DAILY DRIVEN | Braven Balance
Reviews August 3, 2015 MattGuyver
We decided to put the Braven Balance Bluetooth speaker to the test due to its impressive capabilities. For a full two weeks, we threw everything at it and here are our results.
We’ve done the unboxing of the Braven Balance, so let’s get right into the review!
Build Quality
Braven did a good job with the outside coating on these speakers as it repels water when splashed. Rubber caps cover whole ports and switches, and they are all fit snug and tight, preventing water from entering. The tightness of the cover gets a 9 out of 10 for me since it took long time plugging it off from the cover. There is a nice clickly feel on the buttons which gave a decent resistance when being pressed; the type of resistance that tells you that this is a great product. Overall construction of the speakers are done impressively! The weight is somewhat around 2 kilograms and while I was able to pack this inside my backpack, it is kind of heavy when lugging around. Take note that the Balance may be uncomfortable to carry for long if you decide to take the public transportation like the train or bus.
Features
There’s a USB port output where you can charge your music player or smartphone while play music or power a 5V output-type music player 1A of current. Theoretically, it can draw 0.3 to 2.0 amps of current that can typically charge a phone and tablet.
There is also an indicator to see the device’s power status. Underneath this button is where you can see the power level with 5 LED status responses, corresponding to 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 percent battery levels. There is also a nifty reset button on the device when something goes wrong. For the more meticulous, there is an option to insert a 3.5mm Mini PL for other and older sources of players like an iPod Mini. You can charge the device via a 12V 3A charger unit.
Battery Performance
I charged the device for almost 6 hours via 12V 3A Power supply that was included in the package which seemed reasonable enough. The battery level is indicated by blinking LED lights. With a capacity of 4000 mAH it was able play more than its supposed play time of 18 hours: I hit the 20-hour mark when I placed it on normal mode. There is a Braven Boost mode which of course drains the battery faster. Overall, the Balance can handle your party music, a bit of chillout when your winding down, and still have enough juice to get you started the next day on a cheerful note.
Bluetooth / Connectivity Performance
The Braven Balance uses a voice prompt to let you know the connectivity status of your chosen device onto the speakers. I made distance check how far you can take your music player away from the Balance and found it to be roughly 10 meters on open space and around five meters when there are walls around.
Sound Quality
After the initial burn-in time of 50 hours I started to notice the warmth level has elevated from when I first listened to music on the speakers. When I decided to crosscheck it with my Britz BR-1000A bookshelf speaker, the Braven Balance has the real thump and warmth to it. When comparing the mids and highs, however, the bookshelf speakers won out. While the comparison may be a bit lopsided, I was still impressed with the performance of the Balance.
Final Thoughts
This is a good speaker for the price of P5,799 very fair enough for it’s capabilities. The Balance’s signature is like its name: balanced. If you’re looking for a heavy duty speaker setup that can handle a few drinks splashing on it during a party, then the Braven Balance is for you.
MattGuyver
