The Wonderboom 2s only downside is its battery life, which at 8 hours in our testing is adequate but not impressive. Lauren liked the Xtreme 3 the best of all the speakers in its size range. We preferred the Xtreme 3s clearer sound on voices and its superior portability, although the SRS-XB43 plays 1.6 decibels louder and offers the same lighting and sound features as the SRS-XB33. But if youve got the money, its hard to fault the Sonos Move when it comes to getting high-quality sound in or out of the home. Also added the Sony SRS-XG500 as the 'Best Portable Speaker For Bass'. During these tests, we paid particular attention to: I checked the battery life of each of our top picks by repeating Steely Dans Aja (video) at an average level of 75 dB (measured at 1 meter) over and over until the power ran out (for the UE Hyperboom, I increased the level to 81 dB). While it launched a few years ago now, the Home Speaker is still one of the best portable speakers that can offer smart home control without being restricted to indoor use. We test Bluetooth speakers with expert listeners, and we conceal the identities of the products to eliminate bias. The Raycon Everyday Speaker has a cute, ultra-portable design with a pretty smooth sound in its Balanced mode, but it lacks bass and doesnt play very loud for the price. Try out the best AirPlay speakers. The Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is a powerful speaker that will deliver a party atmosphere, both indoors and outdoors.
The Xtreme 3which replaces its predecessor, the Xtreme 2, as our upgrade pickis the best-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker weve tested, as our panelists praised it for its clear sound on voices, guitars, and pianos (though its bass tended to get a little quiet at maximum volume). A detachable bottom anchor cup section fills with water to keep the Sound Buoy upright; it can be removed so the Sound Buoy sits securely on flat surfaces. It plays very loud, maxing out at 102.9 dBabout 9 dB louder than the output of the JBL Xtreme 3.
Also, the Hyperboom has a dedicated charger, which youll have to remember to bring if you take the speaker along on your vacation for more than a day or two. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it offers a wide and open-sounding soundstage so you can hear your audio clearly from all angles. Theres almost no bass but voices sound clear and natural, so its great for podcasts and lighter music. We live with these speakers in our homes to make sure that their performances are consistent, and we don't finalize our testing until we are certain of the sound quality. The Tribit XSound Max is like a beefier version of the XSound Go. Apple fanatic? There are no perfect speakers. Heres the thing about theSonos Move its so good, you might want to consider it not only as your on-the-go party station, but also as your main in-the-homewireless speakertoo. Since this guides original publication in 2013, weve tested 337 Bluetooth speakers, including 13 new models for our latest update in March 2022. If you want smart-speaker functions or a speaker that works with a Sonos system: The Sonos Roam is technically a portable Bluetooth speaker, with a small, travel-friendly, IP67-rated designbut its so much more. Wirecutter senior staff writer and headphone editor Lauren Dragan has served as a listening panelist for this guide for the past few years, and most of our current picks have also been auditioned by woodwind player Dan Gonda and drummer Sammy Velick. Tribit recently upgraded the XSound Go with USB-C charging and stereo pairing. It also has a longer-lasting battery life of almost 24 hours, making it better suited for long listening sessions; however, it does lack voice assistant capability. We asked how long the products battery is projected to last and if its replaceablebecause in these speakers the battery is usually the first component to fail, so having one that lasts longer or is replaceable means replacing the product less often.
by Christina Williams and Wirecutter Staff.
If you prefer more bass, the Walmart-exclusive Anker SoundCore Rave Neo or the Sony SRS-XB33 may be more to your liking. Made the Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 the 'Best Mid-Range Portable Bluetooth Speaker', the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2 the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Portable Bluetooth Speaker', the Anker Soundcore Flare 2 the 'Best Budget Portable Bluetooth Speaker', and the Sony SRS-XB13 the 'Best Small Bluetooth Speaker'. The UE Wonderboom 2 is a fantastic rugged and waterproof speaker youll actually want to take with you everywhere. The Marshall Kilburn II tended to clamp down the volume abruptly when it hit a deep bass note, and voices had a sort of canned quality.
Anyone who owns a smartphone or tablet would probably enjoy owning a portable Bluetooth speaker, which can improve the listening experience anywhere.
