The 9 Best Speakers for Music Lovers: Sonos, Bose, JBL & More
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Looking to make a few upgrades? Now is a great time to enhance your sound system. Whether you’re a music lover, a dedicated audiophile, gamer, movie buff, TV binger or a combination of all five, the speaker options are plentiful.
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And with retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart rolling back prices due to an overstock of inventory, winter sales, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day, you’re sure to find great deals on speakers and other electronics.
That said, having too many options can be overwhelming. When shopping for a speaker, it’s good to narrow down the style, size and price that best suits your needs. To make the search a little easier, we gathered up nine of the best speakers for music lovers to play all their favorite tunes, podcasts and more.
From portable Bluetooth speakers to wired and freestanding speaker options, see below for our picks for the best options to enhance your sound system. For more recommendations, read our roundups of the best record players, best over-ear headphones, best wired headphones and best Bluetooth earbuds.
JBL Flip 6 – Portable Bluetooth Speaker
If you’re looking for a smaller speaker, the JBL Flip 6 portable Bluetooth player is worth a try. Flip 6 has a two-way speaker system that is designed to deliver rich sound and optimized dual passive radiators for deep bass. Measuring nearly 8 inches long, this portable speaker is equipped with a 20-watt sound output and 12 hours of battery life. It’s also waterproof and dust-proof and comes in several colors, including red, blue and black (prices may vary depending on the color). Purchase the JBL 6 at major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Crutchfield and at JBL.com. If you’re in the market for something cheaper, the JBL Flip 5 is on sale for $99.95 and this Anker Soundcore Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $27.99.
Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Portable Speaker
The Bose Soundlink Flex is another good choice in portable speakers. These awesome speakers are available in multiple colors, sizes, designs and prices – the cheapest of which is the Bose Soundlink Micro, currently on sale for $99. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is $399, while the Soundlink Flex falls on the more affordable side of the price scale.
The Soundlink Flex is engineered with a custom transducer that is designed to flood the room with powerful sound. Available in black, white or blue, the speaker’s rugged exterior makes it easy to take on the go, and with up to 12 hours of battery life, you can play tons of songs before it’s time to recharge. The accompanying utility loop is perfect for hanging the speaker on a clip or carrying it around (the Bluetooth range stretches up to 30 feet). The Soundlink Flex is also IP67 certified waterproof and dust-proof.
Marshall – Acton II Bluetooth Speaker
The Acton II Bluetooth speaker from Marshall combines the brand’s iconic retro design with contemporary technology. This compact speaker delivers mega-sound in a smaller package than some of the other Marshall designs. Acton II has three dedicated class D amplifiers, dual tweeters and subwoofers, Bluetooth 5.0 (up to 30 feet), a frequency range of 50-20,000 Hz and a 3.5 mm input for wired connectivity. Connecting the speaker to the Marshall App turns your phone into a control panel to adjust things like volume and playlists. The Action II is available at major retailers such as Crutchfield, Best Buy, Amazon, Urban Outfitters, Target and at Marshall.com.
Sonos Move lives up to the hype! With 10 hours of play time, this mobile speaker will make you want to dance for hours on end. Apart from outstanding sound quality and deep bass, the Bluetooth speaker has a built-in handle for easy mobility, which means it’s perfect for a party or other gatherings (and solo listening sessions). And its IP56 rating means that it can withstand humidity, rain, snow, dust, salt spray, UV rays, extreme heat and cold weather. The Sonos Move stands about 9.5-inches tall and weighs around six pounds. For more options from Sonos, check out the Sonos Roam and the Sonos One SL, both of which retail for less than $200.
Klipsch R-51M Bookshelf Speakers
Klipsch is another star in the realm of premium-quality sound. For music lovers who have the square footage to build a robust sound system, Klipsch offers everything from floor standing speakers to bookshelf speakers, computer speakers, home theater speakers, sound bars and subwoofers. Not sure where to start? The R-51M Bookshelf Speakers are perfect for blasting your favorite tunes. This dynamic speaker duo offers powerful sound, booming bass and award-wining acoustics courtesy of Tractrix horn technology, which mimics the sound, precision and emotion of a live concert. These 13.3-inch speakers are equipped with one-inch titanium dome tweeters, 5.25-inch copper woofers and a removable magnetic grill.
Sony SRS-XG500 Bluetooth Speaker
$399.99 $499.99 20% off% OFF
Sony’s SRS-XG500 Bluetooth speaker is a nice investment if you’re looking for a boombox-style design. An alternative to the JBL Boombox 2 ($499.95), the SRS-XG500 delivers amazingly crisp sound thanks to Sony’s uniquely designed X-Balance speakers that pump out thumping, room-shaking bass. The battery delivers up to 30 hours of play time to keep the party moving all night long (literally). The speaker weighs about 12 pounds, but there’s a built-in handle that makes it easy to carry around, and LED ring lighting for added flair. Sony’s SRS-XG500 speakers are IP66-certified water-and dust-resistant. And it’s on sale at Best Buy.
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES260 Tower Speaker
A tower speaker that blends in, and stands out. Polk Audio’s Elite Signature ES60 provides an enveloping, true-to-life sound experience that’s especially useful for Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, Spotify and other streaming platforms. The floor-standing loudspeaker provides crystal-clear, hi-resolution sound with bass so incredible you might be able to feel it.
The speaker is powered by Polk’s Patented Power Port Bass Enhancing Technology, which expands the overall bass port to provide a larger surface area for distortion-free, louder bass impact. The sleek ES60 features 1-inch High-Resolution Terylene Tweeters, 2.5-way cascading crossovers and a trio of 6.5-inch Mica-Fortified Polypropylene Woofers. Speakers in Polk Audio’s Signature Elite Series are designed with quality, timbre-matched components that let you seamlessly mix and match models to build the sound system of your dreams. This speaker is on sale at Amazon, Crutchfield and PolkAudio.com.
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wireless Music System with Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth (Midnight Grey)
Want to splurge? The Zeppelin is a wireless smart speaker that has been modified for the streaming age by way of a built-in, upgradable platform so that the technology always stays up to date. Bowers & Wilkinson’s football-shaped speaker features five carefully positioned premium drive units, 1-inch tweeters, 3.5-inch midranges with FST (Fixed Suspension Transducers) and dedicated drivers.
The Zeppelin has a total output of 240 watts, a six-inch subwoofer and five amplification channels for all designed to give you powerful, hi-resolution stereo sound. The Alexa-equipped speaker gives users instant access to music playlists, radio podcasts and other content in up to 24-bit, high-resolution quality. Zeppelin can also stream Apple Airplay 2, Bluetooth aptX adaptive, Spotify Connect and the Bowers & Wilkson app.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound Level Portable Wi-Fi Multiroom Speaker, Natural Aluminum/Dark Grey
If you have an even large speaker budget, Bang & Olufsen makes some of the best, higher-end, hi-fidelity speakers on the market. While the more expensive designs can cost over $10,000, the Beosound Level Portable Wifi Speaker is one of the cheapest, sleekest and most popular speakers from Bang & Olufsen. This beautiful, minimalist speaker has a five-driver setup for immersive, full-range sound that adapts to its environment. Lay it on its back, sit it up straight, or hang it on the wall for hypnotic sound experience with potent bass and unmatched sound clarity. This dynamic speaker weighs about 7 pounds (it measures 34.8 inches x 23 inches) and offers up to 16 hours of battery life. The Beosound Level Portable Wifi Speaker is available in natural dark gray, or a glitzy gold tone with light oak.
