Portable speakers and premium phone cases are two great tastes that taste great together, at least if you've got enough disposable income to afford both on top of your expensive smartphone. In a consolidation of the high-end accessory world, California-based case maker Incipio has purchased Braven, the Utah-based maker of a line of portable Bluetooth speakers.

Both companies tend to skew towards the higher end of the accessory market. Incipio likes to go for the low-hanging fruit of the iPad and iPhone (though they do have plenty of accessories for the more popular Android phone and tablet models) while Braven's Bluetooth speakers are device-agnostic in nature. The acquisition makes a lot of sense for both parties: Incipio and Braven both tend to be a cut above the competition when it comes to design, quality, and price.

According to the press release, Braven will remain a separate corporate entity and keep its location in Provo, Utah - maybe just so they can take advantage of that sweet, sweet Google Fiber. The impact to consumers will likely be minimal, though new access to Incipio's wide retail presence in big box stores means that you might see Braven's speakers on a Target shelf soon. Speaking of which, this is a pretty good time to tell you about our review of Braven's 850 and 855s speakers.

IRVINE, CA – August 19, 2013 – INCIPIO Technologies Inc., designer and manufacturer of award winning mobile device accessories, today announced the acquisition of privately held BRAVEN LC. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Provo, Utah, BRAVEN is an emerging mobile device accessories company specializing in wireless audio products and is the first company to produce a portable HD speaker/speakerphone that doubles as a mobile phone charger.

“The acquisition of BRAVEN will create a more diverse product offering for our customers and will allow us to pioneer groundbreaking solutions to support the increasingly connected mobile world,” said Andy Fathollahi, Founder and Chief Executive, INCIPIO®. “Both brands are alike in that we have experienced continuous growth and success as a result of our drive to deliver revolutionary wireless products and services.”

BRAVEN is dedicated to providing premium sound, unparalleled design and industry-leading quality. Available to customers globally, the BRAVEN product line delivers the latest innovations in portable Bluetooth speakers, including the world’s most powerful rugged wireless speaker encased in a water resistant exterior – the BRV-1.

“The BRAVEN team is thrilled to be joining the INCIPIO family,” said Warren Osborn, Founder of BRAVEN. “Only INCIPIO has the infrastructure, expertise and global distribution to take the BRAVEN portfolio to the next level.”

Recognized as one of Southern California’s fastest growing private companies, INCIPIO® continues to engineer state of the art, protective accessories for the latest mobile devices across all major brands, including Apple, BlackBerry, Google, HTC, Kindle, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony. Through an untiring commitment to provide customers with innovative mobile solutions, INCIPIO’s products are sold in over 40,000 retail locations worldwide. With these sales channels established by INCIPIO®, BRAVEN product offering will now be immediately available to one of the industry’s largest customer bases.

Now a part of the INCIPIO® family, BRAVEN will remain in Provo, Utah and the BRAVEN brand will be maintained as a separate product line. The BRAVEN portfolio of products will continue to be available through BRAVEN’s growing sales channels and customers will see new BRAVEN products launching in the coming months.