In the world of Bluetooth speakers, we love waterproof ones, and rugged ones. Because why not? It’s nice not to have to worry about getting your Bluetooth speaker wet when it starts raining, or worry about it falling off of something outside. Which is exactly what the Braven BRV-X does. Now this isn’t Braven’s first waterproof speaker, they actually had another one last year, which we reviewed and really liked. The BRV-X is an IPX5 water resistant speaker with a shockproof rubber exterior. Braven has also tossed in their highly acclaimed TrueWireless Pairing for left and right stereo sound using two Braven BRV-X speakers. Now obviously we couldn’t test out TrueWireless since we only have one BRV-X speaker.
The Braven BRV-1, which was their last waterproof speaker, was not all that nice looking. It was also pretty small. But I think the BRV-X looks a lot nicer than the BRV-1, and it’s also about twice as big so it gets quite a bit louder. Braven also says they can get about 12 hours of battery life on this speaker, that’s with continuous playback. Which is about what my results were. Now I didn’t sit down and use it for 12 hours straight, but over about 3 days time I used the speaker for about 12-14 hours of playback and it did a great job lasting that long.
As far as sound quality goes, it’s one of the better ones out there. Although that’s what I expect from Braven. Their speakers always have amazing sound quality. The BRV-X also has a setting on the back for indoor and outdoor. So that when you’re outdoors it’ll be louder, and indoors a bit quieter, which is a pretty nice setting to have. Additionally the BRV-X has NFC, which I love. It makes it so simple to just tap your phone on the speaker and pair it just like that. The Braven BRV-X also has a power bank inside so you are able to charge your phone while you’re listening to music on the Braven BRV-X, which is pretty awesome as well.
As far as how waterproof it is, I went outside and dropped it in the snow – before it all melted – and used it while it was sitting in the snow and it worked fine. I also dropped it on the sidewalk and there were no signs of wear and tear at all. Now scratches, or anything. Which is amazing.
The Braven BRV-X is a bit pricey at $229.99, but I definitely think it’s worth it, especially for what it does. The BRV-X is available through Braven right now – should be available through Amazon fairly soon – but only in black. If you’re a fan of Braven and are looking for a nice waterproof and drop-proof portable speaker, this is the one for you.
Video Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MniLTJCCuE0