Good things do come in small packages.
Last week, my family and I took a vacation. We spent several days on an island on Florida’s Gulf Coast and enjoyed lazy days by the pool and on the beach. Our intention was to ‘get away’ and just relax. One of the things that helped us accomplish this mission was a tiny rugged speaker from Braven — the BRV-MINI.
The BRV-MINI is a can-shaped rugged, portable speaker that produces an amazing sound. It is Braven’s smallest speaker to date. The ‘small but mighty’ speaker boasts a 12-hour playtime and is totally waterproof (rated IPX7). It features wireless pairing — meaning you can daisy chain two units together — and provides room-filling acoustics with 5W output and boosted bass from the integrated passive radiator. The speaker uses USB-C for charging and can also act as a speaker phone. The BRV-MINI comes with a lanyard.
SPECS
- Dimensions: 2.75” x 2.75″ x 3.75”
- Audio Type: Rugged Bluetooth Speaker
- Volume Control: Yes
- Connection Type: Bluetooth 5.0
- Weight: 0.51 lbs
USER EXPERIENCE
Over the years, I’ve used lots of different types of speakers and I’m always surprised by the small ones. They pack a significant punch and the BRV-MINI is no different. The first time I used it, I was simply listening to some music in my office. I cranked the volume up as far as it would go and was amazed at how loud the speaker actually was. I left the speaker in my office and walked to the other end of the house. I could still hear the speaker as if I was in the next room. The speaker provides a full range of audio — from high not
Set-up was very easy as there was no assembly required. To set-up the speaker on your phone you simply power the speaker and select BRV-MINI from your Bluetooth menu. The speaker will remember the connection so that you don’t have to reconnect. The speaker comes with a short USB-C cable for charging and a quick start guide for reference.
The controls on the speaker are pretty self-explanatory. There are play/pause, power on/off, advance, and reverse buttons. The advance and reverse buttons not only turn the volume up and down, but users can also use them to skip tracks. This is one thing I wish Braven had done differently — make two separate sets of buttons. I don’t like it when speakers use the advance/reverse buttons for multiple purposes especially when there is enough room to break-up the buttons.
One of the features I really enjoy is its pocket-sized nature. We were trying to travel light for this trip and in that respect, the BRV-MINI fit right in. I was able to stow it into a camera bag for the longer legs of the journey and when we walked to the beach, it was stuffed into a small tote bag. The BRV-MINI fit every occasion.
With it being waterproof (IPX7), I didn’t have any problems taking it with us to the pool or the beach. I especially liked having the speaker as a hot tub companion in the evening. It just added that extra touch of relaxation. While I didn’t play music for a continuous 12-hour period, we did use it for about 6 hours straight and didn’t have to recharge it before using it the next day.
CONCLUSION
The BRV-MINI made our vacation complete. We used it at the pool to provide a soundtrack to our swim time and even at the beach, we could carry a tune with us without worrying that the speaker would get damaged. Braven offers the speaker in four different colors — black, gray, blue, and red. The price is definitely right. At $40, this tiny speaker is perfectly priced for any adventurer. The speaker is easy to operate and gives you a lot of bang for your buck.
OK genius, I got a pair of the BRV-MINI’s and I can’t seem to pair them in stereo. Your article should have covered that. If you haven’t tried pairing one to the other for stereo listening, then tell us how easy it was to do. The instructions that came with the speakers doesn’t seem to cover this well. My Samsung Note 9 seems to play them as two mono speakers with one lagging the other. Is there some magic that apple does to make it work or are these apple device only. You should include that in your review at the least!
Locate the triangular Bluetooth buttons on both speakers. Hold down one while double tapping the other. Wait for a few seconds and they should pair together for stereo sound.