This Transportable Speaker Is the Last Boss of Bass

Bass: some audio system have it, and a few don’t. It’s like charisma or generational wealth, besides in all probability much less essential in figuring out your future. I’ve by no means personally discovered bass to be an important metric for whether or not a wi-fi Bluetooth speaker is well worth the cash, however I’m absolutely conscious that not everybody shares the identical style in bass as me, and even so, when it’s there in drive, I can nonetheless admire it.

The issue is, particularly relating to Bluetooth audio system of the portable variety, bringing the bass is more durable than it sounds. There’s a purpose why, in your house theater, the low finish is often incumbent on a big-ass subwoofer, which is a devoted field stored separate from the whole lot else. Bass is difficult to generate with out a big sufficient speaker that may transfer excessive volumes of air and generate correct low-end frequencies. It’s simply physics. And as you may think, given what I simply laid out, devising a transportable speaker that may do that’s no straightforward process.

It’s not straightforward, however it may be accomplished, apparently, and the $500 Brane X transportable Bluetooth speaker resides proof.

They actually put a woofer in it

The Brane X, although you could have by no means heard of it, is making a lofty declare. Brane claims that is the “first transportable speaker with a real subwoofer in-built.” When you’re like me, your alarm bells are in all probability going off; if it had been attainable, why hasn’t anybody accomplished it earlier than? That’s what I believed too, till I heard the Brane X for myself, or extra particularly, felt the way it shook the desk I put it on.

The Brane X delivers on its promise, and it’s utilizing some nifty engineering to take action. Inside this speaker, Brane says it’s utilizing a proprietary tech referred to as Repel-Entice Drivers (RAD), which makes use of magnets (however they work) to “cancel inside air stress forces that inhibit deep bass in different transportable audio system.” The result’s a transportable speaker that strikes sufficient air to ship actual, woofer-level low finish.

I do know, you’re in all probability rolling your eyes once more, however belief me, no matter is going on inside this speaker actually works. To check the Brane X out, I related my cellphone by way of Bluetooth and performed a couple of totally different genres of music. To be trustworthy, the speaker carried out effectively on all of them, even genres the place I don’t essentially search for bass, like folks rock. In genres the place it’s possible you’ll need to hear extra low finish, like jazz, the Brane X actually shook Gizmodo’s espresso desk, the place I unceremoniously check a lot of audio system. Once more, bass isn’t an important a part of a Bluetooth speaker, for my part, but when it’s one thing you search for in a speaker, you aren’t going to should strive very onerous to search out it.

And should you someway are nonetheless craving for extra bass, there’s a devoted bass button on high of the speaker that permits you to cycle by way of low, medium, and excessive ranges. I attempted all three and landed on medium as a very good default because it highlighted the subwoofer with out shaking my precise mind just like the excessive setting does. The low setting, however, reins it in just a bit an excessive amount of, after which I really feel like I’m getting only a little below what I do know the speaker can do.

The most effective information, outdoors of a heavy quantity of bass, is that it sounds good throughout the frequency spectrum, too. The Brane X feels pretty freed from distortion at greater volumes, pushing 50% and above, and the soundstage (partially due to the subwoofer) registers as huge and beefy. Listening to a remaster of The Replacements’ “Swingin’ Celebration,” I used to be actually happy with the ratio of vocals to music, and Magdalena Bay’s “2 Wheel Drive” actually popped out of this speaker in a approach I’ve not heard earlier than, with bass mixing completely with synths and ethereal, reverb-filled vocals. Critically, should you’re typically listening to digital music, you’re going to love this factor.

Additionally, you’ll be glad to know that the Brane X helps hi-res codecs, together with SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX HD, so that you’re not all the time caught streaming by way of common Bluetooth, which compresses and degrades audio high quality. It could appear wild to spend $500 on a transportable Bluetooth speaker, and possibly it’s, however on this case, a minimum of the sound high quality feels consultant of the worth.

How transportable is it actually?

You may be questioning how transportable a speaker that crams an entire subwoofer inside might actually be, and should you are questioning that, I don’t blame you. The reply? Extra transportable than you may assume, but in addition not almost as transportable as some others with no state-of-the-art woofer inside. Altogether, the Brane X weighs 7.7 kilos, which in all probability isn’t going to interrupt any backs, but in addition ain’t nothin’ relating to the transportable Bluetooth speaker label. For reference, the Bose SoundLink Plus, which a minimum of makes an effort at tackling the Brane X within the bass division, weighs 3.37 kilos.

This isn’t a 1:1 comparability in a whole lot of methods since Bose’s SoundLink Plus isn’t utilizing novel tech to cram a subwoofer inside, but it surely’s nonetheless value noting given the truth that the SoundLink Plus does pack a reasonably bassy punch. Let me simply be clear right here: if portability is a large issue for you, this in all probability isn’t the speaker you’re in search of. When you’re okay with a little bit of a hefty boy, then by all means, proceed. The excellent news, both approach, is that Brane does a deal with made out of a versatile plastic that may be pushed down, out of sight, to wrap across the speaker when not in use.

