Bluetooth speaker suggestions

[Quinn_Inuit]

I'm looking to get a Bluetooth speaker for my office with a budget of roughly $150. I definitely want good sound quality, of course, but I'd also really like a speaker that has track back/forward buttons that will control the music on my phone. Surprisingly few speakers seem to have this, but the cheap Amazon Basics one that I use now does.

Any suggestions?

 

[StarHalo]

I'm a Sony bluetooth speaker guy, but those don't have track control buttons on them; the one speaker everyone compares to my preferred bigger Sony speakers is the Jawbone Big Jambox, which is pretty close to your price criteria, and also pretty big at 10" across.

 

[mcnair55]

I have several scattered around the house.I never use the extra facilities you require as the more circuits the less the sound is pure.Would suggest you look at JBL Flip 3.

 

[Quinn_Inuit]

I'm a Sony bluetooth speaker guy, but those don't have track control buttons on them; the one speaker everyone compares to my preferred bigger Sony speakers is the Jawbone Big Jambox, which is pretty close to your price criteria, and also pretty big at 10" across.

Thank you for the suggestion. I don't mind larger size, since it'll just sit on my desk.

I have several scattered around the house.I never use the extra facilities you require as the more circuits the less the sound is pure.Would suggest you look at JBL Flip 3.

I understand, but it's a trade-off I'm willing to make. I don't want to have to keep my phone sitting out if I want to skip a track.

 

[StarHalo]

I don't mind larger size, since it'll just sit on my desk.

Go big then; the larger the speaker, specifically one you're sitting right in front of, the better the stereo separation and bass.

The JBL that fits your price range is the Charge2+, however its design is better suited for corner placement or large space use. For a desktop, you want both/all speakers front-firing.

 

[Quinn_Inuit]

Go big then; the larger the speaker, specifically one you're sitting right in front of, the better the stereo separation and bass.

The JBL that fits your price range is the Charge2+, however its design is better suited for corner placement or large space use. For a desktop, you want both/all speakers front-firing.

That makes sense.

What if I got a Bluetooth receiver and hooked it up to a short 3.5mm audio cable and plugged that into a new pair of nice desktop speakers (2.0...a subwoofer at the office might be a bad plan)? Would that be a better use of money? If so, are there any desktop speakers you recommend?

 

[StarHalo]

Small satellite speakers only work with the subwoofer; you'd need larger studio monitor speakers, and those don't get good until the $300+ range. Bluetooth speakers can't be beat at the lower price point and size..

 

[Quinn_Inuit]

Small satellite speakers only work with the subwoofer; you'd need larger studio monitor speakers, and those don't get good until the $300+ range. Bluetooth speakers can't be beat at the lower price point and size..

What about these, though?
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-computer-speakers/

Overall component quality being equal, wouldn't a pair of desktop speakers be able to produce better sound than a much smaller portable one?

 

[StarHalo]

Overall component quality being equal, wouldn't a pair of desktop speakers be able to produce better sound than a much smaller portable one?

I'm not sure; most larger Bluetooth speakers I've heard sound significantly better than small stereo satellite speakers. These larger BT speakers have either a built-in subwoofer or use passive radiators (mine has both) which give them an unfair advantage versus standard speakers - you're comparing 2.1 or 2.pseudo-1 to 2.0. There's usually also some processing involved which provides uncommonly good stereo separation, with the 2.0 speakers it's assumed you will tinker with positioning to find the best soundstage.

Don't forget wires; regular 2.0 sets need an A/C wire, left-right wire, wire to your cell (which means your cell is now a wired device too,) etc. The Bluetooth speaker can be set/moved/used anywhere.

 

[dc38]

I'm not sure; most larger Bluetooth speakers I've heard sound significantly better than small stereo satellite speakers. These larger BT speakers have either a built-in subwoofer or use passive radiators (mine has both) which give them an unfair advantage versus standard speakers - you're comparing 2.1 or 2.pseudo-1 to 2.0. There's usually also some processing involved which provides uncommonly good stereo separation, with the 2.0 speakers it's assumed you will tinker with positioning to find the best soundstage.

Don't forget wires; regular 2.0 sets need an A/C wire, left-right wire, wire to your cell (which means your cell is now a wired device too,) etc. The Bluetooth speaker can be set/moved/used anywhere.

check out the Nyne Bass from Amazon. Under $150, I've run both of mine on max. 5 hours at least is verified. I have both the the discontinued red sport version (100$) and the regular silver version (120$). Pretty decent sound quality and bass out of a pretty well built speaker. Would also like to add that there is a 1 amp usb on the back, with a hard on off switch. And an aux cable is included.

 

[StarHalo]

check out the Nyne Bass

Forgot about that one, we sell a lot of those. Very promising that a Big Jambox user prefers the Nyne in the reviews..

 

[Beamhead]

I have a Marshall Acton and love it.

 

[Quinn_Inuit]

I'm not sure; most larger Bluetooth speakers I've heard sound significantly better than small stereo satellite speakers. These larger BT speakers have either a built-in subwoofer or use passive radiators (mine has both) which give them an unfair advantage versus standard speakers - you're comparing 2.1 or 2.pseudo-1 to 2.0. There's usually also some processing involved which provides uncommonly good stereo separation, with the 2.0 speakers it's assumed you will tinker with positioning to find the best soundstage.

