Envaya - New Wireless Speaker from Denon.

Thursday, 24 April 2014 11:56

Envaya - New Wireless Speaker from Denon.

Written by Karl Erik Sylthe

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Denon plays on colors with its new wireless speaker Envaya. And on Bluetooth aptX.

Wireless speakers are one of the really big things in hifi and audio reproduction for the home market. And the reason is obvious - with the explosion we have had in streaming on mobile devices by companies such as Spotify, WiMP and Beat, the need is present to get the audio in decent shape through other media than earbuds and headphones.

And this is where the wireless speakers come into play. In an equally rapid pace as the development of streaming on mobile devices, we have seen a revolution in wireless networks. Wireless networks in the home is eventually as mandatory as electricity and running water. And the optional wireless forms of communication such as Bluetooth aptX literally flows.

Perhaps the first real breakthrough product within the genre was B&W's Zeppelin, a remarkably good iPod / iPhone docking gave the total Audiophile-staff a real jawdropping experience as a test sample was brought along to a week-end gathering a few years ago. In its upgraded version the Zeppelin got Airplay, and was thus a thoroughbred wireless speaker.

But now there is another of the Hi-Fi klubben's main suppliers to launch a wireless speaker. Streaming is far from a new segment for Denon - in addition to the wireless speaker Cocoon they have had desktop models with streamers in both compact and regular full-width components.

Denon Envaya is a fairly compact version of the species, and have some distinctive characteristics. I mentioned the colors - Envaya is available with black or white cabinet, and here we can see all that black is by far the most elegant ... In addition, it comes with 4 different colors on grill suit hidden behind the semi-transparent grille.

But despite profiling - Envaya is of course not primarily about colors. Bluetooth aptX is really the shot for the time, and we established a thorough acquaintance with this protocol during our test of NAD D3020 earlier this spring. Good sound reproduction, and according to the manufacturer at the level of the CD. But Envaya has more tricks up its sleeve. Although WiFi as mentioned is almost mandatory, we are often in situations where we are out of range of a wireless network that we have access to. Here comes Denon Envaya come to assistance, giving us the opportunity for a meaningful life anyway by having the possibility of establishing a direct network between the source and the wireless speaker.

Envaya has further auxiliary input, and a USB that also allows for charging the iPhone. Recognized the contours of an ideal travel partner for the hotel room? Denon claims otherwise sound from Envaya should be very good, and that's a possibility with aa speaker armed with 2 pcs. 2-inch full-range drivers and a 4-inch passive bass radiator?