Gadgets Do It Yourself

Best Bluetooth Speakers (2024)

Marshall Stockwell II Portable Bluetooth Speakers
Written by prodigitalweb

Bluetooth speakers still have a place in our hearts despite the smart speakers creeping into the universe. You can ask an Amazon Echo or Google Nest speaker easily to play the track you want, or you can ask them to know about the weather update. But remember that these smart speakers have some crutches like stable WiFi. As Bluetooth speakers allow you to port them, you can use this outside of your house. Besides, these speakers work with any smartphone. In addition, these sound as good as the smart-speaker equivalents.

If you need to buy the best quality outdoor Bluetooth Speakers, you have come to the right place. After testing hundreds of products, we have covered the best Bluetooth speakers in this article. Choose the best model as per your requirements and budget.

Table of Contents

What is a Bluetooth speaker?

The bluetooth speaker refers to an amplifier & loudspeaker which has Bluetooth wireless connectivity. It can be paired with one or more smartphones, tablets, iPods or PCs. These speakers come in all sizes and are available with replaceable batteries. Digital audio streams are received by these speakers from the host device that are typically compressed. After that, it decompresses and decodes. Next, it amplifies audio via the built-in speakers.

Why are Bluetooth Speakers A Must-Have Tech Accessory?

The festive season involves parties, celebrations, and get-togethers. For a party, music & top-quality speakers are crucial components. These speakers are lightweight, portable, and power-saving. While bulky speakers take up excessive space on the dance floor, Bluetooth speakers can be a great alternative to them. It is one of the benefits of these tech accessories. Here, we are going to mention the top five reasons why you should buy a Bluetooth speaker.

Energy-efficient:

Are you wondering what are the advantages of purchasing these best portable Bluetooth speakers? These speakers are wireless, so they do not use any electricity. Therefore, those who want to blare music all through the late-night party, can enjoy any occasion without the tension of electricity bills. If you use a standard rechargeable Bluetooth speaker, remember that it can last for up to 48 hours with nonstop music, which is quite unbelievable.

Environment-friendly:

The latest Bluetooth models are super environment-friendly. If you want to decrease the power load, Bluetooth speakers are perfect options for weddings and outdoor functions.

Wireless & Portable:

The portability of these speakers can benefit you over traditional speakers. These are simpler to cart around due to their compact size & wireless capabilities. If you are planning to make a road trip with your friends, these portable Bluetooth speakers can give you a lot of enjoyment throughout the ride.

Easy to Use:

These are simple to set up. You need to unbox it only and then start using it. Most speakers come with short self-explanatory instructions. So, these need minimal set-up time.

Affordable:

When it comes to affordability, these are a far better choice than traditional speakers. These are available in various colors & designs to go with your decor.

Advantages of Shopping For Bluetooth Speakers:

These are the benefits of shopping for Bluetooth speakers:-

Use as home decor item:

Not only for listening to music, the Bluetooth speakers let you use them also as home decor items. It can be a decorative item for a living room, kitchen or even a patio. In addition, it can be used for adding more fun to outdoor activities such as picnics, camping, etc. If you want to buy something funky & unique home décor, this one is a great option. While these speakers are simple to carry around and play amazingly beautiful songs, a beautiful-looking Bluetooth music player allows you to use these as home décor items.

Use inside your house:

Do you have a Bluetooth speaker? If so, you will know how beneficial these are. You will be able to move it anywhere. When you have a party in your home, you just need to place them on the floor and let the music play loudly. Those who have a bigger house should place the speakers in a higher position so that everyone in that house can hear the music.

Take It Outside:

Do you want to host a party? Are you planning to organize a picnic or a dance party with friends in the backyard? Then, you must need Bluetooth speakers to enjoy the music outside. While these speakers let you hear songs from your wireless phone or tablet, they allow you to make & receive calls. You can use an outdoor Bluetooth speaker to generate a setting conducive to music. If you want to enjoy your favorite music while having a party or picnic outside, you should definitely buy a Bluetooth speaker. After buying a portable Bluetooth speaker, you just need to connect your device to the speaker and then enjoy listening to your favorite music.

Hands-Free Phone Call with Bluetooth Speakers:

These speakers have many features, and the built-in microphone is one of the key features. Due to the presence of these features, you can use a Bluetooth speaker as a hands-free phone call device. It is beneficial for those who are willing to have a speakerphone in their car. When you drive, the default Mic enables you to have a hands-free phone call.

