Bluetooth
a photo of Sonos Move 2 speaker on a deck next to a garden
Sonos

Top Bluetooth speakers at any budget for 2023

From under $100 to over $1,000, there's a Bluetooth speaker for everyone

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Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes. You can clip one to your backpack for some tunes while you hike, stick a waterproof speaker to your shower, take one out into the garden, or drop four figures on a powerhouse of a phone-controlled sound system. You can find speakers that fit almost any budget, and there is a wide range of styles and features. The one thing they have in common, of course, is Bluetooth, making it easy to play music from your smartphone, tablet, or other device.

Bluetooth speakers under $50

a photo of JBL Go 3 EcoJBL Go 3 Eco Bluetooth Speaker

JBL

JBL's expansive Bluetooth speaker range starts with the $50 Eco 3 Go, a palm-sized speaker with a new innovative, eco-friendly design. It's waterproof, so it doesn't mind being rained on, and you could even hang it up in the shower. The battery lasts for 5 hours, says JBL, and comes in three colors: blue, green, and white. This new eco-friendly portable speaker comes with JBL Original Pro Sound and delivers surprisingly big audio and rich bass from Go 3 Eco's ultra-compact size.

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  • Soundcore Mini 3

If you don't need the eco-friendly design of the JBL, you could try the Soundcore Mini 3, which costs $40.99, is waterproof, and is available in black, blue, and red. Anker claims the battery is good for an impressive 15 hours of playback, and you can link 100+ speakers to create an incredible stereo sound.

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Bluetooth speakers under $100

a product shot of Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 Bluetooth Portable Speaker

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 Bluetooth Portable Speaker

Amazon

  • Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3

Doubling your budget puts Bluetooth speakers by Ultimate Ears into reach. The third-generation WONDERBOOM 3 is a portable Bluetooth speaker that is water- and shock-proof. It is available in a wide range of colors, promises 360-degree sound, and has an integrated tripod mount with a hook for attaching it to your bag – or, indeed, raising it off the ground on a tripod.

The WONDERBOOM 3, which has up to 14 hours of battery life, can currently be bought for just under $100 – or even $80 if you opt for a refurbished model – while the Boom 3 portable speaker is priced at $128.

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An alternative at the sub-$100 price point is the JBL Flip 5, which costs $89.95, is waterproof, available in several colors, and has 20 hours of battery life. Note: the newest version of the JBL Flip series, Flip 6, is available but for $129.95, the original price of the Flip 5 before it went on sale.

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Bluetooth speakers under $200

a photo of Tribit StormBox Blast Bluetooth SpeakerTribit StormBox Blast Bluetooth SpeakerGearBrain
  • Marshall Stockwell II

Most Bluetooth speakers look fairly uninteresting, but that couldn't be said of the $194 Marshall Stockwell II. Styled to look like a much larger amplifier, the Stockwell II was recently reduced from $220, offers 20 hours of battery life, and comes with the latest Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology.

There's also IPX4 water and dust resistance, and a set of analog knobs completes the look to adjust volume, bass, and treble.

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  • Tribit StormBox Blast Portable Bluetooth Speaker

The Tribit StormBox Blast is a powerful, portable, waterproof Bluetooth speaker with exceptional sound and battery life. It has a 90W output, two 4.2-inch 30-watt woofers, and two 1.2-inch 15-watt tweeters. It also features Tribit's XBass technology, which enhances the bass response, is IPX7 waterproof rated, has a built-in battery that provides up to 30 hours of playtime, and can also be used as a power bank to charge your devices. This portable Bluetooth Speaker supports TWS (True Wireless Stereo), a feature that allows you to pair two StormBox Blast speakers together for stereo sound. The speaker also has 32 built-in LED lights, which sync to the beat of your music, a range of 40 meters, weighs around 12 pounds, and is very durable.

This Tribit speaker costs $199.99 and is available on Amazon. So, if you're looking for a portable Bluetooth speaker that is waterproof, can deliver great sound, and keeps the party going all day long, the Tribit StormBox Blast is one we would recommend. You can read our review for more information.

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Bluetooth speakers under $300

a photo of Sonos Ear 100 smart speaker in a kitchenSonos Era 100 Smart SpeakerSonos
  • Sonos Era 100

New to the list this year is Sonos' latest Bluetooth speaker, their Sonos Era 100. It is a premium smart speaker with stereo sound and a compact design that comes with its own voice platform, Sonos Voice, but you can use Amazon Alexa commands if you want. The speaker works with the Alexa voice platform to control your smart home. You can set up the speaker using the free Sonos app for iOS and Android mobile devices.

