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Vida Hubbert
Just like earbuds, the portable Bluetooth speaker scene seems to be growing at an exponential rate; every audio company is intent on cornering this admittedly younger market with flashy speakers that boast huge sound from a compact body. I`ve reviewed quite a few of these speakers, but the Rave is another story entirely. It`s rather unorthodox in both design and sound and, until recently, has flown quite discretely under most buyer`s radars. Presenting as a more Hi-Fi orientated portable speaker that tributes to the boom-boxes of old, the Rave is not marketed as the home theater slayer nor does its design pivot around an obscene bass response. Instead, the Rave is a little more understated, a little more sedated and much more mature.
Designed by Edifier, the MP700 Rave is one of the larger portable Bluetooth speakers on the market, slotting in above models such as the UE Boom and competing directly with the Megaboom and JBL Extreme. It has a recommended retail price of $300 AUD but can commonly be found on sale for much less.
Edifier are no stranger to either acoustic or aesthetic design, and so far, every product I`ve tested from Edifier has offered a nice balance of both. Visually speaking, the Rave is no exception, but does its audio performance live up to it`s high fidelity moniker? Let`s find out.
I would like to thank Edifier very much for providing me with a review unit of the MP700 Rave in exchange for my honest opinion. I will be as objective as possible and provide a valid verdict upon the product.
I generally prefer a slight v-shape to my sound, but still closer to neutral. I like a lot of detail and clarity, but can appreciate a smooth, laid back sound such as that on the X10`s. I prefer a more neutral midrange within a relatively tight tolerance, but I`m probably more forgiving of brightness over darkness. I`m not particularly treble sensitive and can tolerate large amounts without fatigue, though too much ruins the enjoyment. If I use a different eartip/pad/cover during the review I will note that and describe the sound changes.
The Rave comes well protected within a nice minimalist box. The front showcases the speaker and main features whilst the rear lists the specifications. I like the two tone design, it`s eye catching and makes the speaker feel a little more special.
The Rave possesses Edifier`s usual standard of design and is easily as premium as similarly priced contenders such as the UE Megaboom and JBL Extreme. The speaker doesn`t look luxurious nor does it look rugged, instead, the Rave utilizes more retro styling, creating an image that is a lot bolder than it`s cylindrical competitors.
The Rave has a look that I think is quite refreshing and unorthodox, it`s definitely a little less juvenile and more utilitarian, suiting a workshop, garage or even kitchen just as well as it would a party.
It`s not a small speaker, but it`s not much larger than the Megaboom or JBL Extreme either. For comparison, the RAVE measures 6.6 x 17 x 30 cm (depth x height x width) as opposed to the Megaboom which measures in at 8.3 x 8.3 x 22.6 cm. The added height of the RAVE factors in the fold-able handle, so in daily use, both are surprisingly similar. The Rave is probably the heaviest speaker in its class however, weighing in just shy of 1.6Kg. This does give the tall, thin speaker a lot of stability and the speaker never rattles or moves during max volume playback nor does it ever feel prone to falling over.
Perhaps the most standout feature of the RAVE`s design is that oversized handle located at the top. The handle is both a visual accent and a functional addition; it really helps to manage the weight of the speaker during transit. It also enables you to hang the speaker in an area with limited space. The handle is fully metal and feels absolutely solid. It`s embossed with the Edifier branding that also denotes the orientation of the speaker. A nice brushed finish catches the light in interesting ways.
The handle ratchets down to 90 degrees through a very tactile feeling hinge, enabling it to double as a stand. I found this to be an especially well implemented feature, the handle is solid, clean and well designed.
Moving onto the speaker itself, the fully metal body feels rock solid with negligible flex from either the handle of grills. A simple triangular design propagates across the front and rear faces of the speaker which are separated by a rubberized trim on the top, bottom and sides. When handling the speaker, this coating grants the speaker a little extra grip and the coating feels quite robust.
The speaker does have some life-proofing with an ip54 water and dust ingress rating that more or less matches that of the Denon Envaya Mini. This means the speaker will withstand splashes, the occasional shower and even trips to the beach without worry, though I doubt the speaker would return from full submersion.
Moving onto the right side of the speaker reveals three ports hidden beneath a rubber seal. The Rave provides a 3.5mm jack for AUX connection, a power port for charging (unfortunately will not charge from micro-b) and a USB port which allows the speaker to be used as a powerbank.
