LG xboom Grab by will.i.am

Design and build

Shaped like a black cylinder with bold lettering, the LG xboom Grab weighs 700g and measures 21.1 × 7.1 × 7 cm. Two elastic straps make it easy to attach to a bike, parasol, or backpack.

With IP67 certification, it’s resistant to rain, water jets, dust, and even submersion (up to 1 metre for one hour). It’s also MIL-STD-810H certified, essentially matching IP67 but with added toughness.

The top oth the LG xboom Grab houses the control buttons, though the lack of backlighting makes them difficult to use in the dark. The USB-C port at the rear, however, is illuminated. Inside, there’s an 8 × 4.5 cm racetrack woofer (20W) and a 16mm tweeter (10W) from Danish manufacturer Peerless, for a total output of 30W. Two passive radiators on each side reinforce the bass.

Technical features

The LG xboom Grab has Bluetooth 5.3 on board, with SBC and AAC codec support. Pairing is quick and straightforward, and multipoint allows two devices to connect simultaneously. Indoors, the connection reaches the next room; outdoors, over 50 metres is possible in line of sight. Auracast lets you pair two identical units for stereo or link with other xboom models for more output.

The LG ThinQ app

Instead of a dedicated speaker app, LG integrates the LG xboom Grab into its LG ThinQ smart home app. This means you’ll have to locate it among fridges and air conditioners, register for an LG account, complete two-factor authentication, and grant multiple permissions. Once added, you get a standard speaker control interface.

In the “Sound Effect” section, you can choose from four presets or use a 6-band EQ. One preset uses AI to optimise sound based on genre. Lighting effects for the narrow strip at the bottom can be customised with six presets and individual colours. A “heart” button on the speaker can be programmed via the “MY Button” menu to launch a playlist with a chosen sound preset and lighting effect.

The app also offers room calibration, Bluetooth wake-up (which slightly increases idle power consumption), and firmware updates. Some functions still feel unfinished, and future updates may improve the experience.

Sound quality

At up to around half volume, the LG xboom Grab sounds warm and fairly full, though bass needs boosting in the EQ for proper impact. Vocals and instruments are clear enough through slightly soft mids, while the tweeter gives the highs decent sparkle.

Pop tracks like Echo by Tom Walker sound a bit veiled but still engaging. Between Two Points from David Gilmour’s latest album captures his daughter’s voice nicely, though overall resolution and transparency could be better. Electronic music, like Parra for Cuva’s latest release, has good drive but feels somewhat capped in dynamics.

Beyond 50% volume, bass fades and a mid-high mix takes over, sometimes sounding smeared or harsh depending on the track. At closer listening distances and lower levels, the presentation is far more pleasant.

Battery life and calls

With around 20 hours of playback at medium volume, the xboom Grab offers respectable endurance, though it cannot double as a power bank. Call quality is decent if you stay close to the mic, with good background noise suppression and only minimal artefacts.

Conclusion

The LG xboom Grab by will.i.am leaves a mixed impression. Its design, build quality, and ruggedness are excellent, making it a reliable companion for outdoor use in rain, at the beach, or even in dusty environments. At moderate volumes, sound is enjoyable, but at higher levels it loses balance. The AI features are overpromised, and the app onboarding is unnecessarily complicated. Still, for style, durability, and portability, it’s a solid travel speaker.