At 16.6 pounds and 14.3 inches high, the Hyperboom is large, but a rear-mounted retractable rubber handle makes it pretty easy to lug around.
Charging happens through a Micro-USB port; Micro-USB cables are readily available, but many readers tell us they prefer USB-C.
The sound is surprisingly clear for such a small speaker, Sammy said. But then, it does cost a fraction of the price, so we happily forgive it. The former is a big plus. On this, we test the audio performance using a range of musical genres and stream from various sources, to ensure that these speakers can handle everything from thumping dance tracks to softly-spoken podcasts. But Tribit has made no secret of wanting to bring the party to both your ears and your body, and it has emphatically delivered.
There was a problem. Some Bluetooth-only speakers provide a button that activates your smartphones voice-command technology (such as Google Assistant), but because you can access those features straight from your phone, this isnt a big advantage. Although the JBL Boombox 2 sounded good and played very loud, the JBL PartyBox 110 and UE Hyperboom both played louder and sounded a little smoother and more natural with voices.
Its one of the picks in our guide to the best Alexa speakers. This means your Bluetooth wireless speaker can double as a smart speaker, which you can use to control many smart home devices. We've tested over 90 speakers, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best portableBluetooth speakers. It offers Wi-Fi support and can join a Sonos S2 multiroom speaker system (its not compatible with the older S1 operating system), automatically reconnecting to your Wi-Fi network when you bring it home from an outing. New York, This portable speaker also comes with a mic/guitar input which is great for karaoke lovers and musicians. The hockey-puck-sized VicTsing SoundHot C6 didnt play real loud, but it did sound good. The Sonos Roam is our pick for the best Bluetooth speaker on the planet, with a powerful sound, rugged design, excellent connectivity features, and smart home control. Toting it is like carrying a football filled with sand, and for many people that means a two-handed carry. Battery life is rated at 13 hours, but we measured roughly 8 hours, and thats with four trials of two different units, with the Outdoor Boost mode disengaged.
The downside of the SRS-XB43 is that its only marginally portable, with a weight of 6.4 pounds and no carrying handle or provisions for attaching a strap. Becky is a senior staff writer at TechRadar (which she has been assured refers to expertise rather than age) focusing on all things audio. Sonos speakers are great if you want to bridge the gap between indoors and outdoors, with the ability to form part of a wider multi-room system and you can be sure that theyll sound fantastic, too. With its room correction feature turned on, it has a fairly well-balanced sound profile suitable for listening to a wide variety of audio content, though the room correction feature is currently only available with iOS devices. The Tribit XSound Surf costs a little less than the XSound Go, but it sounds a bit distorted and the design makes it a little less convenient to carry because theres no provision for a lanyard.
It's both water- and dustproof, and now has a one-touch mix button that lets you pull up your favorite playlists without ever picking up your phone. For models that offer speakerphone functionality, I tried placing a call with each model to Lauren, who has helped me evaluate speakerphone quality for years. What's always clear is that the Sonos Move manages what few other Bluetooth speakers can tight and punchy bass, shimmering highs and a vocals that cut through it all with direct clarity.
Even four years after its debut, it still sounds better than almost everything else in its price range, offering clearer vocals and more bass than most competitors can muster. If sound quality and volume are your top priorities, and you dont plan to take your speaker out of your house, you may want to check out the larger, more powerful speakers featured in our tabletop speaker guides: Klipschs The One II Bluetooth speaker is a great way to get full, satisfying sound in the home with no need for complicated setup or special apps. Much like the Sonos One and its Sonos One SL counterpart, this new version of the Roam lacks a microphone but is otherwise identical in terms of specs.
At full blast, the SRS-XB33 puts out a very impressive 92.3 dB at 1 meterwithin half a decibel of the Xtreme 3, although in our tests it didnt sound as clear as the Xtreme 3 at high volume. The Braven BRV-360 had a harsh, overly trebly sound in our tests. The Monster Blaster 3.0 played pretty loud in our tests, hitting 98.6 dB, but it distorted badly on deep bass notes and had a rough, coarse sound on voices.