As is usual, the Rave offers two methods of connection, Bluetooth and AUX (3.5mm). It utilizes Bluetooth 4.0 and, like the Envaya Mini, supports apt-x. Connecting through apt-x enabled devices produces less latency than a regular connection in addition to a sizable boost in audio quality. The Rave sounds pretty much identical connected through apt-x to my HTC M8 as it does through a wired connection. Whilst latency is still low enough for movies through a regular 4.0 connection, very slight offset is present, though this can be easily rectified through VLC.
Edifier`s Bluetooth system is pretty much perfect. The pairing and re-connection processes are especially intuitive, similar to that on the E25`s. If you have a compatible device you simply tap on the NFC tag to pair with the Rave over Bluetooth (first time only). Otherwise, the device enter pairing mode when it is powered on, greatly simplifying connection. The Rave has no audio cues when connecting/disconnecting or changing volume but I usually try to turn off audio notifications anyway as they can get obtrusive. Of note, the speaker doesn`t preference the device it was last paired to, instead connecting on a first-come first-paired basis. This is convenient if you often have multiple devices connected to the same speaker. Furthermore, a single press of the power button enables you to switch between the multiple devices connected.
The Rave produced a reliable Bluetooth connection completely devoid of dropouts during my usage. The range is also respectable; stretching across 3 rooms (double-brick) before audio became intermittent. That`s better than the Envaya Mini and Soundlink Mini that both cut out after just 2. In open spaces, the range is much improved and should not be a concern during normal use.
One thing to note is that you can`t press and hold the volume buttons to change volume in larger steps. Luckily the speaker only has 20 volume steps (not 100 like some speakers), though the volume does reset to 10/20 every time you power off the device which can get tedious.
The Rave boasts 8 hours of battery life from its rather unconventional 14v internal lithium battery. As such, the speaker can only charge from the included power adapter, not USB. Luckily the power adapter is compact and supports 110-250v for worldwide use. It also has an inbuilt velcro strap to keep the cable in check. I found the Rave to have solid but not exemplary battery-life, easily meeting Edifier`s 8 hour claim at medium volumes and getting reasonably close at high volumes (about 7 hours avg over 3 cycles). The UE Megaboom by comparison offers up to 20 hours of charge, and although this estimate is a little more overstated, it won`t struggle to beat the Rave in longevity. The speaker does charge quite quickly however, it took me 2 hours and 49 minutes to completely charge the Rave from empty.
Quite a few reviewers complained that the Rave has no battery indicator. There are actually 5 LEDs next to the ports on the right face that denote remaining charge, although they are easy to miss if you didn`t read the manual. There is no dedicated button that will activate these LEDs, only illuminating when the speaker is powered on, changing source or charging. The speaker also doesn`t auto power-off, but will enter standby mode to minimize power consumption.
The Edifier RAVE sounds slightly mid forward but balanced overall. If I had to liken them to an earphone/earbud, they actually sound quite a bit like the MrZ Tomahawks which is a great accolade in my books.
With two 10W 70mm fullrange drivers, two silk-dome tweeters and a whopping three passive bass radiators all connected though a 2-way electronic crossover, the Rave produces a combined output of 36W RMS. That`s substantial for a portable speaker; for reference, the UE Boom 2 outputs just 12W RMS whilst the more comparable UE Megaboom outputs the same 36W RMS. But numbers only tell part of the story and the Edifier make good use of this hardware by implementing DSP and DRC (dynamic range control) software systems to limit distortion and actively tailor the sound for a more enjoyable audio experience.
Marketing aside, I was quite disappointed that the Rave, much like the e25, either does not have volume compensation (basically increases bass levels at lower volumes to create a more level sound profile) or it is not aggressive enough, resulting in the Rave sounding anemic at lower volumes (though the midrange still sounds full-bodied throughout). As such, the Rave is at home in large, higher volume applications such as parties, events and even TV use where the bass radiators can create a much fuller low end response. This is complimented by a very high maximum volume that is higher than even my Edifier E25`s (74W RMS). The Rave is perfect for parties, easily filling a large room, and thanks to Edifier`s DRC system, doesn`t distort at all throughout the volume range. As a newer device, the Rave`s electronics seem to be a little smarter than the E25`s which clipped a little at maximum volume, sounding a bit harsh in the upper end. The Rave has no such problems.
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