The market has been flooded with wireless Bluetooth speakers recently, and though we are not complaining, but it has become necessary to run some sort of acid-test to know the real deal’s from just the noise makers! So after days of isolation with music and some mean machines around me 24/7 (even while bathing, and that’s a fact!), here are the Top 5. Play on, people!
JBL Flip
The JBL Flip is a compact Bluetooth speaker that can be used in both horizontal and vertical positions. Rubber parts means good grip for plonking it anywhere and enjoy the sound.
It is a pocket-sized powerhouse of serious sound (sound and not noise, mind you!) that is rich and the different constituents are easily distinguishable on it. It is a true media phone as not only music, but even the performance while watching movies gave the room a whole aura of filling surround sound. Its handsfree features are sure to score some points with people looking for utility along with the thumps.
- Original and dynamic cylindrical design that exudes style and convenience.
- 0mm drivers gave a filling sound, rendering everything from the organs to percussion their own space.
The Flip side
- Battery life at a paltry 5 hours.
- Little accessories available
Price: 89 USD
Sony SRS-BTM8
The sound it generates more than makes up for its ladies handbag kind of look. User friendly interface and a built in mic for those long chats between good music. Sony, as always has kept user friendliness high in its list of priorities as it has added the facility of powering this device with AA batteries as well.
- One-touch connectivity with Near Field Communication (NFC) + Bluetooth
- Powerful sound with Bass Reflex System
- Take calls hands-free with built-in mic
- Massive 20 hours of battery life
The sound output is free of distortions and has ample clarity.
Price: 50 USD
Bose SoundLink Mini
We were pretty impressed with Bose‘s SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker that offers superb sound from a handheld speaker. Weighing 680 grams, Bose has added two new passive radiators along with the custom designed high efficiency transducers to reproduce the entire range of frequencies. The sound is otherworldly, especially when you consider the size. Using bass radiators is just about the only way for a speaker this size to produce a decent amount of bass.
- A neat charge dock comes across as a blessing for those long music-filled sojourns -just plonk the speaker on the dock and leave the rest to the metal contacts, the speaker is fully juiced in no time!
- A major let down was a missing microphone
Price: 199 USD
Kohler Moxie
This is the baby that was referred to earlier. Kohler has designed this unique wireless speaker to facilitate a need that has been felt by many music junkies for a long time, to have speakers strong enough to rise high above the din of running water and waltz through it smoothly, like Jesus! And it doesn’t disappoint at all.
It is a shower and a speaker, (a “shweaker” maybe, eh Moxie, whaddya think?) which is essentially a 1.5-watt detachable Bluetooth speaker. The conical shaped speaker has a body of white plastic and has a magnetic base that attaches itself to the showerhead. Apart from the heavenly feeling it gives with cool water trickling through your spine and heavy music filling your ears,
- Dedicated button on the front to pair with a phone or tablet
- The sound output was loud and clear; without much distortion
Well it is meant for the shower, so don’t expect it to give great results in your room, but it will be decent enough.
Price: 147 USD
Samsung DA-F61
Now this was serious sound! With amazingly powerful magnets and neodymium (wow, that’s one noisy compound!) bluetooth speakers this big guy produces crisp and clear sound which emanates from a traditional rectangular design. It has a host of features like SoundShare which combines with your TV (only if it is Samsung and amplifies the sound of TV shows and movies to an astoundingly clear level.
- NFC activates the speaker in one simple touch
- One button to set the perfect bass level as suits to the listener
Price: 162 USD
I hope you liked our product review of new portable speakers? Which one is your favorite? Or do you know another candidate for this top list? Let us know in the comments below!
About the Author
This post was written by Shalini Dixit. Shalini Dixit is writer and entrepreneur. She loves to write about technology, gadgets and all.
Photo credit: Colin Gordon, JBL, Sony, Bose, Kohler, Samsung
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