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A bass-heavy audio performance makes it ideal for use outdoors, because during our testing we found it's powerful enough to cut through wind noise. Meanwhile, a clever Automatic Switching feature means it seamlessly becomes part of your Sonos Wi-Fi multi-room setup indoors.
You’ll use it primarily indoors: Because of the Scene’s awkward-to-transport design, the speaker will fare a lot better if you leave it on a shelf of your house. You’re after a striking design: The UE Hyperboom looks good, but it won’t win any awards for its design. This is so good, you could make it your main at-home wireless speaker as well as an on-the-go companion. You've got Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth, and super-rich sound – though it's pretty big and heavy. Pairing the Sonitrek Go XL speaker is simple and works as expected. Turn on by pressing the power button, and connect with your desired Bluetooth device. Voice prompts are in a pleasant Aussie voice, which I appreciate being one myself. Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity means that the speaker is easy to pair with your smartphone, while built-in Alexa voice assistance means it can double up as a smart speaker. The A1 is the first speaker to offer Alexa support without needing to be connected to your home Wi-Fi network – and while this is impressive in itself, we did find that the voice assistant was sometimes quite slow to respond to our commands, since it's routing over Bluetooth to your phone, and your phone is then making the request over whatever internet connection it has… which won't always be great.There are several key things you'll need to consider when you're looking for the best Bluetooth speaker. The speaker can be controlled remotely with a connected device, but also features large easy to press buttons that feel rugged and durable. The plus and minus sigs adjust volume, and the other smaller buttons provide pairing, pause, and power. You want an aux-in for wired listening: The only port you'll get here is a USB-C two-way charger –although it does charge your phone.The Cleer Audio Scene has this, though. The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 was highly anticipated, but unfortunately fails to improve on its predecessors in both sound quality and portability. The oddly thin, cylindrical shape tends to roll when on its side, and easily tips over when not on the included charging stand. Poor signal quality results in music stutter, which is unacceptable at this price point. With a unique design and promising features, we hope the next iteration improves on these glaring flaws.
You already have Sonos speakers at home: The Roam is easily integrated into an existing Sonos system, letting you take your tunes on the go as well as listening at home. USB-C charging would have been nice, considering we are in 2023, but a 14 hours battery life at least means you won't need to be reaching for the charging cable too often. It's worth pointing out that some of the models in this list can also double up as computer speakers if you want to have a cleaner PC setup, too. Absurd battery life with USB-C rapid charging. The Go XL itself will play continuously for 14+ hours, a feat we tested over several days. Not only that, but the included USB-C charging cable offers a full charge in under 30 minutes. No, that is not a typo. We were able to recharge in under 30 minutes via USB-C. That’s stunning, and makes us wonder why speakers from other brands costing 3-4 times more have just a third of the battery life and take over 90 minutes to recharge. Deep bass boosting power built in ] Unique micro-audio driver architecture delivers big bass and rich sound. Bring the party anywhere, any time.EDITOR’S NOTE: Sonitrek have now released an ultra-portable Sling edition, designed with easy travel in mind. It carries with it substantial price reduction, but offers fewer features and cannot match the overall volume and bass levels of the Go XL. Has very good sound for the price, sturdy and connects easily. Only issue is battery life not that good. I use plugged in most times. Feature-rich, but does not excel in any one are. Of note are the options to use voice commands, and pair two SoundLink speakers together for double the output. That said, controls are difficult to operate, and voice commands fail to register more often than not. Should you have a home with Bose technology, the SoundLink is compatible with the Bose Smart Home family.
Waterproofing is excellent, and the Go XL was able to handle just about anything we could throw at it including tossing it into the ocean. 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 full audio outdoors (because if you're going to buy something, it might as well sound good, right?) and with a battery that lasts and lasts. These are our priorities when we're testing these speakers, and obviously we're balancing that with the price – otherwise known as value for money. It's not the most portable Bluetooth speaker ever, owing to its large size and nearly five and a half kilos on the scales, but a decently sized grab handle does at least give you the option. We also need to talk about those lights. You can't turn them off completely, unfortunately, but you can make it so they only pop up when you're switching the volume levels. Almost identical to the original A1, the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen) is an appealing and highly portable Bluetooth speaker that comes with (admittedly flawed) Alexa support without the need for Wi-Fi. This takes on the JBL Flip 6 by adding an aux-in and some other nice features. It's a bit bigger, heavier and bass-light, but is a strong choice if you want a 3.5mm plug.First and foremost is the sheer scale of sound that emanates from such a small body. Sound is also spacious and served up with generous levels of bass. It's a remarkable performance and one that will keep everyone entertained when out and about. This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items. To return faulty items see our Returning Faulty Items policy.
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