An All-Black Portable Speaker Designed for Heavy Bass Lovers - Brane Audio's 'Brane X'

Advertised as “the world’s first portable speaker with an integrated true subwoofer,” the Brane X elevates portable bass performance.

Brane Audio

In the realm of portable speakers, Brane Audio's Brane X distinguishes itself by its exceptionally deep bass response. humans are referring to bass, namely the low-frequency components of a song that humans often perceive (or sense) initially – a quality that the Brane X provides abundantly, surpassing most other speakers of its dimensions.

The Austin-based business has developed what it terms “the world’s first portable speaker with an integrated subwoofer” — a black, basket-shaped audio gadget that purportedly provides a tenfold enhancement in sub-bass without compromising size or power usage. Brane Audio has accomplished a remarkable achievement through an in-house technological innovation: the Repel-Attract Driver (RAD). This system purportedly contravenes Hofmann’s Iron Law, which asserts that speakers must either be large or consume substantial electricity to generate significant bass. By ingeniously employing magnets, the RAD system mitigates the internal air pressure that would typically inhibit a speaker of Brane X's dimensions from delivering robust sound. Brane Audio characterizes RAD as “a proprietary array of permanent magnets that neutralizes internal air pressure forces,” representing an innovative method for generating deep bass that “offsets the elevated pressure of air compression in comparison to air expansion through asymmetrical magnetic forces.” The company employs magnets to alter the air pressure within Brane X; it evokes an image of little Magneto and Storm contending within the speaker (is it just us?).

In addition to its revolutionary subwoofer, Brane X is equipped with four class-D digital amplifiers that deliver a total output of 200 watts. Complementing these are two midrange 2.5-inch drivers and two 0.75-inch dome tweeters, with the former facilitating clear stereo separation of the mids and the latter delivering crystalline highs, contributing to what the brand describes as “an ultra-wide soundstage.” The speaker is call-ready and equipped with four microphones that catch your voice from any location. The microphones are waterproof, enabling you to take calls by the pool without worry, and are compatible with the integrated Alexa speech assistant.

Brane X offers both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, enabling native use with streaming services such as Spotify Connect, Prime Music, Pandora, and Deezer, all of which can be accessed and controlled through Brane Audio’s companion app for iOS or Android. The mobile application allows users to personalize the speaker's audio by utilizing the adjustable equalizer for precise tuning across all three frequency ranges. At the core of Brane X lies its digital signal processor (DSP), a bespoke "engine" that, as claimed by the firm, can execute "over 500 million EQ calculations per second."

If wireless connectivity is not preferred, Brane X can be linked to any device via a 3.5mm audio connection through its AUX connector. The speaker is equipped with a commendable 72 watt-hour battery that can be fully charged in three hours utilizing the provided 15-volt, 6-amp power source.

In addition to its exceptional bass, a notable feature of the Brane X speaker is its "Party" and "Stereo" modes. Brane Audio has facilitated the simultaneous connection of up to eight unique speakers, enabling users to build multi-room shared experiences. Although it is an entertaining function, it may not appeal to all users; however, combining two speakers in stereo is more practical, and a Brane X duo provides an exceptionally immersive stereo sound experience that excels in both music playback and movie viewing.

Brane Audio has recently expanded its availability, launching the Brane X speaker in the U.K., where British customers can now purchase it from the brand's website. The speaker is now available for £449 GBP / $499 USD.