Upgrade Your Home Audio System with these:

So, why are you waiting? Just buy the best Bluetooth speaker and make your home ready for a party.

How Do Bluetooth Speakers Work?

These work as typically wired speakers but do not receive audio signals in the same way as the wired one do. Wired passive speakers receive the speaker-level audio signals through hardwired speaker cables. If you use wired active speakers, you should know these models receive speaker-level signals via speaker cable or line, and the mic and instrument level signals via a thinner audio cable.

As the name suggests, Bluetooth speakers can receive audio signals wirelessly via Bluetooth. Its default power amplifier will receive the audio signal wirelessly via Bluetooth. Remember that Bluetooth protocols carry line-level signals. Whereas in wired setups, the signal level needs amplification from a power amp before driving the drivers of a loudspeaker.

Steps:

  • If you want this to work with an audio device, you need to connect the speaker wirelessly to the Bluetooth audio device.
  • As soon as you pair them, both will create a Piconet in which the audio device will send its audio signal to the speaker via Bluetooth.
  • A few smart speakers have voice assistant technology and pause/play controls. These use the Piconet to send information back to the audio device.
  • When the Bluetooth receiver of the speaker receives the digital audio signal, it will pass through two key components before it drives the speaker’s drivers.
  • As digital audio is transmitted by Bluetooth, it is necessary to convert the audio signal into an analog audio signal and it will be done via a built-in digital-to-analog converter.
  • After that, a power amplifier will be used to send the converted analog audio, as discussed before. You should know that the amplified output signal has low enough impedance & high enough current to drive your speaker’s drivers correctly.
  • After the signal is passed through the driver, your driver needs to create sound waves representing the audio signal. Thus, you can listen to an audio signal’s information via Bluetooth speakers.

How can you use Bluetooth Speakers with Mobile Phones?

These are some simple steps you need to follow to use these speakers:

Step 1) Put this in pairing mode:

First, your job is to power on the speaker and then hold the Bluetooth button on the device for a long time. Once you hit the button, the speaker will enter pairing mode. Then, it becomes discoverable to other devices.

Step 2) Switch on Bluetooth on the mobile phone:

Whether you use Android or iOS, you should navigate to the settings in your phone. Then, you have to choose the Bluetooth settings option. After that, scroll down to the other Devices section under Bluetooth settings. Ensure that the mobile is in discoverable mode. Then, you need to choose the speaker which you want to pair. Tap on the speaker’s name under the ‘other devices’ option. Now, you will find both your mobile and speaker in pairing mode. As soon as the pairing is completed, both devices will get connected.

Step 3) Wait for the mobile to connect:

You can play music or audio with the speaker when your mobile is connected. Repeat the same process, if you want to connect devices other than a  smartphone.

Step 4) Play Music:

As soon as you get the connection, you can play your favourite music or use it like you want.

How can you connect/pair Bluetooth Speakers to a computer/laptop running Mac OS?

The process will let you know how to connect/pair Bluetooth Speakers to a computer/laptop running Mac OS.

Step 1) Make Mac OS Computer Discoverable:

If you want to make your computer running Mac OS discoverable, you should follow these steps:

  • First, you have to go to System Preferences and then Bluetooth.
  • Next, you need to tap on the “Turn Bluetooth On” option.
  • You can see there “Now discoverable as “computer_name.”

Step 2) Pair The Mac OS Computer With The Speaker:

  • Go to System Preferences and Bluetooth.
  • Under Devices
  • Tap on “Pair” adjacent to the “speaker_name” option.

Step 3) Unpair/Disconnect The Mac OS Computer From The Speaker:

  • Go to System Preferences and Bluetooth.
  • Under Devices
  • Then, tap “x” adjacent to the “speaker_name” option.
  • Tap on “Remove.”

How can you connect/pair bluetooth speakers to a computer/laptop running Windows OS?

It is a two-way pairing method meaning both devices must accept to be paired.

  1. Make Your Windows OS Computer Discoverable:

If you are willing to make the PC running Windows OS discoverable, follow the steps:

  • Navigate to Settings. Then, move to the Devices, Bluetooth, and Manage Bluetooth Devices option.
  • After that, you should tap on the option Turn Bluetooth On. You will get to see this message on the screen, “Your PC is searching for and can be discovered by Bluetooth devices.”
  1. Pair The Windows OS Computer With The Speaker:

  • Head towards the Settings. Then, you need to move to Devices and, thereafter, Bluetooth & Other Devices.
  • Now, you should tap on Add Bluetooth Or Other Device.
  • Next, tap on the “speaker_name” option.

