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Denon Envaya Mini teardown...

Mark, a good friend of mine finally took the risk to open his Denon Envaya Mini. For all those interested about the drivers and their specs ...

Denon Envaya Mini f�r �79,90 (Versandkostenfrei in Deutschland)

<p>Kaum ist Weihnachten vorbei, beginnt Weihnachten erst so richtig, denn <a href="http://www.comtech.de/HiFi-und-Heimkino/Bluetooth-und-AirPlay-Lautsprecher/Denon-Envaya-Mini-mobiler-Bluteooth-Lautsprecher-schwarz-blau?shopgate_redirect=1" target="_blank">Comtech</a> hat gerade ein interessantes und zeitbegrenztes Angebot f�r alle unseren deutschen Mitleser: der <b>Denon Envaya Mini</b> frei Haus.<br /><br />Wer bei diesem Angebot nicht zuschl�gt, ist selber schuld ;-)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwFukB1EHS5fEiNqgUKgx1ViP7e2rxvMEczdcIusevIDIuflTLxten_-Ctlr77TDEBROXyUgaR220hpT0JsfAmu4ptriLJzvV3bpH3AbkP6mVoT-jje7ghRWGvm_Y0TX9ccBMSeOHyDmA/s1600/denon-comteq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwFukB1EHS5fEiNqgUKgx1ViP7e2rxvMEczdcIusevIDIuflTLxten_-Ctlr77TDEBROXyUgaR220hpT0JsfAmu4ptriLJzvV3bpH3AbkP6mVoT-jje7ghRWGvm_Y0TX9ccBMSeOHyDmA/s1600/denon-comteq.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><br />PS. Ich bekomme keine Provision vom H�ndler oder so, wollte das Angebot einfach an alle Interessierten oder Unentschiedenen weitergeben, die von meinem Testbericht immer noch nicht �berzeugt wurden.<br /><br />W�rde mich nat�rlich �ber alle Kommentare von neuen Besitzern zu dem Ger�t freuen!<br /><br /></p>

Kaum ist Weihnachten vorbei, beginnt Weihnachten erst so richtig, denn Comtech hat gerade ein interessantes und zeitbegrenztes Angebot f�r ...

Best portable Bluetooth speakers (Oluv's personal favorites 2014)

