Portable Bluetooth speakers – a huge impact on the audio industry
There’s a box in my loft stuffed full of obsolete gadgets. Among them are various iPods, MP3 players, phones with actual buttons and a small set of wired travel speakers that travelled the world with me. There is also a very early Bluetooth speaker that, at the time, felt wildly futuristic but sounded absolutely filthy. Oh, how times have changed!
It’s easy to forget just how much of an impact Bluetooth has had on the audio industry. Some will argue the wireless sound quality is poor – and yes, it is, compared to a wired connection and high-quality recording – but the convenience is difficult to argue with. And with battery technology also improving, it’s easy to find quality speakers to suit your needs.
High quality portable Bluetooth speakers
In fact, the best portable Bluetooth speakers are now good enough to use every day around the house. The KEF Muo (£249; kef.com; see below) is ideal for your kitchen or home office but just as wonderful by the pool on holiday, as is the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen (£299; bang-olufsen.com). These are premium examples, but if you are not looking to use the speaker remotely, I would suggest hunting out wireless options with Wi-Fi and not just Bluetooth – Sonos Play (£299; sonos.com) is a rare battery-powered option with both.
Portable Bluetooth speakers on a budget
If you budget around £100-£150, you are spoiled for choice, with options like the JBL Flip 7 (£129; jbl.com) offering great sound, IP68 waterproofing and 14 hours of battery life. Soundcore, Tribit and Sony also have a great selection. And while I stand by the adage that you get what you pay for, there are exceptions. The tiny JBL Go 5 (jbl.com) costs just £40, but sounds remarkably big.
How to get the best from your portable Bluetooth speakers
Tradition dictates that big speakers and cabinets sound better, but with portable Bluetooth speakers, science (and some would say witchcraft) comes to the rescue. By using DSP (digital signal processing) to control driver movement and psychoacoustics to trick our ears, these small speakers can be very loud without distortion, with surprising levels of detail and bass. For enhanced sound, look for speakers with 360-degree or ‘spatial’ sound. Often featuring multiple speakers firing at all angles, or smart processing, these designs – like the gorgeous Marshall Kilburn III (£299; marshall.com) – spread music evenly around a room.
If you want actual stereo sound from a portable speaker, you can often pair them together. Cambridge-based Majority Audio (majorityaudio.com) recently set a world record by pairing and playing 1,500 speakers simultaneously. Many options, like Bluetooth headphones, also come with a smartphone app. These often have EQ settings you can adjust to find a sound profile that suits the music you like.
Flashing LED lights, battery life and IP ratings
You might also see party speakers with flashing LED lights. Personally, I don’t think they add anything to the music, but if you want to add some disco to your Debussy, go for it. And then, aside from audio quality and looks, battery and robustness are key. Anything under ten hours of battery life feels mean these days, with some larger party-style speakers able to play all day and night (just warn the neighbours). IP ratings are worth checking too. The first digit tells you about dust protection, the second about water, so IPX4 is splashproof, while IP67 means it’s dust-proof and protected against an accidental dunking in the pool.
And finally, I would also question how long the speaker is designed to last. Some options from Marshall offer a replacement battery, which is a good step, while Gomi (see below) use recycled plastics and repurposed e-bike batteries. Pine Beat (£129; pocaaudio.co.uk), from new British brand Poca Audio, also uses swappable batteries and has been designed to be repairable, while also boasting IP67 for go-anywhere, long-lasting protection.
Portable Bluetooth speakers: we recommend...
KEF Muo £250
With the Muo, KEF has managed to create a portable speaker that sounds closer to a compact hi-fi component than something you’d take to a picnic. The seamless aluminium body is beautifully tactile, though looks almost identical to the model KEF first launched in 2015. The technology inside is thoroughly modern, however. The Muo pairs a 20mm tweeter with a 58 x 117mm racetrack-shaped oval mid/bass driver and 40W of Class D amplification. There is no Wi-Fi, but it has IP67 protection, 24-hour battery life, aptX Adaptive for higher quality streaming, and you can plug it into a source via USB-C and enjoy up to 24-bit/48kHz playback. You can pair them in stereo too.
Like all quality hi-fi components, the Muo needs running in to get the best from the drivers. It’s well worth the wait, as it sounds wonderfully composed for a small speaker, with surprisingly controlled bass. So often with Bluetooth speakers you just hear the orchestra, but with the KEF, individual instruments happily make themselves known.
JBL Flip 7 £129
With 16 models, from pocketable to party PA size, JBL lead the way in portable speakers. The Flip 7 hits the sweet spot, however, with a great combination of compact size, impressive durability and sound quality. At just 18.3cm long, it disappears easily in your bag and with IP68 protection and rubber bumpers, it is genuinely outdoor- and poolside-proof.
It has one 45 x 80mm woofer and a 16mm tweeter, with 35W total output, and thanks to some clever digital processing it manages to engage and entertain with surprising ease. Bass is quite forward in the mix, but sounds confident rather than overbearing. Battery life is a respectable 14 hours, you can play lossless files via USB-C cable, and you can link multiples together with great results.
Gomi Collection One £299
Handmade in Brighton from waste plastic that wouldn’t otherwise be recycled, this Gomi speaker is a brilliant example of thoughtful, sustainable design. Each case is unique – and a refreshing change to black boxes and flashing LEDs – and inside they’ve repurposed waste e-bike batteries to give up to 32 hours of listening.
Replaceable batteries and components, plus generous warranty, ensures it will last for years too. Performance from the three-inch full-range driver and bass radiator is enjoyable, and 25W of power is more than enough for most uses. It lacks the audio polish of the KEF, and can sound a little confined when you push the volume, but it’s more than enjoyable. Yes, sustainability comes at a high price, but I'm only too happy to support eco-innovation like this, and have no intention of moving it from my kitchen windowsill any time soon.
