So you want to buy a Bluetooth speaker, but don’t know where to start? Here we are going to share the Bluetooth Speaker Buying Guide. The world of Bluetooth speakers can be confusing and overwhelming. Not only are there hundreds of different models available on the market today, but they all come with their own set of features that might be useful for some people and not so much for others.
It’s important to do your research before making a purchase decision. With this in mind, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide that will help you understand what makes these wireless speakers tick as well as go over some common buying criteria and questions to ask yourself before deciding which one is right for you! We hope it helps.
Portable Bluetooth speakers are a handy accessory to have for your smartphone or laptop, but picking one can be a stressful affair. There is an overwhelming number of options out there and given how sound quality varies from person to person it’s difficult to gauge what you might like based only on specifications alone.
A better way would be testing them yourself by auditioning various models – if nothing else just so they’ll stay around longer in this market where products come and go faster than most people update their social media feeds.
You can’t always try before you buy in big shopping malls, but there is something called “the next best thing”. This would be knowing what to look for when purchasing your next portable 5.1 Bluetooth speaker. We’ve put together some features that will help make sure it meets all of your requirements and preferences before taking the plunge.
Contents
Types Of Bluetooth Speakers
Bookshelf Speakers
The ideal speaker for true surround sound and an 8D listening experience is one that can be placed at least 38-41 inches off the floor. It would make sense then, to place these speakers in your home theater system so you get all this great quality entertainment without having any issues watching movies or playing games on your TV/console.
FloorStanding Speakers
When it comes to home audio and theater systems, you can’t go wrong with the floor-standing tower speakers. These guys provide a rich sound that will fill your room or small space without ringing in their ears like some other types of speakers might do for an audience member sitting near them; they put out loud volume coupled with strong bass notes while still maintaining treble levels so nothing gets lost on this end (especially if there are multiple drivers).
Connectivity
Most portable Bluetooth speakers come with A2DP/AVRCP support, which means they can connect to both mobile devices and computers. If you only want one speaker for both of these purposes then it’s a non-issue, but if you’re planning on purchasing two separate ones then it’s important to make sure they will work together.
There are some speakers that include NFC (Near Field Communication) or other wireless technologies, but the majority still use Bluetooth alone even though some have a “wireless” option when in reality they need to be plugged into an outlet for power so there is no such thing as truly wireless when it comes to this type of product.
Range and Latency
Going back to what we said earlier about Bluetooth 4.0 and how it’s not backward-compatible with V2, you should also know that the “maximum theoretical range” of V3 is 25 meters (82 feet) whereas V4 increases that to 100 meters or 328 feet.
Depending on your home layout this might not matter much, but if you have a larger house you’ll want to keep this in mind before making your purchase decision. As important as the range is latency which measures delay time, i.e., the amount of time it takes for audio data to travel from one device to another via Bluetooth connection.
Since speakers are supposed to be near-field devices, any latency above 25 ms can be noticeable especially when watching movies or gaming – even more so if there are other speakers or walls between your devices.
Keeping all of these things in mind before buying any Budget Bluetooth speaker will make sure you get the best value for money. We hope this article has helped, but if you have any other questions feel free to leave us a comment below and we’ll try to help.
Charging style
There are three different ways a portable Bluetooth speaker under 1500 can be recharged, the first being charging from an AC power outlet using a USB cable plugged into a wall adapter.
The second is by plugging it directly into your computer’s USB port or if you have an android phone then it will charge that way as well via a proprietary cable.
If you have one of those multi-purpose cables for charging both Android and iOS devices, make sure to check out its specs to make sure this feature works before buying a new Bluetooth speaker.
All of these require cables but they also all take more or less the same amount of time. The only real difference is how long the charging cable needs to be which depends on where you want to place your speaker.
Apple-style 5W charging bricks are compact, but if your device doesn’t have a USB port you’ll need to carry around an extra cable with you which is annoying.
Fast charging PD chargers output at least 15W of power, more than enough for even the most power-thirsty speakers; they also come in bigger sizes which means they’re less portable, but can be used as home wall adapters when needed.
Lastly, there are solar-powered options like the Anker Solar Powered Portable Charger that uses built-in photovoltaic panels to recharge its battery using ambient light. These are super convenient for outdoor use plus they can charge multiple devices at once USB ports.
While they might not be the best pick for indoor use, they’re definitely a great option when camping or hiking due to their robustness and reliability – it’s also worth noting that these are usually the most expensive ones out of the bunch.
Durability
Even though we all want our speakers to be as small and light as possible, it’s important that they’re built well so they last longer. The most common material for this is plastic because it’s cheap and easy to work with, but if you’re looking for something more durable then look for ones made from aluminum instead.
Another thing to keep in mind when buying a portable Bluetooth speaker is the IP rating, which represents the level of dust and water protection.
