Best Bluetooth Wireless Speakers On The Market Right Now We Have Tested!
Office reviewers aren’t market experts armed with reams of statistical data, but we can walk into a big electronics store, just like anyone else. We’ve noticed, besides wearables, Bluetooth speakers have become one of the most crowded categories in consumer tech. The big boombox sized speakers with clever audio activated lighting systems are built to get the party started. On the shelf below, waterproof variations on the same design use smaller form factors, and there’s no lights. One of these will hang on a shower rail, which is the last place you want to be dazzled by party lights anyway.
The point we’re trying to get at, and hopefully succeeding, is that Bluetooth wireless speakers come in many shapes and sizes, they’re super popular, and you’ll find them everywhere, from your shower to a tailgate party celebrating a win at a big sporting event. Heck, even if it’s not a win, we drown our tears with angry music and lots of carbonated beverages, energy drinks aplenty. At any rate, undeniably popular, packed with wireless smarts and even a few bonus features, too, Bluetooth speakers are on the rise. There are scores of them, falling off those shelves but bouncing back without damage due to their shockproof frames. Which one is worth you parting with your hard-earned cash? Which one booms with raw bass or radiates smooth jazz with lots of nuanced highs and rich treble? And which one has enough battery power to outlast the rest? We’re going to answer those questions, and more, taking you along for the ride.
Our mission, should we choose to accept it—yes, we just watched Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One—is to separate the genuinely great from the overhyped, helping you pick a Bluetooth speaker that fits your needs. Starting strong, the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is up first.
Best Bluetooth Wireless Speakers You Can Buy Right Now!
Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
"Engineered to deliver true 360 sound for consistent, uniform coverage from a bluetooth speaker. SoundLink Revolve-plus II plays louder and deeper with longer battery life, up to 17 hours from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, than SoundLink Revolve II."
The Plus two iterative marketing speak aside, the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a sequel with a unique form factor. It looks like a futuristic coffee thermos. We know that’s not true, though, not with the metallic grille letting precious caffeine nectar leak out of its innards. No, this is a premium Bluetooth speaker with big aspirations. The shape lets 360° sound flow out as a raspy rumble, so we put it in the middle of our office space for our tests.
We’d purchased the optional charging cradle, letting the speaker sit and kick out its big, detailed acoustics while it sipped energy. Untethered from this energy source, it would last 17 hours on a long-lasting battery. That’s impressive, but we’ve reviewed better battery lifespans. The lifelong Jazz lover among our staffers got his greedy little hands on the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II first. He’s fast. And he was rewarded by first choice playlist selection. He loaded up a track from the Miles Davis Kind of Blue album, and we were instantly relaxed, left in a musical daze by the richly textured trumpet blues.
Taking advantage of Siri or Google assistant straight from the speaker, we were tempted to order some actual coffee, taking the afternoon off to listen to the rest of the album. But we’re professionals, with no time for legendary jazz musicians, so we pushed through, taking the opportunity to test out playback via Bose SimpleSync technology. This is the company name for a popular feature among Bluetooth devices. Basically, the hardware syncs up multiple compatible Bose home speakers, keeping every note perfectly meshed. For this reason, and for the fabric handle, extra points were awarded, minus one for its high price tag. To set up the Bluetooth speaker, download the Bose Connect app.
The Bluetooth breakdown – A true wireless star in the making, this portable speaker features IP55 splash resistance. A microphone for calls and voice assistants. Comes with a stylish fabric carrying handle. It’s expensive.
Sonos Roam Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
"Enjoy up to 10 hours of astonishing sound with this portable speaker. Stream music and more over WiFi at home and listen on the go with Bluetooth. Easily control the sound with the Sonos app, your voice, and Apple AirPlay 2."
Entertainment system gurus wanted to review one of their wired speakers, but that would’ve meant diverting from our course too much. Instead, we pulled in a Sonos Roam for test purposes. It’s most definitely a wireless Bluetooth speaker, equipped with a waterproof case that delivers IP67 weatherproofing. Where the above Bose device can handle an occasional pool splash, this sealed gadget can fall into the pool and be pulled out, still radiating superbly crisp mids and pounding bass. It’ll likely perform just as well at the beach, repelling the sand that always finds a way into our clothes. We downloaded the Sonos app and got to work, playlists locked and loaded.
Lossless Tidal tracks played through the speaker as soon as we’d finished configuring the speaker for Apple AirPlay 2 streaming. The many iPhone owners in the office annexe spend a fair amount of their earnings on FLAC music, so a seamless hookup to a favorite app was considered essential. For the rest of us, we vibed to the curated playlists that popped up on Sonos Radio, using hands free Amazon Alexa control to satisfy the staff mood that day, which was a little maudlin. Spicing up the mood, we tested out Sonos Voice Control, surprised at just how responsive the hardware was at recognizing voice commands.