Really, the only downside is that with so many great speakers to choose from, it can be hard to choose the best one for you.
And of course, the app lets you access numerous lighting schemes for the units built-in strobe and multicolor LED lights, which you can enjoy or banish.
There are bass and treble adjustments in its companion app that you can use to tweak its sound to your liking. The battery life isn't huge, though enough for a good day out, but if that's a priority, check out the B&O A1, which more than doubles it. This speaker is built for adventure: The IP67 rating means its waterproof and dustproof, the strong carrying strap makes it easy to lug along anywhere, and in our testing the Xtreme 3 ran for 17 hours on one charge.
For the price, the XSound Gos speakerphone function is acceptable. Weve also requested samples of many just-released or soon-to-be-released models, such as the Soundcore Motion Boom Plus, the Sonos Roam SL, and the JBL Wind 3 and Wind 3S, BassPro Go, Boombox 3, and Pulse 5. Speakers store-bought and tested, supported by you via. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. Those wanting more bass but still want a party speaker with lights will want to check out theJBL Pulse 4 too, which gets louder, has more bass impact and a full-body lightshow but again is over twice the price. It doesnt quite have the pure fidelity of the Sonos Move, or the detail, but it's very hard to fault its overall blend of sound. Meanwhile, a clever Automatic Switching feature means it seamlessly becomes part of your Sonos Wi-Fi multi-room setup indoors though audiophiles may dislike the overwhelming low frequencies and rhythmic handling.
And, because many of them are portable, you can take one with you and do so wherever you are in the world. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wasnt able to conduct our usual brand-concealed panel tests for our last major round of testing in May 2021, but I was able to drop off the most promising models with senior staff writer Lauren Dragan, Wirecutters headphone reviewer, so that she could give me a second opinion. The soon-to-be-released Sonos Roam may be the most versatile speaker available. The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2 ticks all of those boxes and then some. A good portable Bluetooth speaker can bring your favorite music with you wherever you go. Of course, all these flashy features would be pointless if the Sonos Roam didnt sound great but were happy to report that, despite its small stature, the Roam delivers a powerful sonic performance, with remarkably prominent bass, even if it does lack the rhythmic accuracy you'd expect from an audiophile speaker. It also doesnt quite meet the value for money of the UE Boom 3 and JBL Charge 5 but if you love that Bose sound and build quality, this is the portable speaker for you. Will they fall to pieces if they are accidentally knocked off a table?
This tool will clearly show you the differences, Use our data and table to find the best speaker for your needs, Want to see us review a specific speaker? At its original $300 price, the elegantly designed V-Moda Remix was very pricey for the sound quality it offers, but its now selling for less than $100, which makes it a pretty good buy. The PartyBox 310 sounds similar to the PartyBox 110 and provides a few more decibels of sound output, even more deep bass, and an IPX4 splash-resistance rating, but its roughly twice the size and price. The play button on top lets you pause and restart playback and skip to the next track.
Its cylindrical design, measuring about 3 inches in diameter and 4 inches high, takes up more space in a suitcase than some slimmer designs and prevents it from fitting comfortably in a laptop bag. Heres why you can trust us. Things you need to know: it's really quite heavy, and you can't turn those lights off completely although you can make it so they only pop up when you're switching the volume levels. The JBL Go 3 is a nice ultra-tiny, ultra-portable speaker, but it didnt sound as full as the Tribit StormBox Micro. The Hyperboom also incorporates an Adaptive EQ feature, which is said to adapt the speakers sound automatically to the acoustics of the surroundings.
Restructured article to better align with user needs and expectations. Both of them own a few Bluetooth speakers and have heard many more in my home, where I use such speakers to demo jazz tunes for musicians in my jam sessions.
