchStick. I have that one as well and use it all the time at home, having it set up in my kitchen. Because of their versatility and quality, they are some of my favorite speakers and would definitely recommend them to anyone.(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)Finally "Galaxy S" or "Galaxy Note" owners have their counterpart to any of the "iHome" or "iPhone" docking systems. This is a beauty. Perfectly sized for the desktop, it is simple and clean. Your Phone or Note fits the proprietary male plug (Micro USB Jack Connector) easily and there are four different cradles to attach to your gdock depending on what device you have.
The stereo speakers (3" each) have an arguably better sound (both treble, midrange and bass) than the iHome desktops and I own two. It matches the sound of the Grace Digital MatchStick (GDI-GFD7200) Charging Speaker Dock for Kindle Fire Portrait and Landscape Modes in that department. There is a wafer thin remote that only adjusts the volume, bass, treble and EQ (resets to factory equalizer setting) as well as the power. The back of the gdock has two Bass Ports and that is what gives it such a strong firm bass. You'll want these exposed in the back and not on the bottom of the unit.
The gdock is attractively sleek with a black fabric finish. The docks rotate and lock from 38 degrees to 50 degrees depending on how you want your device to look. You can even choose two positions to set your entire gdock although it's only a matter of an inch or two differences. The power light is a tiny blue LED and is hard to see unless it is very dark.
The power connector is one of those double cables with a black box the size of a cigarette case, but that's fairly minor. You can charge your device and battery when the gdock is plugged into a wall source, but it won't charge your device (phone) from just the gdock battery. The back has a battery door for the OPTIONAL lithium battery which is sold separately. I did not get one, but it is supposed to last up to six hours.
If you want to plug another device into your gdock, there is the standard 3.5mm insert in the back. An Aux-In cable is supplied for this.
The price is comparable to any other docking units on the market, but I think the selling point for the gdock is the multiple cradles included and the absolutely great sound. Mind you, it's not really loud, but plenty for any room. By the way, if you want an alarm clock, just use your Galaxy phone.
Grace Digital Inc. was kind enough to supply a unit for review.
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