There are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of portable speakers on the market, but certain models are definitely better than others. Some speakers sport better bass, while others come with enhanced stereo to help those sweet, sweet sounds make themselves heard in extra loud and rowdy environments. So how can you break through all the noise and find the speaker? The Denon Envaya is a great place to start.
THE PROBLEM
Most portable speakers are easy enough to carry around with you, but what they have in portability, they lack in audio quality. Sure they look good and promise a good time (especially if some of those over the top marketing campaigns are to be believed), but at the end of the day, how much fun can you really be having if you can’t hear your music?
What’s worse, many of these travel speakers don’t get a lot of play-time, with the battery running out before the party’s over. And while they’re billed as “Bluetooth” speakers, the Bluetooth connection is often shoddy at best, meaning it’s harder to pair the speakers with your phone (and playlist). Even if your device is paired, a poor Bluetooth range can make your music come through choppier, and definitely not loud and clear.
I recently got an opportunity to take the Denon Envaya speaker for a test drive, and believe me, it’s surprisingly powerful. It may be tiny, but it features two slick 1-9/16-inch full-range drivers and a particularly impressive amplified passive radiator. What the means in layman’s terms is that it can get really, really loud.
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HOW IT WORKS
Aside from simply being your run-of-the-mill portable loudspeaker, the Envaya features one of the most durable (and intelligent) speaker designs ever. Not only is this bad boy both dust and waterproof, it also features a handful of touch-sensitive buttons on the side (including two volume controls, a Bluetooth button and a handy call button). I can attest that the volume buttons are super sensitive, as even lingering over them is enough to change the settings.
It even has a built-in mic and works with your favorite Apple voice-activated assistant. I’d comment on that, too, but I’m probably one of the few remaining iPhone users who refuses to employ Siri. And if all that wasn’t enough, it even features its own 3.5mm input so you can dim the noise and play through your own headphones. And with a hearty 10-hour portable battery life, it can play on as the party lasts long into the night.
Connecting it to your phone is easy and I was able to pair the speaker with my iPhone is seconds. Once it detected my phone (and vice-versa), I was able to stream my playlist straight to the speakers without any lag time or connectivity issues.
Sound-wise, the music comes through crisp and clear, and the bass isn’t bad for a speaker this size (roughly 6.5 inches wide). We only tested out a single speaker, but if you wanted to create a stereo sound effect, you could use two of these speakers and pair them together for even bigger, room-filling sound.
THE VERDICT
So, yes, the Envaya shines in the tech and accessories department, but what about aesthetics? Fortunately, it looks as good as it sounds. With an extra durable (it’s made to be portable, after all) polymer design and detailed fabric lining, it’s sure to stand up to normal wear and tear. And at just under 6.5 inches, it’s a tiny little speaker that’s just begging to be taken outside. If you’re looking for a great summer speaker that offers impeccable audio you can take anywhere, this one’s a great choice. And at under $100, we’d say it’s one of the best values for a sound system this size.