The advent of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets has made the portable speaker a necessary accessory. Most of the time, it’s simply not enough to listen to music, watch videos or play games using only the built-in speakers of the mobile devices on which we do these tasks. Playing music is foremost in the list of tasks we usually do on our mobile devices so portable speakers make listening really convenient. There are many portable solutions in the market and Braven happens to be one of the brands that have gained recognition in this category.
The Braven 570 is just one of the products from this company and it’s a testament to how serious the brand is in bringing good sounding portable speakers to the consumers at very affordable prices.
Braven 570 – Design
The Braven 570 is a well-designed portable speaker. It takes a rectangular form factor with rounded corners and drilled front and back panels. The unit I reviewed is in color red and is therefore easy on the eyes. If you want something more neutral or reserved, there are other color options available. The Braven 570 has a minimalist look overall, with the buttons and slots on the side almost unnoticeable either because they are black just like the side panel or are simply small.
On the left side is a USB port, an audio out slot and a battery charging button with light indicator. On the right side are the power button, call button, volume rockers, micro-USB slot and audio in slot. The top has the BRAVEN logo emblazoned and the bottom has two rubber strips that provide a much needed grip for smooth surfaces.
The Braven 570 has a matte moulded plastic polymer casing that’s said to be impact resistant. The website lists the colors green, blue, purple, red, silver and black as the available color choices but there’s probably just a few of these available in the Philippines. The Braven 570 is surprisingly light, weighing only 312 grams with dimensions measuring 6 x 2.5 x 2 inches.
Braven 570 – Features
The Braven 570 is not only a speaker. It’s quite versatile and feature-packed. This audio accessory is also a speakerphone and a phone charger. As a speaker, the user has the option of playing music using wires via the speaker’s 3.5mm jack, or wirelessly through Bluetooth. As a charger, the Braven 570 charges your mobile devices through its USB port. The Braven 570’s battery has a 1200mAh capacity that’s good for 10 hours of music playback through a single charge.
If you want to know this speaker’s audio specs, it delivers 6W of audio power using 40mm drivers, a 40mm passive subwoofer, and class D digital amplifier. Output level is claimed to be 95dB at half a meter.
Braven 570 – Performance
The Braven 570 is one of the best portable speakers I’ve used, if not the best considering its affordable $119.99 price tag. It’s even better compared to more expensive speakers like those from Jawbone or Soundfreaq and also better than the Logitech Mini Boombox speaker I’ve previously reviewed. Compared to the Mini Boombox, however, the Braven 570 is a bit bigger so in terms of portability, Logitech’s speaker is still better. The sound is a different story, however.
In terms of audio performance, the Braven 570 is quite impressive. Don’t be fooled by its size as the small package delivers a powerful sound. Its power can fill even your living room, although at full volume sound quality suffers a bit. At regular volume, the Braven 570 delivers great sound overall. The sound is crisp and detailed, with highs taking control on most genres. Mids are quite impressive as well and the bass is warm and strong. Sometimes, though, the thin enclosure takes some quality out of the bass, but you can’t really expect to get the perfect sound from a small, portable speaker set. When used for calls, the Braven 570 performs well. Calls are clear on both ends of the line.
For the price, the Braven 570 is a good buy. It is one of the best-sounding portable speakers in the market right now, and it doesn’t hurt that it is also a speakerphone and a mobile charger.
In the Philippines, you can buy the Braven 570 from Astroplus, Astrovision, Digital Arena, iCenter, iGig, iStudio, Odyssey, Quicksound, SM Appliance and Switch.