As of this writing, the Flare 2 is less expensive than the Wonderboom 2, and Lauren and I both thought it sounded betterwith more bass, a little more volume (1.5 decibels), and a fuller, smoother sound that made voices sound more natural. The highs sound clear, the bass and the treble are well balanced, and it didnt misbehave when I played Love Lockdown. I agreed; the SRS-XB33 was good enough for me to enjoy through hours-long jazz listening sessions.

We measured Bluetooth range at about 70 feet through one window. 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'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. In terms of features the JBL Charge 5 is relatively basic compared to something like theJBL Pulse 4 which provides a customizable lightshow for users but for this fifth generation JBL has incrementally improved sound quality and volume while still offering all-day battery life. With a light and compact build, the SoundLink Flex has around 12 hours of battery life, which is decent but not the best you'll find.

When we tested the speakerphone function, Laurens voice sounded wonderfully full and natural, but she reported that my voice, while reasonably easy to understand, had a crackly, rough character. 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. Read the full Bose Portable Home Speaker review. Its small enough to fit almost unnoticed into a suitcase, and its IPX5 water-resistance rating should ensure it can survive an errant hose blast. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. Visually near imperceptible from the original A1, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is an appealing and highly portable Bluetooth speaker that comes with (admittedly flawed) Alexa support without the need for Wi-Fi.

However, this mode reduces bass, so the speaker doesnt sound as full and pleasing. The Bose SoundLink Flex has plenty going for it, and thats before you take the cache and credibility of its brand logo into account, too. The SRS-XB33 is packed with features, although some are of questionable utility. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. The Sony SRS-XB33 is the speaker to get when you need a bit more speaker than the Wonderboom 2 but dont need the party-level volume of the Xtreme 3. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it offers a wide and open-sounding soundstage so you can hear your audio clearly from all angles. The bass is powerful, and while the lower frequencies could do with a little finessing, that strong low-end is great for listening to music outdoors, where there are no walls for the sound to bounce off of. But then, it does cost a fraction of the price, so we happily forgive it. Many readers are concerned about how the manufacturing, shipping, and normal use of the products we recommend impact the world we live in. 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. That's why we're confident that these are the best Bluetooth speakers you can buy today, on Prime Day or on Black Friday. This is not a speaker for taking on a hike; it's for taking into the garden. In our tests, we found the Soundcore Flare 2 delivers a well-balanced and tonally warm audio performance, and comes with a BassUp feature to boost the lower frequencies. It easily survived dunks under the water and quickly shed any water that got behind the speaker grilles. If you like having more control over your speaker's sound, there's also a graphic EQ and presets in its companion app, which you can use to tweak its sound to your liking. That said, it doesn't produce an as extended low-bass as the Sonos Move, and doesn't support voice assistants like the Sonos. Of course, you can absolutely use your new portable Bluetooth speaker solely inside your home and that means you can choose from a wider range of designs that will look great with your decor. 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.

It also floats, so you wont lose it if you drop it off a boat or dock or into a swimming pool. Smart speakers add a bit of complexity and a bit of expense, though, and as a result most of the devices in this guide don't have them: they are simply designed to play your music. speakers bicycle First is an optical input, which makes it easy to connect the speaker to TV sets for louder, fuller sound.

Sony rates the battery life at 24 hours; with the Extra Bass mode on, we got 16 hours before the speaker started announcing Please charge every couple of minutes.

It's a shame it doesn't have a port to charge your phone, like larger JBL speakers do, but that's not a big deal.

The Xtreme 3 plays loud enough for outdoor parties yet sounds smooth enough for relaxed listeningand its built to survive rough handling. We spent (and continue to spend) many hours with top picks and other models to make sure they survive day-to-day use. (If you need fuller sound and dont mind something larger, the JBL PartyBox 110, described below, is a better and more affordable choice.) The measured maximum volume was 82.2 dBnot enough to get a party going, but enough for light listening in a typical living room. There also isn't a lot of compression present at max volume, so audio quality doesn't degrade much as you increase the speaker's volume. 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. Through the app, you can connect the unit to any number of additional Hyperbooms, as well as any speakers from the Ultimate Ears Boom and Megaboom lines. JBL rates the battery life at 15 hours, but we got 17 hours in our tests. For portable Bluetooth speakers, we asked manufacturers whether the packaging and/or the products use recycled materials, and whether the packaging and the products are recyclable. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, If you're looking for a more budget-friendly portable Bluetooth speaker, check out the Anker Soundcore Flare 2. The Treblab HD77 tended to distort voices far more than most speakers of its size did. Our advice: Turn Extra Bass on and Live Sound off, and then never adjust the sound again. We purchase our own speakers and 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.

The same goes for the OontZ Angle 3 Ultra. It also has an IPX4 rating, so it can survive all the splashing that goes on around a pool. 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. You won't find extra features like voice assistants or Wi-Fi connectivity, but the Flip 6 sounds so good that you won't miss them. He regularly gigs on double bass (and occasionally ukulele) with Los Angelesarea jazz groups. Laurens voice sounded full but a little garbled to me, and she complained of a high-frequency hissing noise that accompanied my voice.

We also recognize that this may not paint a complete picture of a products supply chain and life cycle impact. There are buttons to control playback, volume, power, Bluetooth pairing, and Party Boost that turns the volume up to 11. The Edifier MP700 sounded impressively clear, but it didnt play as loud for its size as wed hoped, and its metal handle made it heavy to lug around. Plus, it has an IPX7 rating, which means its sufficiently waterproof to survive a half-hour dunking in 1 meter of water, and it has a speakerphone function. The Outdoor Boost mode increased the output by about 3 decibelsnot a dramatic boost, but noticeably louder. If you prefer having more control over your speaker's sound, the Anker Soundcore 3 comes with a graphic EQ and EQ presets to tweak its sound to your liking. A USB-A output lets the Xtreme 3 charge portable devices. But Tribit has made no secret of wanting to bring the party to both your ears and your body, and it has emphatically delivered. From one of those systems, you get clearer sound, much better stereo imaging, and usually much deeper bass response. But that's where the criticism ends.

If youre concerned about privacy and want to save around $20 / 20 / AU$30 then the Roam SL could be exactly what you want. Thanks to its 360-degree design, this stereo speaker has a fantastic soundstage that's perceived as spacious and immersive. 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. Ive probably conducted more brand-concealed tests of audio products than any other journalist, and Ive tested somewhere around 400 wireless speakers to date.

We prefer the more compact designs of the JBL Xtreme 3 and Sony SRS-XB43, but if you like the boombox format, the RockBox XL is a good buy. But its much larger and more expensive than the UE Wonderboom 2. Olivia Tambini

Restructured article to better align with user needs and expectations. A campsite-friendly speaker with integrated LED flashlights, the Doss Traveler played clear and loud, but our panelists liked the Tribit XSound Go better. If you want to spend the bare minimum on an all-around good portable Bluetooth speaker, the Tribit XSound Go is a great choice. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). The Philips S7505 actually sounds smoother and more natural than the Sony SRS-XB33. 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. If you want a speaker for backpacking or cycling: The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is the best speaker weve found for ultra-portable use. last updated 26 July 22, The best portable Bluetooth speakers you can buy right now. I was bothered to hear its little speaker drivers choking on some of the deep bass notes in my favorite jazz and pop recordings.

Next is a top-mounted ring switch that lets you choose between two Bluetooth sources and select the optical and analog inputs.

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