<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUDydWP1_DGtJOhRU9J2yQ72vHt2NZTVY-FaoWpEYsXqfkN84GLTsfG5HxEftzI0Q9UMVCIcNhVgqcc3tDP8Jzmip7QFhZSza0SblYb_h6j2IBo9I27dYyxiNZH9ToZXSX8mAkeMDNkQT/s1600/all.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUDydWP1_DGtJOhRU9J2yQ72vHt2NZTVY-FaoWpEYsXqfkN84GLTsfG5HxEftzI0Q9UMVCIcNhVgqcc3tDP8Jzmip7QFhZSza0SblYb_h6j2IBo9I27dYyxiNZH9ToZXSX8mAkeMDNkQT/s1600/all.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />With this list I want to show you my personal  favorite portable speakers that I use on a regular basis including some explanation why I  have chosen them over some others and when I use this instead of that. It's been quite a long time I wanted to prepare a kind of best-of list of all portable speakers I know or that I have heard. But after having heard so many, I thought that a real best-of is simply not doable as each speaker has its own strengths or weaknesses. After all those years it seemed I would still not be able to find a single speaker which would  satisfy all my needs not until I have heard the new <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/12/review-denon-envaya-mini.html">Denon Envaya Mini</a>, which mixed up my whole perspective and made my whole list until now pretty useless. The Denon Envaya Mini finally persuaded me to sell all other speakers I currently own, including <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/09/review-jbl-charge-2-failed-new-benchmark.html">JBL Charge 2</a>, <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/08/fugoo-bluetooth-speaker-first.html">Fugoo</a>, <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/07/review-sony-srs-x3-bose-soundlink-mini.html">Sony SRS-X3</a> etc. Therefore I would like to present *drum roll* the Denon Envaya Mini as my current favorite portable speaker.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a>As it had already taken me some time to prepare this whole list, I will nevertheless add all the other speakers below, although I probably wouldn't consider them at all anymore. Please let me clarify that my main goal is high audio quality.   Most will have probably noticed that I have a weekness for a full-bodied  sound. There must be at least some base for the music with enough bass  to make it sound satisfying, otherwise I cannot enjoy music and prefer  not to listen at all. I don't care about speakers that can play screamingly loud but fail completely at lower levels, or speakers with tons of nice features that only sound like my old clock radio. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Denon Envaya Mini </b></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRWAXz-sQ-RQFUM9_bFB3zKml2MkeZZ7aHDZ6nZibK_w13ThZA7vfg5PjXQUQb-9OlGqIEAbPeiByAAH6YyuLYE4ylItY57zUfqEHZkrijpYMkPss2TbHW9O9MdVQosyyyP8z0w8u5dCb/s1600/denon-envaya-mini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRWAXz-sQ-RQFUM9_bFB3zKml2MkeZZ7aHDZ6nZibK_w13ThZA7vfg5PjXQUQb-9OlGqIEAbPeiByAAH6YyuLYE4ylItY57zUfqEHZkrijpYMkPss2TbHW9O9MdVQosyyyP8z0w8u5dCb/s1600/denon-envaya-mini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Buy it from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SFZ4EWC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00SFZ4EWC&linkCode=as2&tag=oluvsgadgets-20&linkId=CFYDE7W7J7FAKJNY">amazon.com</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NBXJ9NW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00NBXJ9NW&linkCode=as2&tag=oluvsgadgets-21&linkId=JGWZNAJDL5OFG3HG">amazon.co.uk</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00NBXJ9NW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1638&creative=6742&creativeASIN=B00NBXJ9NW&linkCode=as2&tag=oluv-21&linkId=SOY2BX3R45BYYGK5">amazon.de</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-de.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=oluv-21&l=as2&o=3&a=B00NBXJ9NW" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" width="1" /><br />I doubt there is any better sounding speaker available that small right now, therefore the Denon Envaya Mini gets my first vote to become the overall "winner". It is extremely portable, splash water resistant and has a professionally close to hifi tuned sound. It is not the loudest speaker nor the one with the biggest bass, but it sounds as close to flat as possible at that size with full bass response down to 80hz which appears even deeper thanks to some psychoacoustic algorithms. There is some stereo separation and the Envaya Mini sounds perfect at low and at highest levels with hardly any distortion or dynamics compression at all. It should satisfy 70% of most needs, just if you need higher loudness, you will probably wish for something more powerful, this is where my Infinity One jumps in, which you can find next in this list below. <br />Another alternative to the Envaya Mini would be the the <b>JBL Charge 2</b>. Until I heard the Denon, JBL Charge 2 might have been close to a "near-perfect" portable speaker,  but unfortunately JBL managed to screw it up making it unsable at low  levels and unlistenable with many tracks because they cause noticeable  distortion, otherwise the JBL Charge 2 would probably be the best  sounding speaker in its class that I would recommend over all the  others more or less on par or above the Denon. I feel still so sorry about all the issues it suffers  from, and that JBL doesn't really care to offer any fix. It seems they just recently started to sell a new batch of devices, which don't suffer from any distortion, although they still seem to have some issues at lower levels. Apart from  that I also hate the status tones the JBL Charge 2 will play if you turn it on, or  when it will connect to a device. The tones are so annoying that you  cannot even turn it on in a silent enviroment. The JBL Charge 2 is not  usable at low levels, it will sound just poor with bass sounding strange  and with additional artefacts noticeable during the first 4-5 volume  steps. I usually welcome a mirrored volume control between speaker and  device, but in case of the JBL Charge 2 the volume steps are very rough  and the speaker becomes too loud too quickly. The JBL Charge 2 has  pretty non directional treble response. It still sounds quite good from  above or from the side unlike most other similar speakers. I also like  the fact that the JBL Charge 2 will retain more bass and sound more  dynamic than most other competing models. Even at maximum volume you  will be able to hear every drum-kick attack, while the Bose Soundlink  Mini or the Sony SRS-X3 will compress them away. Sometimes I would  prefer it even louder, especially outdoors, that's why I finally settled for an Infinity One described below. <br />Other speakers in this smaller class worth having a deeper look: I really liked the <b>Fugoo</b> a lot as an all  around speaker but also for use at home from room to room etc. It might  not be a very loud speaker and bass could take some stronger punch, but  it is small enough to be carried around and thanks to its "jackets" is  rugged to be just tossed inside some bag or stuffed inside a jacket  pocket without any additional protection or pouch needed. Unfortunately  none of the jackets does have any clip-on option without the additional  mount-pack. It would have been great if Fugoo had included some simple  lug in any of the jackets, so that the speaker could be quickly clipped  on somewhere. The Fugoo is also one of the few speakers that really  withstands a complete submerge under water, it is not just splash  resistant like many others, but entirely waterproof.<br />Bluetooth  connectivity is great and the Fugoo connects automatically to any found  device unlike most other speakers, which seem to be still waiting for  the latest one. <br />I also like the fact that the Fugoo remains  nearly silent during operation if all voice prompts are disabled.  Overall the sound of the Fugoo is quite full-bodied, it is not overly  bloated but pleasant to listen to, with a similar bass-amount to many  larger speakers like Soundblaster Roar etc, although the sound starts  falling apart a little bit above half volume which is not very loud and does not come close to the sound of the Denon Envaya Mini, which is much more serious, and much louder at the same time. If  the Fugoo was slightly louder overall with slightly more bass, it would  be definitely on my top list if I had to pick just one single speaker, but now the Denon Envaya Mini took this honour and the Fugoo has to go. Another strong contender loved by ones, hated by others is the <b>Bose Soundlink Mini</b>which has no problems like the JBL Charge 2, but I found the sound to be too  muffled and too directional and sometimes too boomy. The <b>Sony SRS-X3</b> might be another worthy alternative and I think it sounds best for low volume listening, especially because you can fine-tune  the final bass amount with the input-volume of your streaming device, a  welcome side effect of the dynamic sound-processing, which becomes  confused with lower input levels and dials bass back, because the  speaker output needs to be raised. The X3 has some problems at higher  volume levels though and battery life is not as stable, especially when  cranked. Unfortunately both Sony and Bose play some kind of annoying  tones if they are either turned on/off or if they establish a Bluetooth  connection. Another alternative might be the <b>Bose Soundlink Colour</b>.  The sound is not as mature or not as refined as of all the others, but  it is nevertheless a pretty solid speaker with a nicely tuned sound for  all volume levels. It will sound good at low and at high levels, without  any side-effects or artefacts. Treble is less directional than that  from the Soundlink Mini and the Soundlink Colour will not sound that  boomy in most cases although mid-bass has quite an obvious boost with  some stronger resonance, which can start sounding annyoing with some  particular tracks. Also Bluetooth connectivity is one of the best I had  experienced so far with automatic reconnection to 2 previous devices  after power on, just don't expect any stereo sound as the Soundlink Colour is rather a stereo speaker with mono sound. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b>Infinity One</b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b></b></u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2wzXWW4ldbLDipKpHmQ_jD20nXHnWYV7gIQO3eW-z1kZOWG07IK_oNzoy7CgLQLPC4ewJ5kRI4OM4QoKYNCCHq1EO6nSZyoA7QilAZ6_F-Drq_sHto415q4ZFO8eKezFuDhexVzE7p7a/s1600/infinity-one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2wzXWW4ldbLDipKpHmQ_jD20nXHnWYV7gIQO3eW-z1kZOWG07IK_oNzoy7CgLQLPC4ewJ5kRI4OM4QoKYNCCHq1EO6nSZyoA7QilAZ6_F-Drq_sHto415q4ZFO8eKezFuDhexVzE7p7a/s1600/infinity-one.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Still only available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LOL7HDC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00LOL7HDC&linkCode=as2&tag=oluvsgadgets-20&linkId=ITAEPPSEXO4IMGCQ">amazon.com</a>, funnily the Infinity One does not sound really that much better than the Denon Envaya Mini, the Infinity One's sound is just more powerful, which is not surprising given the size being 3 times as large. the Infinity One is basically a blown up JBL Charge 2.  The sound is similar between both, with the Infinity One just sounding  more blown up. The Infinity One is a bit too large and heavy to be  carried around whole the time. But if you know that you will need a  portable speaker which manages to deliver enough power at higher levels  too, the Infinity One might be the best choice. When the Denon Envaya Mini is  already at its top volume, resulting in some heavy bass-loss, although perfectly usable without any distortion, the Infinity One will still have enough headroom, although the Infinity One will suffer from some  intermodulation distortion at these higher settings, but the Infinity One will be able to keep much more bass at comparable loudness settings and maximum volume should  still be loud enough for any smaller outdoor event. The stronger  intermodulation distortion at high levels is the biggest letdown of the  Infinity One, it sounds more enforced than the Soundlink III and many  bass-heavy tracks may start sounding really harsh because of this, while others might still sound perfect, Infinity should have added some simple tweeters to the front drivers, as the back drivers sound pretty clear as they are fitered for higher frequencies, where intermodlation becomes most obvious. Similar to the JBL Charge 2 the Infinity One will also manage to retain  the dynamics of kickdrum attacks, unlike the Soundlink III, which will  rather iron out any stronger punches. For house-music I would prefer the  Infinity One over the Soundlink III, which might be better for Jazz and  acoustic stuff due to less intermodulation distortion problems.<br />Unfortunately  the Infinity One has the same loud status tones and the same mirrored  volume control with even rougher steps than the JBL Charge. In case of  an iOS device the volume control is not fine enough to really allow any  sensitive adjustment. Thank godness the Infinity One does not suffer  from any of the processing artefacts which plague the JBL Charge 2. I  think that the Infinity One delivers the best performance of all  speakers I have tested in this larger speaker-class aroung 1kg, including Bose Soundlink III,  Beats Pill XL, TDK A34, Loewe Speaker2go and even the B&O Beoplay  A2, which has its own qualities and problems, thus as total package I  just regard the Infinity One as the best option right now.<br />A big problem  for all non U.S citicens might be that the Infinity One is only offered  in the U.S so you will have to import it on your own if you live  outside, which is what I finally did. But for casual listening at home I prefer the Denon most of the time, even though it has slightly less bass, it sounds more natural with more stereo separation and is much easier to carry around.<br />Other possible alternatives: <b>Bose Soundlink III </b>sounds  quite similar to the Infinity One, but has a more directional and more  "edgy" sound while the Infinity One sounds rounder and more open. The  Infinity One also has the option to be charged through USB in case of  need and it can charge external devices too. Overall I prefer the  Infinity One over the Bose Soundlink III, although the Bose has the  better tuning for low levels with a more profound sound and obvious  intermodulation distortion should be less of an issue. Other  alternatives might be the <b>TDK A33 </b>which is pretty cheap now or the newer<b> A34</b> as both<b> </b>are  pretty balanced sounding speakers unfortunately with a pretty bad  battery and a questionable charging logic. I never manged to make the  A33 play for longer than 6 hours even at lower levels, the A34 seems to  suffer from the same problem. The <b>Soundblaster Roar</b> is very  similar to the TDK A33 in sound but has tons of additional features  which you might need or not need. It doesn't play as loud as the TDK,  but overall it is the better speaker I think. It doesn't sound as full  bodied as the Infinity One or the JBL Charge 2, but the sound is still  quite nice, although it won't knock your socks off.<br />You might also like the <b>Denon Envaya</b> which sounds quite similar to the Bose Soundlink III although not quite as loud but also cheaper. The <b>B&O Beoplay A2</b> would have been my personal favorite if battery life was more  predictable and the sound more constant on higher levels. I really like  the design and sound tuning is simply impressive, but I couldn't live  with the added distortion on many tracks especially at the given price  being one of the most expensive speakers shown here. I would also like  to add the <b>Beats Pill XL</b>, which is not a very good sounding  speaker per se, but a very powerful one with great features, wireless  stereo pairing etc. It is still one of the loudest I have heard at this  size and manages to sound pretty controlled when the others are already  struggling or reaching their limits with the Pill XL still being much  louder than all of them.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b>Bose Soundlink Wireless Music System </b></u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Xq3CPKlQvsU2HVgSoCIS4KIluYWU1TsVGuTOL5_HGn7xqrYFuPaQhIVcMvqT0DiHgKnlpfRpz6u7DzwicSrdNYAWM7mG0o5bc_Bv9CD_oqQNSmgZyjw0IVFh30LAeuSOVttktXeWAaLI/s1600/bose-soundlink-wireless-music-system.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Xq3CPKlQvsU2HVgSoCIS4KIluYWU1TsVGuTOL5_HGn7xqrYFuPaQhIVcMvqT0DiHgKnlpfRpz6u7DzwicSrdNYAWM7mG0o5bc_Bv9CD_oqQNSmgZyjw0IVFh30LAeuSOVttktXeWAaLI/s1600/bose-soundlink-wireless-music-system.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Although  I currently don't use it that much, I still think that this old and  discontinued Bose system is a spectacular and underrated portable  Bluetooth speaker. It is based on the Bose Sounddock portable which was  also discontinued in the meantime but with Bluetooth instead of the  Apple-dock.<br />Thanks to its flat design it is still pretty portable  despite being larger than the Infinity One and with just 2kg including  the swappable battery it should find its place inside any even smaller  rucksack. The Bose Soundlink Wireless Music System is one of the most  powerful systems at this size. The amplifier delivers 40Watts (unlike  the 25W of the Infinity One), and thanks to Bose's DSP processing they  manage to push the loudness level quite above the limits of what the 2  fullrange drivers are able to handle by applying some stronger dynamics  compression and dialing bass back. Although there is some stronger  distortion at maximum volume the Soundlink Wireless Music System  nevertheless manages to fill a large outdoor area with sound if you  don't want to carry any larger boombox with you. It sounds very full  bodied with the deepest reaching bass although it has a tendency to  sound a bit muffled, especially at lower levels and off-axis.<br />A possible alternative might be the <b>IK Multimedia iLoud</b>,  which is able to reach a similar loudness, but not without distortion  either. Unfortunately the iLoud won't sound that full-bodied at lower  levels and the built in battery seems to have some issues not being able  to hold a charge after some time of usage according to my friend who  had used his quite often.<br />Another interesting speaker might be the <b>Harman Kardon Onyx</b> or the much cheaper <b>Onyx Studio</b> which omits auxiliary input, Airplay and DLNA compared to the expensive  version. They sound slightly better and are more powerful than the  Bose, but are a bit lacking at lower volumes. They are also larger and  not that easily portable with the battery life hardly exceeding 4-5  hours at high volumes. <br /><br />If you need still more power and more loudness, you must have a look at all the larger systems like the <b>Klipsch KMC-3</b> or some <b>Pioneer Steez</b> units or the<b> JVC Kaboom</b> series etc. But nearly all of them need extra batteries for portable  use and will quickly exceed several kilos of weight. Maybe the new <b>Teufel Boomster</b> could do the trick as it has a built in battery which can be even  extended by some additional AA-cells. So far I didn't feel the need for  such a unit, it is just overkill for home use, I previously had the  Altec Lansing IMT800, but didn't use it much because of the size and the  hassle with batteries. But my friend loves his KMC-3 and uses it  regularly for outdoor parties with friends.<br /><br />What is still completely missing though are speakers that can be easily put inside a pocket, or attached somewhere thanks to a dedicated clip or carabiner without adding any bulk or becoming tedious. Most of these I have tried so far sound rather tinny, not really comparable to those above, although I am sure with some clever DSP processing and really high-quality drivers even smaller speakers than the Denon Envaya Mini could be brought to respectable output. Here are my best findings for this class:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b>TDK A12</b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b></b></u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyeIbHlZQ9lPKGLLtPKSAbBgxbIoGs-vHG3kpz58PPSUsrbisnpvJWsdgaa2vkz6REDvCWHFgFh5rCXBMAkRPaQc-Y0DbsWHpkWWal7TbqRUMdeR_O9HmZ0tSpoOU6eet_IonkN4LHl_t/s1600/tdk-a12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkyeIbHlZQ9lPKGLLtPKSAbBgxbIoGs-vHG3kpz58PPSUsrbisnpvJWsdgaa2vkz6REDvCWHFgFh5rCXBMAkRPaQc-Y0DbsWHpkWWal7TbqRUMdeR_O9HmZ0tSpoOU6eet_IonkN4LHl_t/s1600/tdk-a12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I think the TDK A12 (micro Trek) produces quite a balanced sound for being that small. It is not the loudest speaker at this size, but it just sounds "right". There is some upper bass which makes it sound appealing, but the TDK is not able to produce any deeper bass, thus it is not really full-bodied and quite a bit too thin for my own taste, but still better than not having a speaker at all. If you put it flat on some resonating surface, you can boost basst slightly, but the passive radiator doesn't really play anything below 100Hz, so don't expect any miracles like with many other vibrating speakers or like with the FoxL Dash 7 that are tuned much lower, but won't produce any hearable bass until they suddenly sound much more mature depending on the surface they are placed on, as shown in my <a href="http://youtu.be/etk4Xu_NGck" target="_blank">example video for the FoxL Dash 7</a>. Unfortunately most of the time there are no suitable surfaces around outdoors for enhancing the sound.<br />Therefore the TDK seems to apply some "virtual bass" algorithm. It sounds a bit as if the lower frequencies not reproducable with the tiny driver were subtly added transposed one octave higher (similar to what MaxxBass is doing). The A12 manges to give an even more full-bodied impression than the similar JBL Clip, although bass reaches considerably lower on the JBL Clip, when looking solely at the frequency response measurements. There is also some bass compression going on, maybe a side-effect of the virtual bass algorithm, but when directly compared it is quite noticeable that the TDK does some processing, which is not a bad thing, as any unwanted artefacts are still kept to the minimum.<br />The TDK A12 has no distortion even at maximum volume, but there seems to be some sample variation as I have tested several different units and on many of them the passive radiators started to rattle heavily at higher volume levels with bass heavy tracks, the resonance-frequency seems to be around 125Hz where rattling is strongest. Because of the single passive radiator at the back side the TDK A12 also has a tendency to vibrate or even creep around when put on certain surfaces. If you attach the included carabiner, this may rattle against the body at higher loudness-levels, that's the drawback of single passive radiator designs.<br />Battery life is somewhat short, especially at high volume. A nice feature is that you can pair 2 of them for true wireless stereo, in fact I have 2 of them and both cost me less than 60�. Strangely stereo pairing doesn't work that well sometimes. I am not sure if this is the speaker's fault, or if the Bluetooth connection of the iPhone is too blame here, but sometimes when in wireless stereo mode the audio quality is reduced considerably resulting in a sound which resembles that of a lower bitrate mp3-file. Sometimes only one will play, although both confirmed the connection. I have not found any regularity, but in case they behave unexpectedly, I have to go through the entire pairing process again to get rid of it.<br />Other similar speakers to consider: <b>JBL Clip</b> produces a similar overall sound but can play quite a bit louder. The JBL Clip can be daisy chained with another one with its built-in wire and it has speaker phone included. Due to its rounded design it is easier to put inside a pocket and the carabiner is already built in unlike with the TDK A12, which has the carabiner separate. The battery life of the JBL Clip seems to be even shorter than that of the TDK A12 though, but due to the included bassreflex port instead of the passive radiator the JBL Clip won't vibrate even at highest loudness levels.<br />I would regard the <b>Mini Jambox</b> as another alternative, although nothing special it is still able to deliver quite a solid sound and will also sound rounder and more full-bodied than both the TDK and JBL, although the maximum possible volume is quite limited. I have yet to find any better sounding speaker that small. Most of them might be louder for sure, but they just don't sound good at normal listening levels. Of course I welcome any other tips!<br /><br />3 years ago it was still unheard of a beverage can-sized speaker that it would be able to produce any bass down to 60Hz. After the Soundlink Mini which was pretty unique at the time of its release there are meanwhile some other alternatives available. The portable speaker market is evolving pretty quickly. So please just take this personal list as some temporary snapshot which may suddenly turn around with any new speaker released, just like it did, when I heard the Devnon Envaya Mini.<br /><br />There are some interesting speakers on the horizon like the  electrostatic BenQ treVolo (formerly known as eVolo) or the Massfidelity  Core, there is also some rumor about an upcoming larger and more  powerful speaker from Fugoo,  but I am not sure if I will be able to receive any of those units for a  review. As soon as I can get my hands onto something interesting I will  let you know.     </p>

With this list I want to show you my personal favorite portable speakers that I use on a regular basis including some explanation why I ha...

