Not everything at CES 2024 featured a massive screen or drone technology; portable Bluetooth speakers were extremely popular this year and one in particular really stood out from the rest.
There is no question that it is difficult for smaller brands to stand out in a category dominated by Sonos, JBL, Klipsch, and Bose, but Brane Audio merits a serious look for its Brane X portable speaker.
The Brane X was first shown at CES 2023 in January, but did not enter the market for sale until October 2023. We were intrigued by the prototype that we saw last year and really wanted to give the production version some listening time at the show.
What is Brane X?
What separates the Brane X portable speaker from the pack is that it is the first to incorporate a built-in subwoofer. Brane Audio claims that it can produce 10 times the sub-bass of other speakers in its class. Is that really the case?
The Brane X is built on new driver technology that breaks the most important law of audio, Hofmann’s Iron Law. Hofmann’s Iron Law states that you can have two, but not all three, of the following in a speaker: low bass, a small size, and efficiency.
All other speakers on the market today have to give up one. Most commercial portable speakers today compromise on low bass so that they can market something small and wireless.
In addition to the inclusion of a subwoofer, the Brane X includes features you would expect from a smart speaker: stereo sound, waterproofing, 12-hour battery life, Alexa integration, adjustable EQ, and free control app.
What I Thought
I was thoroughly impressed with the Brane X. Despite its compact size, it not only delivered excellent bass but a very clear midrange and treble range. In addition to Brane’s official demo playlist, they allowed me to make a couple of requests for songs with deep bass content. My picks were “Magic Man” (Heart) which has a bass slide that can test the limits of any speaker, and “7th Heaven” (Angelina Jordan) which has a distinctive acoustic double bass intro that can reveal how much bass texture a speaker can reproduce. In both cases, the Brane X did better than I expected.
Specifications
- Amplification: Four class-D digital amplifiers with a combined output of over 200 watts
- Subwoofer: One high excursion 6.5″ x 9″ (165 mm x 229 mm) R.A.D. (Repel-Attract-Driver) subwoofer.
- Midrange: Two 2.5” (64 mm) midrange drivers provide distinct stereo separation in the mid-frequency band
- Tweeters: Two 0.75” (19 mm) dome tweeters produce clear highs and an ultra-wide soundstage
- Microphones: Four waterproof microphones for accurate voice recognition
- Adjustable EQ: Adjustable bass, midrange, and treble via the Brane mobile app
- On-Board Controls: Six capacitive touch buttons for Bluetooth, bass, volume, mic, and voice control
- IP57: Fully waterproof. The Brane X can be submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes
- Wi-Fi: Connect to Wi-Fi using any 802.11a/b/g/n/ac router
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.1 for connectivity with compatible devices
- Streaming Support: Spotify Connect, Pandora, Prime Music, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, Deezer and Tunein
- AUX Port: 3.5 mm auxiliary port for connecting to compatible turntables and other external devices
- FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array): A custom DSP engine built inside a high-density field-programmable gate array enables over 500 million EQ calculations per second.
- Voice Assistant: Works with Amazon Alexa when connected to Wi-Fi
- Battery: A 72-watt-hour battery provides 12 hours of runtime at a moderate volume
- Charging: Fully recharges in three hours using the included 15-volt, 6-amp power supply
- Operating Temperature: 32ºF to 104ºF (0ºC to 40ºC)
- Storage Temperature: -13ºF to 140ºF (-25ºC to 60ºC)
- Dimensions (HWD): 6.1 x 9.3 x 7 inches (155 x 237 x 177 mm)
- Weight: 7.7 lb. (3.5 kg)
Pricing and Availability
The Brane X is available for $599, exclusively on braneaudio.com.