The first number (e.g., IPX4 ) stands for protection against solid foreign objects like dirt or sand; while the second number (e.g., IPX7) stands for protection against immersion in water up to 1 meter (just over 3 feet) in depth.
It’s worth noting that most Bluetooth speakers don’t have any protection from dust and water , so make sure to only use them when you’re near a source of fresh tap or filtered water – trust us, it’s much easier this way.
Battery life
All portable speakers come with built-in rechargeable batteries but the actual capacity will vary between models. Obviously, larger speakers usually have longer battery lives because they contain larger batteries, but beyond that, some manufacturers also use power-saving technology to eke out a little bit more battery life.
Last but not least there are solar-powered Bluetooth speakers like the Anker Outdoor Portable Solar Powered Speaker which will recharge its internal battery using built-in photovoltaic panels while being exposed to ambient light.
This is an awesome option for outdoorsy people, but it will only work outside so don’t expect much if you’re taking your speaker into the shade or indoors.
The best way to find out more about a Bluetooth speaker’s battery life is by checking customer reviews on Amazon, some reviewers actually test how long their speakers can play music at moderate volumes, this is super useful because you already know that the advertised 10 hours of playback time are probably not going to be very accurate in real-life situations.
Sound quality
The last thing we want from a portable Bluetooth speaker is for it to sound bad, which unfortunately happens with most models made from cheap parts and designed using inferior technology.
Generally speaking, there are three different types of sound quality you can expect from a typical Bluetooth speaker, if you want to know more about these take a look at this article here.
Portability
At the end of the day, portability is probably the most important factor to consider when buying a new portable Bluetooth speaker. Just keep in mind that smaller speakers are easier to carry around but generally don’t sound as good as larger ones, while bigger speakers also tend to cost more than smaller models.
Also, keep in mind that you can always turn down the volume on your phone which will save some battery life and won’t disturb your neighbors so much – at least until they start complaining about high volumes too.
If you want a quality speaker that won’t add too much weight to your backpack then we recommend that you check out the UE Roll 2 or JBL Clip 2; both of these small speakers sound great and are also splashproof (IPX7 rating).
For larger models like the Fugoo Style and Charge 3, we recommend using nylon straps with quick-release buckles for maximum portability.
You might also want to keep in mind that many manufacturers use different speakers inside their portable Bluetooth speakers so try to find out more about it before buying one because what’s 90% sound quality for one model could be only 80% on another – the same goes for battery life, some larger Bluetooth speakers can last twice as long as most smaller models with the same battery capacity.
Price
Last but not least there’s price, some speakers have a much steeper learning curve than others and it’s always better to pay more for quality if you can afford it. Don’t be afraid to check customer reviews on Amazon because most buyers will tell you if their speakers were good or bad, which makes the buying process so much easier.
Remember that cheaper Bluetooth speakers often have shorter battery lives and sound worse, while pricier models tend to have longer battery lives and better overall sound quality – the best portable Bluetooth speaker is in this sense subjective (i.e., what sounds best to one person could sound like crap to another).
You’ll also need to consider where you’re going to use your speaker deciding how much money you want to spend, if you’re going to use it indoors then a small and low-priced speaker would be just enough to fill a room with sound, but if you’re going camping or on a road trip then a larger model with extended battery life would be much better.
Color choice
Most portable Bluetooth speakers come in black because it’s the most popular color for everything electronic, but some companies like to stand out from the crowd and offer more interesting colors which can also affect the price of a speaker so this is something you might want to consider when buying your new mobile sound system.
Price & value Since there are so many different models available right now, it can be hard to figure out whether or not a certain speaker is worth buying – especially if you’re new to this game. Here’s our take on things.
If you go with one of the cheaper options (AmazonBasics, Anker) then chances are that you won’t even notice any major differences in terms of sound quality, battery life or durability – but the overall value of the product will be lower.
More expensive models tend to have better drivers, better batteries, and often more advanced features so if you want to get a Bluetooth speaker that will last for years even under heavy use then feel free to spend a bit extra on something like the UE Boom 2, Fugoo Style or Bose SoundLink Revolve.
Some people also recommend buying products from reputable companies because they offer good warranties that can save you some money in case anything goes wrong.
If you’re trying to decide whether or not it’s worth spending more on a portable speaker consider what other buyers are saying about it before making your final decision, Amazon customer reviews are usually pretty accurate when it comes down to sound quality since most buyers are experienced audiophiles.
Final Words
This guide for buying a Bluetooth speaker is designed to help you find the best possible sound system for your needs. We’ve compiled tips on how to decide what features are most important, as well as things like price points and style considerations that can make or break your purchase decision.
No matter which type of music you love listening to, there is sure to be an option in this article that provides the perfect balance between performance and cost.