Personal computers, once a driving force in the expansion of digital music, have been largely replaced by highly mobile cell phones and tablets.
That change is all the more evident with the explosion of new USB- and/or Bluetooth-enabled speakers that combine portability with excellent audio.
Though designed primarily to free us from our earbuds, these portable speakers can also vastly improve the tinny, AM radio–like sound of laptops and some desktop PCs.
In my quest for better music fidelity, I checked out a quartet of wireless and wired speakers — and a high-end headphone set — listening to a variety of music through both iTunes and Windows Media Player.
Braven 850/855s: A new definition of super-sonic
Filling a room with noise is easy. The 20-watt Braven 850 (site) portable speaker uses SRS WOW HD technology to deliver balanced audio with nicely defined bass, distinct midrange, and accented treble.
The Braven also looks as good as it sounds. Wrapped in aircraft-grade aluminum, the 3.5-pound box includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated for 20 hours between charges. I didn’t use the speaker for 20 hours straight, but after eight hours of play, the battery check lights showed a 60 percent charge. (There are five lights, each representing a 20 percent charge.) That’s pretty impressive, given that most mobile devices you’d pair with the Braven won’t last that long.
Figure 1. The Bluetooth-enabled Braven 850 combines good looks, long battery life, and excellent sound.
As with other portable speakers I’ve reviewed, the Braven doubles as a charging station for mobile devices — cell phones, tablets, and laptops — the last via a pass-through USB 2.0 port. The box also includes a noise-cancellation microphone for use as a speakerphone (albeit an expensive one).
Five clearly marked controls atop the speaker’s silver chassis provide a variety of options. For example, in addition to the usual power, play, and volume up/down controls, pressing the two volume buttons simultaneously toggles the DTS SRS Wow HD (more info) enhanced sound on and off.
If your PC has Bluetooth 3.0 or later, pairing it with the speaker is a snap. For audio players and PCs lacking Bluetooth, the speaker also includes a standard audio-in port. (The 850 kit includes a 24-inch, 3.5-mm audio cable to connect your player’s headphone jack directly to the speaker.)
Probably my favorite feature of the Braven 850 is its ability to produce true left/right, two-channel audio by wirelessly connecting two 850 (or 855s) speakers.
(If you prefer your music outdoors, the near-twin Braven 855s (site) comes with a cushy black rubber skin and IPX3 (more info) water resistance — a technical way to say it can endure being splashed by water but not immersed.)
Figure 2. The Braven 855s is the outdoor twin of the 850 model.
Synching two speakers took some finesse; you must hold the battery-check buttons on each speaker simultaneously for about five seconds. When connecting, the speakers emit an initial beep followed by another about 30 seconds later, indicating success. Next, I had to pair, via Bluetooth, either speaker to my tablet. With a combined 40 watts of output, booming audio is an understatement. Loud, yes; but I was impressed that even at high volumes, the Braven pair provided balanced audio with no distortion.
One fact to keep in mind: The speakers connect via Bluetooth, which means they (and your Bluetooth-enabled player) can be separated from each other by no more than 33 feet.
As portable speakers go, both Bravens are high-end products — they have a list price of U.S. $300 each. Setting up a true, wireless, stereo configuration is a $600 investment. But no one ever said great audio came cheap.
iLuv MobiAria: Quick and easy pairing with NFC
With a sort of “Rock of Gibraltar” shape, iLuv’s MobiAria (site) speaker resembles many of the dedicated iPod/iPhone audio docks. But this standalone speaker is completely dockless — it connects with audio players via Bluetooth. And, unlike the Braven speakers, the MobiAria is tethered at all times by its AC adapter.
The somewhat imposing but fashionable 18-inch-tall, black case includes two full-range speakers and a passive radiator for enhanced bass. It has six top-mounted, touch-sensitive control buttons that are visible only when the unit is powered on. The power switch is hidden on the back.
