Walmart offers the Sony SRSX5 Bluetooth/NFC Speaker for $79.99 shipped. That’s $20 less than B&H and $10 off our previous mention for the best we’ve seen. This speaker has a pair of “full-range” 30W stereo speakers with a built-in passive subwoofer. Bluetooth and NFC connectivity offer MP3, AAC, WMA and LDAC playback. You can expect up to 10 hours of playback on a single charge. Additionally, a rear USB port can charge your device. Rated 4.5/5 stars by 139 Amazon customers.
Newegg is currently discounting the Sony SRSX9 AirPlayand Bluetooth Speaker down to $279.99 shipped (Reg. $350+). You’ll have plenty of power with this speaker’s 154W output plus integrated streaming via Bluetooth, AirPlay or NFC. You can even charge your smartphone on the rear USB port, if needed. Although AirPlay has its ups-and-downs, it’s still one of the best ways to enjoy content via an Apple device. Rated 4/5 stars.
It’s summertime and that means the arrival of new outdoor Bluetooth speakers from all your favorite brands. JBL has been at the top of the chain in terms of quality, design and sound for the last couple of years. Today, we’re taking a look at its latest release, the Charge 3. Much like its predecessor, this speaker is made for outdoor fun with an IPX7 splashproof rating and compact footprint. An improved internal battery brings a whopping 20 hours of playback. We loved the Charge 2+ last summer for its top-notch sound and this rendition follows that trend…
Aukey via Amazon offers itsBluetooth water-resistant wireless speaker for $24.99, but if you use the coupon code AUDIOSKM at checkout, the price drops to just $19.99 Prime shipped. That’s $5 off the regular price and the lowest we’ve seen for this speaker which pairs well with the iPhone 7. This speaker is a compact, palm-sized cube that can be used indoors or outdoors. Rated 4.8/5 stars by 25 Amazon shoppers.
More accessory deals:
Jawbone Mini Jambox Wireless Bluetooth Speaker $60 (Orig. $180) | Amazon
Aukey SK-M15 Bluetooth Portable Wireless Speaker$15 (Reg. $20) | Amazon
w/ code AUDIOSKM
Mpow Sport Armband for iPhone 6/s $5 (Reg. $10) | Amazon
Aukey via Amazon offers its Quick Charge 2.0 16000mAh Power Bank for $29.99, but if you enter the code TTJVTLD7 at checkout, the price drops to $23.99 Prime shipped. That’s $6 off the regular price and the lowest we can find for it. This power bank can charge certain Android devices up to 75% faster than conventional chargers and provides 2.4A output available through both USB ports. It can also charge the iPhone 6s over 6 times, the iPhone 6s Plus over 3.5 times or an iPad Air about 1.5 times. Rated 4.6/5 stars by 75 Amazon shoppers
Harman Audio’s official eBay Store is offering the refurbished JBL Charge 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker in Black for $59.99 shipped. It originally retailed for $150 and today’s deal is $10 less than our previous mention. This was our Bluetooth speaker of the year in 2014 and it’s still a great buy. Features include a 6000mAh built-in battery that’s good for 12 hours of playback. A one-year warranty is included with purchase. Rated 4.5/5 stars from over 1,500 Amazon customers.
This Apple-designed speaker features a USB port to power iPhones and iPads, plus a Lightning port to re-charge its internal battery (super convenient!). With the iOS and Android mobile app you can take advantage of DJ mode and other smart features. Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars from 124 Amazon reviewers.
There’s no shortage of Beats deals right now. Best Buy has Solo2 Headphones for $90, Pill 2.0 for $120 and Studio Headphones from $150.
It feels like the Bluetooth speaker market has bottomed out. We’re missing new and exciting designs, as each release feels like a knockoff of the one before it. Finding a way to reinvent this wheel is proving to be difficult for audio manufacturers. Simply put, Bluetooth is everywhere we look.
Today, Bang & Olufsen released its smallest speaker yet in an effort to shake up the competition. The BeoPlay A1 has the familiar styling of its larger siblings but comes in at a smaller size that is comparable to the popular UE ROLL. However, it sets itself apart in one key area: 24-hour battery life. More below.
Towards the end of last year, a company called AC Worldwide launched a promising Kickstarter project. Essentially, these were fully licensed, to scale Star Wars Bluetooth speakers in the shape of C-3Po and Stormtrooper heads. Not long after the speaker project launched, an investor came in and offered the company all the money they needed to get the speakers to market. Now they’re here, and I just had to try them out…
Update: Grab the JBL Flip 2 Portable Speaker in Black from the Microsoft Store for $40 shipped. Note you must be signed in with your Microsoft account as a Bing Rewards club member (free signup).
