Brane Audio is bringing better bass to smaller speakers: We chat to the founder

If you’ve been in the audio world for some time, you’re well aware of the trade-offs that we have to make with speakers sometimes. Not everyone has the room or money for large studio monitors. But, smaller speakers simply can’t pump out the same level of bass. Really, it comes down to physics.

Brane Audio, however, has seemingly found a way around physics.

Brane Audio is a relatively new company that first showed off its consumer speaker, the Brane X, in early 2023, eventually shipping the speaker in 2024. So what’s different about it? Well, the speaker is powered by Brane’s proprietary Repel-Attract-Driver, or RAD. It’s a new kind of driver design that uses magnets to change the air pressure inside the speaker cabinet. The end result is that pressure that would otherwise inhibit bass is eliminated.

If you think it sounds a little gimmicky, you’re not alone. When I first heard of the tech, I was very skeptical of whether or not it could actually deliver on its promise of improving bass response. But then I heard the Brane X in person, and frankly, I was stunned. The bass response offered by the Brane X isn’t just better than other speakers in its size and price range. It’s better than most consumer speakers twice as big and three times as expensive. Even better is that the bass doesn’t sound out of control; it sounds refined, smooth, and natural.

The tech could have big implications in general. Imagine if you could buy a subwoofer that offered a similar bass response at half the size of those on the market today. Or, if you could buy studio monitors that had 5-inch drivers but delivered bass down to 30Hz.

Of course, it remains to be seen if Brane has any plans in that area. For now, the company is building consumer speakers, and the Brain X is the only speaker that it currently offers. But, after hearing the X, I was certainly excited about what the tech could bring to the wider audio world. I sat down with Brane Audio founder Joe Pinkerton to find out more.

All Things Gear: Having heard the X in person, I’m blown away by the bass response. What led you to wanting to develop a speaker that solved issues around bass?

Joe Pinkerton: It’s a long story, but I will try to keep it short! 

My team and I are not traditional audio engineers – most of us came from a company I founded called Magnetic Bearing Technologies, which is now called Active Power. There, we developed novel magnetic bearings that would eventually inform development of the RAD.

I took Active Power public in 2000 and left in 2007 to found Clean Energy Labs, where we conducted graphene research at the University of Texas’ nanotech lab. Our team discovered that graphene membranes efficiently produce sound, so in 2015, we founded Brane Audio to pursue a new way of making sound using membranes (thus the name Brane). Our initial speakers were based on electrostatic membrane-based technology called Submillimeter Electrostatic Membrane Array (SEMA). This was a breakthrough in itself, but with my background in magnetic bearings and high efficiency electromechanical systems, I had an idea in the back of my mind for a speaker that used magnets to cancel out internal air pressure.

We were supposed to debut our SEMA speaker at SXSW in 2020, but that was canceled because of Covid. Being at home during lockdown, we had more time than ever to think and reevaluate what we wanted the company and our technology to look like. We pivoted to focus on the development of the RAD, and after trial and error with over 100 prototypes, we ultimately broke Hofmann’s Iron Law. 

ATG: Can you tell me a bit about developing the Repel-Attract Driver?

JP: Developing the RAD meant rethinking how speakers should move air. By setting up the magnetic fields in a balanced, push-pull configuration, we could generate significant force, moving a lot of air in a much smaller enclosure—something that just isn’t possible with a traditional voice coil approach.

It definitely wasn’t an easy road. We faced hurdles in miniaturizing the electronics and ensuring thermal efficiency. Every step required fine-tuning—designing custom circuits, balancing forces within the magnetic fields, and constantly refining the mechanics of how it all fit together.

Over time, we got it right. 

ATG: How easy is it to scale this tech, in terms of speaker size? Could a smaller RAD be built into even more portable speakers?

JP: The great thing about the Repel-Attract Driver technology is that it’s scalable in both directions—from earbuds all the way to festival-sized sound systems. Of course, a lot of engineering and manufacturing effort goes into this, but the possibilities for smaller or larger sound systems than the Brane X are essentially endless.

ATG: Do you plan on licensing your tech to other companies? Could we see your tech in studio monitors, home theater speakers, and so on?

JP: We are open to a hybrid model where we license our RAD tech to certain markets and pursue other markets directly. We’re cautious, as we risk cannibalizing our own products, like the Brane X, by licensing in certain markets.

Truthfully, we see our technology disrupting all sound technologies, from mobile phone speakers to sound stages. I often compare our RAD technology to the flat screen TV that disrupted the old tube TV. That said, since becoming commercially available this year, people are finding different ways to use the Brane X, with many using it as a soundbar already.

ATG: Can you give me any hints about upcoming Brane products? More portable speakers? A standalone compact subwoofer?

JP: I can’t give away too many details, but the Brane X currently has a 10x advantage over conventional speakers. We plan to increase that advantage even more in the upcoming year through new products.