Battery life was average, but that’s not surprising. When measuring the diminutive case, it came in at a 6.6 by 2.4 by 2.3 inch form factor, weighing no more than 0.95 lbs. There was no room for a big battery. On the plus side, that’s 10 hours of weatherproof music on a backpacking trip or on a sandy beach. Most people, carrying around a small device like this, are going to expect tinny sound. Equipped with 2 class-H digital amps, a rumbly midwoofer and a high-quality tweeter, the Sonos Roam subverts expectations, delivering a big, crisp sound profile.
The Bluetooth Breakdown – Stellar IP67 weatherproofing in a tiny package. The sound was excellent. Hands free voice control. The 10 hour battery life could be better. Far field mic array picks out commands from background chatter.
JBL Boombox 3 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
"Enjoy your music with massive JBL Original Pro Sound. The new 3-way speakers deliver higher sensitivity of our acoustic design sharpens clarity while lowering distortion for monstrous bass and a rich audio spectrum—no matter how high you turn up the volume. Waterproof : Yes"
Its older stylings conjured up images of 80s movies among our mature staffers. They’d grow misty-eyed and think about breakdancing and street hip-hop tapes blasting down graffiti-covered streets. However, the camouflage pattern on the JBL Boombox 3 we were testing immediately dispelled that imagery. For sure, it’s big enough and has the right curves, but the modern design and rugged build make it clear, this speaker is built for today’s adventures, not as a throwback. With a massive handle that practically dares you to take it anywhere, the JBL Boombox 3 delivers booming bass, crisp highs, and a 24-hour battery life.
No surprise there, bigger form factors tend to imply longer battery lifespans. As for case ruggedness, we took the speaker to the streets, 21st century style, not back to the 80s. A fully sealed IP67 waterproof rating had us unafraid to leave the big Bluetooth speaker by the edge of a community pool. Considering how big that pool was, partygoers spread all the way to its far side, the big bassy growl and larger than life JBL Original Pro Sound spitting out of the Boombox 3 projected far without losing impact. Even if we’d been hanging out at an olympic sized swimming pool, we’d have just called in a second JBL Boombox 3, hooking it up to the first so that the fun could spill out onto the street.
By the numbers, we pumped up the sound on the powerbank capable three-way Bluetooth speaker, and there was very little high-end distortion in response to this daring twist of the volume control. Output power rumbled due to the 60W sub, with 30W of stereo in the midrange drivers and another 2x stereo output provided by the twin 8W tweeters. In summary, unlike smaller wireless speakers, this device creates wide stereo sound profiles, lasting for as long as 24 hours. Let’s hope the neighbors don’t mind. Just as a side note, be careful, there’s a Wi-Fi edition that uses the JBL One app. This model requires the JBL Portable app.
The Bluetooth breakdown – Bluetooth 5.3 variant is significantly cheaper than the Wi-Fi edition. 24 hour battery life. Three-way drivers. Can connect a second JBL Boombox 3 for even more party coverage. IP67 waterproof rated, perfect for pool party accidents. A little heavy, at 14.7 lbs. No voice Assistant support.
Ultimate Ears Hyperboom Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
"Big loud pristine sound plus extreme bass ultimate ears Hyperboom is a portable Bluetooth speaker with supermassive beautifully rich sound with big booming bass. Play music from four different devices and easily switch between them with just a press of a button connect via two Bluetooth inputs one auxiliary and one optical input."
The 1.2 ft tall squared off aesthetics of the colorfully named Ultimate Ears Hyperboom makes it look like a key part of some techno-based Stonehenge copy has been stolen. It’s more likely, given the height and width, that the skinny dimensions are intended to help it fade into the background, standing tall among vibing event attendees as they sway to the music. We had nothing against the monolith-like build, but one of our staffers did almost trip over it on the way out of the office for a lunch pickup run. Anyway, onwards and upwards with the specs. The first of which has to be the big battery.
Inside the 0.6 foot wide form factor, a big lithium ion battery keeps the party going all night, delivering 24 hours of Bluetooth audio over six powerful drivers. By the numbers, there’s two 5.66-inch bass woofers, another two 0.98-inch tweeters, and a final duo of passive radiators, measured at 7.48-inches. Technically, in case anyone wants to point it out, that’s four active drivers and two passive radiators, but we’re not going to quibble over a minor point. What we focused on over the numbers was the 147 foot listening range, not feeling too much pity for those who’d dare cosy up to the heart of what we came to think of as acoustic ground zero, configured by installing the UE Boom app.
