There’s a lot of hype around the launch of the Brane X. Promising to rival the best wireless speakers, it's recently arrived in the UK from an innovative audio company based in America. The Brane X is the brand’s debut product, offering advancements in sound tech with the kind of deep bass frequencies we’d usually associate with much larger speaker systems.
It also has built-in wifi audio, Bluetooth, Alexa voice assistant capabilities, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, a minimal design, battery power, a built-in carry handle and full waterproofing.
Since its launch in the US, it’s been called one of the best inventions of last year, earned itself a prestigious Red Dot Design Award and advertises itself as having “unbeatable bass” in a compact design. But, does its performance live up to expectations? I’ve been using it as my main speaker at home for several weeks, and here's my honest review.
Brane X: At a glance
Pros
- Exceptional bass performance
- High-quality audio
- Versatile connectivity options
- Weatherproof design
- Smart features
Cons
- Bass can be overwhelming
- Expensive and heavy
- Not the most exciting design
- Touch controls can be inconvenient
Key specifications
| Connections | Wifi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 15.5 x 23.7 x 17.7cm |
| Colours | Black |
| Special features | Alexa, Multi-room audio, Touch controls, Apple AirPlay 2 |
What I like about the Brane X speaker
The Brane X provides high-quality sound with exceptionally deep bass in a portable design that you can carry from room to room and out into the garden. For a full-range sound, it's about the most capable speaker I’ve heard at this size.
Inside, it has a “Repel-Attract-Driver”, which uses magnets to manage internal air pressure. This is what enables it to deliver a rich, room-filling, bass-heavy sound. On most tracks, I experienced a clear midrange and impressive instrumental separation.
I found it easy to play music from streaming services on the Brane X. Once connected to wifi with the app, you can stream directly from Spotify or with AirPlay from iPhones or iPads. It also works with Amazon Alexa and Bluetooth for a quick connection.
Looks-wise, its subtle black design should blend in well with your decor, and the IP57 waterproofing means it should survive in a downpour. Its 12-hour battery life is reasonable, but I think you’d mostly use it connected to mains power.
I like how straightforward it is to control. You have the buttons on top, setup is through Brane’s capable smartphone app, and you've got the ability to connect a 3.5mm audio cable to pump in your audio from a source like a radio, CD player or turntable.
What I don’t like about the Brane X speaker
There is such a thing as “too much” bass, though, and this speaker won't be for everyone. Some will love the idea of a thunderous and boomy low-end capable of shaking walls and making objects rattle off surfaces. But to be honest, it’s all a little too much for me in my small flat!
You can customise the sound, but it always ends up being bass-heavy. While the sub-bass is textured and detailed, it can overshadow the vocals or instruments in some genres. Yes, if you’re getting the Brane X for someone who loves dance and hip-hop, it could be ideal – it’s just not for all of us.
The Repel-Attract-Driver always makes an odd noise when it activates, and the speaker can get very loud. For fear of irritating my neighbours, I rarely felt comfortable increasing it to more than 10% of the maximum volume.
And while some may appreciate the simplicity of its all-black looks, it could be seen as a little bit boring and functional for others. Despite the handle, its 3.5kg weight makes it too heavy to consider truly portable, and while the touch-sensitive buttons are good, it’s missing some key controls, such as play/pause or skipping to the previous or next track.
I like Brane’s useful combination of Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Alexa and a 3.5mm audio input, but some may find its physical inputs lacking. For instance, there’s no optical connection or HDMI, so you can’t use it as a soundbar replacement for your TV.
The Good Housekeeping verdict on the Brane X speaker
The Brane X is a premium product that doesn’t come cheap. You’ll need to be happy with spending £449 to get this speaker.
At that price, you could get brilliant Bluetooth options like the Ultimate Ears Everboom (£249.99) or Bose SoundLink Max (£399.95), or options with wifi connectivity, including the Sonos Move 2 (£449) or JBL Authentics 300 (£379.99).
The Brane X is an impressive piece of tech, and the Repel-Attract-Driver is a clever advancement for tremendous bass. It also has great waterproofing and a lot of connectivity options. But it's not flawless and has imperfect touch controls, a utilitarian design and potentially too much of a booming bass-heavy sound. For a lot of music, it’s not all about the bass. This is also not a true portable speaker because you can’t pop it in a bag and take it to an outdoor gathering without it weighing you down.
Who’s the Brane X for then? I think it’s an excellent pick for bass fans who listen to a lot of hip-hop, electronic, dance and metal music. It could make a great gift, and it’s an impressive all-in-one speaker for immersive, room-filling sound. You’ll just need to make sure you’re fine with its wall-shaking bass performance. But, if that’s what you’re searching for, there’s nothing else I’ve heard at this size with this much oomph.
Simon Cocks is Good Housekeeping UK’s Technology Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy for the title. He previously also worked across other titles including Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.
Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, e-book readers and smartphones. He's reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and money-saving advice guides and edited thousands of in-depth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram, on Bluesky, on LinkedIn and on Threads.
