Hey there, Amber here. As most of you know, I review a lot of audio equipment here on MacNN, primarily Bluetooth speakers and various types of headphones. Dozens, in fact, in the little-over-a-year that I've been writing here, and no, I don't have a wall'o Bluetooth like Mike and Charles say I do. Despite not having a testament to short-ranged wireless speakers in my home, I think that what I do have gives me a bit of perspective for what makes a Bluetooth speaker good, and I thought I'd pass this information along to you, in an effort to help you pick out a product that works for you.
The Test and Parameters
For this "test" as it were, I figured I'd set up some parameters to make sure the speakers were on fairly even playing ground. First, the speakers had to be Bluetooth, so you'd be able to listen to them while not having your phone or tablet tethered to one specific area, and second, the speakers had to be under $100. I think that this is a great price for a first-time or secondary Bluetooth speaker, and it limits the candidates to the smaller, more portable variety, instead of the huge powerhouse Bluetooth "audio systems" like the
Wren V5US, which happens to cost $500.
Who's in the test? Any one of the Bluetooth speakers I've personally gotten my hands on in the last year or so that happens to currently be priced under $100. That's the only stipulation.
Looking For What Matters
The issue with Bluetooth speakers is that very rarely are they just a speaker. Even at the under $100 mark, a lot of these speakers are also lights, powerbanks, and even alarm clocks. But because this is a speaker test, I've set up some important parameters to check.
Battery life: If they run on battery, Bluetooth speakers should be rechargeable, have a battery life longer than six hours, and not take a millennia to charge back to full. One of the biggest draws of Bluetooth speakers are their portability, but they're not that portable if you have to keep running back and forth to an outlet to charge them.
Sound Quality: The sound quality doesn't have to be melt-your-brain fantastic, as they are Bluetooth and inexpensive, but it should be bright and crisp, and the bass shouldn't be overpowering or sound blown out. Again, for under $100, you're not going to get something that is going to rock your world, but you should get something that makes your music sound, well, like your music.
Price Vs Expectations: Paying $100 for a speaker with a decent sound quality is fine, but paying $40 for a speaker with a decent sound quality is better. Similarly, paying $40 for a speaker that's also a light is fine, but paying $100 for a speaker that's also a powerbank and has great sound quality is better. Just because these speakers all inhabit the same price range, it doesn't mean that price is a better indicator of quality.
The Winner: Vers Q1
When I had originally tested this gorgeous little speaker, it was $130, which I thought was a bit expensive. However, the sound the
Vers Q1 produced was one of the more high-end experiences that I'd come across, and I believe that it still stands today. It had a great, full sound that you wouldn't expect from the tiny wooden cube. The big downfall is that it doesn't get extremely loud, but I'd consider this more of a solo-listening device in the first place. It also looks absolutely stunning, housed in all wood with a big, shiny uncovered speaker membrane, though I would advise keeping this speaker away from small children and pets as it seems quite a bit more fragile than others I've tested. It's tiny, which means you can take it absolutely anywhere, especially because it's got about nine hours of battery life in it. And remember how it used to be $130?
You can get one for $27 from Amazon now.
The Other Winner: The iHome Split
While trying to be as objective as possible, I do realize that there's a bit of personal preference in my selection. But I'll give you the rundown on why I think the
iHome Split is one of the better speakers under $100. First, it's got fantastic battery life for such a small speaker. I got over 10 hours on a single charge, which is more than enough for a days worth of listening for most people. And if you're worried about it running out? Pop it back in the charging cradle and continue to listen. There's also the fact that it's actually two speakers in one, and for once, it doesn't take some absurd, extremely fickle combination of button presses to get them to easily pair with each other. No, for these, you just pull them apart and they're ready to go. Lastly, I do think that, for the price, the sound quality is quite a bit better than others in the category. They don't shake, rattle, or sound hollow or blown out at loud volumes, they have a decent bass range, a great mid-range, and the highs don't get drowned out.
It's at the top of the price range at $100, but keep in mind that you're also getting two speakers in the deal, which suddenly makes the price a lot more reasonable.
The Runners Up: Braven's Lux and iHome's iBT74
The
Lux by Braven is another personal favorite of mine, but it's got a few shortcomings to be aware of. Yes, the Lux is also a powerbank which makes it one of the better traveling speakers that I've tested. It's also splash resistant, which means you can take it poolside or out on a potentially rainy day and not need to worry about it getting ruined. The big shortcoming is that it is a bit lacking on the sound quality. It's not bad, per se, but I've seen much cheaper speakers with a much better sound quality (eg: the Vers Q1, the iHome Color Changing Speaker, etc).
Since I tested it a while back, the Lux is still priced at $100.
The
iHome iBT74 is another speaker that I liked quite a lot when I tested it. Sure, some of it is the teenager in me that goes "ooh, shiny light!" but the other part of it is the fact that the speaker actually does produce a pretty decent sound. I understand that the design might not be for everyone, but if you are into the cool, color-changing ambient mood light aspect of it,
I think that the $60 price tag isn't asking too much either.
So there you have it. Four entirely respectable Bluetooth speakers that should be able to meet your needs in one way or another. Hopefully this guide has helped you, and maybe next year I'll return with a whole new set of speakers that will attempt to dethrone the current champs.
-Amber Neely (
@SurferAmber)
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