Loud and proud, the sound profile was noted—after the ringing had faded from our ears—as dynamic and punchy. The two woofers covered the low-frequency range, emitting enough thump to make dishes on tables vibrate. Treble was also pleasing, but the Hyperboom label was clearly a well-earned reference to the bass empathized frequency response. Let’s be honest, while classical music and ambient soundtracks will sound amazing through this tall device, rap and electronica music are more likely to be at home in its passive radiating grilles. Finishing with several positives, adaptive EQ provided on-the-fly sound profiles in any environment, and the ability to seamlessly switch between source mobile devices came in very handy. IPX4 splash resistant.
The Bluetooth breakdown – Battling smartphones used the four device max sharing feature to show off playlists. Multiple Hyperbooms can sync. A little heavy on the bass for purists. Big in every way, including range and battery life.
Klipsch Detroit Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
"Dual 1" tweeters and dual 3" woofers deliver full range audio for a premium live concert experience. With just a tap on your Klipsch Connect app, you can customize EQ settings for your ideal bass, mid-range and treble; receive over-the-air firmware updates and receive access to support."
The designers and sound engineers at the legendary speaker manufacturer have come together to create an inspired Bluetooth speaker series. This is the Klipsch Detroit, a big 13.1 by 4.7 by 4.2-inch retro-looking black box that emulates some of the designs found on old guitar amps. It’s also 7.3 lbs, so it’s portable, just about. A little heavier than average—no real issue, not with the wide strap fitted—we discovered that the IP67 black enclosure concealed four powerful 15W amplifiers, each of which was capable of reproducing resonant audio at a rich, detailed pitch. The battery was probably guilty of weighing down the bass-reflex architectured enclosure as well, for it boasted a 20 hour lifespan.
Every audiophile is aware of Klipsch. They build the audio gear found in big store closed listening rooms, equipped with legacy dynamic range and nuanced mids. It was a treat to see this acoustic engineering prowess transplanted into a portable wireless speaker, one that used Bluetooth 5.3 to transfer clean sound signals to the one-inch horn-loaded tweeters inside the Klipsch Detroit housing. Dual three-inch woofers assumed bass decoding duties, rumbling with well-defined lows, never muddy or distorted. In short, this is a device that has a mountain of legacy technology to fall back upon, delivering not only stunning clarity but also a rich, immersive sound. The speaker’s ability to balance high-end detail with low-end punch makes it an ideal companion for audiophiles who demand premium sound quality on the go.
It’s an expensive purchase, and it’s maybe not intended for the bass loving party crowd, but the Detroit has everything a high-fidelity listener could ever ask for, including multi-speaker hookups when using Broadcast Mode, a 20 hour battery, and USB-C powerbank charging, for when your smartphone is running low and no wall outlets are available. To get the best out of it, we downloaded and installed the Klipsch Connect Plus app, pausing for a minute to answer an incoming call on the built-in microphone. And the impression we experienced over several hours of listening? Sound quality to the fore, there was still enough forward-thinking and features to accommodate modern needs without sacrificing audiophile-grade performance.
The Bluetooth breakdown – IP67 waterproofing guarded our expensive investment. Good audiophile rated 20 plus hours of operation. Backed by a mature speaker development ecosystem. It’s a Klipsch. Broadcast mode.
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
- Truly portable Bluetooth speaker for music and calls
- More sound. More bass. Peak power of 2X140 W
- All aluminum dome. Dust and splash resistant
North American consumers might not be overly familiar with the name, but we’ve seen enough B&O tuned laptop speakers to know that most should have a passing familiarity with the label. The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 is not a laptop, though, it’s a full-fledged Bluetooth speaker with 18 hours of rechargeable battery play time. Granted, it isn’t built to look like a slender thermos-like form factor. Truth be told, it resembles a large pill, its tiny rounded case blending in against a kitchen sink or European styled shower. We don’t know why we’re suddenly imagining the IP67 waterproof Bluetooth speaker inhabiting European trimmings, just go with it. Perhaps it was because of the Danish connection.
High-end audio has been a big deal in the Danish audio manufacturer’s design space for as long as Bluetooth speakers have existed. In fact, our oldest staffer remembers owning a B&O sound system back in the 80s. Outer design aesthetics have always been a central part of their build ethic, but never by sacrificing sound quality. On the contrary, the cool, nordic outer stylings are intended to echo the premium nature of the hardware inside their gear. The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 exemplifies this ethic, emitting crisp, radiant acoustics via tried and tested Bluetooth 5.1 technology. Extra features were also available to test. We particularly liked the inclusion of hands-free commands, using Alexa Assistant as the speakers’ trusty sidekick, making it feel like your own personal upmarket DJ without having to lift a finger.
