Review: Cavalier Maverick—a stylish Alexa speaker that goes everywhere with you
Voice-activated speakers amongst smarts receive got been mainstreamed cheers to Amazon, becoming to a greater extent than attractive amongst the arrival of HomePod. But HomePod leaves a lot to live desired. It’s likewise pricey for the average consumer in addition to alone plant amongst Apple Music. HomePod also doesn’t deed equally a regular Bluetooth speaker nor is it portable. But I know something that is!
Maverick from Cavalier is $100 cheaper than the Apple speaker, tin live carried exactly about anywhere you lot go, has a nine-hour battery, supports a bunch of pop music services in addition to tops all that off amongst a fashionable design, sturdy create character in addition to groovy utilization of materials.
Alexa inwards a far to a greater extent than premium package
I don’t know why nosotros haven’t featured whatever Cavalier products before because this USA-based premium well create builds some fine products amongst grapheme in addition to trend that definitely laid you lot apart from the ordinary. They receive got a bunch of vocalization speakers, similar the design-driven Maverick.
In add-on to the Maverick speaker itself, within the beautifully designed box you’ll also discovery the USB-C powerfulness cable, the USB wall charger, the accuse base, the protective instance in addition to some manuals in addition to printed materials. The glossy complete of the box, the means it opens to display a three-page banner in addition to the visual motives printed on the box all ooze refinement in addition to luxury.
This is reassuring, but at nowadays let’s receive got a aspect at the speaker itself.
The craftsmanship you’ll appreciate
The blueprint is inspired past times unique materials in addition to Cavalier’s passion for craftsmanship, authentic materials in addition to immersive sound. We’ll acquire to the well later, but commencement allow me expand a niggling flake on industrial design. When you lot commencement pick upwards this speaker, you lot volition forthwith notice its reassuring create character in addition to a full general premium experience to it.
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The device is housed inwards a cylindrically-shaped chassis made out of the premium aluminum alloy amongst a apartment side allowing the speaker to live used inwards horizontal mode. I particularly similar the machined border that gives the enclosure a beautiful blueprint accent.
The metallic element enclosure is wrapped inwards high character hand-knitted acoustic cloth amongst a prissy texture that adds warmth to the tactile sensation to it which brings human demeanour on to the experience. This thing definitely looks amend inwards soul that the somewhat irksome HomePod blueprint or the typical inexpensive aspect of the Echo devices.
Setup: ii apps, i speaker
Setting upwards the Maverick isn’t equally straightforward equally you lot mightiness expect, but it’s non overly complex either. The device is configured through the free Cavalier Audio app, but because it doubles an an Echo-enabled speaker you lot also demand to download the Alexa app from App Store. When you lot commencement connect the speaker, it volition start upwards inwards the pairing mode.
I commencement went to accommodate settings, but couldn’t connect to the speaker from my iPhone. It took a few minutes before I realized that my telephone was on the 5GHz network whereas the Maverick alone plant amongst the slower 2.4GHz standard. Luckily, I receive got a dual-band router (the underrated Time Capsule from Apple) hence all I needed to do was connect to the Maverick’s Wi-Fi.
Now I could burn upwards the app in addition to complete setting upwards the speaker. The app itself won’t win whatever usability contests—it uses small-scale type, isn’t fifty-fifty optimized for larger-screened devices in addition to lacks a native iPad interface.
That said, it gets the undertaking done.
Some of the things I adjusted include connecting the speaker to my habitation Wi-Fi (remember, it alone plant on the 2.4GHz band), customizing its cite in addition to more. Next, I tapped an selection to sign into Amazon amongst my credentials to enable Alexa on the speaker, which went without a hiccup. While you lot tin do without the Alexa app, you’ll demand it to alter your location (for atmospheric condition in addition to other local information), accommodate languages in addition to link compatible music services.
Most importantly, you’ll demand the Alexa app to install skills, which are basically vocalization apps that extend the smart assistant’s functionality. There are thousands of Alexa skills available, but you’ll most probable demand exactly a handful of skills to tackle the things that thing to you lot the most. I receive got some smart habitation products hence I’ve installed skills to deal those in addition to some skills for quizzes, trivia, hyperlocal atmospheric condition in addition to things of that nature.
The hardware
The Maverick combines ii stereo drivers amongst a span of dual passive radiators, amongst both pairs firing inwards reverse directions to accomplish a “room-filling experience” at xx wats (can you lot think of some other create describing its smart speaker equally having a “room-filling” sound?).
Like amongst HomePod, the speaker’s top is touch-sensitive: tap i time to play/pause, twice for the adjacent track, iii times to acquire to the previous rails or press in addition to jibe for Alexa.
Unlike HomePod, the Maverick allows you lot to assign custom functions to the 2x in addition to 3x actions, similar playlist shortcuts for Spotify in addition to iHeartRadio. As if that weren’t enough, the push also acts similar an analog rotary book command knob for those times when you lot prefer non to utilization your vocalization to growth or decrease the book (I wishing HomePod had that).
Near the top of the speaker are v LED lights indicating volume, Alexa’s listening manner in addition to the remaining battery charge. On the nurture side, aligned vertically, are plastic buttons for turning the speaker on in addition to off, enabling individual manner (shuts downward the mics), Bluetooth in addition to Wi-Fi.
The Wi-Fi in addition to Bluetooth buttons inwards detail offering seamless switching dorsum in addition to forth betwixt these ii modes. At the bottom is your USB-C port for charging mobile devices on the go, some other extremely useful feature.
Next to USB-C are LED lights indicating the condition of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi in addition to power.
“Alexa, play Queen on Apple Music”
Alexa supports a bunch of music services: Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Tunein, SiriusXM, Audible, Amazon Music in addition to Amazon Music Unlimited. Thanks to Spotify Connect integration, you lot tin direct command music playback on the Maverick via the Spotify app.
