Review Braven BRV PRO

Braven BRV-PRO Review:

:by Kyle Weldon (July 1, 2015)

Braven’s latest rugged outdoor entry into the portable bluetooth speaker scene is an overall solid speaker.  The design follows it’s little brother, the BRV-1, in many respects and for those familiar with the BRV-1, you know it’s a decent portable rugged speaker design.  Braven’s approach on the audio spectrum is for these devices to be used in an outdoor environment.  I will break down the various aspects of the speaker below, but overall the sound signature is set for outdoor listening, with an emphasis on the midrange and treble section of the audio output.  But, the PRO does carry a good solid low end as well, once you hit certain volume levels.  Let’s get into the particulars on the speaker:

PACKAGING:  The BRV-PRO is packaged very well, and the design is definitely for retail sale.  A magnetic flap cover wraps the box, then revealing the speaker through a plastic window.  Once the box is opened from the top, you’ll find the carry strap, USB Cable and hex wrench.  Below a small plastic tray is the speaker itself.  The packaging is attractive and informative as well.

BUILD QUALITY:  This is where the BRV-PRO gets some of the highest marks.  The overall construction and heft of the speaker is really quite amazing.  With the aluminum top and bottom plates, the thick heavy rubber feet and surrounds, rugged hinged port cover and steel grill…this is truly one military grade ‘tank of a speaker.  With it’s IPX7 rating, the user manual does not say you can submerge the speaker, but rather the waterproof rating is for water jets and splashing.  The micro USB port, 3.5mm line in, and USB A charge out port are not sealed / waterproof type ports, like you’d find on the Fugoo.  The hinged port cover is designed to seal off those ports from any moisture.  I would be cautious actually submerging the BRV-PRO into water, as the ports would not withstand a direct assault of H2O, or beer, or the like.  Although, I think the hinged port cover would most likely keep a good seal and not let in moisture.  The carry strap and strap holders on the sides of the speaker are functional and add a bit of color to the device.   

FEATURE SET:  Here is another category where the BRV-PRO really shines as well.  It is a ‘swiss army knife’ type of speaker, especially when you factor in the add on accessories.  According to Braven, the unit has (2) 6-watt drivers and the updated bass radiator module, which is more of an oblong oval radiator located in the bottom of the speaker.  I did remove the front grill and was able to verify that Braven is using an aluminum cone technology in this unit, much like their 855 and new BRV-HD series of speakers.  Micro USB charging of the unit, 3.5mm audio input, the USB A charge out (5V ~ 1A), the 5 LED battery meter, and the reset button all live behind the hinged port cover on the back of the unit.  Top of unit has the 4 function buttons for power, play/pause/answer call/hangup, volume up + (hold for track forward), and volume down - (hold for track back).  The accessory plate is also located at the top of the speaker, removable with 4 hex screws.  Pressing and holding the play/pause button puts the BRV-PRO into bluetooth pairing mode.  Bottom of unit has the open holed aluminum plate (housing the bass radiator) and the small attachment port for BRV-PRO stacking.  Yep, you can stack multiple units using the optional stacking plate.  

Speaking of accessories, this is one of the first gen bluetooth speakers to give the end user add-on options.  Braven has developed an extended battery pack, action mount, stacking plate, and the solar panel.  The action mount installs on the bottom of the BRV-PRO, where the other 3 accessories attach to the top of the PRO.  Battery pack is a 3800mah pack with LED meter to check battery level.  Braven reports up to 40 hours of runtime with the battery pack attached.  Stacking plate allows multiple PROs to be stacked, and according to the webstie, the stacking can be unlimited.  Wow…like a 6’ tower of BRV-PROs…maybe a new kind of portable line array system?? 

  The solar panel is probably the most ‘cool’ accessory, in that it can keep your BRV-PRO running for an extended period of time.  I did check with Braven about lighting conditions (indoor vs. outdoor) and am waiting for a response.  I will most likely snag a solar panel and run some various tests (run time, light source, charging of iPhone w/ panel, etc.).  The accessory port is a great idea and will allow for future expansion of the BRV-PRO in various ways.  Time will tell to reveal what other options Braven will dream up for this accessory port.  Good call, Braven!

Battery is rated at 15 hours of playback (at 50%…which would be volume steps 7-8) and it takes 2-3 hours to charge.  From what I can see the internal battery is not user replaceable.

SOUND: Now, to what my friend Oluv and I consider the most important category…SOUND.  Let’s face it, we buy these bluetooth speakers for sound.  Better sound, fuller sound…sound that gives us the chills when listening to our favorite artists & songs.  Well, the BRV-PRO gets a 6 out of 10 in the sound realm.  I’ve compared it with the UE Boom, JBL Charge 2, and the Denon Envaya Mini.  And, gotta say…the BRV-PRO does pretty well against these 3 speakers in shear volume, but not necessarily quality of sound.  The Fugoo would also be another unit I can ‘mentally’ compare it with, as I had several of the Fugoo speakers to test and get familiar with months ago. 

VOLUME: the volume control is a device paired control, with 15 volume steps.  Meaning that the BRV-PRO and playback device volumes are in sync…speaker controls device and device controls speaker.  My test playback device is an iPhone 6, so this may be an iOS feature only, as I do not have an Android device to test with.  The 15 volume steps are fairly uniform from 1-10, then the unit starts to dramatically jump in volume within steps 11-15.  I think Braven kept the volume curve very sloped until the last 5 steps for a reason…that being to get a 15 hour battery rating at 50% volume.  Which, at steps 7-8, is a decent near-field volume level.  Here is a BIG PLUS though, at step 15…MAX…there is no distortion!  Zero.  And it’s loud, just as loud as the Denon Envaya Mini, JBL Charge 2, and UE Boom.  Here is an RTA breakdown, using pink noise...max volume on wired connection...measured at 1 meter...31 band average measurement:

     Braven BRV-PRO:   88.3db   

     Denon Envaya Mini: 84.7db

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