Review: Denon Envaya Mini DSB100 - the mini speaker (r)evolution

<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDKTdPR4yTIOhVZzv_wN5r6y5cjDK3pf-0hKAXm_v91hWVFWvXtR4moto9Dl0cD-VPGwxjMl1hpiSBxpBGXLODudTBMQhjLa1TCRO7pxfb6M2_hQC8fRlB8mTNTYBUPKj7pJtOvIBLRrH/s1600/denon-envaya-mini-iphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDKTdPR4yTIOhVZzv_wN5r6y5cjDK3pf-0hKAXm_v91hWVFWvXtR4moto9Dl0cD-VPGwxjMl1hpiSBxpBGXLODudTBMQhjLa1TCRO7pxfb6M2_hQC8fRlB8mTNTYBUPKj7pJtOvIBLRrH/s1600/denon-envaya-mini-iphone.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>  <br />I already reviewed the bigger <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/07/review-sony-srs-x5-vs-denon-envaya.html" target="_blank">Denon Envaya DSB200</a> which was introduced earlier this year and although I found it to be quite a solid performer, it didn't knock my socks off. My favorite speaker by then was the Soundlink Mini which was considerably smaller but managed quite a similar sound. Although both were tuned differently, I couldn't discern any real advantage in sound if I chose the Denon Envaya over the Soundlink Mini with a similar boomy bass and similarly muffled treble, except a slightly higher overall loudness but at the same time ending up with a much larger speaker.<br />Now the smaller brother of the Denon Envaya, the "DSB100" was announced recently without making big waves about it as I only managed to hear about it per chance. I became really curious to hear what Denon managed to sequeeze out of a speaker that small, as they don't seem to be a company to contend themself with little. Let me tell you that this is finally the speaker which indeed managed to blow my mind more than any other portabler speaker I have tried in the last years. Come in to find out why.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a>Some years ago most compact portable speakers up to larger book-sized ones sounded rather tinny and unimpressive like the original JBL onTour (a kind of pocket flask) although it was very popular by then and still got pretty great reviews while in reality it was a bright thin sounding speaker, which I would  have never had considered for listening to music.  Maybe the Soundmatters FoxL and later the Jambox which was based on the same internals of the FoxL were the first that started a kind of small revolution for the entire Bluetooth speaker market about 5 years ago. The FoxL was pocketable and probably the first speaker which  really delivered a bit of a Hifi-sound, at least at that time, but all  speakers that small didn't even manage any real bass response, the FoxL  on the other hand sounded much larger than the size would suggest, especially when positioned well near a wall or corner. A battery used as passive radiator was pretty unique at that time to overcome space-limits, then suddenly nearly all small speakers started to use some kind of passive radiator to enhance their low-end.<br />Looking back  now, the FoxL still sounds rather tinny with a quite low maximum output, compared to what is available now. It sounds balanced overall  but is still missing the bass-punch of most current speakers. When Bose finally launched their Soundlink Mini 1 year ago (with 2 opposing passive radiators instead of one) they seem to have shifted physical limits of what was possible to squeeze out of a compact speaker on sound. The Soundlink Mini has a cubature of less than half a liter, but manages to play down to 60Hz. Unfortunately Bose preferred to produce too much bass instead of too little, so the Soundlink Mini suffered from quite an imbalanced sound in the end with boomy bass but muffled upper treble and a stronger lower treble boost instead, to divert from the fact that the Soundlink Mini had hardly any upper treble at all. The overly boosted bass came not without problems as deeper bass notes tended to drone on many songs already at half volume with intermodulation distortion creeping in at higher levels. Despite all the flaws Bose succeded with their concept anyhow, as the Soundlink Mini is still selling like hot cakes. Even I enjoyed it for some months and was really impressed about the full sound it was able to produce, but at the same time I already started to complain about it shortly after I had bought it.<br />Since then other companies tried to jump on the bandwagon and issue their own versions of the Soundlink Mini, but most did not even come close the "original", let alone improve on it. Finally JBL managed to offer a worthy alternative with the <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/09/review-jbl-charge-2-failed-new-benchmark.html">Charge 2</a>, which on the other hand was plagued by some unforeseen <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/09/first-impressions-jbl-charge-2-new-king.html">DSP artefacts</a> and yielded the speaker nearly unusable in many cases or with particular tracks.<br /><br />The key to success for such small speakers is the perfect interaction of acoustics, drivers, manufacturing and probably most important DSP. A small driver will never be able to produce any low frequencies on its own without some further equalizing and dynamic adjustment etc. But many companies still seem to be ignoring that fact and launch new speakers that could sound so much better, but do not because you have to turn them close to maximum in order to get a satisfying response. Listen at lower levels and they will sound like a clock-radio, an extreme example being the <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/07/review-sony-srs-x5-vs-denon-envaya.html" target="_blank">Klipsch KMC-1</a> which didn't manage to sound really much better than the small FoxL until you turned it up to at least half volume. A DSP is necessary to "model" the sound accordingly and push the drivers to their limits, otherwise a speaker that could play down to 150Hz without any distortion at maximum volume, will never sound full-bodied or mature at lower levels, if the bass-amount below 150Hz is not pushed at the same time. <br />Denon seem to be the ones who are well aware of that fact and the Envaya Mini is the best example for perfect interaction of all speaker components including the DSP.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbg8ANg-xoiz9ciSYDMeQSAjlY1rXIxcWnC58YZbNG8sueSN9hEkD8I0747D4B83aBPWBbuL2pLSICVQfCY7jHACX7LuFxv72lONoQjzKOeV8zKBDcFbeMfsWwXPlTcdnf97EXu-AHq0u/s1600/denon-envaya-mini-hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbg8ANg-xoiz9ciSYDMeQSAjlY1rXIxcWnC58YZbNG8sueSN9hEkD8I0747D4B83aBPWBbuL2pLSICVQfCY7jHACX7LuFxv72lONoQjzKOeV8zKBDcFbeMfsWwXPlTcdnf97EXu-AHq0u/s1600/denon-envaya-mini-hand.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Enough history and technical blah, let's have a look what we have here. The Denon Envaya Mini is quite an affordable offer within the confusing Bluetooth speaker market. It is available in either black or white, I chose white because this should be more forgiving on a hot summer day when the sun is burning down on it. Retail price is 99� in Europe, but it is already sold for 89� by some vendors (with some temporary offers for 79�) making it considerably cheaper than the Bose Soundlink Mini, which can be found for as low as 159� right now. I am not quite sure about the price in the US, but it seems to be priced higher with 149$. This would make the speaker indeed more expensive in the US, than in Europe, usually it is just the other way round with a 1$=1� conversion. Initially I really assumed the Envaya Mini would cost 99$. But I think even for 149$ Denon offered a really competitive package here. for 89� it's a steal, and I am astounded they didn't already price it higher from the beginning. It makes such speakers as the UE Miniboom, or Jabra Solmate, or some other no-name junk priced close to 100� really appear embarrassing and obsolete. Maybe this is what Denon intended, but they did it with some real understatement unlike many other companies, which promise "big bass, room-filling sound" but everything you get is only some fart.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iXUf8NR56fbmIni89rCjEU2ivCHlWH5rqp6-B7AfQUkurJ6ZTHGZEb8VJDb3JvuwG-e8ROBIbvCLGmt5vgyYOO5IF-XzHByZwUWHnxaAgj2vSKqFZfZnYreL90ePwbeA6R2AxOf05t-5/s1600/envaya-insidebox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iXUf8NR56fbmIni89rCjEU2ivCHlWH5rqp6-B7AfQUkurJ6ZTHGZEb8VJDb3JvuwG-e8ROBIbvCLGmt5vgyYOO5IF-XzHByZwUWHnxaAgj2vSKqFZfZnYreL90ePwbeA6R2AxOf05t-5/s1600/envaya-insidebox.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzH7GGf2YpFAkvaf8hYVwefg-tgAnVCCECvGQWDtjCCzHIhXyD_bmF-LCZrhjHh-_rQOkhVhWtFg3IAY1miU2TkW-KtPn3jy3BUc9HYh00yPTTpQqP_YualgLebKNq-RNQILamSNy8F80t/s1600/envaya-pouch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzH7GGf2YpFAkvaf8hYVwefg-tgAnVCCECvGQWDtjCCzHIhXyD_bmF-LCZrhjHh-_rQOkhVhWtFg3IAY1miU2TkW-KtPn3jy3BUc9HYh00yPTTpQqP_YualgLebKNq-RNQILamSNy8F80t/s1600/envaya-pouch.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Inside the box, which is simple but well designed you will find the speaker and a USB-cable among some quick-guides and security notes. There is no charging unit included, so you will have to use your own. At least it comes with a darkblue plush carrying pouch, which can be even used with the speaker playing from inside, as the used material seems to be quite transparent acoustically. Inside the bag you can let the speaker hang somewhere thanks to the closing-lace.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xwebdmQMLw78b1rJb1nYMUdMJhYrO6x-U04b5z6TYaUhZYT9-3BCYIe7iOrRLqfn5vvso9TA7BjE3wO2RsEpZ0K109-jpJQ47T1Y5OMEa8BhyQN2-6snzq6QMS3tqlbrNZGzLAEErveE/s1600/envaya-bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xwebdmQMLw78b1rJb1nYMUdMJhYrO6x-U04b5z6TYaUhZYT9-3BCYIe7iOrRLqfn5vvso9TA7BjE3wO2RsEpZ0K109-jpJQ47T1Y5OMEa8BhyQN2-6snzq6QMS3tqlbrNZGzLAEErveE/s1600/envaya-bag.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />The Denon Envaya Mini is splash water resistant. This means you cannot submerge it under water, but it doesn't matter if it becomes wet or if you operate it with wet hands etc. (IPX4 certified).<br />It is not quite "mini", but it is really slim, making it appear much more compact than it is. It has about half the diameter of the JBL Charge 2 and it is also slimmer than the Soundlink Mini, but it is a bit longer at the same time.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZsg7E0sFhBtQAFkHEGnLlZUiTV6WjzC_oTeOgnkv4zuqoaMSYy2fhlQYk1zjqjylxFZAPrL2cadV7mnempBkaba4gSuOk9l3zZOYO4EDp_8llBD5zaxHOSJRQ2Fr4b1opdU9SeLepe4v/s1600/envaya-charge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZsg7E0sFhBtQAFkHEGnLlZUiTV6WjzC_oTeOgnkv4zuqoaMSYy2fhlQYk1zjqjylxFZAPrL2cadV7mnempBkaba4gSuOk9l3zZOYO4EDp_8llBD5zaxHOSJRQ2Fr4b1opdU9SeLepe4v/s1600/envaya-charge1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh221NIbOgq02zyjgT3XErrrNS7gIP9GuXHpmM1ykVO2quqLeEQIlvQHV_XdzCPtp3yGzAR_IQXpcycCU_lQxkPt7fUdtA6724OPcPON0AB3tHtYc7CaaV3GAMo7DR0Zv2_qvRZHYasepqE/s1600/envaya-charge0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh221NIbOgq02zyjgT3XErrrNS7gIP9GuXHpmM1ykVO2quqLeEQIlvQHV_XdzCPtp3yGzAR_IQXpcycCU_lQxkPt7fUdtA6724OPcPON0AB3tHtYc7CaaV3GAMo7DR0Zv2_qvRZHYasepqE/s1600/envaya-charge0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The measured cubature is exactly 0.43l, which makes the Envaya Mini even slightly smaller than the Soundlink Mini and 160g lighter. The JBL Charge 2 is 70% larger, the original Jambox is 25% smaller, but in contrast to the Jambox, the Envaya Mini could nearly be called pocketable due to the rounded edges if not the added length, because it will stick out of most pockets and obviously laying it on thick when carried inside some trousers.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsmRvK02oEMWJehe2fG5gpgL14OxjHu0ERvQx2iZU2OgSKnWjpxvFDKqdr7-REkUsSthFQKCPfMEOBqDuEKWwDEjbaGs7stKuTfFA0ZjoVFd7OTiUGafAsF2uwZvyoNP7Xmn6rFhDDQhO/s1600/denon-pocket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsmRvK02oEMWJehe2fG5gpgL14OxjHu0ERvQx2iZU2OgSKnWjpxvFDKqdr7-REkUsSthFQKCPfMEOBqDuEKWwDEjbaGs7stKuTfFA0ZjoVFd7OTiUGafAsF2uwZvyoNP7Xmn6rFhDDQhO/s1600/denon-pocket.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />The Envaya Mini feels really sturdy and heavy, although it is lighter than most competition including the Soundlink Colour, it makes you think it is heavier maybe because of the massive metal housing, while the Soundlink Colour is a bit plasticky.