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Both JBL and Bose produce a range of speakers, some are small and compact whereas others are big enough to fill a room with sound at a party. Bose tends to make products that are at the premium end of the spectrum in terms of both excellent audio performance, design and price. JBL is more affordable and its products tend to fall in the mid-range when it comes to quality. We've been testing the best portable speakers for years, in all sizes and shapes – and crucially, for all budgets. People aren't typically looking for audiophile sound quality here, but they do want something portable that delivers balanced and clear audio outdoors (because if you're going to buy something, it might as well sound good, right?) and with a battery built to last. These are our priorities when testing Bluetooth speakers and obviously we're balancing that with the price – otherwise known as value for money.
You’re a frequent beachgoer: The Scene’s IPX7 rating means it’s at risk to fine particles, like sand, so it's not great for the beach. Neat touches come from the ability to set up playlists across all sources, as well as to use Google Assistant or Alexa to control things using your voice. The app is a little simplistic looks-wise, but it has all the essentials and its aesthetic makes its features more easily accessible –including EQ settings and other customization tools. It can also provide a weather report, offer an audible summary of the day's headlines, and answer your burning questions; whether that’s ‘what is the tallest mountain in the world’ or simply ‘who is the Queen of England’. You want delicate audiophile sound: It sounds great, but it's still made for impact outdoors, not for refined ears. Think fun and energetic, not classy and controlled.You want Wi-Fi connectivity: Unlike the Sonos Roam, there’s no option to hook the Flip 6 up to your home network for higher quality music streaming. You won't find extra features such as voice assistants or Wi-Fi connectivity (or even a 3.5mm aux-in), but the Flip 6 sounds so good that you won't miss them. During our testing, we found that its warm, well-balanced audio performance is far more powerful than you might expect from a speaker of this size, and while the treble can sound a little harsh at higher volumes, you're getting plenty of clarity and detail. Each product was rated for sound quality on a ten-point scale by our panel of music industry professionals.
We test each Bluetooth speaker in a range of environments and against its chief competitors too, so you know that the product will work just as well in the great outdoors as it does in your home. We live with these speakers in our homes to make sure that their performances are consistent, and we don't finalize our testing until we are certain of the sound quality. The Move 2 also delivers premium sound to match its premium price tag. It has a three-driver speaker system, made up of two angled tweeters and one central midwoofer. Although we found the audio quality to be excellently balanced with great detail, the stereo sound wasn't very convincing, but that's okay. As with a USB input, a 3.5mm auxiliary (aux) input means you can physically connect your mini hi-fi to another device, so you can stream music out of your mini hi-fi speakers. Bluetooth / NFC (near-field communication) You want huge sound quality: It's a small speaker for a low price, don't expect big volume and class-leading detail.JBL is well known for making some of the best waterproof speakers affordable prices, and it’s line of party speakers even come with built-in light shows. For us, the audio performance is the key reason to buy the HomePod mini. It's excellent for a speaker that's so small, and it really feels like the right mix of price and sound quality. The bass isn't too heavy, vocals aren't lost in the mix, and when you pair two minis the stereo experience is really immersive. It's just a shame that Siri feels like it's lagging behind rival assistants.
This allows you to record music, radio programmes and podcasts on to the mini hi-fi system’s hard disk. If you’ve got an extensive CD collection, it’s certainly worth considering, as you could potentially digitise your CD collection. For example, a mini hi-fi with 4GB of internal storage can save approximately 600 songs, which you can then transfer on to a computer, tablet or smartphone. USB port Start by working out which voice assistant you want your smart speaker to offer access to. If you already use a voice assistant on your smartphone or tablet, or have existing smart speakers or smart displays in your home, it makes sense to plump for a smart speaker that has the same assistant baked in. However, if you’ve yet to settle on the voice assistant for you, Alexa vs Google Assistant can help you decide.It's not the best-sounding device on this list—take a look at the Bose Smart Speaker 500 for top audio quality—but the Denon Home 150 offers more bass than you'd expect for its size. This means it’ll delight those who don’t have room in their home for a subwoofer—if you’re all about that bass, but you live in a small place. For a tech fan, slightly weaker sound quality in exchange for so much tweaking and app potential means the Denon Home 150 is a great alternative.
You want audiophile sound: The Roam's audio performance isn't bad by any means, but the bass frequencies can be overwhelming. We've tested and thoroughly reviewed all of the Bluetooth speakers in this guide ourselves by listening to them on their own and by comparing them to the current class-leaders. Basically, if it's listed here, you know we think it's worth it over the myriad rival models we've reviewed (because plenty do not make it here, believe us). Mini Bluetooth speakers are designed so that you can take them with you, including to places where they might get dirty or be otherwise exposed to the elements. So focus on their ability to withstand intrusion by solids and liquids, denoted by an IP (ingress protection) rating. The first digit signifies how well the speaker can resist solids getting in, while the second signifies liquids. The higher the number, the better the device keeps things like dust and rain out, respectively. The scale for solids ranges from 0 to 6, and for liquids, 0 to 9.Mini hi-fi systems are traditionally associated with playing music, but our tests have revealed they can be a worthy alternative to a TV sound bar. Many Bluetooth speakers now are now fully waterproof and some fully dust-proof. If you're planning on taking the speaker with you to the beach or on a hiking trip, having a more durable speaker is a desirable trait. Speakerphone capabilities If you're looking for a speaker to toss in a bag or clip to a bike, you'll find it hard to get a better speaker for such a low price. It's superb, and its flaws are very minor – only that there's no wired connection, really. We explain how much you are likely to spend on a new mini hi-fi system, what features to look out for, and how you can use your mini hi-fi to boost your TV's sound, as well as enjoy music, podcasts and the radio.
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