Yahoo Finance The best Bluetooth and wireless speakers for 2018
If you're not happy with the noise from your current speaker set up then Christmas might be the time to invest in a wireless speaker system to make the most of the music collections on your phone, tablet or laptop.
There are plenty of key points to look out for when buying a new wireless speaker. As well as the obvious point of sound quality, there are plenty of key features to consider when making a purchase.
What to look for in a wireless speaker
Portability can be a winner for many buyers. Some speakers are more versatile than others. Nifty speakers like the UE Roll 2 are light and portable. However, if you want a quality wireless home sound system you might want to look for a set of Sonos.
Battery life is also an important for a portable speaker. Cheaper Bluetooth speakers may last ten hours or less, but pricier models can have seriously long lasting battery life.
Other factors to consider include connectivity - checking you have the right ports and connections like Bluetooth; waterproofing if you want to take your speakers on holiday or to Glastonbury, and voice control.
The best Bluetooth speakers
UE Boom 2
These larger Ultimate Ears speakers offer 360-degree sound and enhanced battery life compared to its little brother the UE Roll. Coming in at seven inches tall, the UE Boom 2 is small and portable and has the water resistance and drop proofing that make it a perfect holiday or festival companion.
Battery life is also impressive, clocking in at close to 15 hours with a two and a half hour charge time. You can also pair up to eight devices via Bluetooth with two sources connected simultaneously if you want to collaborate on your playlist. Not only that they sound brilliant and have become the go-to choice to portable music on the go. You can find them for under £100 on most online sellers.
Sumvision Psyc Monic
One of the best-rated budget speakers, the Sumvision Psyc Monic combines small size with a mighty punch, delivering great audio quality for such a diminutive device. It is a little heavy, somewhat reducing the selling point of portability.
With a brushed aluminium design and dual 10-watt drivers powering its subwoofer, this Bluetooth speaker stands out from many other low-cost speakers. With around seven hours of playback time it has enough battery life to keep ticking over on a day out. For under £40 it's a great deal on a simple little speaker.
UE Wonderboom
If you want something stylish and portable that delivers a brilliant sound, the UE Wonderboom 2 is the tiny Bluetooth speaker that can be carried around with a finger or clipped onto a bag. It is also waterproof up to depths of one metre, meaning you can take it to the poolside or beach and not worry about damage.
Battery life is around 10 hours and it has punchy little speakers. It touts an effective Bluetooth range of up to 100 metres. It's durable and can be paired up with other UE speakers for a surround sound experience. Plus you can pick up a two pack for just over £100.
JBL Charge 3
JBL's Charge 3 speaker is another great portable Bluetooth device. With 360-degree audio it offers great sound. The JBL also stands out for its epic battery life with a 20-hour charge for under £100 that offers fantastic value.
In fact the battery is so good on this portable speaker you can plug in your phone and charge from it. It comes in a range of fun colours and is waterproof even when submerged. Unlike some speakers at this price it also offers a touch activated speaker phone, and you can connect multiple JBL speakers to create a surround sound experience.
Bose Soundlink Mini II
This powerful and portable speaker has been one of the best buys in Bluetooth speakers for two years, and for good reason. It has some of the best sound quality on a speaker of this size and can pair with up to six devices. With a 10 hour battery life it should last several hours of playing.
It does lack NFC compatibility unlike some more modern speakers, and doesn't come in the flashy designs of some of the cheaper models on this list. Its 10 metre range is a little average compared to today's budget models.
Dali Katch
If you are willing to splash the cash on a bluetooth speaker this is truly the one to beat. We loved the sound, look and feel of the Dali Katch, which brings a hint of luxury to the humble Bluetooth speaker. The Dali Katch delivers epic sound from two 21mm tweeters and 9cm woofers, facing front and rear. It has a smart design and Bluetooth and NFC connectivity.
This is backed up by a 24-hour battery life, easily the best on this list. It comes in three colours, breaking up the gray and silver of many speakers, with cloud gray, moss green and dark shadow. It is a more expensive model, but nothing beats the sound quality for the cost.
The best wireless and AirPlay speakers
Sonos One
The new Sonos One is a multi-room functional speaker, connecting over Wi-Fi, however there is no Bluetooth connection included. With Wi-Fi connections, you can link up multiple Sonos speakers using its easy-to-use app. It is a permanent home speaker, however, meaning no battery life and little portability.
Sonos speakers simply sound excellent and are well known for being among the top wireless speakers. Slight drawbacks are a lack of any wired connections, meaning you have to go through the Sonos app (which is not compatible with some services like Spotify without a premium subscription).
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless
Big, immersive sound characterise this Bowers & Wilkins, and nobody is going to miss this imposing speaker set up. The design has been improved upon, adding Bluetooth connectivity as well as Apple's Airplay. The power is amped up by five drivers, two tweeters and a 15 cm woofer.
Obviously this is a hefty piece of kit that sacrifices portability, weighing more than 6.5kg. As part of its AirPlay legacy, there is no Android app, meaning you will have to make do with bluetooth or Spotify Connect. As a centrepiece speaker it not only looks great but sounds incredible, but all for a price.
Apple HomePod
Apple's new HomePod is the company's first smartspeaker, powered by its virtual assistant Siri. It comes with booming sound for its size and can act as your own personal assistant with voice control, so you can ask Siri for news updates, the latest songs and ask questions.
It connects using Apple's Airplay technology, similar to Bluetooth, but you will require an iPhone to use it. It mainly plays music over Apple Music, meaning you don't get access to all your music apps. Technology editor James Titcomb said: "Apple’s HomePod clearly caters to a subset of users: Apple Music subscribers who are willing to pay a premium for high sound quality."
What is the difference between Bluetooth, AirPlay and Wi-Fi speakers?
There are several different ways you can set up wireless speakers, but probably the most common is Bluetooth.
Bluetooth has become the ubiquitous wireless speaker technology, simply pairing up a smartphone or tablet. Bluetooth speakers offer easy portability and simple connections, but can be interrupted by phone calls or notifications.
Wi-Fi speakers from the likes of Sonos or the Amazon Echo set up their own mini Wi-Fi system, meaning they use internet connections rather than Bluetooth. This can be used for effectively setting up multi-room audio.
If you want a full breakdown of our favourite multi-room speakers you can find our guide here. Alternatively, if you want a multi-room system using a smart speaker check out our guide to all the best smart home devices such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home.
Some speakers, from Apple and its preferred manufacturers, use their own AirPlay technology. This is used for iPhone, MacBook and iPad users and can also be used to transmit video.
How much should I pay for a wireless speaker?
You can pick up some very good portable Bluetooth speakers for under £150, from the budget-end Sumvision Psyc Monic to the JBL Charge 3. More advanced speakers will offer extra features, such as voice control, call answering or connectivity for a multi-room experience.
Wi-Fi enabled speakers tend to be a little more expensive, but offer the ability to create a multi-room experience and are not affected by range.
Larger and more powerful speakers will also cost more, and if you are paying much more than £250 you should be looking for a quality stand alone speaker system.
Verdict
We already love the Sonos One wireless speaker. It's great for setting up multi-room audio, but is not really the ideal speaker if you want some element of flexibility or portability. If you wanted to splash out on a Bluetooth speaker, we loved the Dali Katch, but it's not cheap at £329.
The best everyday wireless speaker we have tried in recent months remains the UE Boom 2. It sounds brilliant, is highly portable, looks incredible and is rugged and hardy. It can be linked up to several others using bluetooth, meaning it even has surround sound potential. For the price, it's one of our favourite wireless speakers around.
