In case you own an iOS device, than you’ll probably want to purchase wireless speakers which are AirPlay-ready (“AirPlay speakers”), since this is Apple-made streaming technology which uses Wi-Fi as a connection. In practice this means that AirPlay technology is capable of reproducing higher quality audio tracks with minimum losses, so AirPlay speakers usually sound very good.
In today’s article we are going to take a look at one of a few wireless speakers that just appeared on the market. This model is named V5AP, and it’s made by a fairly unknown company which just entered the market – Wren Sound Systems. V5AP comes with a price tag of $399.
On a first look it’s clear that V5AP are interestingly designed wireless speakers. I really liked that designed didn’t take the traditional cubic shape, but instead created a very fine variation of a traditional silhouette. It looks simple enough not to stand out in your room, but unusual enough to attract some attention.
If you look at V5AP from its top you’ll see two strong curves at two opposite corners. This shape, by transmitting it into the front view, is creating very large grille which ends up with button controls on the right edge. Actually, even if you look at the front side of this speaker you won’t notice the controls, which are cleverly hidden.
The biggest part of the enclosure of a wooden cabinet is made of thick MDF board, covered by a light brown bamboo veneers, or much darker rosewood. The front side is made of thick silver plastic, matching silver fabric which covers the grille. Most people will find this design at least pleasing, and I believe that Wren did a good job with V5AP, considering that these are the first wireless speakers offered by this company. The only thing that I really didn’t like is a cheap-looking plastic remote.
In order to use these wireless speakers you’ll need to pair it with your iOS device, and this can be done via provided USB port. This means that you’ll need to use your own USB to Lightning cable, and it will only take a few moments until these two successfully pair. Now in order to listen to some music, you’ll need to select the AirPlay icon, and streaming can begin. Just like with some other AirPlay speakers, sometimes it will need up 10 seconds for streaming to begin, but while testing I also noticed sudden signal loss at times. I am not sure if this is the bad side of AirPlay or if this is caused by V5AP, so beware of these issues.
When it comes to sound quality, I did expect a lot for its premium price of $400. I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by a nice balance of highs, mids, and lows which remained in balance at all volume levels. Sound is clear and deep, and there’s noticeable bass.