For Alexa supported services, you lot tin utilization your vocalization to interruption a song, plow upwards the book in addition to other basic playback controls. I receive got Amazon Music, Spotify in addition to Apple Music hence the fact I couldn’t taste Apple’s service on the Maverick was definitely a disappointment for me.
Some people may fifty-fifty deem it a deal-breaker, but I wouldn’t.
Amazon has confirmed that third-party Alexa speakers similar the Maverick volition pick upwards back upwards for Apple Music shortly via software updates. To dispel whatever notion that this speaker mightiness live secretly listening all the time, there’s a dedicated microphone mute push along amongst the illuminated condition LED lights to ensure you lot are aware when inwards privacy mode.
Also, a Bluetooth speaker
Unlike HomePod, the Maverick is a truthful Bluetooth speaker. And because it’s hence like shooting fish in a barrel to send around, you’ll appreciate the fact that you lot tin venture off into the wilds away from Wi-Fi. I’ve e'er hated that I couldn’t connect my HomePod to a Bluetooth device. Using Bluetooth pairing, you lot tin connect to the Maverick in addition to current well from some other device.
If well character is your top priority, you’ll e'er default to Wi-Fi streaming because Bluetooth’s well compression, equally I’m certain you lot know, leaves something to live desired. Thanks to Bluetooth, the Maverick also acts equally a hands-free speakerphone amongst echo-noise cancellation that makes it possible to answer in addition to terminate telephone calls on the speaker. This plant groovy on Android in addition to iPhone equally long equally you’re connected to the speaker via Bluetooth.
Multi-room sound? Check!
I was surprised learning the Maverick supports multi-room well out of the box because inwards my basis it took Apple a few months to deliver multi-room well back upwards to HomePod. While I haven’t had a direct a opportunity to examine this feature, Cavalier ensures me that it’s pretty seamless equally the device automatically connects to other Cavalier speakers inwards additional rooms.
This lets you lot expand your music organisation when you’re ready, boost the well past times adding some other speaker in addition to fifty-fifty create stereo right/left configuration inwards a unmarried room.
My favorite utilization cases
At 223 mm tall, 75 mm broad in addition to weighing inwards at 800 grams (1.76 lbs), this speaker is lite in addition to practical plenty to live carried exactly about whenever you lot demand some portable sound. The battery is rated amongst upwards to nine hours playtime in addition to inwards most cases I could mash close 8 hours of continuous Amazon Music playback out of it.
When I’m at home, I proceed the device on the charging base of operations which is 3.7 inches exactly about in addition to 1 inch tall. This handsome dock connects to powerfulness via a custom stitched USB-C charging cable in addition to you lot fifty-fifty hear distinct sounds when you lot pose in addition to take the speaker from the base.
I even hence utilization my HomePod to a greater extent than often than the Cavalier because Apple’s far-field microphone array is superior to the Maverick’s. For instance, Alexa couldn’t hear my vocalization properly when streaming music through the Cavalier at 100 per centum book until I was shouting at her.
No such issues amongst Siri on HomePod.
Another well issue: at top volumes some of the louder songs tend to distort a bit, which isn’t that surprising giving the speaker’s small-scale size. The same goes for well quality. Even though the Maverick sounds surprisingly loud for a speaker of this size amongst crisp highs in addition to prissy mid tones, it couldn’t jibe a candle to HomePod when it came to its rich, deep bass in addition to overly powerful sound.
This isn’t the speaker for you lot if you’re looking for subwoofer-like sound. In practice, the Maverick is best suited for the pop, classical, jazz in addition to singer-songwriter genres due to its sculpted well stemming from crisp highs in addition to vocals that polish inwards the high-mids in addition to highs.
Despite those shortcomings, the Maverick costs $100 less than the Apple speaker. At that price, it genuinely sounds groovy in addition to amend inwards my personal thought than Google’s speakers. When I’m on the go, I throw the Maverick into its protective stitched move case. Although I loathe to acknowledge it, my friends in addition to I receive got had lots of fun amongst this speaker during sunny days at the beaches.
I took it often amongst me to the countryside in addition to it’s definitely turned me into the most wanted invitee at parties—I exactly connect the speaker to my phone’s Personal Hotspot in addition to the millions of songs are available to see through the speaker exactly similar that.
Try doing that amongst HomePod.
Is the Maverick for you?
Ultimately, that depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re inwards the marketplace for a speaker that offers deep integration amongst the Apple ecosystem, acquire yourself a HomePod or hold off until Apple delivers a rumored cheaper, smaller model.
Are you lot someone who is to a greater extent than concerned amongst overall well performance than design? If so, Sonos is e'er a feasible selection but at that topographic point are other speakers out at that topographic point that may encounter your needs, similar Marshall’s Stanmore II Voice or JBL’s Link 10.
Looking to pass less? You can’t become incorrect amongst the Amazon Echo range.
But if you lot demand a niggling flake of everything without breaking the bank—perks similar Alexa vocalization control, third-party music services, portability, Bluetooth ubiquity, prissy design, groovy create character in addition to lots of functionality—you can’t become incorrect amongst this fine speaker.
Pros in addition to cons
Here’s what nosotros liked in addition to disliked close the Maverick.
Pros
- Works similar a regular Bluetooth speaker
- Premium materials, groovy create quality
- Highly portability due to lightness in addition to optimal size
Cons
- No dual band (2.4GHz/5GHz) Wi-Fi support
- You tin discovery stronger well character for the price
- The mic offers average intelligibility
Pricing in addition to availability
The Maverick is available inwards Black or Blue variants, amongst metallic element in addition to distressed leather panels. You tin pick yours over at Amazon or from Cavalier Audio for $250 a pop.
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