The speaker can play your tunes while displaying three modes of color for extra enjoyment. It also has a 3.5mm jack for a direct connection from your audio devices and it’s rated 4.6/5 stars from over 150 Amazon shoppers.
Amazon is offering the Philips (model: SBT75) Bluetooth Portable Speaker for $36.99 shipped. That’s $33 off the original list price and the lowest we’ve seen it at Amazon. The speaker’s built-in rechargeable lithium battery lasts up to five hours and can be charged by the included USB cable. Rated 4.1/5 stars from over 100 Amazon shoppers.
I’ve had my Amazon Echo smart speaker since they were available to the general public and can honestly say it has changed the way our family lives. We put it in our open floor plan kitchen/family room where the far-field mic can hear our voices up to 20 feet away and has pretty incredible speech recognition accuracy. We were a little weirded out calling it “Alexa” so we changed the default name to “Amazon” – the only other current choice.
My wife used to ask me what the weather was going to be like in the morning which would annoyingly (jk love of my life) require me to go to a computer or smartphone and ask the…same…question. The Amazon Echo allows me to strut my passive aggressive side so when she asked what the weather was going to be like, I would just repeat “Amazon, what’s the weather going to be like today”. My wife, who hates using Siri because she feels like it makes her look weird/uncomfortable talking to her iPhone, stopped asking me what the weather was going to be like. She started asking Echo.
Bam! Worth the money right there. But there’s so much more…
Update (10/28 7:30am): Amazon currently offers the UE MEGABOOM in Charcoal Black for $232.45 shipped. That’s good for roughly $68 off the list price and the lowest offering we’ve seen in any color.
We’ve reached the point where there’s generally parity in both sound quality and feature sets across most popular portable Bluetooth speakers. It really takes a special speaker to stand out from the pack. Ultimate Ears’ MEGABOOM does just that by offering huge sound in a waterproof design with all-day battery life. I know most speakers claim to offer big sound, but the MEGABOOM truly does. I used it as the sole source for music at the after-party for my wedding in an wine vineyard and didn’t even come close to turning it up to max volume. The 360-degree design pumped out classic rock, pop, and acoustic music loudly, and most importantly, clearly in every direction. My friends and family were dumbfounded that this (relatively) small speaker could put out that type of sound.
Speaking of size, it is the biggest portable Bluetooth speaker in the UE lineup, but by no means is it a nuisance to travel with or keep in tow on a daily basis. With IPX7 waterproofing, this speaker can withstand dunks in the pool and blasts from a garden hose. I don’t look to get my speakers wet, but it’s nice to know if it happens there’s nothing to worry about. My only knock on the MEGABOOM is that it takes so long to charge that I just put it on the charger overnight, but I can live with that since it lasts up to 20-hours.
JBL first announced its new Xtreme Bluetooth speaker back in July alongside the revamped Flip 3. It is the largest and most expensive speaker in JBL’s portable Bluetooth lineup. As such, slim and quiet are not terms that we’d use to describe this new product. Instead, JBL has packed this speaker full of battery life and power to fill large spaces with sound while still remaining portable.
Read on for more details on JBL’s newest Bluetooth speaker.
Amazon offers the Bose SoundLink Mini for $159 with free shipping, which is $41 below its original price and amongst the lowest deals we’ve seen that doesn’t require rebates or unique coupon codes. Best Buy and B&H have also dropped their prices. There’s no doubt this deal was brought forward due to the SoundLink Mini II being released over the summer (review here). But the original SoundLink Mini remains one of our all-time favorite portable Bluetooth speakers, so you’re still getting a solid performer with this deal. It includes a charging cradle and AUX port, but sound quality (especially bass) is this speaker’s best feature. More than 6,200 Amazon reviewers rate it 4.7 out of 5 stars.
JBL has been tweaking and adjusting its Bluetooth line-up of speakers for years. Instead of coming out with completely new form factors every 12 months, it has subtly adapted its previous generations with improvements. Following a big week at IFA 2015, JBL has released the third generation Flip Bluetooth speaker. We’ve had our hands on the Flip 3 for the last few weeks and now it’s time to share our thoughts.