On high of being heavy, the speaker can also be a bit tall (about 6.1 inches excessive), however a reasonably customary width at 9.3 inches. The design is spherical, form of oval, and it appears to be like like a bit of bread oven, which is neither offensive nor interesting to the attention for me. If I’m being trustworthy, I wouldn’t essentially need to carry the Brane X round in a backpack or a tote, however should you actually wished to move it to a celebration or a good friend’s home, you undoubtedly might. In that approach, it meets the definition of transportable, however that is in no way the speaker that you simply’re going to need to carry on trip or cart round in a backpack all day. In actual fact, I did truly carry the Brane X to and from work in a backpack and might attest to the heft.

The brains contained in the Brane X

For $500, the Brane X ought to include some nice-to-have options, and it does… on paper. One factor that may catch your consideration you probably have a wise residence or use voice assistants often is that the speaker comes with Amazon’s Alexa in-built. To activate Alexa on the speaker, you’ll must obtain the Brane app after which hyperlink your Amazon account, after which you should use the speaker as you’ll every other good speaker.

The excellent news is that, after messing round with the Brane X app for fairly some time to get the speaker related to Wi-Fi, it does work (professional tip: maintain down the Bluetooth button on high of the speaker for a couple of seconds to activate the Wi-Fi pairing course of). The issue is, the Alexa built-in characteristic on the Brane X is technically not supported, since Amazon has truly stopped including any new third-party units into the Alexa Constructed-In program, in response to Brane. A spokesperson from Brane informed me that the Brane X is grandfathered in, which implies that the characteristic nonetheless technically works, but it surely’s not precisely superb should you’re in search of characteristic longevity.

One other considerably deflating realization is that, whereas you should use Alexa on the Brane X, you can not sync Spotify if that occurs to be your streaming service of selection, nor are you able to sync Apple Music. As a substitute, if you wish to launch music on the speaker utilizing the Alexa voice assistant, you’re relegated to Amazon Music, which is limiting. To make issues worse, a “Streaming” possibility contained in the Brane app appears to counsel that you simply’re in a position to join your most popular streaming service, however this, I’m informed, just isn’t the case as a result of “technical points.”

So long as we’re speaking concerning the app, it’s additionally value noting that, whereas there are some options that you could be need to use on this speaker’s companion app, like a 5-band EQ or adjusting the LED brightness, it’s fairly barebones total. So far as companion apps go in private audio merchandise, the Brane X app just isn’t essentially the most purposeful (you possibly can inform simply from how barebones the UI appears to be like), which can not matter for plenty of folks, however is a bit of deflating contemplating, once more, this speaker prices $500.

The remainder of the speaker works simply advantageous. There may be an array of touch-sensitive buttons on high for quantity, bass adjustment, Bluetooth, turning the speaker mic on/off, and activating Alexa. Battery life is marketed as being 12 hours for average volumes, which feels correct primarily based on my testing. That’s not going to win any medals within the Bluetooth speaker Olympics, but it surely’s not horrible contemplating this factor has a subwoofer inside. On the again, there’s a bodily energy button, a 3.5mm aux in, and an AC energy port for the included energy adapter. Nothing mind-blowing right here, and all of it works simply advantageous.

Must you make it rain to purchase a Brane?

Spending $500 on a transportable Bluetooth speaker is a giant ask, so that you’re in all probability questioning if a speaker like this might presumably be well worth the value. The reply is… possibly, however just for the proper particular person. That particular person, for my part, is somebody who is admittedly keyed in on bass specifically. When you’re left feeling like different Bluetooth audio system simply aren’t providing you with sufficient within the low-end division, the Brane X could also be your holy grail. This speaker delivers on its promise of shoving an entire woofer inside a comparatively transportable kind issue, and the remainder of the sound (frequencies within the midrange and excessive vary) additionally pulls its weight. Sound-wise, this speaker isn’t phoning it in, which is the primary factor you need in a speaker.

The draw back is that, if bass isn’t your primary precedence, there are different Bluetooth audio system which have nice sound, value much less, and blow the Brane X out of the water by way of companion apps, appears to be like, and portability (Bose’s SoundLink Plus, for instance). So, for the proper particular person (bass heads), the Brane X could be the good selection, large price ticket be damned, however for everybody else, there’s simply an excessive amount of competitors to actually make it make sense. Don’t get me fallacious, truly managing to shove a subwoofer inside a transportable Bluetooth speaker is cool, however on the finish of the day, you may be simply as glad (and fewer poor) with one thing much less cutting-edge.