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDOxudpiocPa_q6tj0_ApBhkTnFRXJ71cuG9olKQsx1Pouth0AzRBb_RHqryvTxKLwAQ3kpZHqXeUwdssKYRpvy9xogPJAfdTyeNxIQbJcr-du4zAc5jZL0hRJ7mP4gWWpvRgnMdOf-SM/s1600/envaya-mini-soundlink-colour1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDOxudpiocPa_q6tj0_ApBhkTnFRXJ71cuG9olKQsx1Pouth0AzRBb_RHqryvTxKLwAQ3kpZHqXeUwdssKYRpvy9xogPJAfdTyeNxIQbJcr-du4zAc5jZL0hRJ7mP4gWWpvRgnMdOf-SM/s1600/envaya-mini-soundlink-colour1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1abr_3Y-io2C9L_ZlB0qrMzlzxgKod0Dhf44kg2MduYMfqCzkitEsiBLGPA6eBc_b1uuEbFhaoGv93VgYDV0wXDeKdTUo_Uz4Y9iJ4KS9Qz1L1AxbfygjvkxQH0g46MvBRW4SmTs7VtMW/s1600/envaya-mini-soundlink-colour2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1abr_3Y-io2C9L_ZlB0qrMzlzxgKod0Dhf44kg2MduYMfqCzkitEsiBLGPA6eBc_b1uuEbFhaoGv93VgYDV0wXDeKdTUo_Uz4Y9iJ4KS9Qz1L1AxbfygjvkxQH0g46MvBRW4SmTs7VtMW/s1600/envaya-mini-soundlink-colour2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The Denon Envaya Mini doesn't give the impression of being easily damaged or dented, even without any protection, if you are still unsure, just use the included pouch before tossing it inside a bag. The speaker grille is a thick metal part surrounding the entire speaker which yields just slightly and only with some stronger pressure. Both speaker ends are covered by plastic/rubber caps containing the ports at the left side (microUSB for charging and 3.5mm auxiliary input) covered by a protective flap.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiUHyl2i2R_QNkKJKupFDIcWrKs29KyMxpMkqi9sv1TWT5tiLBCx-_Bko-XeBMvxXKfDU44juuXQPOqs2EAkrlx28mXLnzpadkLeR4-aBlrll5QO5NYvzbJCABJ032kQ6qNbAnEXtRkLI/s1600/envaya-mini-ports.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYiUHyl2i2R_QNkKJKupFDIcWrKs29KyMxpMkqi9sv1TWT5tiLBCx-_Bko-XeBMvxXKfDU44juuXQPOqs2EAkrlx28mXLnzpadkLeR4-aBlrll5QO5NYvzbJCABJ032kQ6qNbAnEXtRkLI/s1600/envaya-mini-ports.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />At the left you'll also find a battery life indicator, which will light up for some seconds when the additional battery button is pressed. There are 3 distinct charging levels available, green will symbolize 70-100%, orange 30-69% and red a level below 30%. The light will start flashing red continously if the battery reaches 5%.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4h9TLSNzFHss-3V8e8CXchEF4F_zgTFJd9bfB6ys5OrhGxtTSz6kJ7PvqpMy29IQIFE2ZDm3ykqGIs52aJ33kePOuX12JZUf1fbrZIOg8MGCTsEtyWR3bnVlN2z2FGG7-UFkbwX6rEw2/s1600/envaya-mini-controls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4h9TLSNzFHss-3V8e8CXchEF4F_zgTFJd9bfB6ys5OrhGxtTSz6kJ7PvqpMy29IQIFE2ZDm3ykqGIs52aJ33kePOuX12JZUf1fbrZIOg8MGCTsEtyWR3bnVlN2z2FGG7-UFkbwX6rEw2/s1600/envaya-mini-controls.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />All main speaker controls are at the right side with a very simple layout. Just 4 buttons, one of them being the power-button which has to be kept pressed for about 2 seconds in order to turn the speaker on or off. Below is the play/pause button which can also be used for answering calls or skipping tracks forward with a double press and backwards with a tripple press. The play/pause button also acts as pairing button when kept pressed for some seconds. The volume-buttons are differently cuvred, so you should feel where to press to increase volume without the need to look at it. The buttons need some stronger force to be operated as they are on the speaker-side you'll need a second hand to hold the speaker firm in order to avoid pushing it around, or just grab it with your hand and do all adjustments holding it in your hand. Volume control is not mirrored between streaming device and speaker and the Denon has 100 distinct volume steps just like all Bose speakers. Even volume levels are quite comparable which means the Denon playing at 60%, will play more or less at the same loudness as the Bose at 60%. Not only that but also status tones seem to be inspired by Bose. When a Bluetooth connection is established you will hear nearly the same tone you always get on all Soundlinks too. Apart from that coincidence Denon doesn't try to copy Bose, but rather improve on that and do their own thing which is good.<br />The Envaya Mini will also play an own power on/off tone, a kind of chord-arpeggio which is a bit annyoing as it is too loud for my taste. I would have preferred it completely without any tones, but obviously I will have to live with it, at least it doesn't talk or play cheesy melodies.<br />The Denon Envaya Mini can connect to 2 devices simultanously. The first device has to stop playback though, in order to enable the second device for playback. The new device cannot take over the playback of the previous one on its own. Unfortunately the Bluetooth pairing logic as a whole is not very aggressive. The Envaya Mini always tries to connect to the latest device only unlike the Bose Soundlink Colour for example which will always automatically connect to both found devices simultaneously. On the Denon you have to force the connection in case it was connected to another device before, it wil simply ignore all other already paired devices. It might be different with pairing through NFC, but thanks to Apple I cannot talk much about that. According to the manual the speaker will even automatically wake up from standby if you tap your NFC-enabled phone on the NFC-logo.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SAuUXzeMjw2PAXvNMo2xJO3xha8FWrw75w8wIyQqnzmgRbzCrRg7hUENIdTCIkGrhaJc0Sab5bk__HaicPj_VqnGJqnSAps3V6mqEcjRnFigwegKi3Xm-j9QpRPDC4MYyRLqmc_GSQE6/s1600/envaya-mini-nfc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SAuUXzeMjw2PAXvNMo2xJO3xha8FWrw75w8wIyQqnzmgRbzCrRg7hUENIdTCIkGrhaJc0Sab5bk__HaicPj_VqnGJqnSAps3V6mqEcjRnFigwegKi3Xm-j9QpRPDC4MYyRLqmc_GSQE6/s1600/envaya-mini-nfc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The speaker will auto turn off after 15 minutes if no Bluetooth stream is currently being played. When connected to Aux, it will turn off after 8 hours, this can be disabled completely by holding the battery button for 3 seconds assumed an aux-wire is attached and might be helpful if you want to use the speaker as an alarm with your phone attached to it. Attaching an aux-wire will disable Bluetooth, there's no need for any further Aux-button.<br />It seems though, there is a small bug with the auto power-off function. Normally the speaker will turn off on its own after 15 minutes when Bluetooth streaming has stopped. But when 2 devices are connected to the Envaya Mini while the connection to the first device is lost, it will neverthelesss jump into power-off mode, even when the second device is still currently streaming. <br /><br />The Denon Envaya Mini supports all possible Bluetooth codecs including AAC and most important for all Hifi-junkies: low-latency AptX for nearly lossless streaming. I found Bluetooth connection to be extremely stable (maybe even best in class) and with the speaker standing in our most distant room, I could stream music from within all other rooms with only some occasional hiccups. The <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/10/review-infinity-one-premium-wireless.html">Infinity One</a> already struggles at half that distance. Unfortunately there is no support for wireless stereo pairing with another Envaya Mini. This would be really great, but at least you can renumber their names with some button-presses if you intend to own a couple of them for not to confuse them inside your Bluetooth-list. They can be named Envaya Mini up to Envaya Mini4. A pretty unique but definitely helpful function if you really own more devices. I have two TDK A12 for example and I never know which one to select from my list in order to connect to it.<br /><br />Battery-life is claimed to be up to 10 hours. I made some tests and got close to 9 hours at exactly half volume, which means at volume step 50/100. I also did a test at maximum volume and the speaker turned off on its own after 2:40 hours. Some others report 5-6 hours at higher levels around 2/3, but please keep in mind that for best results you have to control the volume directly from the speaker. Some tend to keep the speaker at maximum all the time and control the volume directly from their streaming device, although this doesn't have any effect on sound quality in case of the Denon Envaya Mini, it has a big influence on battery life and I had done some tests to prove this. At volume step 50/100 I go exactly 8:33 until it turned off on its own, for my next test I left the speaker at 100/100 but reduced the volume on my iPhone instead to get exactly the same loudness as before (I double-checked the loudness with another unit that was set to 50/100). With the Denon Envaya Mini maxed out I suddenly only got 5:11. Just the fact that the speaker was playing at maximum, while still delivering the same medium loudness as before reduced the battery life by 40%. If you remember this, you can definitely improve your battery life, as more and more owners are complaining that they can't reach more than 5 hours at low levels, but I am sure they simply keep their speakers at maximum all the time.<br />Although actual battery life does not sound impressive it is much better than the 50 minutes I got from the <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/11/review-bang-olufsen-beoplay-a2-sounding.html">B&O Beoplay A2</a> when it suddenly dropped the volume to half. The Denon does not reduce volume on its own, nor does the sound deteriorate in any way when the battery becomes low, it will play at full-blast until it turns off. Charging took 2 hours with a 5V/2.4A USB-charger. According to the manual it should take around 2:30 hours with a 2A charger.<br />Battery life is definitely not hopeless, but be prepared to charge the speaker every day if you intend to use it often especially at higher levels, and trust me, you will! You won't get the impressive battery-life of the Fugoo, which I only charged once a week with similar usage neither that of the JBL Charge 2 which also has a stronger battery built in as it can also charge external devices. Thanks to its standardized 5V input, you can always charge the Envaya Mini with some external power pack in case of emergency or simply plug it into your computer, or charge it in your car. So far I didn't encounter any battery problems under normal usage, but I noticed that the red blinking light started to appear earlier than I expected.<br /><br />I think I managed to cover all the basic stuff and as you can see there's nothing exceptional here, therefore let's directly jump over and discuss the sound qualities the Denon Envaya Mini has to offer.<br />Describing the sound with just one word might not be easy, but I would probably use the term: stunning.<br />Of course the sound of this minuscule speaker cannot compete with any full-grown stereosystem, but given the limits it is impressive what Denon managed to squeeze out of it with just 2 4cm full-range drivers and a twice as large single passive radiator. I am not sure how many different speakers I have heard during the last years, but the Denon is one of the few which really managed to make me speechless. It does not have the strongest bass, nor is it loudest etc. It is just the fact that it is tuned so well, close to perfect, that really makes you smile, I guess the Envaya Mini is the first mini speaker that can really deliver a close to hifi-experience within its limits of course.<br />The Envaya Mini is not deficient on bass by no means, especially not considering its size or when looking at most other similar offerings, but don't expect the same unnatural bass-boost as that from the Bose Soundlink Mini. Also the JBL Charge 2 or the Sony SRS-X3 will sound more full-bodied, but unlike with the JBL Charge 2 wich has a quite natural sounding bass response, you will hear that the bass of the Sony and the Bose is just bloated, but not very precise or much deeper. The Envaya Mini has a very flat response down to 80Hz and rolls-off stronger below that. It gives you the impression of a grown up speaker unlike all other small speakers, which just continue to sound like clock-radios. Bose and Sony seem to have managed a deeper bass response, but in reality it is just a stronger overall boost. I guess Bose had to boost bass that much in order to make it extend deeper, while Denon on the other hand managed a similarly deep roll-off like the others but at the same time they kept the bass pretty flat. It sounds just "true", not too much not too little, it integrates with the music and doesn't play along or even drown out the mids.<br />Bass could be always deeper of course, but then such a nice overall tuning probably won't be possible inside a such small speaker. I really welcome this flat response, as the Envaya Mini sounds considerably more balanced than the bigger Denon Envaya, which had a similar bass-boost as Bose, and treble response was far not as impressive as from its little brother, because it is not only bass-response which is pretty solid for the size, the Envaya Mini continues to sound good up to the highest frequencies with only some slight boost at around 15khz. Treble is crystal clear particularly when listened exactly on-axis. The speaker drivers are tilted slightly upwards, thus allowing better focusing of treble in case the speaker is placed on a table below with the listener sitting above. Although treble is quite directional, the Envaya Mini is not completely lost if not listened directly on axis. You will lost all the sparkle, but it will still sound pretty clear even from a higher angle. The Bose Soundlink Mini was totally hopeless in this regard, although the JBL Charge 2 has still a less directional treble response. <br />I am quite sure there will be enough people who will complain about lack of bass, while others will complain because of too much like my wife who claims it to be too bassheavy for her taste. I think it is just spot on, if you need better bass (not more) then you will have to look at larger sizes like the B&O Beoplay A2 for example.