You may remember when we reviewed the excellent Riva Turbo X bluetooth speaker. We praised it for the relatively small footprint and natural sound. Now, the company has revealed an even smaller, lighter version that still retains that same excellent sound.
At just 19cm wide and 6.8cm tall, the Riva S is much smaller than its bigger brother, yet it manages to cram in the same level of connectivity. You get a USB data port, USB charging port for juicing external devices such as a smartphone, a 19V DC power port for using the additional wall wart and the obligatory AUX connector for running the speaker directly from a sound source. This can all be protected by a handy I/O cover located on the bottom of the speaker, which can be removed and stuck over the ports. The placement of the cover is a bit odd… But it works.
The design is identical to the Riva X Turbo aside from dimensions, so if you enjoyed the design of that, you’ll likely be impressed by this too. Quality plastics and a solid metal grille mean that it should be able to take plenty of abuse, while the touch buttons on the top illuminate and have a satisfyingly premium feel to them. IPX4 water resistance is a nice touch, meaning it should be good against a few accidental splashes.
The design is identical to the Riva X Turbo aside from dimensions, so if you enjoyed the design of that, you’ll likely be impressed by this too.
Sound quality is very good for a speaker of this size, with a surprising amount of weight to the mid-bass. Sub frequencies are absent but this is an expected issue that effects every small Bluetooth speaker. The fact you can sync two of these together wirelessly for a multi-room setup is even better.
The sound from the Riva S continues what its bigger brother started, with a natural response that is suitable for most material. Bass response isn’t huge and feels less pronounced versus the larger Riva X, however this expected given the drop in size. That said, things punch through the mix well and the higher frequencies have enough clarity to justify its asking price.
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