The MobiAria’s most unusual feature is a near-field communication (NFC; more info) button that quickly pairs the speaker to any NFC-enabled device — without having to go through the typical Bluetooth pairing routine. (Most Android phones and tablets now have NFC.) When I hovered my Google Nexus 7 tablet near the button, pairing completed almost instantly — acknowledged by MobiAria’s British-accented, female voice prompts.
Figure 3. The MobiAria uses near-field communication for quick connections to some Android and Google Nexus 7 devices.
For non-NFC-compatible devices, the speaker includes the usual 3.5mm headphone jack; you’ll have to provide your own patch cable. The MobiAria also has a powered USB port for charging phones and tablets.
iLuv incorporated its jAura Technology — marketing mumbo-jumbo for virtualized 3D sound — into its speaker. And indeed, the MobiAria does spit out a warm, room-filling sound, whether you’re playing Beethoven or the Beatles. Music is generally balanced, even at higher volume levels, though there was a tad too much bass for my taste.
The MobiAria is marginally portable. At five pounds, it’s easy to move to another location — as long as there’s an open AC outlet. iLuv recently knocked 50 bucks off the speaker’s list price. It’s now just $149. I luv that!
Olasonic TW-S7: Giving PC audio added oomph
For both desktop PCs and laptops, USB is becoming the default connection for external speakers — especially with the move to HD Audio (more info). There are hundreds of external-speaker systems for PCs. USB-powered, the Olasonic TW-S7 (site) speakers are a nice fit if you’re looking for compact audio with above-average sound quality.
Plugged into my Dell laptop, the two 10-watt, egg-shaped Olasonics delivered surprisingly good bass when playing Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” Only 4 by 5 inches in size, the speakers include a passive radiator to enhance bass in the close environment of a PC setup.
Figure 4. The USB-powered Olasonic TW-S7 comes in white and black and delivers impressive bass for its size.
Olasonic, a Japanese company, states that the speakers are intentionally designed with an elliptical case — a shape that offers greater strength than the typical box speakers. The shape also needs no insulation to absorb standing waves or reflected or diffracted sound. I liked the clean sound the speakers produced, particularly with soft acoustical music and classical selections.
The TW-S7 package includes a three-foot USB cable and a three-foot cable to connect the left and right speakers — enough separation for a desktop or laptop application. The speakers come in black or white and take up little real estate on the desk. Olasonic lists the TW-S7 set at $130, but you can find them online for about $90.
Phiaton Bridge MS500: A luxury head trip
For those who need headphones but can’t abide earbuds, full-size headsets are a must. Paying homage to (or perhaps just outright copycatting) the popular Beats headphones, Phiaton’s Bridge MS500 (site) combines solid audio with a sleek, high-tech look enhanced by perforated black leather trimmed in red. The attention to detail extends to the included leather carrying bag and the pair of removable patch cables, each swathed in a flexible, red, nylon-like cloth.
One of the two cables has an inline microphone and single-button control for phone calls and volume. The second cable is used for simple headphone applications. I especially appreciated the headphone’s ambidextrous cable inputs, which let you plug the audio-only cable into either the left or right side of the headset.
Figure 5. The Phiaton Bridge MS500 combines high style with excellent audio and a flexible cable configuration.
Priced at $299, these are luxury headphones. To test whether the MS500′s sound quality matches its handsome design and convenient appointments, I sampled a mix of music played through my Win7 laptop using Windows Media Player. I also connected them to my iPhone. Train’s Drive By uses a steady bass line throughout the track. The MS500 produced a solid bass without diluting the treble tones. Although the headphones do not have noise cancellation, they put me into a pleasing sound cocoon when I played quieter selections such as Chopin’s “Nocturnes” and Pachebel’s “Canon in D.” I also heard no distortion when cranking up the volume.
If I have any peeve with the MS500, it would be the leather-lined earpieces. Although they’re softly padded, they can become somewhat uncomfortable with extended listening. The leather tends to get sticky when it warms up.
The Phiaton Bridge MS500 is a bit above my pay grade. But if you have the cash, you’ll get what you pay for.