Braven's BRV-PRO modular speaker is a camper's delight
A Swiss Army knife and a Leatherman. Both of those items are capable of performing a number of tasks while remaining compact and easily packable. But what if the portable speaker that provides your campsite with tunes could do multiple things? Well, Braven's BRV-PRO can not only recharge your phone or tablet, but also its smattering of add-ons provide light, extend battery life, juice up the gadget with the sun's rays and more. The speaker is still fairly small despite its modular aspirations, so it won't take up much space in your backpack. If you splurge for the full collection of accessories though, the entire setup demands a slightly larger pocket, but they're all flat and should stow easily.
There's a folding solar panel for all-natural recharging, two extra battery options, an LED plate for a smidge of extra light and a stacking plate that docks another BRV-PRO for stereo mode. In fact, you can use as many of the speakers as you'd like, so long as they're equipped with the proper accessory. These are quite rugged too, constructed out of either black or silver aluminum and an IPX7 rating means they'll keep playing campfire playlists even if they get wet. In terms of sound quality, it's quite difficult to judge a speaker's audio merits on a bustling trade show floor, but I can tell you they can get quite loud. The high volume didn't seem to create any distortion, but once again, I can't give final word based on the environment of my brief listening session. At $150, the financial commitment is minimal for the speaker itself, but those extra pieces that really make the BRV-PRO a compelling device will cost between $30 and $50 each. And for now, there's no word on if the speaker will be bundled with one or two.
