The American brand Braven recently launched the Active series. Besides Stryde, there is also an omnidirectional 360 and a big brother XL. Stryde is a relatively large and heavy speaker, which might better fit in your luggage than in your handbag. It feels extremely sturdy and can withstand both dust and water. Its battery is decent and lasts long, and you can also charge your phone with it. However, it must be recharged with the accompanying charger.
The large buttons on top make it easy to use the speaker with wet hands or gloves, if you don’t want to pick up the phone. With the mobile phone app, you can use a variety of settings, and even find a lost speaker or turn it off. Naturally, audio profiles such as acoustic music, rock and extra bass are also available. Thanks to the microphone, you can use voice assistants such as Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant.
Stryde has large passive subwoofers on the side, which assures loud and heavy sound. It really thrives with rock music, which becomes very compelling. However, if you play electronic music with deep bass, it becomes too excessive. It is so forceful that it simply creates resonance in the speaker. With more complex or finely tuned music, you quickly notice that there is no presence and clarity in the sound. To a certain extent you can correct this with the EQ.
Conclusion
Braven’s Stryde speaker is made for active people, and this is noticeable in both appearance and features. It is a decent device that can withstand dust and water, and does not initially look breakable. The large battery lasts long and can even supply power to a mobile phone. The app is packed with smart features and the speaker is easy to use. Unfortunately, the sound is just as coarse as its appearance. It can handle rock music, but has problems with other genres.