<br />When I turned up the Denon Envaya Mini for the first time and listened to some familar recordings, I immediately felt "at home", it sounded right and I didn't even bother listening closer to find some inconsitencies. I liked the sound that much that I continued listening to it until 4:00 in the morning, because I wanted to know how this or that song would sound through it. I couldn't stop being impressed when looking at the small box standing in front of me that was able to produce such a big sound. I also tested lots of different placements and found the Envaya Mini to be not very critical regarding positioning. It doesn't have the tendency to sound boomy even at the most disadvantageous places.<br /><br />Thanks to the single passive radiator at the back the Envaya Mini tends to vibrate quite a lot. Usually this shouldn't be a problem though, as the rubber-feet at the bottom absorb all unwanted vibration really well. Even at highest levels with the bass heaviest tracks the Envaya Mini shouldn't rattle around against the base. The vibration can become really strong and could probably compete with any women's toy, but it is remarkable that the speaker still  seems to have everything under control, without any unwanted rumbling inside or outside the body. When cranking the FoxL to the max (which of course doesn't even reach the same loudness of the Envaya Mini)  you could easily feel that it was already far beyond its limits with  the mass of the passive radiator taking control over the whole speaker. The Envaya Mini doesn't creep or dance around, even when I tired putting it on some slippery table it stayed still unlike the Fugoo which had a slight bias towards creeping, despite having 2 opposing passive radiators built in, obviously they were not congruent with each other. Keep in mind to place the speaker directly on its rubber feet without touching other objects, otherwise it will rattle against them. Thanks to the feet the speaker is elavated a little bit, but if you try putting it on some bumpy ground, the main body might still touch the base at some parts and start rattling or consequently becoming scratched. I would avoid putting it directly on concrete without any additional supporting cloth or material. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimF8gXuwHSztKcyBkAHtuZA-K0j1HnOi88_vxC6evg6v9uIsC2C50i_V4VBr7Q915HHgMJJbBpFF4MRUHMLjzbeI2z5MstMFsj2vre1enmTFpreMxU7mYKsPkJ995uN91WGMTADhiiteIc/s1600/envaya-mini-feet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimF8gXuwHSztKcyBkAHtuZA-K0j1HnOi88_vxC6evg6v9uIsC2C50i_V4VBr7Q915HHgMJJbBpFF4MRUHMLjzbeI2z5MstMFsj2vre1enmTFpreMxU7mYKsPkJ995uN91WGMTADhiiteIc/s1600/envaya-mini-feet1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDM5YNJKYRPnG_3f5AmaFNwtddKnj65YR6dqffgXoON4wuPO-HANCJoG2S6qMhja7Dk4uHIhgLs3esO135yODih18QqEvuRfbmfwbCJpOoOf-jzQelOsNX8GE2IVoqiaT0PKeFB9MbfFe/s1600/envaya-mini-feet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDM5YNJKYRPnG_3f5AmaFNwtddKnj65YR6dqffgXoON4wuPO-HANCJoG2S6qMhja7Dk4uHIhgLs3esO135yODih18QqEvuRfbmfwbCJpOoOf-jzQelOsNX8GE2IVoqiaT0PKeFB9MbfFe/s1600/envaya-mini-feet2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />To be sure I also did some heavy back and forth switching between different speakers during my extensive listening tests only to discover that the Denon held up pretty well with even the larger and much more expensive ones. Just on bass-response alone the Envaya Mini is on par or better than most bigger popular speakers like the  TDK A33 or Soundblaster Roar, funnily it even outperforms the <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/11/review-bowers-wilkins-t7-premium-sound.html">B&W T7</a> if you listen at normal levels, it cannot compete in overall loudness of course. In fact I would claim the Envaya Mini to  sound considerably more impressive than most speakers in the class  above let alone its own class including toys like Jabra Solemate, or <a href="http://youtu.be/uTS6hnmgupE" target="_blank">Teufel Bamster</a> etc, which just cannot compete in any way with the Denon Envaya Mini soundwise.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xETlPPMrmR9ekcv4LRxxcr0VVFaEXFSCaKKBkqnTdb4V9qh3NyyspPq4EnRsi7MqjqyXT4oaj22mtDlmFLwgrsTOPi2cadAk4I5aL_EIrbjxrjcwtuYqQy4MBaZtkxdwR0bal5Ynpr0B/s1600/envaya-fugoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xETlPPMrmR9ekcv4LRxxcr0VVFaEXFSCaKKBkqnTdb4V9qh3NyyspPq4EnRsi7MqjqyXT4oaj22mtDlmFLwgrsTOPi2cadAk4I5aL_EIrbjxrjcwtuYqQy4MBaZtkxdwR0bal5Ynpr0B/s1600/envaya-fugoo.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />So far I really liked the Fugoo quite a lot, not only because of sound, but as overall package it was quite an appealing speaker, including great battery life, ruggedness etc. But putting the Denon Envaya Mini against the Fugoo, you will immediately notice that something's not right with the frequency response of the Fugoo. The Denon will sound more mature, more natural and will play considerably louder without any distortion. There is some serious bass-punch noticeable with the Denon, while the Fugoo despite having a nice deep bass thump is rather lacking on overall bass-amount, especially if you start increasing volume past half. The Denon was impressive because regardless of loudness level it always remained controlled. It sounded full-bodied and warm at lowest levels, and it sounded competent at maximum volume without even the slightest hints of distortion or any noticeable dynamics compression. I am not sure if it really applies any kind of loudness-compensation, but regardless how soft or loud I tried to listen, it never became anemic sounding. I did not notice any intermodulation distortion either, the Denon will sound the same at low levels as it does at high levels with only some bass-reduction but it will never give you the impression as if it was already close or beyond its natural limits. Although the Bose Soundlink Mini might sound more serious on the first listen, you will quickly notice problems with low frequency distortion including some intermodulation into the higher frequencies at half volume, while the Denon will remain perfectly clean, I am not even mentioning the rather muffled treble response of the Bose. The Envaya Mini can even compete with the 3 times bigger Infinity One to some degree. The Infinity One has a stronger bass punch for sure (it has a similar bass-boost as Bose), but the Denon sounds more natural and even larger in regard to its sound-stage.<br />I didn't mention it yet, but the Envaya Mini is probably the first speaker that small, which really manages some kind of decent stereo separation. On many recordings you will get the impression as if some instruments were coming beyond the speaker edges. The effect is not as pronounced as "Liveaudio" from the Jambox, but it is completely artefact-free, while Liveaudio only sounds good when listened exactly on-axis, otherwise it becomes quite weird. There is some additional DSP processing going on here for sure, it just doesn't sound that clumsy as all the other simple phase-shifting algorithms I have heard before. It depends a lot on positioning and distance from the speaker, I found around 1.5m to be the sweet-spot for the effect to become noticeable, and it will also work when the speaker is not aimed directly at the listener, sometimes I even found it to sound better when the speaker was offset or turned away slightly just some degrees. Some recordings will really sound huge and broad when played through the Envaya Mini. Some can give you the impression as if the instruments were floating inside the room. This is probably the reason, why the Envaya Mini is longer than most other speakers. The drivers are placed quite close to the speaker edges to allow better stereo separation together with the alleged stereo broadening algorithm which seems to add to the effect, the speaker really does a great job to offer some stronger stereo width. I've heard various different stereo algorithms, from the simple phase-shifting stuff up to more sophisticated crosstalk cancellation filters like "Liveaudio" from the Jambox. The algorithms used by Denon (I assume something from Maxxaudio) are really decent to that degree that you won't notice any negative impact, while the positive effect is easily noticeable. I am not quite sure what kind of "magic" is going on here, but it definitely works. It is just a pleasure to listen to. A Bose Soundlink Colour will resemble more of a mono kitchen radio if placed against the Denon Envaya. Although the JBL Charge 2 sounds considerably better than the Soundlink Colour (if we forget about the sound processing artefacts for a minute), but if you listen to both JBL and Denon, the Denon will give you that depth and width to the sound, that is totally missing from the JBL. The Infinity One manages slightly better stereo imaging, but is still not quite close to the Denon Envaya Mini.<br /><br />If we recall that the Enaya Mini has just 2 drivers and a single passive radiator inside, one has to wonder how they managed to squeeze out that amount of sound. The DSP as such seems to be quite sophisticated, but apart from the main DSP acting as control center, the Envaya Mini has some additional sound enhancing algorithms included to improve bass response, increase stereo width and extend treble response. The bass you will hear is not all "real bass". I am pretty sure that the drivers have their limit at around 80hz, but on the Envaya Mini you will even hear much deeper notes. The idea behind this is based on a psychoacoustic effect called "missing fundamental". The algorithm (most likely Maxxbass) is adding virtual pitches to the original signal which fools the brain of hearing a deeper note which in reality is not present. This seems to work pretty well on the Envaya Mini as I could indeed hear deeper notes on some particular recordings that are usually missing when played through many other similar speakers, although according to the measurements their bass response should reach even deeper than that of the Envaya Mini. Demanding ears might probably hear some side-effects of this as bass reproduction is not 100% clean and the punch of the fundamental is missing. You'll hear the tone or are rather fooled of hearing it, but the real punch you would usually get from the fundamental is just not there compared to other speakers that really manage to play that deep. It is still a very impressive result what Denon achieved here, the same goes for the stereo widening algorithm and the treble enhancer which work together pretty well and manage to sound convincing without being noticed as some "fake"-effects.<br />In contrast to many other speakers the DSP inside the Envaya Mini seems to be completely dynamic. <br />As we already know the Denon Envaya Mini doesn't have mirrored volume control, which means you can control volume from both the speaker and from your streaming device. Doing so with any Bose speaker or especially with the Sony SRS-X3 and even JBL Charge 2 will result in strange changes in sound, depending if you max out the speaker or max out the player gain. Keeping the speaker volume close to maximum while keeping the player low, will make many other speakers sound strange as the dynamic sound adjustments are not dynamic at all, but rather seem to be bond to the actual volume step. The speakers expect high loudness and will turn down bass instead, although in reality the loudness is still low, because the player-volume is kept to the minimum. On the Envaya Mini the DSP doesn't care what gain it gets in, because the DSP seems to analyse the input-signal in real-time and adjusts bass-amount according to the estimated loudness level, thus the Envaya Mini will sound exactly the same if you turn it up to maximum while keeping the player-volume down and vice versa. You could indeed leave the Envaya Mini just at the highest possible volume step and then adjust the volume directly from the player but as we have seen this has a huge negative impact on battery life, therefore it would have been favorable if they had implemented synced volume control between speaker and player to get the best out of the Envaya Mini.<br />I guess the DSP forces the drivers to their maximum possible excurison all the time before reaching distortion. This way they manage to make the sound full-bodied at low levels while still keeping control of everything at highest level. I only noticed some slight rattling from the passive radiator with really heavy mastered stuff. I did not manage to make the Denon Envaya Mini distort at all with most of my usual test-tracks which left me quite impressed. Other speakers start appying noticeable compression or overall volume starts to fluctuate depending on the amount of bass, not so with the Envaya Mini, as it won't give you the impression it is reaching its limits.