JBL’s most playful Bluetooth speaker is getting upgraded today. The JBL Pulse caught everyone’s attention a few years back when it arrived complete with a full-on LED lightshow. Now, Harman is announcing the JBL Pulse 2 today that looks to be even more fun.
Amazon just dropped the recently released Philips Portable Bluetooth Speaker in Black, White, or Lime/Gray down to $14.99 Prime shipped. That’s a savings of 25% off its regular price and the first discount we’ve ever seen for this speaker. Most of the low-priced Bluetooth speakers on the market are made by generic third party companies, so…
Portable speakers often place a high importance on the convenience of wireless audio, often at the expense of sound quality. That’s why we were excited to find out about the Sound Step Lightning 2, a sleek, feature rich Bluetooth sound station to deliver the fantastic sound you crave. For a limited time, Electronicsforward Specials has…
ECOXGEAR, purveyors of rugged outdoor audio gear and power supplies, has announced three new additions to its line of accessories. These products “are made to take a beating” with pressure release valves for high altitudes, shock absorbing designs, and built-in floatation IPX7 waterproof certification.
Today’s announcement brings a new speaker, power bank and lipstick style battery pack that are both solar powered and “ultra rugged”. Head below for full details on these new products.
We’ve long been fans of JBL’s Bluetooth speaker offerings and the recently released Charge 2+ and Clip+ were no exceptions. Today the popular audio manufacturer has teased two new speakers via its YouTube channel that are designed for outdoor and on-the-go listening.
JBL’s Flip3 will be a follow-up to the previous generation model while the new Xtreme Portable Speaker has a bigger build for “larger sound”. Head below for full details and videos on both options.
We see a lot of Bluetooth speakers come through for review that typically fall in the $50-$300 range, rarely topping a price mark higher than that. The question is: do higher priced models deliver a superior sound experience to justify spending two or three times as much other options?
Bang & Olufsen is known for its great sounding audio equipment that have beautiful designs but aren’t necessarily the most cost-effective for the average consumer. B&O released the Beolit 15 back in the winter as a new addition to its family of more affordable B&O PLAY audio products. After spending a few weeks with this Bluetooth speaker, it’s time to answer the question of affordability vs. quality.
The Bluetooth speaker market is flooded, filled with options that promise “room-filling sound” or an ultra portable design that can still bring the noise. The reality is, often times those pledges are not fulfilled, leaving us with another speaker in the closet.
JBL’s latest releases, the Charge 2+ and Clip+, are both portable and splashproof Bluetooth speakers that also promise big sound in a small design. Over the last month, I’ve spent some time with both models and after a big July 4th weekend by the water, I’m ready to deliver a verdict.
After releasing a new Bluetooth-enabled LED lightbulb last month, Sony is back again today with details on new wireless speaker options for your home. As a follow-up to Sony’s highly-rated previous generation models, these new speakers have a simple and unobtrusive design. However, it’s the price tag and amount of power that really make them stand out.
When Boombotix and Wu-Tang’s RZA teamed up back in 2014 to release the new “A Better Tomorrow” album alongside the Boombot REX Bluetooth speaker, it was unclear whether or not it would be an ongoing trend. But it is now clear that RZA and Boombotix are back at it again to take the idea of…
It has a rechargeable battery that can run for up to 10 hours and a 50-foot Bluetooth range. Using the Mini Boom app you can sync up two of them for an even bigger sound. It has a 4.4/5 star rating from over 1,000 Amazon customers.
It features 360 degree audio, a water and stain proof exterior, 15 hours of playback, 50-foot Bluetooth range, and can also be linked up with a second speaker. This model sits with a 4.6/5 star rating from nearly 2,000 Amazon customers.
Electronicsforward Specials currently has the Sound Kick Bluetooth Speaker for $49.99 with free shipping. This great-sounding portable speaker has never before been available for under $50. The Sound Kick pumps out rich, detailed audio via a pair of 2.3-inch drivers, and it uses spatial technology to give music a bigger sound. However, at only 1.6…
We have a couple of nice deals on Bluetooth speakers today starting with Amazon offering the Sony SRSX5 in black or red for $129.99 shipped. Matched at Best Buy. It typically retails for $180, today’s deal is within a few dollars of the lowest we’ve seen it go for and the best current offering. Rated 4.5/5 stars.…
Today you can save $4 off the regular price of two Bluetooth speakers from Lumsing. The first is the Lumsing Bluetooth Speaker with NFC Built-in Microphone that’s normally $23.99. But when you use the code: FDWGTRFF the price drops to only $19.99 Prime shipped. That’s $60 off the list price and the lowest we can find for it. It works with any Bluetooth-enabled phone, tablet or Mac/PC and also with wired audio devices via 3.5mm AUX audio jack. The 2500mAh lithium battery can last up to 25 hours of continuous playtime. We reviewed this speaker last November and found it to truly have an amazing battery life and sound quality much better than its price.