It was after the tests and benchmarks that we came to our conclusion. Somehow, through some nordic wizardry that the rest of the world doesn’t have access to, this little pill of a speaker must be bigger on the inside. A 3.5-inch woofer has somehow been fitted inside, then there’s a 0.6-inch tweeter and two class D amplifiers as well. What other explanation could there be? Seriously, though, the engineers at Bang & Olufsen have gone out of their way to pack a big, far reaching sound that’s full of punch and clarity into such a compact package. It’s like they’ve figured out how to cram a concert hall into a plate-sized speaker.
The Bluetooth breakdown – Outstanding sound reproduction in a small package. Rated as IP67 water and dust proof. Curves designed by Cecilie Manz. Leather accents, including carrying strap. 18 hour battery lifespan. Brushed aluminum.
Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus
"Feel the power of the bass in every song with dual woofers for depth and clarity. And with BassUp 2.0, the output is boosted from 100W to a staggering 140W max—that's 160% more than the first generation of BassUp."
Staffers were conflicted about the look the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Plus was trying to pull off. It’s not that the 17.4-inch, shoulder strapped Bluetooth speaker was having an identity crisis, but it definitely had a “does it want to be a boombox or a speaker for an outdoor rave?” vibe going on when we brought it in for testing. The IPX7 waterproofing and 20 hour battery suggest a beach campout, as does the web page photos. They’re all covered with muscly men and beautiful surfer babes on the beach. That reminds us, on an entirely unrelated note, we should fill in that gym membership form this weekend. At any rate, with powerbank charging built in and a rigid, grippy carrying handle, the speaker is certainly portable, with that word all in caps and flashing in neon.
It’s the beat-synced lighting on either end of the Anker Soundcore Boom that causes confusion. Let’s just say that it would create quite the impression at a beach, acting as a beacon for those muscly surfers as they crested a wave and headed for shore during a late afternoon sunset. Focusing less on light shows and more on sound, 140W audio breaks free of two 50W woofers and dual 20W tweeters. If the multi-color lights don’t bring the surfers and swimmers to the beach party, the far-hurled playlist bass certainly will, aided even further by low-frequency boosting BassUp 2.0 technology. At this point, the sound would probably crack rocks and make beach sand vibrate under the feet of anyone who dares get too close to the source of the music. As if that wasn’t enough, the raw power gets raw-er when up to 100, yes, one hundred, Boom 2 Bluetooth speakers link when PartyCast 2.0 is activated.
Some Reddit users complimented the big sound, others thought it too bass heavy, but Anker designs good tweeters, of which there are two inside this floatable, waterproof enclosure. We experienced the bass as heavy but balanced, although it pushed the sound envelope and came very close to overpowering the mids. A dip into the equalize settings in the Soundcore app helped to turn down the bass a little, especially on playlists with more mellow tunes. The app tailored audio to different environments and music genres, allowing us to fine-tune the sound. After much messing around with the levels, the mids and highs were much clearer.
Shortlisting The Best Bluetooth Wireless Speaker!
Balance isn’t a buzzword reserved for describing speaker output. We wanted that same degree of symmetry when directing our expert reviewers. There was no room for just going through the motions. Only exacting tests, conducted with an impartial mind and lack of brand prejudice was acceptable. Our demanding editor was clear on this point, which is why some of these Bluetooth speakers favor the party crowd, while others are clearly intended as high-end portable audio solutions with distinct audiophile leanings.
The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay A1 and Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II clearly fall into the latter category, and the prices attached to their high-fidelity output sound profiles reflect what we interpreted as a major focus on acoustic quality. On the other hand, the larger devices, many of which have adopted the “Boom” label, are marketed towards buyers who are seeking raw power and bone-shaking bass. Still, the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 and three-way driver equipped JBL Boombox 3 are equipped with enough treble driven power to prevent clear vocals and acoustic instrumentation from being overpowered, crushed by the bass response. We may wish their marketing departments could think of an alternative to Boom in their speaker labels, but we can’t deny the amount of thought that has gone into balancing the bass.
Even if the lower frequencies should prove overpowering, a dive into the matching app can usually equalize the sound. A few of these models will even automatically tune the sound profile according to the environment. The Sonos Roam can do this, with the feature found under Automatic TruePlay. Expect it to be marketed under a different name on other devices in this list.
All done now, we suggest looking for longer battery lifespans and the ability to sync in additional speakers. Carrying handles are also a nice bonus, but not essential. All in all, your lifestyle will make the decision for you. Basshead or cultured music aficionado, there’s a bluetooth speaker in this review that will slot perfectly into that lifestyle. That being said, happy wireless travels to you, backed by your own Bluetooth provided soundtrack.