<br />I was curious to see where the limits really were and listened a lot. One thing I noticed was that you might get some scratching or crackling if you increase volume on the speaker quickly when some music is playing. Obviously the DSP lags slightly behing the set volume level which might result in some short distortion. Another thing I noticed was that if the speaker was set to exactly 60% the DSP seemed to overshoot the mark because some slight distortion started to appear here as well although it went away again if you increased or lowered volume 1-2 notches. This is a very narrow volume-range where the sound can start sounding clipped and usually you will really have to seek this particular level, as it is only 2-3 steps wide where those problems might occur, therefore I won't call it problems at all, unlike the Beoplay A2, which suffered from considerable distortion through the whole upper half of its volume range.<br />Sometimes the Envaya Mini also seemed to swallow some beats of particular tracks, especially the first 10 seconds of a track were affected. I am not sure if really the speaker is to blame, or the iPhone or whatever, but this never happened with any other speaker so far. It was really weird, but it seemed as if the DSP was getting confused by some new unexpected content in the music. For example when a song started only with a piano sound, the speaker started cutting off some notes as soon as the drums kicked in later on. I tried playing the same tracks through many different speakers but only the Denon repeatedly didn't manage to play those tracks without hiccups, just when I reset the speaker by pressing the play and battery button at the same time, the song was finally played fine. <br /><br />To bring everything into some context I prepared several comparison videos of course. I asked myself why putting the Denon Envaya Mini against some overpriced low-end competition, if we could compare it against the real big boys. Therefore I wanted to show you how the Envaya Mini fares against the much larger Sonos Play:1 which is not portable at all but known for its pretty natural frequency response:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/d1rZBgFyre4?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="853"></iframe></div><br />Of course the Envaya Mini cannot compete in both bass response nor overall loudness of the Play:1, but ignoring the differences in bass, sometimes it is hard to tell which one is actually playing, both play tonally on a pretty high level with a very natural response.<br />The Infinity One might be currently one of the best sounding portable speakers available. It is around 3 times larger and much heavier but the Denon Envaya Mini holds up pretty well with what I would call more natural sound than the Infinity One, albeit missing the deeper bass punch of the Infinity One. But when just looking at the difference in size and price, it is hard not to remain impressed by the Denon.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/L_Li1LY0Z4A?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="853"></iframe></div><br />The same goes for the JBL Charge 2, which manages a punchier bass although with some really strong distortion on the bass-drum. I still wonder how the engineers could overlook such a flaw. What kind of music do they use for testing, or do they just play pink-noise whole the time?<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Hi3t84UAoQE?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="853"></iframe> <br /><br />Of course we should also try how the Envaya Mini compares to the Fugoo, or to the similar priced Mini Jambox, or the highly acclaimed FoxL DASH7 which is much more expensive than the Denon, that's why I won't lose more further words about this (you can also find some more comparisons on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/clavinetjunkie/videos" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>): <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/haiVRVHqrsg?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="853"></iframe> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/CBwXhzaO3ic?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="853"></iframe> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Y-Dy350eKBo?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="853"></iframe> <br /><br />We can also have a look at some frequency response measurements. Let's start with an in-room response from 50cm at different loudness levels. As you can see from the measurements there is hardly any increase in output above 50% volume which is just humbug because the speaker can play much louder, but it seems as if the DSP was preventing any louder output if fed with some sine-sweeps only (smoothed with 1/6 octave).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikprrUrZqJnj5NIZiHa-3ZGStZQXZkUgQlT4xfAuBgLASEEYI6Fv1f1QgQ1G_-ckzUl0RknNO4iHceY8Bi5Hu5MkiG_rbCgrHX8cW8sKW6Zkzo8nGWmFjNmioQ63FfZ7HCUaP9424PoipU/s1600/denon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikprrUrZqJnj5NIZiHa-3ZGStZQXZkUgQlT4xfAuBgLASEEYI6Fv1f1QgQ1G_-ckzUl0RknNO4iHceY8Bi5Hu5MkiG_rbCgrHX8cW8sKW6Zkzo8nGWmFjNmioQ63FfZ7HCUaP9424PoipU/s1600/denon.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />A close-up measurement from 10cm to reduce room-influence as much as possible taken from the speaker-center shows a pretty linear frequency response with a slight upwards tilt towards bass and roll-off below 80Hz (unsmoothed). I think this looks pretty examplary (especially for a speaker with such a small cubature) with only some stronger inconsitencies above 15kHz:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsytogtOEknbbHw05tbu9Dtqh-PaKOwouUBESnYTUj3kNN-EmHMCEcgmpbroZsER6P6k0UshKeLOI85j1rNFilk4rHhPbPdEd9wqUdJxI2p7uaCRT7wpjeqU7YbglhsEkQ8GbUxXDK2uR/s1600/denon-10cm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsytogtOEknbbHw05tbu9Dtqh-PaKOwouUBESnYTUj3kNN-EmHMCEcgmpbroZsER6P6k0UshKeLOI85j1rNFilk4rHhPbPdEd9wqUdJxI2p7uaCRT7wpjeqU7YbglhsEkQ8GbUxXDK2uR/s1600/denon-10cm.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />It might be funny to compare the Denon's frequency response to some other speakers. Most will probably be interested how the Envaya Mini compares to the Bose Soundlink Mini and I think it is pretty obvious that the bass of the Bose is not really deeper just more boosted, let alone the strange lower treble boost, which is nearly 10dB louder compared to a flat response:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiF5I772I6bQOS_y0bRHmOjSjOaHQVhypo4fKDWFGnjGaOmEopmng6vDbVRUhomxNU7uTnGEmwnLjr3TT5rtXi0zygp9V180iVtqBxpHP1zfoGcSmMnKiJJNUYqyCa-s5BnJs2p0vmOaB1/s1600/denon-bose-slmini.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiF5I772I6bQOS_y0bRHmOjSjOaHQVhypo4fKDWFGnjGaOmEopmng6vDbVRUhomxNU7uTnGEmwnLjr3TT5rtXi0zygp9V180iVtqBxpHP1zfoGcSmMnKiJJNUYqyCa-s5BnJs2p0vmOaB1/s1600/denon-bose-slmini.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />I thought it might be interesting to compare the Envaya Mini against the B&W T7 (designed and engineered in the UK), a speaker that is much larger and more than 3 times as expensive and I think it is understandable why I found the performance of the T7 pretty subpar for the asked price (you are definitely paying for the great Micro Matrix here):<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCm3oNkWsl6aJM7YZrbqNBUE8zObLr5ONFkqlaSQ8Q_nQfCo7f3r0DilBRz4VesqPul0Sq9nGWDbnb5rv80o5zyaxSDm5dy-duP4ReDD_KN-qwXw7c_xqmwg4HuX-lovZm3bKTd3KZh9D/s1600/denon-bw.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXCm3oNkWsl6aJM7YZrbqNBUE8zObLr5ONFkqlaSQ8Q_nQfCo7f3r0DilBRz4VesqPul0Sq9nGWDbnb5rv80o5zyaxSDm5dy-duP4ReDD_KN-qwXw7c_xqmwg4HuX-lovZm3bKTd3KZh9D/s1600/denon-bw.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Although the Fugoo is not a bad sounding speaker, I think the measurement reveals that the Envaya Mini is more true to the original signal than the Fugoo which doesn't have the same strong bass response, nor does it play that flat:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2mN1E61US5_DGuDZYCGRpRxc4OfihKuTavfCiLEcVVw6OOB4Iwu1ft89UIpRMVTjLDaBgHUjhhCKksdTfME5OAU-Z48Ke9oJbmOzY8VcrJqgMClb3Nkdp4-vOSJTx4na6tcastjCdT2I/s1600/denon-fugoo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2mN1E61US5_DGuDZYCGRpRxc4OfihKuTavfCiLEcVVw6OOB4Iwu1ft89UIpRMVTjLDaBgHUjhhCKksdTfME5OAU-Z48Ke9oJbmOzY8VcrJqgMClb3Nkdp4-vOSJTx4na6tcastjCdT2I/s1600/denon-fugoo.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Just for fun a comparison of the measurements for the Envaya Mini and the UE Boom, which is still claimed to offer spectacular sound by some self-proclaimed "audiophiles", and particularly because it got all "5 stars" in the <a href="http://www.whathifi.com/ultimate-ears/boom/review" target="_blank">WhatHifi review</a>. For the UE Boom I provided the front measurement where you would actually hear both drivers and the measurement of the right side, where you would only hear the right channel (so much for the spectacular audiophile qualities of the UE Boom, just beware of the 300Hz hump):<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l0E9wjuwCKJ1Cs6joKq2w3_kRaZTEFkpqmrV6XCSdowRjDoCgryJUMfrSX7NBMepuJnn6iT2Ji27_PQ9-MGgtLlOJUVFeI2IKFzRE3qj6642jNihapexO7AGMbG0Or4ZhjkOXIBt3ukP/s1600/denon-ue.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1l0E9wjuwCKJ1Cs6joKq2w3_kRaZTEFkpqmrV6XCSdowRjDoCgryJUMfrSX7NBMepuJnn6iT2Ji27_PQ9-MGgtLlOJUVFeI2IKFzRE3qj6642jNihapexO7AGMbG0Or4ZhjkOXIBt3ukP/s1600/denon-ue.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><u>Bottom line:</u><br />The Denon Envaya Mini left me quite impressed indeed. Regardless what I was trying to play through it, it sounded great at any volume level. I think the Envaya Mini is currently by far the best compromise between sound and size if you want to stay as compact as possible with the best sound possible. There are definitely similar speakers with more bass, but they just don't sound that good overall lacking in either treble response, or fighting with other issues. When hearing the Denon Envaya Mini it finally led me to the decision to sell all the other junk I was owning, including JBL Charge 2, Sony SRS-X3, Fugoo, Mini Jambox, FoxL DASH7 etc.as the Envaya Mini does nearly everything better than the others while still being perfectly portable. It is larger than a Mini Jambox or other smaller pocketable speakers, but it produces such a better sound, that I am willing to bear the extra bulk and weight. Just be prepared to charge it every 5-6 hours if you really like it louder, as the battery seems to be the only weakness of this otherwise close to perfect speaker.<br />The Denon Envaya Mini is definitely my current reference for any portable speaker below 100� sized that small, although it can also easily outperform much larger speakers, albeit without reaching their loudness of course. If you really need more loudness or more power you will probably  still need another speaker, in my case it's the Infinity One, but for  everyday usage I meanwhile even prefer the Denon, as it sounds pretty close to the  Infinity One with slightly less bass but a more natural overall sound. I have yet  to hear a better sounding speaker that small, let alone one that is able to offer some real stereo separation. Denon really raised the  bar with this one, offering it much lower than most competition makes the other speakers look and sound pretty bad now.<br />The Denon Envaya Mini is to the whole Bluetooth speaker market what the Sonos Play:1 is to the stationary wireless speaker market and earns my highest recommendation for anyone being serious about music to be taken with you! <br /><br /><br /><b>+ great design, high build quality</b><br /><b>+ small, light and perfectly portable</b> <br /><b>+ splash water resistant</b><br /><b>+ impressive and full-bodied sound at all loudness levels</b><br /><b>+ very natural sound with nice treble definition (on axis) </b><br /><b>+ pretty loud without distortion nor compression</b><br /><b>+ powerful bass, never boomy nor weak</b><br /><b>+ wide stereo imaging </b><br /><b>+ great Bluetooth range </b><br /><b>+ multipoint pairing with 2 devices simultaneously </b><br /><b>+ track control through the speaker</b><br /><b>+ carrying pouch included </b><br /><b><br /></b><b><br /></b><b>- upper treble quite directional </b><br /><b>- battery life not very reliable at higher levels</b><br /><b>- significant battery life drop when speaker is kept at maximum while playing low level content </b><br /><b>- no synced volume control </b><br /><b>- no wireless stereo-pairing with another speaker </b><br /><b>- automatic connection to the latest device only </b><br /><b>- needs a flat base to really stay still and avoid rattling</b><br /><b>- some occasional and unexplainable hiccups during playback</b><br /><br /></p>

