Well, we often have tough decisions to make, and what tougher decision than choosing a new piece of audio equipment.
These two speakers couldn’t be more different from each other, in terms of sound quality and features. It’s my job to help you decide which one is best for you!
Both speakers are quite weighty pieces of equipment; substantial, not too heavy for transportation and both have their looks and charm.
The Envaya, from Denon features interchangeable speaker grilles, so the speaker can move with your colour scheme. The logo also lights up when the speaker is turned on, which is a nice touch. The Boston MC200 is a shiny jet black speaker, which is also available in white with an array of buttons on the top, that light up and change colour according to their status, and a Wi-Fi aerial.
The Denon has only a couple of ways to connect to your audio source: through a 3.5mm headphone jack, or through Bluetooth.
Boston – MC200
The Boston, has a slightly larger array of connection options; Wi-Fi, AirPlay and 3.5mm jack. Strangely enough, this speaker features no Bluetooth. It was a little unusual to see a feature missed on a speaker such as this, as others in its price range feature Bluetooth. But if, on the other hand, you have an Apple device, the Boston MC200 comes into its own. Similarly, any smartphone or tablet is able to stream back using the more stable Wi-Fi connection, giving lossless sound with no compression, compared to Bluetooth. You can also play content from a DLNA server (again, using the Wi-Fi protocol), which makes this speaker a little more media friendly over the competition.
Another big difference with these speakers is that the Denon can be completely wireless, with its built-in rechargeable battery that lasts 10 hours on a single charge. The Boston is tethered to an electrical socket for increased power stability.
Denon – Envaya
Setting up the speakers is relatively easy, (the Denon is a lot more easier to set up than the the Boston), though once you have set up the Boston, it’s pretty much a one time thing.
Settling down to listen to some material on these speakers is an eye-opening experience. Both of these little speakers pump out a lot of sound for their size.
The only way we can test these speakers out equally is to use the 3.5mm jack input… so that’s what I did.
Both speakers have a great frequency response across the board, however the Denon seems to sound a little more bassy than the Boston MC200. The bass is not as defined, just a little more bloated. The Denon can cope with most styles of music, although rock fans might be a little disappointed as the Denon can become a little confused in the mix. This is especially noticeable after more than a few minutes worth of listening.
The midrange and vocal response from the Boston MC200 is great, with good attention to detail and realistic vocal performance. It lacks a little bass weight compared to the Denon, but is still articulate and easy to listen to. For this listener, the smaller frequency range on the Boston is not a bad thing. A better quality of sound, without the bloated bass, gives a much better sound.
The Denon, as a portable music device (taking to the park etc.), is a fine speaker for just that. Serious listening on the other hand, I would turn to the Boston MC200 every time, as the midrange and articulate detail from this unit easily outshines the Denon.
Author – Mark, Reigate store
