Listening and grouping

Yes, Brane X can connect to other speakers for stereo or multiroom playback. You can group multiple Brane X speakers through the Brane Audio app or connect it with AirPlay 2-compatible speakers using Apple AirPlay 2.

The Brane X supports music streaming through Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa-compatible services, and UPnP playback over Wi-Fi.

When connected to Wi-Fi, Alexa supports services including Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, Deezer, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Audible. Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, TIDAL, and other streaming apps can be played directly from your phone, tablet, or computer through AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth. TIDAL Connect is not currently supported.

The Brane X also supports UPnP playback over Wi-Fi and a 3.5mm AUX input for wired audio connections. The Brane Audio app is used to manage setup, EQ, speaker grouping, and settings rather than acting as a standalone music streaming service.

In your phone's music player, tap the AirPlay icon at the bottom of the screen. Select your Brane speaker as the output device.

Note: The speaker must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your mobile device.

Brane X supports grouping up to eight Brane X speakers over Wi-Fi. Speakers in a group play the same audio from one connection. The speakers can be organized into multiple groups or paired for left-and-right stereo playback.

Use your phone, tablet, or computer as a remote control for Spotify. Visit spotify.com/connect to learn more. Note: The speaker must be onboarded to the same Wi-Fi network as your mobile device.

Brane X does not connect directly to the Sonos app or become part of a Sonos system. However, Apple users can select the Brane X and AirPlay 2-compatible Sonos speakers at the same time to stream the same audio across them.

You can group multiple Brane X speakers through the Groups tab in the Brane Audio app. Make sure each Brane X is powered on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network, then tap Create New Group and select the speakers you want to include. Once grouped, choose Party Mode to play the same audio through every Brane X, or Stereo Mode to assign left and right audio channels for a stereo listening experience.

UPnP lets a control app on your phone or computer send music from your library or a server to the speaker over Wi-Fi.

1. Connect your speaker to the same Wi-Fi network as your phone or computer.
2. Open a UPnP control app. Free options include BubbleUPnP, MediaMonkey and Hi-Fi Cast.
3. Choose your Brane X as the output.

The speaker plays AAC-LC, FLAC, MP3, Opus and Vorbis files over UPnP. Use only one control app at a time, because several apps controlling one speaker can conflict.

Plug a 3.5mm audio cable into the AUX port on the back of the speaker and into the output on your source. Turn on both devices.

If the source has no 3.5mm output, use an adapter that converts its output to 3.5mm. For a TV, see the TV setup questions.

Party and Stereo are the two ways a group of speakers can play. You choose between them with the Party / Stereo selector at the top of the group screen in the Brane Audio app.

• Party: every speaker in the group plays both the left and right channels.
• Stereo: each speaker has a slider that sets which channel it plays. For a stereo pair, set one speaker's slider to the left and the other's to the right.

To make a group, open Groups in the app, tap Create New Group and select the speakers on your network. See Play across multiple speakers.

In the Brane Audio app, open Groups, tap Create New Group and select the speakers on your network. Then choose Stereo on the group screen. In Stereo, each speaker has a slider that sets which channel it plays. Set one speaker's slider to the left and the other's to the right, and you have a stereo pair.

In Party, every speaker in the group plays both the left and right channels.

The wired AUX input plays only when no wireless source is active. Bluetooth, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Alexa and UPnP all rank above it, whether or not Soundbar Mode is on.

1. Disconnect any Bluetooth device.
2. Stop AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Alexa and UPnP playback.
3. Check that the cable is firmly seated at both ends and the source is on and turned up.

If the audio lags, turn on Soundbar Mode in the Brane Audio app under speaker settings > Input Options. A green light on the front means the mode is on and the speaker is receiving a wired signal. With the mode on and no green light, no signal is arriving.

Every speaker in a group shares one volume. Changing the volume on any speaker in the group changes it for all of them.

Wireless sources share one priority level, and the last one to start takes over. If AirPlay is playing and you start Spotify Connect, AirPlay stops and Spotify plays. The same goes for Bluetooth, Alexa and UPnP.

The speaker also accepts only one connection per type of source. A second Bluetooth device connecting, for example, disconnects the first.

The wired AUX input ranks below all of them, with or without Soundbar Mode. It plays only when no wireless source is active.

A group appears under its group name rather than the individual speaker names. You connect once and every speaker in the group plays.

Only one speaker in the group advertises itself for AirPlay, Spotify Connect and UPnP, and which one can change depending on the order the speakers powered on. Alexa, Bluetooth and AUX can come from any speaker in the group.

A wired AUX source can feed a group, but not while Soundbar Mode is on. Soundbar Mode limits digital processing to cut delay, which removes the buffering that grouping needs. Only music is shared across a group. Voice prompts and Alexa speech play from the speaker that produces them.

Open the Groups tab in the Brane Audio app and open the group.

1. Tap the pencil icon.
2. Tap the group's name, type the new name and tap Done on the keyboard.
3. Tick or untick speakers to change who is in the group.
4. Tap the green checkmark to finish.

Only speakers connected to Wi-Fi can be grouped. If a speaker is missing from the list, see Why can't I find a speaker when I create or edit a group?

Open the Groups tab in the Brane Audio app and open the group. Then:

1. Swipe the speaker to the left in the list of member speakers. You do not need to tap the pencil icon first.
2. Tap Remove.
3. When the app asks "Remove speaker from group?", tap Yes.

The other speakers stay in the group. You can also tap the pencil icon and untick the speaker, then tap the green checkmark.

Open the Groups tab in the Brane Audio app and open the group, then tap End Group. You can also swipe the group to the left on the main Groups page. Ending a group removes its speakers from it, and each speaker works on its own again as it did before.

If you only want to take one speaker out, see How do I remove one speaker from a group?

If your speaker is connected to the Brane Audio app via Bluetooth but does not have a network connection, the speaker will not appear in the list when creating or editing a group. 

Only speakers that are connected to Wi-Fi can be grouped. This is indicated by an "Online" status on the speaker card and can be configured from the speaker's Network settings menu.

If your speaker is connected to the Brane Audio app via Bluetooth but does not have a network connection, it will not play to the group.

Only speakers that are connected to Wi-Fi can be grouped. This is indicated by an "Online" status on the speaker card. To connect the speaker, open it in the Brane Audio app, then go to Network > Connect to Network.

Every speaker syncs to the speaker that is receiving the audio. If one drifts out of sync, it stops playing until it catches up again.

Wireless interference and busy networks cause this. Bluetooth, AUX and older AirPlay sources are more affected because their audio arrives just in time to play, which leaves less room to recover.

Yes, Brane X speakers require Wi-Fi to pair and group together. Each speaker must be powered on and connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Yes, a single Brane X provides stereo separation through its dedicated left and right midrange channels. You can also pair two Brane X speakers for a wider, true left-and-right stereo setup.