The batteries are not replaceable and are expected to deliver 70% of their original capacity after 300 charge/discharge cycles. You can connect up to 100 compatible Sony wireless speakers for synchronized playback, and you can even sync the lights. The S7505 might be a better buy for those whose tastes lean toward jazz, folk, light classical, or vocal music. The Bose Portable Home Speaker was one of the first portable smart speakers we tested,offering the smarts ofGoogle Assistantand Alexa alongside Bluetooth connectivity. The Doss SoundBox Pro didnt really sound better than the Tribit XSound Go, and its larger and costlier. Read the full Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) review. If you dont like the sound with Adaptive EQ, the app has a five-band equalizer plus Bass Jump, Game/Cinema, and Podcast modes. The main differences between the old and new models: The Xtreme 3 adds USB-C charging, so it works with most laptop and tablet chargers, but it omits the Xtreme 2s speakerphone function. Charging occurs through a USB-C port. For total control of your smart home, invest in one of the best smart speakers, which come with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Siri built-in. The Altec Lansing Soundbucket XL is what its name says it isa big, bucket-shaped speaker. Outdoors, Adaptive EQ seemed to work perfectly. With clear vocal reproduction and a decent amount of bass for its size, it offers satisfying sound for a small area, such as across a picnic table or a couple of lounge chairs on a patio. At 23.8 pounds and 22 inches high, it plays loud, but it sounds as smooth and refined as many of the best wireless speakers. You also have control over its sound profile thanks to the graphic EQ and presets in its companion app, meaning you can adjust its sound to your liking.
It also has strong, pumping bass, which I like. I also thought the Xtreme 3 had the clearest highs in its class, which helped it avoid the sibilance (or hissing quality) that most portable Bluetooth speakers have. Falling between the UE Wonderboom 2 and the Sony SRS-XB33 in price and performance, the JBL Flip 5 came very close to being a top pick. It easily survived dunks under the water and quickly shed any water that got behind the speaker grilles.
No cherry-picked units sent by brands. It's rated IPX7 for water resistance, meaning it's certified to be immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes, so you don't have to worry about it getting a bit wet or dropping it in a pool of water when taking it outdoors with you.
It offers fantastic voice assistant support with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in and can easily understand you in noisy settings and when you're far away from the speaker. Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter. The Soul S-Storm Max sounds fairly decent for its price, but its bass distorts easily and it maxes out only 0.7 decibels louder than the much smaller UE Wonderboom 2. Our panelists said the Nyne Boost sounded tinny and needed more bass. It has an IP67 rating and is one of the most rugged Bluetooth speakers weve tested, able to survive a 5-foot drop and a dunking in 1 meter of waterbut because it floats, itll probably never dive that deep. The bass comes back to full strength if you lower the volume a click or two.
Then I divided the set of speakers into four groups: ultra-compact, small, medium, and large. Id estimate that there are a couple thousand models of Bluetooth speakers now available, many sold under obscure brands and sometimes only through Amazon. We found that its crisp audio performance and 360-degree soundstage makes the A1 ideal for soundtracking small gatherings. For true high-fidelity sound, we recommend a pair of decent bookshelf speakers and a stereo receiver or one of the top picks from our best computer speakers guide.
Sony didnt provide battery life data, but says the battery can be replaced by a Sony service center. We measured Bluetooth range at about 55 feet through one windowwhich is fine, but we got 110 feet out of the Xtreme 2. At 14.3 inches high and 16.6 pounds, its impractical for airline travel, but its compact and light enough that most people can carry it easily. Thanks to the wireless connectivity they offer, you can stream music cable-free from your smartphone, your tablet, your laptop and even some vinyl record players.
In our tests, it had a dull sound that made voices somewhat muffled and bloated. (You have to control the volume on the Hyperboom, though.) While it doesn't get as loud as the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 2, you can customize its sound profile to your liking, thanks to the graphic EQ and presets featured in its companion app. Its available in yellow or blue. We found that its warm, well-balanced audio performance is far more powerful than you might expect from a speaker of this size, and while we felt that trebles can sound a little harsh at higher volumes, you're getting plenty of clarity and detail.