I already reviewed the bigger Denon Envaya DSB200 which was introduced earlier this year and although I found it to be quite a solid perf...

First Impressions: Denon Envaya Mini - mini big speaker

<p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeJZ3u5_jg7zMgaOVSpwi87yiQGiniedvx3iUg2e54gOT45mf8SYJ6656ff31QlqB7yXvn_YHPyGMtGmDov_2pDiSXYXzgk2kV51vNIH3PTVh7s3dZD1YlPF9UAooJKtllDcnL5L-5-Gp/s1600/envaya-mini-inhand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeJZ3u5_jg7zMgaOVSpwi87yiQGiniedvx3iUg2e54gOT45mf8SYJ6656ff31QlqB7yXvn_YHPyGMtGmDov_2pDiSXYXzgk2kV51vNIH3PTVh7s3dZD1YlPF9UAooJKtllDcnL5L-5-Gp/s1600/envaya-mini-inhand.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I was about to prepare some further reviews of speakers like the Pioneer Freeme or the Cambridge Audio G2, when I received the freshly announced Denon Envaya Mini which suddenly makes the reviews of all the other speakers pretty much obsolete. Although I hadn't noticed any <a href="http://www.denon.co.uk/uk/product/bluetooth/bluetoothspeakers/envayamini" target="_blank">big announcement</a> to tell the truth, I was really curious to hear it when I finally discovered it and did my best to get it as soon as possible. In Germany there are already offers for as low as 90� including shipping, which puts the Envaya Mini on the same price level as the <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/12/review-nudeaudio-move-super-m-pocket.html" target="_blank">NudeAudio Move Super M</a> I reviewed recently. Not sure when the Denon Envaya Mini will become available in the U.S. and how much it will cost though, so jump in to ease your waiting!<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGzVkydh6kfEAOW_TCzPSmGVdTbaN_9Quch_m4TyPcxcubvexq11QnOXq00jDbNaFvQQ_UKV6mzd-LG_CTj7Wsce2yBqlwOAJjuYbiB3e8ShAkw5L82rA9hni1ED8g-EGN4efEsHkqF-p/s1600/jbl-fugoo-denon-iphone6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGzVkydh6kfEAOW_TCzPSmGVdTbaN_9Quch_m4TyPcxcubvexq11QnOXq00jDbNaFvQQ_UKV6mzd-LG_CTj7Wsce2yBqlwOAJjuYbiB3e8ShAkw5L82rA9hni1ED8g-EGN4efEsHkqF-p/s1600/jbl-fugoo-denon-iphone6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />This is going to be a first impression, therefore I don't intend to do any big comparison with the Super M, just let me tell you that as much as I was disappointed or underwhelmded by the Super M the Denon is definitely going to become something like a game changer in the whole mini speaker class below 100$. It is making most offers sound like toys at once.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eBWc9LZnVu8-8YDVJBpdfhJTEjWqtYbCb420_51jjGnwyV9g5lRs2Y9DeiJD5mNB-Ma6FYZS5FUeL31560HgqX6PKoEm-lQwhyphenhyphent-WZv2okFEa4G11YHi2GzgwVoZ1uqucPd0bRtcLh6B/s1600/jbl-denon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6eBWc9LZnVu8-8YDVJBpdfhJTEjWqtYbCb420_51jjGnwyV9g5lRs2Y9DeiJD5mNB-Ma6FYZS5FUeL31560HgqX6PKoEm-lQwhyphenhyphent-WZv2okFEa4G11YHi2GzgwVoZ1uqucPd0bRtcLh6B/s1600/jbl-denon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbqNdIhdQUr21JAJ5RyqF3rjOxUYJq_3Atp0m7FMH8A4ssnmOR7qZU34F7liMzYzm-hUFbE8NnDueVA20UOe78qTjHLZNPJ77zCElpJD-iSEybDu8pyp6ffUXRzPWXgzCdQXNrnlN1Yam/s1600/denon-fugoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbqNdIhdQUr21JAJ5RyqF3rjOxUYJq_3Atp0m7FMH8A4ssnmOR7qZU34F7liMzYzm-hUFbE8NnDueVA20UOe78qTjHLZNPJ77zCElpJD-iSEybDu8pyp6ffUXRzPWXgzCdQXNrnlN1Yam/s1600/denon-fugoo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />First let me clarify that it doesn't have the "PHAT" bloated bass of the Bose Soundlink Mini, no, but the Denon sounds better anyhow. It is much more musical than the Bose. There is a really healthy amount of bass. It sounds definitely better than most other current offerings, even bigger ones or more expensive ones including Bose Soundlink Colour, Fugoo, TDK A33 etc. Of course you shouldn't expect the ear-splitting loudness of all the larger speakers, but played at comfortable indoor listening levels the Denon Envaya Mini really kicks especially when looking at the size of the speaker compared to the size of the sound it has to offer! It will play louder than many other small speakers and reaches about the same loudness of the Super M, just with much more bass and more of a wow-factor. I would say the Denon will reach about 75% of the Bose Soundlink Mini but without any obvious dynamic compression or other strange processing. There is some slight bass-reduction at higher levels, but Denon has the DSP pretty good under control with distortion kept to the minimum. The Envaya Mini is perfectly usable even at its maximum loudness setting.<br /><br />I have put the Denon right beside my Infinity One and although the Denon doesn't have the same bass-punch of the much larger Infinity it doesn't need to hide itself. You don't have the impression as if something was missing, it is just pleasant and fun to listen to. The sound is natural, full-bodied, punchy with sparkling treble and most important there even is some amount of real stereo separation you usually don't get of speakers that small.<br />The Denon Envaya Mini is very slim, you can easily grasp it with one hand, it is just a bit on the longish side, but this is probably also the reason why it sounds that wide together with the alleged DSP stereo widening algorithms. The JBL Charge 2 gives a rather a mono-impression with the differences being even bigger when put against the Bose Soundlink Colour, because the Denon wipes the floor with the more expensive and larger Bose thanks to a better sound overall, wider, just smoother, the Bose on the other hand sounds a bit edgy. I am not sure if the Envaya Mini applies any kind of real physiological loudness compensation, but it sounds perfectly full-bodied at lowest levels too, you never get any anemic or tinny sound, neither does it tend to sound boomy regardless of how I put it, there doesn't seem to be any distrubing low-frequency resonance you have to fight with on many Bose speakers. I must confess that I remained impressed and won't waste any further words about it, just add some facts, which make the Denon Envaya Mini definitely one of the most interesting offerings in its class: it is water resistant, has AptX on board, can quickly pair thanks to NFC and is able to connect to multiple devices at the same time. Handsfree is included and the play/pause button can also be used to skip tracks. It doesn't need any proprietary charger (there isn't any included either) as charging is done through Micro-USB, last not least Denon also added a simple carrying bag.<br /><br />I was just about to prepare a "best-of" list of all my favorite speakers, but  the Denon Envaya Mini screwed it up completely and made many of my  current speakers that would originally find their way onto that list pretty useless including the JBL Charge 2, Fugoo which all have to go etc.<br /><br />The Denon Envaya Mini is definitely a keeper, stay tuned for a  detailed review if you are still not convinced or simply klick the order-button!<br /><br /><u>Update:</u> You can find my full review <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/12/review-denon-envaya-mini.html">here</a>.</p>

I was about to prepare some further reviews of speakers like the Pioneer Freeme or the Cambridge Audio G2, when I received the freshly annou...

Review: Sony SRS-X5 vs. Denon Envaya - priced small like a Soundlink Mini, sound big like a Soundlink III?

