I’m extreeemely interested in portable speakers because I’m always traveling and I love to have my music with me while I’m getting settled in in some foreign location or just chilling on the beach. It’s even better if that speaker is a smart device. Today, there are many smart speakers in the marketplace, including devices from Google, Apple, and Amazon. Cavalier throws it’s hat into the ring with The Maverick. Let’s take a look at this speaker and see how it stacks up with the rest.
Stats
First, let’s take a look at what the Maverick offers.
- Built-in Amazon Alexa technology
- Built-in Rechargeable Battery with up to 9 hours playtime
- Bluetooth Wireless Audio Streaming
- Speakerphone to take phone calls with Built-in Echo Noise Cancellation
- Privacy Mode – You can mute Alexa so your speaker isn’t listening
- Analog volume control knob for when you prefer not to use voice
The Maverick also comes with the following accessories:
- Charging Base
- Protective stitched travel case
- Custom USB-C certified charging cable
Design
Let’s be honest. Most smart speakers to date have been very basic looking, using plastics and are far from what anyone would deem as stylish. The Maverick, however, is one sexy speaker. I received the Indigo colorway with blue fabric and real leather accents. The premium knitted fabric adds unique texture to the speaker, giving it character. The distressed leather, however, is what truly makes this speaker stand out. The contrasting color of the brown leather with the blue acoustic fabric compliment each other perfectly.
On top of the speaker is a metal knob that allows you to manually control the speaker if you don’t want to use voice controls. With this knob you can change the volume or program it to performed certain tasks depending on how many times you tap it (tap once for play/pause, twice for skipping tracks, three times to go back a track). The speaker itself is light at 1.76 lbs (.8 kgs) which makes it highly desirable for portability and travel.
It’s also important to note that the Maverick comes with a charging base. The creators of the speaker had the foresight to put a USB-C charging port on BOTH the charging base AND the speaker itself. This means that you don’t need to necessarily carry around the charging base in order to charge your speaker if you don’t want to. Round of applause for them.
Alexa
The Maverick comes with Alexa technology built in. If you’re familiar with Alexa, then you know how this functionality works. You activate it by saying “Alexa,” and follow that up with your question or command. This can be anything from “Alexa, What time is it?” to “Alexa, play music by Bad Bunny”.
Because it’s a smart speaker, you can also use this functionality to control smart devices in your house. For example, you can tell Alexa to “Turn on the lights” or “Turn down the heat”. I tried giving these commands at various voice levels and found that the Maverick could hear my commands from across the room without having to shout.
Alexa can also be used to play music from any Alexa enabled music app or provider such as Pandora, Spotify and I heart Radio. For these Alexa supported services, you can also use your voice to pause a song, turn up the volume and other basic playback controls.
Sound
The Maverick gets pretty loud for its size. It offers 20W Stereo Speaker system with 2 active drivers paired with 2 passive radiators. The sound definitely fills the room and the music and voices come through crisp, with no distortion, even at max level. The only thing I would say this speaker is lacking is bass.
One other cool feature is the support for multi-room audio. You can wirelessly connect the Maverick to additional Cavalier speakers in additional rooms. Or, you can even connect to additional Cavalier speakers to create stereo right/left configuration in a single room, allowing you to amplify your sound and expand your Cavalier music system when you’re ready.
Battery Life & Portability
Where the Maverick truly shines is in the ability to be portable. That is, you can remove it from it’s charging base and carry it around with you. Other smart speakers, like the Amazon Echo, must be plugged in at all times in order for it to work. This means you can begin listening to your music in your room as you get ready for work and carry the speaker with you into the kitchen as you make breakfast on your way out the door. The Maverick has a built in rechargeable battery that lasts up to 9 hours on a full charge away from it’s base.
Setup
The Maverick comes with setup instructions and those same instructions can also be found online at the Cavalier website. Setting up the speaker, however, was fairly easy and intuitive. You have to download Cavalier’s free app for iOS or Android. The app will then walk you through the setup process of how to connect your speaker to WiFi. WiFi access is necessary for Alexa to work.
You will then need to download the Alexa app, login to Amazon, and connect the unit. At then point, you will be able to control the speaker using voice commands.
Final Thoughts
I think this speaker is a great 3rd party alternative to Amazon Echo and other smart speakers. I love the fact that it’s portable and doesn’t have to be plugged in in order to work. The 9 hour battery life is also a plus as you can enjoy it on the beach or away from its base for a fairly long time. I also like the fact that the setup was easy and not overly lengthy or difficult, as can sometimes be the case. This speaker is a viable alternative to it’s less stylish competitors.
Buy The Cavalier Maverick / $299
Geron is an avid traveler, entreprenuer and mens style aficionado. He love’s mac and cheese, getting discounts, his momma, and a good whiskey, not particularly in that order. It’s alleged he lives in Miami, but no one really knows anymore.
Follow him on instagram at @geronp
