We first heard of Wren this past spring at the Luxury Technology Show in New York City. We were impressed with our initial look at their offerings and have spent the past few months reviewing their flagship product – the V5 wireless home speaker.
The Wren V5 wireless speaker is a fantastic speaker that is sure to impress. The design is impeccable and luxurious, with a taupe mesh covering the drivers and two sleek wood finish options – bamboo or rosewood (we were able to review a rosewood unit). The audio quality is quite high, which is par for the course when you get into the $300-400 price range. All frequency ranges are rich and full sounding. Packed with two 3-inch throw drivers with 4-layer voice coils, the Wren V5 can handle a ton of power and keep its cool. This speaker is ideal for a home gathering or when you need to turn up the volume for doing dishes in the other room. Friday night cocktail or mellow Sunday brunches will be enhanced with clean and crisp background music.
The Wren V5 speaker sits perfectly on my coffee table.
Certainly, the Wren V5 is a beautiful piece of engineering. The look, feel, and sound are of a very high standard. Surprisingly at a weight of about 6.6 pounds, the Wren V5 is only 17 inches across, 6 inches high, and 4.25 deep. These dimensions, along with the modern yet sophisticated design, make the Wren V5 a beautiful addition to your office, living room, or library shelf.
Side view of the Wren V5 speaker.
The V5 is incredibly simple to use, though initially I unfortunately had a few problems connecting it to my music device via Bluetooth. Even after I double checked the manual to make sure it was not a user error (me), the speaker initially encountered some trouble finding and syncing to my music device. However, I did eventually resolve this issue. Another point of frustration is the lack of an internal battery. Understandably, the Wren V5 is a “park and bark” home audio system, so make sure your resting spot features a wall outlet nearby. Without a wall plug, you are out of luck. This issue is not entirely fair though because based on the premise of the speaker, it gives you the sound of a large expensive wired system with the convenience of a smaller portable wireless device. Just make sure you don’t forget the AC cord if you bring the V5 to a friend’s house.
The Wren V5 is wondrous sound system. Every genre of music sounds exactly like it is supposed to. With a choice of bamboo or rosewood finish, it reminds me of the old Victor Talking Machines of Camden, New Jersey of the early 1900s. Of course, the Wren’s wood is medium density pressed microfiber, not oak or mahogany. Yet the fusion of old world craftsmanship and new age design gives a nod to a time when men with mustaches took great pride in their work. Would Ron Swanson endorse this product in his woodshop? Nonsense, that question was rhetorical.
For a wireless speaker of the same class and price range, the Wren V5 is highly recommended. Even users normally attracted to Bowers & Wilkins or Bose should instead consider this speaker for their home audio needs.
Wren V5 Wireless Home Speaker – $299.00
