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You’re probably wondering why an audiophile like me is publishing a page about Bluetooth speakers. Well, for one thing it’s not click-bait. I don’t do it for affiliate commissions either (although I highly appreciate your support for this website). Just wanted to share with you what I personally listened to and what I would personally buy (if I were in the market – which I’m not at this point).
Don’t get me wrong – I HATE portable boom boxes and most bluetooth speakers are just awful crap, not worth your money. I do however believe that there’s a market for nice sounding, portable speakers that satisfy background listening needs, in an office or at home or in a hotel room.
As someone who lives in a small space like I do and primarily listens to headphones, a small all-in-one speaker makes sense. I always liked having a stereo with minimal cabling. Just turn it on an listen right away. No worries about matching amplifiers to speakers etc.
Bluetooth speakers can sound AMAZING. I once had the opportunity to listen to the KEF MUO and it totally blew me away. Honestly, even critical listeners would be satisfied with that sound. Was it as good as a $5000 loudspeaker? No way. But I could have easily lived with that for the long term. That’s saying a lot. And I have owned Martin Logan, B&W and other big name speakers over the years. So yes, it could be an alternative to cramming huge speakers in a small room and still getting awful sound quality. Believe me, I’ve heard terrible setups with expensive speakers and felt sorry for the owners when they could have gotten much better results. Guess maybe it’s time to consider bluetooth speakers as a viable alternative.
So let’s define the scenarios where I would recommend bluetooth speakers:
Background listening
If you mainly listen through headphones and just occasionally want to play stuff through a speaker for background entertainment, this can be a great solution for you.
Small sized appartment with unfavourable room acoustics
Similar as above. If you don’t want to spend time getting it right, just get a bluetooth speaker and enjoy the music. Avoid cables and clutter. It will even make your partner happy :)
Portability Needs
Suppose you want to use your speaker in your office, stay outdoors or travel a lot. That’s ideal for bluetooth speakers.
Improve sound of mobile devices
Speakers on tablets or smartphones suck for movies or music. Thanks to wireless connectivity, hook them up to your bluetooth speakers and enjoy movies or even Youtube videos with much better sound quality.
My Favorite Speakers
Once again, I personally like Amazon because of their generous return-policy and easy of shopping.
KEF LSX
Fantastic rather traditional stereo bookshelf speaker from British manufacturer KEF. The LSX is based on the popular LS50 but quite a bit smaller. However it features similar coaial driver technology and sounds pretty great. It comes in multiple stylings and color options. I listened to it at a local hifi expo 2 years ago and it sounds really great. I like it a lot. It’s a bit pricier at almost 1000 Euros for the pair but well worth it.
Edifier Active Bookshelf R1850DB
Another classical 2-way stereo speaker, great for computer desks. I like it a lot but the design is a matter of taste…Edifier has lots of other, higher-priced models that you might want to check out as well.
Klipsch Heritage Wireless The One II
Stunningly beautiful, vintage-style bluetooth speaker that resembles the 50s and 60s. A friend of mine owns it and I felt it’s on the warmer side with decent bass. Really nice and also affordable.
Audioengine A2+
Minimalistic looking but great sounding stereo speakers that will blend in your home decor easily
Kanto YU4
I like the Kanto brand, heard 2 different models already and was well impressed. This particular model even has a phono stage built in so you can cover your analog needs, too