It's IPX7 rated, which means it can be submerged in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. The Sound Buoy also has an LED ring around the edge that can be set for the color of your choice or turned off. Whether you're looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker to take with you when you're outdoors at the beach, park, backyard, or even in different rooms of your home, there are countless models to choose from that are currently on the market. Its sound quality is basically the same as its predecessor, and very similar to that of the XSound Go, although its nearly twice as expensive. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, For bigger, fuller sound in a midsize package, Who should buy a portable Bluetooth speaker, Sustainability and environmental impact of portable Bluetooth speakers, The Best Multiroom Wireless Speaker System, What You Really Need to Know About Bluetooth Audio, ZZ Tops very loudly mastered tune Chartreuse (video), best surround-sound speakers for most people, Bitty Boomerss Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child, Wirecutters 100 Most Popular Picks in March 2022, First Look: The New Sonos Roam Speaker Is Versatile but Pricey. Next is a top-mounted ring switch that lets you choose between two Bluetooth sources and select the optical and analog inputs. From a sonic standpoint, the Hyperboom is the most technically sophisticated Bluetooth speaker weve encountered. But it doesnt have enough bass for our taste. No matter what you want to listen to, where you want to listen to it and how you want to stream it, you'll find the best Bluetooth speaker right here. But thats not necessarily the advantage it might seem to be: When the Xtreme 3 is playing bass-heavy material at full volume, the internal limiter reduces the bass output for the sake of a little more maximum volume, so the sound thins out a bit. The Sony SRS-XP500 looks and works much like the JBL PartyBox 110 and costs about the same, but we thought the PartyBox 110 sounded a little smoother on vocals.
The brand is also well known for delivering excellent audio quality from its products, and the Home Speaker is a great example of this, with a warm, well-balanced soundstage and an assured command of complex tracks. The originalUE Wonderboom topped ourbest waterproof speakerlist for a long time but it's since been usurped by the Wonderboom 2. All but one of the listeners on our original four-person panel praised the Wonderboom 2 for its natural balance of bass to midrange to treble, as well as its clear reproduction of voices. Its not perfect its heavy as a byproduct of its incredible sound, and its expensive due to its rich feature set. As you can read in our first look at the Roam, the two downsides are a short battery life (about six hours, depending on how you use the speaker) and a high price. The Philips S7505 actually sounds smoother and more natural than the Sony SRS-XB33.
With its 'Standard' preset, its sound profile is boomy overall with a balanced mid-range that ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present in the mix. However, as of our last update, its availability was questionable.
It's also compatible with Sony's Fiestable app, which you can use to access extra party features of this speaker.
It is less expensive than the Hyperboom, but it doesnt sound quite as smooth and even through the whole audio range. NY 10036. Its small size doesnt mean small sound, however, as the speaker gets extremely loud and sounds great and it can be paired to other Wonderboom speakers to amplify your music even more. Two of our panelists praised the EarFun UBoom for its clear and balanced sound, but two other panelists thought its clarity was lacking. We use the following criteria to help us decide which Bluetooth speakers to call in for testing: We dont award extra points for inclusion of additional Bluetooth codecs beyond the standard SBC codec found in all Bluetooth devices. A small, elasticized strap on top lets you hang the Wonderboom 2 from a shower rod, tent pole, or other object, provided you have a carabiner, hook, or strand of string to attach it. JBL offers an app to control the Xtreme 3, but the only feature exclusive to the app is the ability to turn off the audio feedback on functions such as Bluetooth connection and power on/off, as well as to update the firmware.
The JBL Xtreme 3 is a great choice if you want a Bluetooth speaker that sounds bigger and bolder than our top pick yet is still portable enough to take to the beach or the tailgate. Except for the foam used in the Hyperbooms packaging, the packaging of the Wonderboom 2 and Hyperboom is recyclable, but neither the packaging nor the products use recycled plastic. It has a somewhat boomy sound profile and a balanced mid-range that ensures vocals and lead instruments reproduce accurately and with detail in the mix. The JBL Xtreme 3 replaces the JBL Xtreme 2 as our upgrade pick for those who are willing to pay more for a bigger sound.
If you need a speaker you can take everywhere, make sure you look at the best waterproof speakers or if you're looking for multi room audio smarts, read our guide to the best wireless speakers.
With two tweeters (to reproduce the higher-frequency sounds), two woofers (for the lower-frequency sounds), and two passive radiators (to further help with bass reproduction), its like two good stereo speakers in one boxin fact, I noted that it had the kind of clear, robust sound Id heard from the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2, a pick in our best surround-sound speakers for most people guide, but rarely in a Bluetooth speaker.
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