Alternatively, you can follow this method.

  • Navigate to the Control Panel. Then, you need to go to Hardware And Sound. After that, you should move to Devices And Printers.
  • Now, you have to tap on Add A Device.
  • Then, you need to tap on the “speaker_name” option.

3) Unpair/Disconnect The Windows OS Computer From The Speaker:

  • You should first head towards the Settings. Then, move to Devices and Bluetooth & Other Devices.
  • Now, you need to tap on the “speaker_name” option.
  • Next, tap on the “Remove Device” option.
  • Then, you need to tap on the “Yes” option.

How can you Connect/Pair Bluetooth Speakers To Playstation?

It doesn’t support Bluetooth speakers unless you plug them into the controller.

How can you Connect/Pair Bluetooth Speakers To Xbox?

Xbox One doesn’t have Bluetooth functionality.

Top Five Bluetooth Speaker:

JBL CHARGE 5 – Portable Bluetooth Speaker

JBL CHARGE 5 Description:

This portable Bluetooth speaker can deliver bold JBL Original Pro Sound with the optimized long-excursion driver, separate tweeter & dual-pumping JBL bass radiators. While you can play music continuously for twenty hours, you can use the power bank to keep your devices charged so that you can party the whole night. The IP67 waterproof and dustproof Charge 5 makes the product one of the best JBL Bluetooth speakers.

With the help of the PartyBoost feature, it is possible to connect many JBL PartyBoost-enabled speakers for louder sound.

Features:

Waterproof: A few people do not believe in the characteristics of waterproofing that IP ratings promise. However, this model comes with an official IP67 rating indicating that it is able to withstand dust.

Besides, it can handle submersion in up to 1 meter of tap water for a maximum of half an hour. However, after a firm dunk in a bucket of water, the product can sound very good when it is dry. One thing you should ensure is that you have closed the charging port flap securely. Although after a firm dunk in a bucket of water, the fabric which covers the speaker gets wet, everything will sound normal, when it becomes dry.

PartyBoost feature: This feature lets you connect two party-boost compatible JBL

Bluetooth speakers in stereo. Moreover, you can connect many party-boost compatible speakers to get excellent sound quality.

Powerbank: Its built-in Powerbank allows you to charge your devices without taking a break.

Accessories: The package includes a JBL Charge 5, a Quick Start Guide, a Safety Sheet, a Type C USB Cable, and a Warranty Card.

Pros:

  • Excellent Sound quality
  • Comes with IP67 rating
  • Quick Start Guide

Cons:

  • No microphone
  • Bulky

Sonos Move – Battery-powered Smart Speaker

Sonos Move Description:

This speaker’s deep bass, wide soundscape, and automatic True-play tuning let you balance the sound you are listening to.

Features:

All-new Sonos Move: The all-new Sonos Move can provide awesome sound anywhere. It is a battery-powered speaker that you can use for outdoor & indoor listening.

Easy to use: Within minutes, you can set up this Bluetooth speaker. You can control the speaker using the Sonos app, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, and your voice.

WiFi and Bluetooth: While you can stream over WiFi, connecting the model to the Sonos system at home is also possible. If you are offline and away, you should switch to Bluetooth.

Battery: It can play music continuously for up to ten hours. The product allows you to charge it easily on the included base. Otherwise, you can charge it using a compatible USB-C charger.

Weather resistant: The IP56 rating ensures that the model can withstand humidity, rain, snow, dust, salt spray, UV rays, and extreme heat & cold.

Ultra-durable: As the components of the model remain covered by a shock-resistant case, it protects the speaker from accidental drops or bumps.

Pros:

  • Excellent sound quality
  • Works with both WiFi & Bluetooth
  • Charging cradle
  • Alexa and Google Assistant
  • IP56 rating

Cons:

  • Can distort at high volume

Ultimate Ears Hyperboom Portable & Home Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Ultimate Ears Hyperboom Portable Description:

The product offers a supermassive sound with awesome bass and adds extra fun to your party. Its exceptional dynamic range can render each sound level in detail. With the help of this adaptive EQ, the product reads your room, patio or rooftop and then customizes the sound automatically for the space. There are two Bluetooth — one auxiliary and one optical input using which you can connect 4 devices at a time and even switch between them so that the music never stops. The rechargeable battery can last up to twenty-four hours.

