Good Portable Speakers – The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers You Can Buy It’s a crowded space, but there are good options at every price point.
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Good Portable Speakers
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The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers For Every Kind Of Party
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Bluetooth speakers today, it’s that the options for the general consumer are pretty good. However, this does not make the process of sifting through dozens of choices any easier. So I decided to test some of the most popular models in different price ranges. Most of the speakers I tried sounded good on first listen; it was only through side-by-side comparisons that I began to pick up the nuances. Just reading the spec sheet only goes so far. As such, we focus a bit more on sound quality and dynamic range, while also considering other factors such as utility and price. Ultimately, there is no single best Bluetooth speaker out there, but we’ve found plenty of great options that will fit a range of use cases and price points.
The IP (Ingress Protection) rating is the alphanumeric indicator you often see in a product’s specification sheet that defines a product’s test resistance to both solid objects (dirt, dust, fingers?) and water. Usually, this is a combination of two numbers with the first entering a solid object and the second being water. The former goes from 0 (no protection) to 6 (dust). Water protection from 0 (no protection) to 9 (protected against submersion and high pressure jets). When an X is used instead of a number, it means that the product has not been tested for durability. If it is waterproof, it may have some natural resistance to solids, but there is no guarantee.
IP67 is a common rating these days that indicates highly rugged and potentially robust speakers. It’s safe for quick dunks in the pool or bath and should be more than OK in the rain or shower. They are also good options for the beach, playground and other rough environments.
A secondary rating will often include a tight cover over the charging or auxiliary ports. If you intend to use ports, this may limit the product’s rated ability to repel components.
Best Portable, Bluetooth Speakers
Consider the IP rating and how you intend to use your Bluetooth speaker when making your decision. It may be worth splurging on a better-sounding model with a lower IP rating if you’ll be using it mostly indoors, for example.
The focus of this guide is on portable Bluetooth speakers, and while “portable” may be a relative term, these devices are generally for people who are likely to find themselves far from a power outlet. These days, around 12 hours of runtime seems to be the baseline, but of course, the more battery life you can get from a speaker, the better.
That said, be careful when looking at battery specifications, as they often list a maximum run time (“up to” x number of hours). This usually means that they are tested at a low to medium volume. If you like to sing loudly, this can often cut the expected time in half or more. Fortunately, some manufacturers also list the expected battery life when used at full volume and this transparency is appreciated.
Additionally, if your Bluetooth speaker also happens to have WiFi connectivity, they are usually designed for always-on functionality. Unlike normal Bluetooth speakers that go to sleep after a short period of non-use, they will usually stay awake (listening to your commands) and slowly drain the battery. If you’re on the road, you’ll want to remember to manually turn off these speakers when not in use to maximize battery life.
Bose Soundlink Mini Portable Bluetooth Speaker Ii, Triple Black
Fixing Bluetooth is a tricky business. Some companies list the longest possible range of their products, usually outdoors and in an unobstructed line-of-sight test environment. Other companies stick to a 30-foot range on the spec sheet and leave it at that, even though they may use Bluetooth 4.x or 5.x. This probably denies the potential of the speaker, but unpredictable environment can affect distance and there is no point in promising the moon only to get complaints.
I saw the signal drop problem when I was crouching down, with my phone in the front pocket of my jeans, and barely 30 feet away from a speaker in my apartment. I have encountered this problem on multiple devices regardless of the ranges listed.
If you’re hosting a patio party with indoor ducks, it’s a good idea to keep the source device nearby just in case. It is difficult to determine which aspects of any environment may interfere with a Bluetooth signal. In general, take range specifications of around 100 feet or more as a perfect world scenario.
This is a small mention for those out there who use a speaker for their computer output, or as a mini sound solution for setups like a monitor and power box. It’s annoying to find that your speaker’s latency isn’t low enough to avoid lip sync issues. Fortunately, it seems so
Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers For The Home 2019
Speakers these days don’t often have these problems. Only a handful of a few dozen speakers I tried had persistent, noticeable problems lip-syncing. Aside from the occasional blip, all our picks worked well in this regard.
If you plan to use a speaker regularly for video playback, look for devices with the latest Bluetooth versions (4.x or 5.x) and lower latency codecs such as aptX. Also make sure the speaker is close to the source device as distance can be a factor. However, to avoid the problem altogether, consider getting one with a wired accessory.
If you’re just looking for an ultra-portable speaker that can throw out some decent volume, the Tribit StormBox Micro 2 fits the bill. The sound quality here is good; it doesn’t stand out in terms of fidelity, but the volume you get from this small affordable speaker is what makes it a good choice. If you’re out and about on your bike or lounging in the park, it’s usually more about portability and volume anyway. The rubber back strap works well on relatively thin items such as belts, backpacks and bicycle handlebars.
Although small and affordable, the speaker also doubles as a USB-C power bank to charge your devices in a pinch and you can connect two of them wirelessly for party mode or stereo sound. It also supports voice assistant for both users and Android.
Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers 2019
The UE Wonderboom 2 is a small but powerful portable device that delivers the biggest sound in its size range that we’ve tested. This beautiful barrel-shaped speaker has a garlic strap that probably needs a carabiner to help attach it to most things. And with an IP67 rating on top of the company’s 5-foot drop test durability, it can go with you almost anywhere and survive to tell the tale.
The sound quality, meanwhile, is punchy and clear enough for what you would expect in this scale and price range. While there is no app support or connectivity with the rest of the UE speaker lineup, you can easily pair it with a second Wonderboom for stereo sound. There is also a mode button from the bottom that boosts the mid and high range to help carry the sound over a greater distance.
This wedge of a speaker could easily slip under your radar, but it’s well worth a listen. It has a clear and bassy output, helped by Qualcomm aptX support for high resolution audio. This device has a solid, slightly heavy build with a front metal speaker grill, a soft rubber coated exterior (that loves your fat fingerprints) and IPX7 water resistance. While it’s not the lightest or most portable, the sound is respectable, especially for the price. In addition, the application offers EQ adjustments, so you can fine tune to your liking.
There is also a 3.5mm aux input for wired connection. This is lucky because we find that this speaker works well as an alternative mini sound and the wire inputs provide a foolproof connection.
The Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers You Can Buy
If you have a large space inside the house, yard or similar and you want something with powerful sound long throw in an affordable package, the Soundcore Trance Go could surprise you. Larger than most others in this price range, this speaker will weigh a bit of a backpack at around six pounds, but it offers a carrying strap, up to 24 hours of runtime, a port to charge your devices, and an additional opinion. .
If you are close, you will hear the roar of his bars and some decent authors. However, it is generally set to cover large spaces, and the sound will not work for every situation. It works like a mini speaker, putting out around 98dB, although with a slightly thin sound that will not overwhelm the environment. You can also use the Soundcore app to apply or adjust EQ presets as you see fit. If you have two
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