We’re not knocking the endless avalanche of wireless speakers out there—most of them are excellent—but there comes a time in a man’s life when brightly colored and oddly shaped speakers just don’t fit into our lifestyle anymore. No matter how good they sound.
Because if you’re dropping mid 4-figures on a mahogany entertainment center to house your 60-inch, do you really want a bright red, pill-shaped speaker in the middle of it? No. No, you don’t.
For those of us done playing with toys, there’s the Wren V5 wireless speaker. Crafted out of high quality materials, with rich finishes and curved lines of real bamboo and rosewood, the V5 is a sophisticated wireless speaker for guys who actually care about the design details.
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But design doesn’t mean squat if the sound is terrible. And the V5 delivers on that front as well. Wren offers three different versions of the V5: one specifically for Apple AirPlay, a Play-Fi version for Android users, and one for connecting via Bluetooth. We tested the Bluetooth version, and even though it’s the only one of the bunch that doesn’t have lossless playback, the sound was still outstanding.
You get rich, room filling sound and deep, full bass, from a speaker that takes up less than a foot and half of space. The V5 is a winner. Powered by Intersil’s D2 50 watt DPS-controlled class D amplifier, with four-layer voice coils for deeper bass and superior power handling, you’ll swear the sound is coming from a much larger unit. And with a silicone pad base that stabilizes the V5’s frame and absorbs cabinet vibration, you can crank the volume to 11 without vibrating everything off your desk. And with sound this clear, you’ll want to crank it up.
Streaming content from your PC, tablet or smartphone, the AirPlay and Play-Fi V5s can be up to 150 feet from your router or access point while the Bluetooth version can’t roam farther than 30 feet from the source. But that’s still plenty of leash to comfortably locate the box anywhere you need it. There are USB and AUX inputs to connect additional devices if you don’t feel like throwing the sound over the airwaves. With grown up style and sophisticated sound, the Wren V5 is music to our ears.
Price: $399.00