Features:

Battery life: The battery enables you to play music upto 24 hours. Therefore, you can continue your party anywhere without worrying about the time limit.

Adaptive equalizer: The adaptive EQ can read the environment and customize the sound automatically until the sound gets utterly perfect for the space.

Spill & splash proof: The product is built in such a way so that it can handle spills and splashes. It comes with an IPX4 rating.

Pros:

  • IPX4 rating
  • Two Bluetooth inputs
  • Spill & splash proof
  • Adaptive equalizer
  • 24-hour battery life

Cons:

  • Not totally waterproof

Tribit StormBox Bluetooth Speaker

Tribit StormBox Bluetooth Speaker Description:

You can connect the speaker to any Bluetooth enabled device such as iPhone, Samsung, iPad, or laptop. The speaker has a convenient 3.5mm audio jack that offers quick connection to PCs, TVs and MP3 players. The company intends to deliver the top-quality audio products on the market and offers an 18-month Replacement warranty, a 30-Day money-back guarantee & lifetime customer support on Tribit speakers.

Features:

360° Immersive Sound: Using this speaker, you can feel the music like never before. It helps to pump out crisp treble, detailed mids from wall to wall.

Exceptional XBass Technology: With the help of the exclusive XBass technology, Tribit StormBox Bluetooth Speaker can produce bass to fill the room & send shivers down your spine. You only need to hit the XBass button to start using it.

Completely Waterproof: This speaker can be used for pool parties, and even at the beach. Moreover, this Bluetooth speaker can handle complete submersion. The product’s unique feature is the advanced IPX7 waterproofing, which ensures that the speaker is able to withstand up to half an hour in 3 feet deep water.

Awesome 20h Playtime: The 2600mah rechargeable li-ion battery is able to provide 20 hours of continuous playtime.

Pros:

  • 20h Playtime
  • Li-ion battery
  • IPX7 waterproofing
  • Exceptional XBass Technology
  • 360° Immersive Sound

Cons:

  • Not long-lasting

Marshall Stockwell II Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Marshall Stockwell II Portable Bluetooth Speakers Description:

This model is for those who love to listen to music and love the classic Marshall guitar amplifier design. Although, for Marshall products, you buy a model for style, the audio lives up to expectations. This speaker delivers a killer, refined sound.

The exterior design of the product has a splash-resistant silicone finish. Whereas the front & back side of the speaker remains covered with a steel grille. This model comes with a front-facing woofer and a tweeter on every side and it is powered by a battery that can last around 20 hours depending on how much you are tweaking the stylish volume, treble, and bass knobs. In addition, the product comes with a battery indicator.

Features:

20h+ playtime: This Bluetooth speaker can provide 20+ hours of playtime once you charge it completely. Besides, it comes with a pint-sized frame and guitar-inspired carry strap that makes the model an excellent option.

IPX4: This water-resistant rating ensures that the product can withstand splashes of water.

Multi-host functionality: This feature allows you to connect & switch between two Bluetooth devices. Therefore, you and your friend are able to take turns playing what you are willing to hear. Analogue control knobs are available in the top panel for bass, treble and volume. These knobs let you fine-tune to the exact sound you need.

Charge in a flash: A 20-minute charge can provide 6 hours of portable playtime.

Accessories: The available components in this package are: Speaker, USB-C cable, Quick Start Guide, and Legal and Safety Information.

Pros:

  • Six hours of playtime after a 20-minute charge
  • Multi-host functionality
  • 20h+ playtime

Cons:

  • The audio quality is not so good

Buying guide of the best Bluetooth speaker:

As a lot of Bluetooth speakers are available in the market, choosing the right model will be very tough. You should consider these below-mentioned factors before purchasing the best Bluetooth speaker.

Style & Design:

Bluetooth speakers come in several designs. However, rectangular sound-bar design is the most common. Whereas a few new models come with a cylindrical shape rounded all over design. The latest development in this industry is the fabric-covered speakers. Overall, you should look for such a product which should not only come with an efficient design, but also it must be capable of dispersing sound all around the room. You can choose spherical & cup-shaped Bluetooth speakers for this purpose.

Bluetooth Version:

Understanding the Bluetooth version is important when you purchase a Bluetooth speaker. The 1st version of Bluetooth was Bluetooth 1.0, but it is outdated now. A higher Bluetooth version can boost the data rate. But it impacted plenty of stuff, like compatibility with wearables & headphones.

