Best Wireless Speakers: Brane X Portable Audio System

The Biggest Bluetooth Speaker?

At The Absolute Sound we really try to be as transparent as possible when reviewing equipment, so I don’t want you to think that we’re misleading you with this headline, and I didn’t want our readers to pass over this episode simply because we’re reviewing a Bluetooth speaker. While the speaker is not dimensionally the biggest Bluetooth speaker, the sound it produces is awe-inspiringly large in comparison to its size and this is what I mean when I say this is the biggest Bluetooth speaker.

What The Heck?

Before I get to the Brane X smart speaker, I feel that our seasoned readers deserve a little explanation here. Many of you may be wondering, “why is The Absolute Sound reviewing a Bluetooth speaker?” There’s a deeper, more complex philosophy at play here, but suffice it to say we’ve ventured out of the deep recesses of our acoustically treated listening room, through the study and the living room, all the way to the front door in an attempt to open that door for new listeners. Our research has indicated that many listeners with an interest in exploring better audio start with the assumption that a one-box system or a soundbar is the place to look. Rather than simply dismissing that option, we thought we’d evaluate some of the choices. We hope that some of you find this helpful.

This product truly breaks the “bluetooth speaker” mold and has really got me excited to see what Brane Audio is capable of in the future.

The Product

My first impressions of the Brane X smart speaker – before listening – are that it has a very clean, pleasant, minimalistic design. I might even argue the design makes it look like Brane Audio is more considerate of its function rather than its form. With that in mind, I’m absolutely fine with the design given the sound that it produces. The buttonless touch sensitive interface on the top of the speaker is lacking haptics and I personally appreciate haptic feedback but realize that not everyone does.

The Brane X smart speaker retails for $599 US and as the name implies, offers smart speaker capabilities. These capabilities are not the strongest features that the Brane iOS users have the benefit of streaming via an Airplay connection using the streaming service of their choosing.

Universal connectivity is available via Bluetooth. This is what I presume most listeners will be using, as the Wi-Fi connection is a bit laggy and a bit limited. But if you want to use this for intentional listening, Wi-Fi will get you CD resolution, something standard Bluetooth can’t do. For above Bluetooth resolution you can also use the 3.5mm analog input.

While I was reviewing this speaker, I honestly had to keep myself in check and remind myself that my points of comparison should be other Bluetooth speakers; I kept wanting to compare it to bigger, more complex systems.

And when it comes to Bluetooth speakers, there is a unique consideration to wireless systems, and that’s battery life. I had an opportunity to test the Brane X smart speaker in what is called “party mode”, which allows multiple speakers to be connected to one source via Wi-Fi and where each of those speakers operates independently. So, for background music at a birthday party – the case that I used – this worked quite well in providing a nice backdrop for casual conversation. The 2 test speakers played for roughly 4 hours, and I used approximately 30% of each speaker’s battery; which seems consistent with the rated 12-hour battery life. Now obviously, in this setting, the volume was relatively low, so I wasn’t asking a tone from the speakers, but battery usage is impressively low for a speaker that has the output quality of the Brane X.

Along with the aforementioned “party mode” there is another listening mode available on the Brane X smart speaker; two Brane X smart speakers can be paired via Wi-Fi in “stereo mode.” I briefly listened to our review pair in this mode, and I found that it really didn’t help define the sound stage much more than a single speaker; which left me feeling that stereo mode is slightly unnecessary given the cost and the size of the sound stage that one speaker can produce. It felt a little bit like I was asking the Brane another matter and very handy).

How does it sound?

The feature of note for the Brane X smart speaker is the sound it produces; suffice it to say it’s rad (not just adjectivally, as you will see)! Brane Audio’s choice to go with a sealed cabinet, for better time-domain performance, on the Brane X, meant there would be challenges to overcome while keeping the unit small and portable. Since the days of Ed Villchur and Henry Kloss at Acoustic Research in the 1950s, smaller sealed boxes were known either to be large or to be quite inefficient. These challenges are handled with ease by Brane’s patented Repel-Attract-Driver (RAD) technology. RAD is the secret to producing full range sound from such a small and efficient package. Brane’s RAD uses a proprietary array of permanent magnets to significantly cancel internal air pressure forces. This novel force cancellation design allows the Brane X to be compact and capable of producing deep bass all while sipping on its battery. RAD also compensates for the nonlinearities of the higher pressure of air compression relative to air expansion using asymmetrical magnetic forces.

Okay, so how does the Brane X sound? Overall, I would say quite balanced and smooth. It’s really quite remarkable how well engineered this speaker is. There’s one caveat to keep in mind when considering what follows, and that is, I primarily tested the Brane X smart speaker in Bluetooth mode figuring this would be the most common usage of the speaker; with that, we need to acknowledge that there are certain inherent challenges with Bluetooth, chief among them distortions due to compression. That said, I feel I need to repeat: what this speaker is capable of doing as a Bluetooth speaker (or a one box stereo with better quality input) is remarkable.

