While the QUBE 2 doesn’t deliver the stereo goods as the “world’s smallest stereo speaker,” it can get mighty loud and represents a big step up from the tinny speakers found in most laptops today.
Klipsch’s first go at a wireless portable is a big success in our book. Thought a little bottom heavy, this speaker is perfectly capable of bumping the background tracks at any party.
Due to its especially low price, our expectations of Soundfreaq’s Sound Spot were pretty low, but we came away surprised at how much oomph it delivers. Once again, Soundfreaq manages to hit a sweet spot with its aggressively-priced speakers.
Braven wisely follows up on the success of its model 600 wireless speaker with this super-sized version, the Braven 850. As we had hoped, it offers more of everything we loved about the smaller version, and then some.
The Charge is a highly capable speaker with all best attributes of its predecessor. You don’t get a ton of bass, but you will get clear, detailed sound loud enough to peel paint off the walls.
The name on the speaker says Altec Lansing, but this speaker’s sound quality indicates there’s a lack of Altec’s sound engineering expertise to go with the name. Indeed, as a licensed product, the Jacket iMW455 Bluetooth speaker falls short of Altec’s legacy.
Eton’s Ruckus XL is an eye-catching, attention-grabbing solar-powered speaker with enough sonic power to super-charge any outdoor event. It earns its asking price with its sound quality alone, but its efficient solar-charging chops put it over the top in terms of value.
By incorporating gesture control, Philips’ Shoqbox SB7200 stands out from the crowd, but the speaker was not the slam dunk we had hoped for. A spotty Bluetooth connection and lackluster sound wound up deflating our hopes.
Panasonic’s SC-NE5 is a surprisingly well-qualified entry into the bulging wireless speaker space. Armed with a CD player, Lightning dock, FM Radio, AirPlay and Bluetooth, this is one of the most versatile wireless audio systems we’ve seen yet.
While the JBL OnBeat Rumble can get a little spicy in the treble, its powerful sound underscored by robust bass will make it attractive to listeners who want to energize a party.
The Wren V5AP is a heartbreaker of a speaker. It just about had our Editor’s Choice award when excessive port noise reared its ugly head and took it right out of the running.
Wireless speakers marketed as water and weather-resistant are plentiful, but gracedigital’s Ecoxbt is one of the few that claims to be waterproof. It delivers on that end, but its wireless capabilities leave a lot to be desired.
When it comes to taking your tunes into the wild, a solar-powered Bluetooth speaker is the way to go. We take a look at Etón’s latest effort, the compact, light-weight and resilient Rugged Rukus.
While not inexpensive or without strong competition from some of the most respected loudspeaker manufacturers in the world, the Minx Air 200 wireless loudspeaker from Cambridge Audio delivers the audio goods when put under the spotlight.
The Yamaha PDX-B11 is rugged and can certainly play loud, but with its unbalanced sound signature and lack of rechargeable battery, we must stop short of recommending it.
Nuforce has delivered a rare combination of attractive design, user-friendly interface, excellent sound quality and approachable price point with its S3-BT speakers.
Braven follows up its popular portable Bluetooth speaker line with the rugged and weatherproof BRV-1, an outdoor speaker that offers all the sonic sweetness its metallic cousins do.
For those on the hunt for a portable boom box that can hang at a construction site, inside a fishing boat or on a picnic table at the lake, the G-Boom is the speaker to take; just don’t expect a full day’s worth of playtime out of the built-in battery.
NOCS delivers another outstanding (if pricey) product with the NS2, an outstanding-sounding AirPlay speaker with enough muscle to deliver deep bass and enough finesse to resolve fine detail. Oh, and they’re super-cute, too.
If you need a refrigerator, TV or solar panel, Westinghouse has you covered…but Bluetooth speakers? Believe it or not, the company best known for its appliances and TVs has come up with a portable Bluetooth speaker that sounds pretty good and is attractively priced.
The Definitive Technology Sound Cylinder sets a high bar for this rather underserved product category. Part tablet stand, part laptop add-on, and 100% high-performance portable speaker, the Sound Cylinder may become the must-have audio accessory this year.
Native Union’s Switch offers a look and feel that is well above par, and its sound quality can be quite excellent, too. But all of that goes out the window as soon as you make the “switch” from wired to wireless.
While it can be argued that the world doesn’t need another Bluetooth speaker dock, the folks at Soundfreaq make a strong case with the Sound Platform 2, a versatile, affordable wireless speaker with sound quality that defies its price point.
The Logic3 Ferrari Cavallino GT1 is a beautifully designed dock with the capacity for excellent audio performance, but its use of the antiquated Bluetooth 2.0 profile limits its wireless audio quality to that of FM radio.
While we weren't blown away by the Hidden Radio's sound quality, its unique design, portability, and 360 degree sound pattern make it an undeniably cool little device.
Boston Acoustics MC200Air is a quality wireless speaker with some handy features and an attractive design, but its tepid sound quality and lack of rechargeable battery quelled out enthusiasm for what we’d hope to be a first-class offering.
Marshall’s Hanwell speaker rocks out just as hard as its classic good looks suggest, though a threadbare feature set and sky-high price will make it tough to justify in your living room.
Bowers & Wilkins’ A5 doesn’t come cheap, but premium design and almost unbelievably big bass distinguish it from the scrum of less expensive competitors.