There are far more water-resistant Bluetooth speakers on the market than fully waterproof ones, so it’s worth noting the Braven 105 falls into the latter camp. Throw in an included mount that’s compatible with most GoPro action cams, and the $49.99 105 delivers some serious value for thrill seekers who want to take their tunes on the road.
Available in seven colors, including black, blue, gray, neon yellow, hot pink, purple, and red, the circular design measures 3.8 by 3.8 by 1.3 inches (HWD) and weighs 7 ounces. Also on the rear panel is a 0.25-inch threaded mounting insert and an elastic strap that looks like it could be secured to anything from an arm to a tree (one end of the band is removable to make this possible). Braven estimates the 105’s battery life to be roughly 8 hours, but your results will depend on how loud you play your music and your mix of wired versus wireless playback. On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop gets plenty of high-mid presence, highlighting its sharp attack and allowing it to pierce through the layers of the mix. The Braven 105’s bright, crisp sound signature and waterproof design are well-suited for outdoor listening, but it doesn’t get quite as loud as some other speakers we’ve tested, and it has some distortion issues on deep bass tracks. The Bottom Line The Braven 105 is a tiny waterproof Bluetooth speaker that couples strong outdoor-focused features with mixed audio performance.
Braven 105 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – Zwart
Maar let op, dit kleintje doet niet onder bij de grote jongens. Deze lichtgewicht en duurzame speaker is volledig waterdicht en kan worden bevestigd aan al je sport accessoires met behulp van de meegeleverde elastische band of 1/4 inch schroef mount optie.
Braven 105 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – Grijs/Rood
Maar let op, dit kleintje doet niet onder bij de grote jongens. Deze lichtgewicht en duurzame speaker is volledig waterdicht en kan worden bevestigd aan al je sport accessoires met behulp van de meegeleverde elastische band of 1/4 inch schroef mount optie.
Braven BRV-105 review: Rugged portable speaker
Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items. It’s a squat cylinder with a 2.9-inch speaker surrounded by a beefy wall of protective plastic. On the bottom, behind a protective door, is a micro-USB port to charge this accessory. The protective door is instrumental in the BRV-105 receiving an IP67 rating, which means it can survive being submerged in up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) of water for up to 30 minutes.
The rating also indicates that it won‘t be damaged by exposure to dust — the kind you breathe on a trail, not what you wipe off your credenza. This speaker is capable of putting out enough sound for its intended purpose: you can listen to music or podcasts on your bike, in a campsite, or maybe a canoe off that’s your thing.
In a semi-scientific test using the iOS NIOSH Sound Level Meter app in a quiet room, the BRV-105 was able to put out as much a 102 dB. You’re not going to get the subtleties of a Brahms concerto, or the thundering bass of “Radioactive” from Imagine Dragons, but overall music should sound acceptable to anyone who’s not a hard-core audiophile. Braven promises the 800mAh battery is good for 8 hours of music playback on a single charge. The iOS battery meter in the Today Screen shows how much power is left in the speaker.
Review: Braven 105 waterproof portable bluetooth speaker
It has a certified IPX7 waterproof rating, which means it will cope being submerged for up to 30 minutes in a metre of water. There are three options for positioning the speaker including a stand, an attachment for fixing to a GoPro stand, such as one you might have on your bicycle handlebars, and also an elastic strap that allows you to carry it securely in your hand or attached to a belt while running.You could also hang up the speaker somewhere if you wanted, for example on a hook on the bathroom door. To be honest, I can’t imagine a time when I would want to attach a speaker to my bike or GoPro fixing on my ski helmet, or whatever.
The bolts that you need to remove and reaffix if you are moving the speaker from the stand to the bike to a running belt are annoyingly fiddly. I took the speaker off the stand to test the whole flexibility thing and then I had to try to remember how to put it al back together. The feature list suggests the speaker can be used as a powerbank but I don’t think this is the case because I can’t see a way to access any charge.
It also feels quite durable and robust and it is useful that it is waterproof because if you are using it outdoors, near the beach or a pool or even by the bath it will not be damaged by a splash or a short dunking. These speakers are pricier than the Braven 105 but can be played at higher volumes yet still offer better quality sound. For £45 the Braven 105 is a fairly good quality portable speaker for personal use and would withstand general use by outdoorsy people, such as while on holiday or camping.
Waterproof Braven 105 speaker is so versatile it can be used anywhere
The Braven 105 is a circular palm-size Bluetooth speaker that measures 9.65cm across and is 3.55cm thick and with an IPX7 rating so it can handle the bath, the shower, the pool and the beach. On the audio side, the Braven 105 has a nice and solid sound thanks to the HD driver on board and it’s loud enough to easily fill the room – or the area around wherever you happen to be. The Braven 105 is also available in a number of colours – black, white, pink and blue – and is priced at $89.95.
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