For instance, let’s take the bass – well sub-bass. Yeah, this is a Bluetooth speaker where we can actually have a conversation around its deep bass. Due to the use of Brane Audio’s RAD Technology, the Brane X presents a subtle roll off that begins around a rather low 40 Hertz. This really offers a solid foundation for the music to be built on. While the bass and sub-bass are strong, they’re not overpowering or dominant.

Now, while there aren’t a lot of instruments that naturally achieve frequencies in the range below 40 Hz (low E on a bass guitar is 41 Hz), I listen to quite a bit of electronic music (synthesizers are often set for LF in the 30-40Hz range) and the deep bass body and power of the Brane X was really solidified for me when listening to Sea Song from Fakear’s album All Glows. The song starts out with a gentle airiness when, about 40 seconds in, Fakear lays a foundation of bass on which to construct the balance of the song. This foundation has an opportunity to be extraordinarily evocative and when I’ve listened on other Bluetooth speakers I wait in anticipation, and I’m left disappointed by only hearing bass overtones. With the Brane X there is zero disappointment. It simply provides.

In case you’re skeptical, take a look at this frequency response measurement I did. Note that the Brane (in green) is flat relative to the midrange down to 40 Hz and is only about 2 db down at 30 Hz. I’ve overlayed a standard, decent Bluetooth speaker (in blue) for reference.

Due to its dedicated mid-range drivers, the mid-range frequencies have no problem floating gently on the foundation the woofer provides – and by gently I don’t mean that they get lost in the bass; there is just such a smooth interplay between the mids and bass that they strike a pleasant balance.

The Brane X treble performance is also quite remarkable, especially when recognizing the challenges in overcoming the compression for playback over Bluetooth. While there were mild distortions present in the upper frequency range – a problem which perennially plagues digital playback – I didn’t sense any holes that needed to be filled; that is, I felt confident that everything the sound engineer wanted me to hear was there.

The Brane X smart speaker’s performance came together nicely when listening to Emiri Miyamoto’s instrumental interpretation of Hymne a L’Amour. In this recording, Emiri performs, violin in hand, accompanied by piano. Her playing feels so vulnerable and the width of the sound stage that the Brane X offers was huge, extending roughly 3 feet from each side of the speaker and certainly not lacking in depth.

This should be no surprise, due to the parabolic arrangement of the drivers. Listening on a single speaker actually provides a pretty expansive sound stage which allowed the Brane X to clearly define individual performers throughout that stage. Regarding the sound space, the Brane X is slightly restricted due to the compression present in Bluetooth but when compared to other single box Bluetooth speakers the sound space is sizable.

As the Brane X utilizes four class D amplifiers to output over 200 watts, it’s no surprise that its dynamic range is vast and really pleasant; offering a very natural sound that isn’t taxing on the ear and makes extended listening quite enjoyable. This I feel is one of the attributes that contributes to such a sharp and focused sound stage.

When listening to my reference playlist, there was one outlier regarding sound stage and dynamic range. The title track of Moanin’ by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Regarding soundstage, I actually found this track to be more pleasant to listen to in the mono configuration the Brane X offers. This album was released the first year stereo LPs were available and therefore sound engineers may have been experiencing some growing pains. Listening to this track in stereo is often kind of disorienting as a lot of the performers are hard panned to one speaker or the other. As the Brane X is only one (stereo) speaker, it brings some cohesion to this recording and because of the hard pan the performers are actually very clearly arranged on the sound stage.

When it comes to low level detail and clarity, again I found myself comparing the Brane X to more complex, robust stereo systems. I felt it unfair to other Bluetooth speakers to compare it to them because the Brane X is just far superior. Similar to listening on a high-end stereo setup, I would be pleasantly surprised by hearing an instrument, previously lost in a cloud of sound, more clearly defined. This often ends up being a shaker or claves, where rather than a harsh clapping sound with the Brane there’s a very distinct wooden resonance.

You might be thinking to yourself, can you ask too much of this speaker? I don’t think so. I have to admit if a real banger comes on, I’m one to just crank it to 11 and I’m used to dealing with the ramifications of that when it comes to sound quality. Do this with the Brane and just gets louder – that’s all – there were no other ramifications. Note: I was unable to comfortably reach max volume on the Brane X when inside; maybe in an outdoor setting this could be achieved comfortably but I’m just not into disrupting the peace like that.

Summary

So, looking at what the Brane X provides, $599 is an incredible bargain. For those looking to dip their toes into foreground listening, I can’t think of a product that offers what the Brane X can at this price point. All in a package that allows you to take it on the go for some background listening while playing beach volleyball with friends. There is one thing that I can almost guarantee: everyone who listens to the Brane X will either have a look of amazement or puzzlement on their face. There is one reason that I can think of for not spending the money to get a Brane X and that is to save up for whatever comes next from Brane Audio. If you have an opportunity to listen to the Brane X Smart Speaker by Brane Audio, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.