The market for Bluetooth speakers continues to grow each day. Should you give the Braven 710($169.99) a chance to be heard over its competition?
Measuring at just 6.25-inches wide by 2.6-inches tall by 1.8-inches deep, the 710 is certainly portable, albeit not entirely pocketable. It's got an exceedingly industrial design, as most of the speaker is encased in aircraft-grade aluminum. The top of the 710 features some Braven branding along with a microphone should you decide to use it as a speakerphone. A large speaker grill dominates the front of the speaker, while one side of the 710 is dedicated to playback and connectivity controls, and the other is home to its input and output ports. Since the 710 also serves as a power bank, a USB port is provided to charge your device if need be; but at only 1,400 mAh, don't expect a full charge. Braven promises a 12-hour battery life for the 710, which was consistent with my testing.
For its size, the 710 sounds fantastic. Even at lower volumes, its bass response sounds full. Treble is bright and clear and overall the speaker offered a very rounded sound for all the music I piped through it. With its volume maxed out some distortion was present, but this isn't the type of speaker you'd use to fill a room.
Bluetooth Receiver Mode is a very nice addition to the 710. With it, you can plug any extra speakers you have into the aux-out port to disable the 710’s speakers, and have the audio ported to your other speakers instead. You also have the option to daisy-chain multiple Braven speakers together by utilizing their aux-in and aux-out ports. Or, if you want to dish out the money for a second 710, the two can be paired together to work simultaneously.
Pros
- Rich bass response at most volumes
- Clean, crisp highs
- Great battery life
- Plenty of input/output options
Cons
- Power bank doesn't offer much extra power
The Verdict
Braven has managed to pack quality looks and sound into this small speaker while also giving it a long battery life and water-resistance. While the price may be a smidge high compared to other similarly sized speakers, it certainly won't disappoint.