As more and more brands dip their toes in the field of the best golf gadgets, it means two victories for us golfers. Not only do we have more choice than ever before, but because the competition for our attention is as fierce as it has ever been, it means brands have to think outside the box to make their products stand out.
Mileseey has done just that with its GeneSonic Pro speaker. In terms of my excitement levels when I head to the course to test out a new piece of tech, speakers are relatively low on the scale - realistically, how innovative can a golf speaker be? Well, Mileseey answered my question emphatically, and the answer is very.
What sets the GeneSonic Pro out from the rest of the market is the ingenious detachable GPS device. In fact, this is the first 2-in-1 product combining a detachable GPS golf handheld with a portable Bluetooth speaker in golf. The handheld module is lightweight and provides on-the-go yardages, while the main speaker unit can be mounted on golf carts using an integrated magnetic system that feels strong enough to remain stuck to a NASA rocket during takeoff en route to the International Space Station.
My critique of a lot of the best golf speakers is that they’re made almost exclusively with the cart golfer in mind, meaning they are relatively heavy, big and ultimately a device that a player who walks for 99% of their rounds can't use without it weighing down their bag. The GeneSonic Pro’s detachable GPS means I can still get use of this speaker every round, even if I don’t want to bring the entire device out with me.
It features a 3” color touchscreen that has as much course information on it as you could ask for, including detailed course visuals with hazard layouts, green shapes, pin positions, fairway mapping, and automatic course/hole recognition. It also offers smart scoring prompts and post-round tracking, whilst linking it to the Mileseey Golf App adds another layer of immersion through shot tracking and post-round analytics.
The detachable GPS is a breeze to use and also doubles up as a remote control for your music, meaning that I could swiftly press skip on any country songs my playing partner had queued during testing.
The yardages are instant and accurate and despite the level of detail, the entire golf functionality is very easy to use. Whether you’re zooming in on a hazard, moving the pin to its corresponding position on the green for a more accurate number or tracking your score, everything is clear and simple - something that can’t be said for every golf speaker.
Having this level of detail on a GPS golf device isn’t unheard of, but a lot of the ones we have tested over the years have required an extra annual subscription to access greater detail, but I’m happy to say you don’t need that here. The GeneSonic Pro comes with over 43,000 pre-loaded courses and the GPS system recognizes where you are when you turn it on, rather than requiring input into an app.
As for the speaker side of things, much like the recently-reviewed Bushnell Wingman HD, the sound quality is as good as any portable speaker I’ve had over the years, and that includes devices from the big audio brands like Bose and JBL. Three distinct modes (golf, home and 'party' (woohoo!)) cater your music to your surroundings, meaning it isn’t out of place anywhere you take it.
The 40W output is designed for open environments like golf courses and you can tell - I never found myself double checking a yardage it called out to me during testing and we didn’t have it anywhere near full volume. If you’re like me and live in a country where it seemingly has never and will never stop raining, then fear not, for the IP67 rating means it is capable of withstanding rain and wet conditions.
A full charge of the speaker gives you up to three full 18-hole rounds or 15 hours of music at 50% volume and although the battery life of the detachable GPS outside of the speaker was on the low side, it charges once you reattach it to the speaker.
Ultimately, I find it hard to critique this speaker. Mileseey has clearly thought hard about the design and how to cater for as many golfers as possible rather than just those who use carts and it has been executed extremely well. The removable GPS is a brilliant idea and one I expect rival brands to replicate in the future. The $300 price tag is a little punchy, but you very much get what you pay for here.