<p>Lately I concentrated rather on more portable speakers, with the hope of maybe finding some better alternative to the Soundlink Mini. Apart from the Pill XL that I have already reviewed <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/07/review-beats-pill-xl-ultimate-portable.html">here</a>, I haven't tried any larger speakers, because for my own personal purposes they would be just too large to be carried around all the time. The Soundlink Mini is able to produce enough loudness for my needs, and the sound from the Soundlink Mini is full and bassheavy enough to make listening to music really enjoying, thus I didn't feel the need to try out something larger and heavier.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEv6yiIKF58Enol08ylq92wpcmHRIc3msW81iviMAZn5IoeHwr3eXyoO0EasEkr9_ZmU9-r-yUaabuJmSeLwFq9jqbsbNFwjbyioWjtRAVV0oKdImWfLBk_d8WpZM6QF3olO8ubvsybX10/s1600/sony-denon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEv6yiIKF58Enol08ylq92wpcmHRIc3msW81iviMAZn5IoeHwr3eXyoO0EasEkr9_ZmU9-r-yUaabuJmSeLwFq9jqbsbNFwjbyioWjtRAVV0oKdImWfLBk_d8WpZM6QF3olO8ubvsybX10/s1600/sony-denon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><a name="more"></a><br />When I heard the Sony SRS-X5 in a store, priced lower than the Soundlink Mini, but sounding considerably more balanced and equally full-bodied, I became curious to hear it once in a more controlled enviroment. Meanwhile Denon had announced their new <a href="http://usa.denon.com/us/product/pages/productdetail.aspx?catalog=denonna_us&pcatid=cocoonipoddocks%28denonna%29&catid=bluetooth%28denonna%29&pid=dsb200bk%28denonna%29" target="_blank">"Envaya" portable speaker</a>, priced nearly equally. Statements like <i>"enhanced DSP processing from MaxxAudio to deliver lower lows and higher highs, than any other speaker this size"</i> made me even more curious and because the <a href="http://www.areadvd.de/tests/test-denon-bluetooth-lautsprecher-envaya-moderner-chic-und-typische-klangstaerke-fuer-199-eur/" target="_blank">first reviews</a> of the Denon Envaya were all positive, I finally decided to try both side by side. I emailed Denon and asked them to send me a review sample, but they didn't even answer! <br />So I bought it when it finally became available and included the Sony SRS-X5 as well, to have some direct comparison, for not to use my Soundlink Mini all the time as only reference, because many already rant me a Bose fanboy etc.<br /><br />Both Sony SRS-X5 and Denon Envaya are comparable in size and weight, resembling a bit the Soundlink II, TDK A33 etc. thus both are quite a bit larger than the Soundlink Mini. At the same time both are priced below 199$ or 199�, the Sony being even a bit cheaper at least in Europe where you can get it for 179$, while the Bose Soundlink Mini can be currently had for <a href="http://www.amazon.de/Bose-SoundLink-Bluetooth-Speaker-silber/dp/B00D42A8J4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404825777&sr=8-1&keywords=bose+soundlink+mini" target="_blank">175� at amazon.de</a> instead of the original 199�. If not for size, all 3 speakers would at least be comparable for value costing nearly the same.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHppcUneC62udDucErUH8JaFRY0-Kk8tAEaGJS4MJQO_twccUEukWJDXG1cz3a8LHUQTIeJW__DZiB-5y4QT1CR17BQES1n8yyWlVWSY7WjBTay1cCOSQLVWSPcpkgFcRucrnd2iV7FlYR/s1600/denon-cover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHppcUneC62udDucErUH8JaFRY0-Kk8tAEaGJS4MJQO_twccUEukWJDXG1cz3a8LHUQTIeJW__DZiB-5y4QT1CR17BQES1n8yyWlVWSY7WjBTay1cCOSQLVWSPcpkgFcRucrnd2iV7FlYR/s1600/denon-cover1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Denon Envaya has a more organic rounded look. The Sony looks simple and edgy like a boring brick. I like both designs to tell the truth and I went with the white color for both, because it should be more forgiving outdoors with some sun shining. The Sony is also available in red and black, while the Denon comes in either white or black, but they also include some colored inlays that you can exchange for your liking. Not sure how often one would like to change the color of the speaker, I would have preferred a cover or bag for transport, as both speakers have some picky surfaces, which might scratch easily during transport. Sony offers at least an additional transport cover for the X5, while I have not found anything suitable for the Envaya yet.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0Eq4LsGKM7VWwiK7svqRAVTQyDhVesRCGQmypKBn5912KB4q5WQWzlFg6D28jZ4PjzopJyomHzYgs9eQTEKArKvVowXTFhLIjLAUNU_FODQKx6VrhZpHeh2U1z4ZnASsoHxsHmHqB0Nq/s1600/denon-stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0Eq4LsGKM7VWwiK7svqRAVTQyDhVesRCGQmypKBn5912KB4q5WQWzlFg6D28jZ4PjzopJyomHzYgs9eQTEKArKvVowXTFhLIjLAUNU_FODQKx6VrhZpHeh2U1z4ZnASsoHxsHmHqB0Nq/s1600/denon-stand.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Because of the rounded edges the Denon Envaya should also be easily to pack away for transport. The Sony is not really bigger, but because of the design it just looks as if it would take away more space. The Denon has some fold-out stand, without whose help it won't stand at all. You press an area at the top of the back-side and it flips out pretty easily. Standing like that the Envaya is tilted slightly upwards, while the Sony will stand vertically without the need of any additional stand. Both should stay like that quite stable, but could fall over when on the move (if you intend to use them in a car or something).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0CTQ0eAF8_8ZDzp5MhXu3CvuC0gFkKqQ37nVq7u_msO8NwgIThCN3e1EvlPZ5T9QHGiM_AhpKXv6n5rptAIeDNRJVq_PoNkrlqp6310VLE8A3FK5OH6fx8sXj1PkK2ZK4THKSDiVbri2/s1600/denon-bose-mini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0CTQ0eAF8_8ZDzp5MhXu3CvuC0gFkKqQ37nVq7u_msO8NwgIThCN3e1EvlPZ5T9QHGiM_AhpKXv6n5rptAIeDNRJVq_PoNkrlqp6310VLE8A3FK5OH6fx8sXj1PkK2ZK4THKSDiVbri2/s1600/denon-bose-mini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Sony has hands-free built in, which is missing on the Denon. Both need their proprietary chargers, and both have an USB-port for charging other devices. The Denon is rated for 10 hours playback, while the Sony should play for 7 hours. Of course playback time will vary depending on the volume level and if other devices are charged at the same time. I haven't tested the Sony that accurately, but I have used the Denon quite often at higher levels and noticed that near top volume the battery would hardly last 2.5 hours, which is pretty poor if you ask me. I repeated my test twice, and fully charged the Denon Envaya, but when playing at high volume both times the power LED started blinking after 2 hours and the speaker turned off automatically shortly after.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsl3ip7KKEWUwSHSMq6pyV6tayMtUNdAqh661Ss-k6lp8V-FhcFpFFwQFTzsdK4jFmMExOrzkNvzlCgLf3YLALhoZv3STpx8uLB6CCjNZTvP7m4OUpzS3eExplqcB0MFAKbyQqN-Q-fTc/s1600/sony-bose-mini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsl3ip7KKEWUwSHSMq6pyV6tayMtUNdAqh661Ss-k6lp8V-FhcFpFFwQFTzsdK4jFmMExOrzkNvzlCgLf3YLALhoZv3STpx8uLB6CCjNZTvP7m4OUpzS3eExplqcB0MFAKbyQqN-Q-fTc/s1600/sony-bose-mini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Both speakers are equipped with NFC, but only the Denon supports the advanced AptX codec for better Bluetooth quality. The Denon Envaya also accepts multipoint Bluetooth, which means you can stay connected from 3 streaming devices simultanously, without having to break the connection of the previous device, if you want to stream from another. As soon as you have paired all three devices with the Envaya, the next time you turn on the speaker you will be able to connect from all 3 again simultanously, although the speaker will automatically connect to only one of them. The other connections must be forced from your streaming device every time again.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzdstAN-Yx1xa0Mr8EsvwZAEAhUDOfjC7wWPZgIfRiO74Cp2tN5qALpjXsre8m1cz3CEeh8jCEmsn5AtdvCIFmr66bF6vqZrQaXPjWiKl9rKHBrUoBJRfTcccb_bBDTLfbkgkJbBWKNIn/s1600/denon-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzdstAN-Yx1xa0Mr8EsvwZAEAhUDOfjC7wWPZgIfRiO74Cp2tN5qALpjXsre8m1cz3CEeh8jCEmsn5AtdvCIFmr66bF6vqZrQaXPjWiKl9rKHBrUoBJRfTcccb_bBDTLfbkgkJbBWKNIn/s1600/denon-top.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />On the Sony only the power button and the call-button are physical buttons, all other buttons are just touch-sensitive areas. They are not lit either and with the black glossy surface in dark surroundings it is hardly distinguishable where to touch to change volume, you have to illuminate the speaker first not to touch a wrong area, but maybe with some time and usage you can learn where to touch.<br />The Denon has dedicated buttons for all functions and at least the volume buttons are differently curved, so that you can actually feel which one to press for either increasing or decreasing volume.<br />While the Denon plays some chordal every time you turn it on or off, the Sony stays completely silent. It only beeps when you force Bluetooth pairing mode.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ktmmSQBGbdWK41HrxdrnBq3_7V2Lc-B6NJqc7itEcuUBbc3FbjVmRz72SYRS7RejX4AtOC0eDPCcfw78llX-AAVOP3HFQGgZwFgT-JoktBwAvgMLMmPv4mbhplVk8aK3L6gRKMrwB5U9/s1600/denon-drivers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ktmmSQBGbdWK41HrxdrnBq3_7V2Lc-B6NJqc7itEcuUBbc3FbjVmRz72SYRS7RejX4AtOC0eDPCcfw78llX-AAVOP3HFQGgZwFgT-JoktBwAvgMLMmPv4mbhplVk8aK3L6gRKMrwB5U9/s1600/denon-drivers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Denon uses 2 large full-range drivers, the Sony has 2 smaller drivers and an additional woofer and both speakers are equipped with an additional passive radiator for bass  enhancement, the Sony even two of them at the back. On both speakers they are mounted only to one  side, which might result in some unwanted vibration due to some  imbalance. Usually passive radiators have more mass compared to the main  drivers, which is needed for proper tuning. If a driver moves you won't  have as much vibration as if a passive radiator moves. Therefore  opposing passive radiators are better to avoid any unwanted vibration.<br />I  noticed with both speakers, that they might slip around at higher  levels and stronger bass-notes. The Sony has soft rubber feet, which even seem a bit sticky. Despite vibrating heavily on higher levels, it usually won't rattle  against the base, only if you have the power-cord attached, the cord  might cause some rattling, which would sound like distortion. Also the  Denon vibrates and standing on a table it might make nearby objects  rattle too. Just be sure to place both speakers on a hard surface with no  objects nearby touching them.<br /><br />So how do they sound?<br />First you notice that both are capable of a nicely defined full-range sound with quite a deep bass even at lower levels unlike many similar models like the Loewe speaker2go or the TDK A33 etc, which tend to sound rather thin until they don't reach a particular loudness.<br />My first impression was, that the Sony sounded smoother than the Denon, the bass was deeper, but at the same time less boomy and treble was clearer. Overall the Sony was just more natural sounding and more pleasant to listen to. The Sony also has some "sound"-mode which seems to act like a stereo-enhancer, or pseudo-surround, as I would call it. It probably works with some typical phase-shifting and it sounds quite nice, without destroying the sound completely due to processing artefacts. The sound becomes broader and more open, because at the same time treble is raised quite a bit, which makes the Sony clearer. Bass seems to be left without any processing, it is just the stereo-enhancing effect and some treble boost.<br />When switching over to the Denon I found it to sound quite dull and rather directional, especially after having listened to the Sony with "sound" enabled. The bass was there, but it had this kind of Bose type of bass, which is quite a bit bloated, and without the corresponding treble definition the whole speaker sounds muffled. To double check I took my Soundlink Mini and started comparing it with the Denon Envaya and to my surprise I liked the sound of the Bose more. It sounded clearer, the mids where much more distinct, on the Denon I had rather the impression as if the singer had its hand in front. Also piano attacks were easily discernible on the Bose, while they were rather muted on the Denon. Overall bass amount was quite similar on both, but the Denon sounded more bloated to me, I had the impression as if the Soundlink Mini had better bass quality, despite being much smaller in size. The treble seemed to be slightly clearer and smoother on the Denon reaching higher, but it was equally directional as on the Bose. As soon as you moved to the side and left the sweet-spot the Denon started to sound dull and boomy. I did not find any sound attribute on the Denon which would make me like it more than the Soundlink Mini. The only advantage the Denon clearly had over the Soundlink Mini (and over the Sony SRS-X5 as well) was an overall higher loudness, without obvious dynamic compression or bass reduction. It still sounded very dynamic with hardly any bass loss even at its top level. The Denon Envaya might be not the loudest speaker in its category, from memory I am sure the Soundlink III is louder overall, but it does so due to applying lots of dynamic processing and bass reduction to achieve this higher level. The Denon still sounds very natural at its top level. There is some distortion on higher levels with the Denon. Heavy bass notes start to fart a little bit, which seems to come from the passive radiator.<br />The Sony SRS-X5 on the other hand does hardly distort, but at the same time it is not even able to reach the loudness of the Soundlink Mini when playing from battery let alone the loudness of the Denon Envaya. At low levels the Sony sounds rounded and nice, but raise the volume a bit too much and the sound starts falling apart. Bass is reduced nearly completely with only some hum remaining, and lots of dynamic compression is applied which even results in some volume fluctuation and a pumping sound. When connected to AC-power the loundess is higher, but still with the same bass-less sound and lots of compression. Even from AC-power the Sony was not able to reach the loudness of the Denon but at the same time the Sony sounded much less dynamic and tinny. <br />According to the specs the Sony should play with 20 Watts when running from AC-power and 8 Watts only when playing from battery, which would explain the loss of power at high levels and defeats a bit the purpose of a portable speaker if it is limited as much when used from battery.<br /><br />If I had to choose between both, I would probably choose the Denon, if I wouldn't already own the Soundlink Mini. Funnily I still liked the Soundlink Mini more, as it was much smaller but in the end didn't really sound worse than the Denon, only falling short of not being able to reach the same high volume. The Denon was able to keep the sound level over its entire volume-range with only some slight distortion on bass heavy tracks, but it sounded good at low and at high levels. The Sony sounded best of all at low levels, but was nearly unusable at slightly raised volume. It would be acceptable maybe, if it managed to keep the same sound level when playing from battery as it does when attached to mains. I liked the Sony much more for casual listening at home, it was less directional, with a smoother sound and the additional "sound" mode could enhance the experience even more, depending on the kind of music, but every time I tried to increase volume too much, it ended in a rather frustrating outcome.<br /><br />I prepared a comparison video where I tried to put the Sony and Denon directly against each other:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lGmoWiHrdyc" width="853"></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I also did two further videos where I separately compared the Sony and the Denon to the Soundlink Mini. So have a listen which you like most overall and if the higher volume of the Denon is really that grave!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QNudmQLU9qQ" width="853"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YiyAtYyot_Q" width="853"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></p>

Lately I concentrated rather on more portable speakers, with the hope of maybe finding some better alternative to the Soundlink Mini. Apart ...