Next is the Lumsing Bluetooth 4.0 speaker that is splash-proof, shock-proof, and dust-proof for $23.99. Using the same code from above (FDWGTRFF) knocks off $4 making this speaker only $19.99 Prime shipped as well. This speaker is small and easy to carry and is well-suited for both indoor enjoyment and also outdoors.
T-Mobile is offering 25% off all accessories found in its online storefront using code SUNNYACC25. Use this code to save on everything from phone and tablet cases to Bluetooth speakers and more. Even with the 25% off, the best options are listed at full price on T-Mobile so in many cases its better to stick…
Amazon offers the Beats by Dre portable Bluetooth speaker with a free $50 gift card for $252.63 with free shipping. Today’s price is the best deal we have ever seen for just the speaker (by $20), but the free $50 gift card makes this by far the best promotion we have ever seen on any Beats speaker. It features a USB port for device charging, tap to pair NFC connectivity, and the ability to be paired with a second Pill XL to pump out even bigger sound. Amazon buyers rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
It comes with Bluetooth and NFC functionality for simple mobile pairing and playback, a built-in speakerphone, 8 hours of battery life, and will act as a mobile device charger: “if you have the Siri personal assistant on your Apple iOS device, you can start it from the NX-P100 with a single button press.”
The NX-P100 has received a 3.9/5 star rating on Amazon
Next, we have the manufacturer refurbishedSamsung (DA-FM61C) Bluetooth Speaker for $79.99 shipped. That’s as much as $80 off some new prices, about $38 under the average selling price and the lowest refurbished unit we can find by $10. It features two 10-watt neodymium speakers, NFC, a fold-out stand, an aux-in mini jack and about 12 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Amazon is offering the Creative T30 Wireless Bluetooth speakers for $100 shipped. That’s $30 off the regular price and the lowest we’ve seen these go for. These will pair up with most stereo Bluetooth devices and feature “Tap & Play” NFC technology allowing users to simply tap the top of the unit with a compatible device for “fuss-free pairing.” They also ship with an RCA to 3.5mm adapter for direct analog connections. You can see more specs below the fold.
The Creative T30s have received a 4.6/5 star rating on Amazon.
Creative T30 Wireless Bluetooth speakers: $100 shipped (Reg. $130)
Best Buy is offering the Philips Shoqbox SB7200 series portable Bluetooth speaker for $79.99 with free shipping. That’s $70 under retail, which retailers like Apple are currently charging, and within $12 of the best price ever. It features a rugged splas/drop-proof design, a built-in mic for speakerphone functionality, and a swipe sensor that allows you to skip songs with the wave of your hand. Special pricing only available for the black model. Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
Put your savings towards a second Shoqbox and pair the two units up to create a stereo system of left and right channels.
Amazon has the Logitech UE 984-000298 Mobile Boombox Bluetooth Speaker and Speakerphone in Black, White, Red/Black, Blue/White, Green/Black for $79.99 with free shipping. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen it at new though we’ve seen it for less refurbished. This bluetooth speaker can also act as a speakerphone, features 10 hour battery and weighs just over a pound.
UPDATE: Sold out! Don’t miss out next time. Follow Electronicsforward for all the latest deals… Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook As one of their Heist deals, Daily Steals are slashing prices on Logitech accessories. The Grab Bag includes over 20 deals on Logitech keyboards, speakers, mice, and more. Every deal is scheduled to end tomorrow morning so don’t hesitate…
Update: Sold out! Don’t miss out next time. Follow Electronicsforward for all the latest deals… Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook
Today’s Tech.Woot is the Pyle Sound Box Waterproof Wireless Marine Grade Portable Bluetooth Speaker for only $39.99 + $5 shipping. That’s 72% off the list price of $145 and the lowest price we could find for this speaker. The Sound Box is available in 4 different colors: Blue, Green, Orange, or White
The Sound Box allows you to stream and play music from virtually any Bluetooth enabled device quickly and easily –including your smartphone, MP3 player, tablet, computer etc. Rugged waterproof and shock resistant design makes this portable speaker perfect for visits to the beach, hiking and just about any outdoor activity.