The latest innovations are Bluetooth 4.0 and 5.0. These are able to communicate with a lot of devices and send information over long distances. For a high data rate, the 4.0 version is the correct choice. But this version doesn’t support wireless headphones.

On the other hand, Bluetooth 5.0 can send low-power data over up to 240 meters. It can support small sensors. Besides, this one is perfect for connecting to wireless headphones. Additionally, the Bluetooth 5.0 version is backwards compatible with earlier Bluetooth versions.

Frequency Response:

It indicates the frequency range which speakers are able to sense and transmit. Generally, we hear anything between 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. That’s why your earphone must be capable of rendering that.

A typical frequency response graph represents the intensity or volume with which speakers output every frequency. An ideal graph has to be a straight line in which every frequency is sent & received at the same intensity. Do you daily listen to bass-heavy music like rock and metal? Then, you need to buy such a Bluetooth speaker which can help you increase the bass frequencies. The graph will look like a curve ( high to low).

Drivers:

These are used to emit sound from the speaker. When you buy a big home-theatre-style speaker, you can find up to three drivers used for the treble, bass, and mid-frequency sounds, respectively.

When it comes to talking about a normal Bluetooth speaker, a single full-range driver is used normally because of the space shortage. There are twin-driver speakers which can give clearer sounds. A few models use a vibration-generating device rather than using another bass speaker. As the drivers decide the sound output, a more significant driver will deliver louder noise. Usually, a Bluetooth speaker has a 40 mm driver. But you can use a larger model than that if you need it. But you need to remember that larger drivers require bigger speakers.

Audio Quality:

It indicates the total harmonic distortion & the frequency response. The speaker’s internal noise is the whole harmonic distortion. Usually, you want this to be within 1%. Other aspects like mechanical & environmental noise can hinder the listening experience.

Connectivity:

These speakers only require a Bluetooth connection. So, apart from assessing the Bluetooth version, you should try to have a little wired connectivity. You need to look for a basic AUX input which people generally need for playing songs. A few models feature NFC. Although most of us don’t use this, it can enable fast pairing between your device & the speaker. Try to purchase a model which is NFC-enabled.

If you are connected to a device which doesn’t have Bluetooth, you need to use the wired inputs. This is why you should try to consider wired connectivity. However, there are other reasons, like reducing interruptions, saving up on battery life, etc.

Water-Resistance:

Several people prefer listening to music in the pool or shower. Therefore, they want to buy such models which are waterproof. So, it is important to look at the IP rating. Hence, you should check the IP rating chart.

Before everything, you should know that the IP rating’s first digit refers to the solid-particle ingress protection. Regarding these speakers, it indicates dust and debris. The water or liquid ingress protection is indicated by the second digit. Suppose a speaker is rated IP54. It indicates that the product is dust-protected and able to withstand light splashes.

For most applications, you should look for a dust ingress rating of 5 or above, along with a water ingress rating of 4 or above. If you want a speaker to use in the pools, you should ensure that the model has a water ingress rating of 7 or above. It indicates that you can submerge the speaker in water up to a meter in depth.

Battery Life:

Don’t forget to consider the battery life. Usually, these speakers last for upto 24 hours once you fully charge it. But a few cheap models do not even last sixty minutes. Remember that charging time is one of the vital buying factors. Try to have a bigger battery so that it can last long. However, bigger batteries take more time to get charged.

Conclusion:

You may be confused while deciding which one is the best Bluetooth speaker. As many choices are available, it is very tough to select the right model. Along with covering Bluetooth speakers review, in this article, we have given you all the important details you need to learn about these speakers. The best Bluetooth speaker should be chosen depending on the ideal frequency response & long-lasting battery.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which brand of Bluetooth speaker is best?

These are some best Bluetooth speakers:-

  • Flip 6.
  • Charge 5.
  • Katch G2.
  • Xtreme 3.
  • Flip 5.
  • Stormbox Micro 2.
  • Why is JBL the best?

The JBL speakers have an excellent sound quality. Besides, the price of the JBL speaker is not so high.

  • What are the top 5 speakers?

These are the names of the top five speakers:-

  • JBL Boombox 3.
  • Sony SRS-XG500.
  • Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM.
  • Anker Soundcore Motion+
  • Apple HomePod (2nd generation)

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