The Sonos Era 100 has an MSRP of $249 and is available in black or white on the company website and other online retailers like Amazon. You can learn more about this Bluetooth speaker by reading our full review.

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A more subtle alternative is the Bose SoundLink Mini II. Now available for $220, the speaker is compact but promises string sound performance, and the usual pumping bass Bose systems are known for. Battery life is a modest 10 hours.

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  • Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series 2)

Another Bose option, and this time it's the $219 SoundLink Revolve+, a powerful Bluetooth speaker with 13 hours of battery life, an aluminum body with IPX4 water and dust resistance, and the ability to create a stereo pair if you buy two.

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Bluetooth speakers under $500

three color versions of sonos move 2 speakerSonos Move 2 comes in three colorsSonos

Sonos Move 2 is designed for indoor and outdoor listening; the Sonos Move 2 connects via both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You can use the former indoors just like any other Sonos speaker, plus access to Apple AirPlay2, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant.

Take the Sonos Move outside (or away from the home) and switch to Bluetooth, which works like any other wireless speaker, with a 24-hour battery life. It has IP56 water and dust resistance, making it weatherproof.

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  • Ultimate Ears Hyperboom Portable & Home Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Ultimate Ears Hyperboom is the biggest, loudest bassist speaker of all Ultimate Ears portable Bluetooth speakers. It delivers truly epic sound with extreme bass, adaptive EQ, and 4 input channels for you to connect, switch, and share music. The unique diamond shape and solid form​ Hypberboom speaker has a 24-hour battery life and costs $449.99, but it is currently on sale for less than $400 on the company site and less than $360 on Amazon.

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Bluetooth speakers under $1,000

Bowers & Wilkins Formation EdgeThe Formation Wedge is a premium Bluetooth speakerBowers & Wilkins

At this price point, you might want to consider broadening your horizons behind Bluetooth. That isn't to say Bluetooth isn't a useful speaker feature. Still, audiophiles will tell you that sound systems at this price should be fed using a cable or a higher-bandwidth Wi-Fi connection to a high-quality streaming service like Tidal or Amazon Music HD.

Regardless, there are still plenty of options that are hugely powerful, great looking, and with Bluetooth (as well as Wi-Fi and physical connections. It should be added that few of these are battery-powered due to their power demands.

The second-generation Qb from British audio company Naim is a compact cube (hence the name), but pushes out 300 watts of audio power and includes Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Ethernet, and access to a wide range of streaming services. And Bluetooth. The Qb V2 is priced at $1,100

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  • Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge

Also priced at $899 is the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge, a powerful and high-quality speaker that offers Spotify and AirPlay over Wi-Fi, plus Bluetooth. The speaker is available in black or silver.

Buy on Amazon

Bluetooth speakers over $1,000

Devialet Gold PhantomThe Gold Phantom has an extraordinary 4,500 watts of powerDevialet

Now we're into the Premier League of Bluetooth speakers. These offer huge power, room-filling sound, a wide range of features and connectivity options, and often a design that makes them a talking point of any room.

One of our favorites sees us return Naim and the Mu-so 2, which costs $1,600. The speaker doesn't yet offer a voice assistant (although the company says it is looking into it), but it does offer Spotify, Tidal, Chromecast, and Bluetooth streaming, making it smarter and more connected than anything Naim has made before. Apple AirPlay 2 support means you can control the Mu-so 2 by speaking to Siri on your iPhone.

The Mu-so offers multi-room audio similar to Sonos and can be plugged into a TV via an HDMI cable to act as a high-end soundbar, too.

Buy on Amazon

  • Bang & Olufsen Beosound A9 (5th Gen)

Alternatively, you could try the $3,700 Bang & Olufsen Beosound A9. Its design is a few years old now, but the internals were recently updated for its fourth generation, and now there's Google Assistant integration. The huge speaker, which actually houses seven individual drivers, is finished in Kvadrat fabric and is offered in a range of colors.

As well as having Google Assistant baked in for voice control, the Beoplay A9 has Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast support for multi-room music streaming.

Buy on Amazon

  • Devialet Gold Phantom I 108dB - Wireless Speaker (Gold)
Finally, we have the $3,199 Devialet Gold Phantom I 108dB Wireless Speaker. Quite possibly the most powerful Bluetooth speaker ever made, this has a staggering 1,100 watts of audio power, which is good for 108 dB. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, and Bluetooth, and you can connect several together for whole-house music.

Devialet Phantom I 108dB - Wireless Speaker (Gold)



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