Portable Madness - Braven 600 HD Wireless Speakers

I'm actually old enough to remember when boomboxes were a thing -- those bulky radio sets that required six size D batteries. Yes, people those days would put up with lugging a thirty-or-so pound just to listen to their music with their friends, and they were actually considered the cool ones. Nowadays, everything is about being portable. From desktops turning into tablets, to mobile phones getting smaller, lighter and thinner, the emphasis of our generation is to do away with chains that hold us down and allowing us the freedom to do anything we want, anywhere. Little gems like the Braven 600 HD Wireless Speakers make it easier for us to accomplish just that.

The first thing that you'll notice about this speaker is that it's absolutely gorgeous. Made from aircraft-grade aluminum, this lightweight speaker only weighs 12 oz. (340g) - about as much, if not lighter than, a water bottle. The ash grey matte finish on the speakers allow it to blend in to the background or stand out as a centerpiece, depending on your preference. It has no frills, no distracting elements to take away the essence of what it truly is -- a high-definition speaker.

For such a small object, the Braven 600 HD Wireless Speakers deliver the punch of a full 3.1 audio system with lots of bass to spare. It delivers a full range of sound without losses between levels. There's no lack of power here, as it can easily fill a medium-sized room with its sound. I was very pleasantly surprised to have a near audiophile-quality experience from an unexpected source.

This speaker can also do what maybe four or five other gadgets would separately; the best part is, it's extremely easy to use. It connects to your mobile device via Bluetooth with a simple press of a button, thus allowing you to be mobile with your music player while having your speakers in one place. The range is pretty limited, but it removes the inconvenience of being tied up and tangled with wires. If your device is not Bluetooth-ready, the speakers come with a 24" 3.5mm audio cable to connect into your headphone jack and act as any regular speaker. What's even better is that you can daisy chain several of these speakers to just pump up the volume.

The Braven 600 HD Wireless Speakers act as a Bluetooth speakerphone as well, with a built-in noise-cancelling microphone to provide good sound quality both to you and whoever you're speaking with. If you're like me and often are part of a conference call, I can see how convenient it would be to have your phone's speaker magnified so that you can be on the line anywhere throughout your room.

Apart from being a speaker and a phone accessory, it is also a battery charger -- that's right, you can plug in your mobile phone via the built-in powerbank without interrupting your listening experience. While the Braven 600 comes with a modest 1400mAh battery, it still gives you 12 hours of play time or 2 - 3 full charges on an iPhone 4S. Its limitation here is that it wasn't designed to charge anything more than your smartphone, so you can't use this to charge higher capacity gadgets such as tablets. Given the low capacity, it's best used for the rare occasions you desperately need to charge your phone, but hey, I challenge you to find another speaker that can do just that.

In summary, I think it's pretty plain to see that the Braven 600 HD Wireless Speakers delivers an extremely enticing package. It is extremely lightweight, enabling you to bring a full high-quality audio system without having to bring a ton of equipment. It can link up to other Braven speakers to generate even more power, it can act as a speaker for your calls, and it can even power your phone while it's at it. This isn't just another accessory to add to your collection; this is an essential necessity to have with you to complement your mobile lifestyle.

Standard Retail Price of Braven 600 HS Wireless Speaker: Php6,450.00

Available at the following resellers:

• Beyond the Box
• Digital Hub
• Digital Walker
• iStudio
• Astrovision
• Astroplus
• iCenter - Cebu
• Powerhub - Cebu 

Editor's Note: This article was written by Arbi Bautista, a special writer and contributor of Glich's Life. Arbi is an IT Consultant in one of the biggest global IT companies. He is a music and photography enthusiast, and a great public speaker too. Revisions to this article were done by yours truly prior to posting. You can follow Arbi on Twitter (@sowhatifimmaria). - Glenn / Glich