Don't forget wires; regular 2.0 sets need an A/C wire, left-right wire, wire to your cell (which means your cell is now a wired device too,) etc. The Bluetooth speaker can be set/moved/used anywhere.

Interesting. I didn't know that about the Bluetooth speakers sounding better. That's good to know.

check out the Nyne Bass from Amazon. Under $150, I've run both of mine on max. 5 hours at least is verified. I have both the the discontinued red sport version (100$) and the regular silver version (120$). Pretty decent sound quality and bass out of a pretty well built speaker. Would also like to add that there is a 1 amp usb on the back, with a hard on off switch. And an aux cable is included.

That looks solid, but I'm worried about all of the reviews that say it has overpowering bass. I'm not that big of a bass-head.

I have a Marshall Acton and love it.

That looks nice, but it doesn't have track controls.

 

[StarHalo]

That looks solid, but I'm worried about all of the reviews that say it has overpowering bass. I'm not that big of a bass-head.

The bass folk are comparing the low end to tiny speakers; Bluetooth speakers are for the most part just tuned to be nicely balanced, so long as you're not doing high-volume antics and/or putting the speaker in a corner, it'll just sound like a well-matched speaker set.

 

[dc38]

The bass folk are comparing the low end to tiny speakers; Bluetooth speakers are for the most part just tuned to be nicely balanced, so long as you're not doing high-volume antics and/or putting the speaker in a corner, it'll just sound like a well-matched speaker set.

Agreed...this speaker has mellow bass that adds a depth of sound on lower volumes. If you like bass on personal time, it'll fill a 3 car garage with sound and decently unexpected bass and rich trebles. For the Nyne bass in particular, I've found it castle depends on the coding ofbthe track, but the bass and mid to mid highs are solid. Higher pitched are strong as well, but the nyne bass isn't named so for its tweets lol...overall VERY good sound per dollar.

What I've used them for so far:
Jazz, all genres
Rock, all genres
Classical,
YouTube videos,
Watching movies on my 50" in a 22' x 12' room,
In an office cubicle setting,
In a warehouse,
On the beach,
In a back yard,
In my car,
And the sound quality remains one of two highest selling points to me, the other being battery life.

 

[Quinn_Inuit]

The bass folk are comparing the low end to tiny speakers; Bluetooth speakers are for the most part just tuned to be nicely balanced, so long as you're not doing high-volume antics and/or putting the speaker in a corner, it'll just sound like a well-matched speaker set.

Good to know, OK.

Wait, why can't I put the speaker in a corner?

Agreed...this speaker has mellow bass that adds a depth of sound on lower volumes. If you like bass on personal time, it'll fill a 3 car garage with sound and decently unexpected bass and rich trebles. For the Nyne bass in particular, I've found it castle depends on the coding ofbthe track, but the bass and mid to mid highs are solid. Higher pitched are strong as well, but the nyne bass isn't named so for its tweets lol...overall VERY good sound per dollar.

What I've used them for so far:
{...}
And the sound quality remains one of two highest selling points to me, the other being battery life.

OK, thanks for the info! I'll look around for a good price on it.

 

[StarHalo]

Wait, why can't I put the speaker in a corner?

Corners reflect low frequencies; if you want the basshead experience, set the speaker on the floor in a corner and turn up the volume. My Sony does a remarkable impression of an ~8" subwoofer this way if you happen to be in its line of sight.

 

[GunnarGG]

If portability is of interest I must say that I get very impressed by the sound my little Bose Soundlink Colour produces thinking about the size.
No separate buttons for back/forward but you can do that by double (and triple?) click on play button.
The base is sort of adjustable depending on how you place the speaker in relation to the wall behind it.

I'm not at all much into music and that equipment so I don't have much to compare with but it might be worth checking out.

 

[Quinn_Inuit]

Corners reflect low frequencies; if you want the basshead experience, set the speaker on the floor in a corner and turn up the volume. My Sony does a remarkable impression of an ~8" subwoofer this way if you happen to be in its line of sight.

Interesting. That's good to know, thanks.

If portability is of interest I must say that I get very impressed by the sound my little Bose Soundlink Colour produces thinking about the size.
No separate buttons for back/forward but you can do that by double (and triple?) click on play button.
The base is sort of adjustable depending on how you place the speaker in relation to the wall behind it.

I'm not at all much into music and that equipment so I don't have much to compare with but it might be worth checking out.

Cool, thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Lit Up]

If it's going to just sit in an area, get the Blackweb Rumbletek.

I have one and it's great for the money. It has next/previous track buttons, play/pause and will do speakerphone as well. It uses a wall wart and not USB to charge/power the unit., but with it in your office it will be fine. Volume would run you out, actually, as it can get rather loud. I believe it has a small amp inside the unit. Decent bass too. A song like Garbage's "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing" sounds great. That opening bassline really pops. I just saw it for 33 bucks on Wal-Mart's site which is an absolute steal for this speaker. I paid over 50 when I bought mine. Its around 13 inches or so in length. I think you'll be pleased with it.

Oh, it also has a usb port on the back for phone charging if need be.