How to Choose a Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

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With so many options out there, how do you decide which model is right for you?
Finding the right wireless Bluetooth speaker can be an overwhelming task. At minimum, you must consider sound quality, portability, and price. Additionally, there are the ranges of color, shape, and size that might appeal to you. Then there is always the question of whether you want your speaker (or speakers) to be capable of playing stereo sound instead of just mono.
With all those elements at play, let’s simplify things a bit by breaking down the questions you need to answer when choosing the best Bluetooth speaker for you.
What compatibility do you need?
Say you want your Bluetooth speaker to be part of your smart home interface. Then you’d better make sure it’s compatible with your system. The most straightforward choice is to buy a smart speaker designed specifically for that brand’s platform.
Although, if you’re interested in the features of a different speaker instead, you’ll want to make sure you do your homework. Find out if the capabilities you desire are supported by your smart hub. Keep in mind that if you are choosing a speaker for a smart home system, you will want a speaker with a microphone installed.
What kind of listening do you plan to do?
The answer to this question impacts all the other questions that follow on this list. If your wireless home speakers are mainly for playing music or podcasts while you cook, clean, work, or exercise, you can get away with a lot of options. Your main choice will be based on what level of sound quality will meet your home audio needs. For music listening, you might want to invest a little more money in sound quality than you would if you mainly listen to podcasts.
Suppose you intend to use the speaker for playing music while you’re entertaining or as a sound system for your home theater. In that case, you’ll want to consider models with higher sound quality, greater volume capacity, and a wider megahertz range in the frequency response. If you’re concerned about size, not to worry; the latest Bluetooth speakers designed for party music have become quite portable.
For audio-specific entertaining — such as providing dance music — you might prefer subwoofer speakers that amplify that deep bass beat. If installing speakers for a home theater system (or for more advanced music enjoyment), consider stereo Bluetooth speakers. Most Bluetooth speakers offer sound in mono (not stereo). So, be sure to search specifically for stereo speakers if that is what you want.
How far does the range need to extend?
Bluetooth range can vary based on several environmental and technological factors. The technological factors include the receiver sensitivity (of the speaker), the transmit power (of the transmitting device, such as a phone), and the antenna gain (on both the transmitting and receiving ends). An environmental factor would be if you live under a flight path where aircraft might interrupt the Wi-Fi signal to your devices.
A lot of the details of this category get very technical, but some things you can use to guide your choice are the product specs and the reviews offered by users. Reviews often include helpful commentary about the useful range of a particular Bluetooth speaker.
Does the speaker need to be waterproof?
With the rising popularity of camping, Bluetooth speakers have become a great way to enjoy your favorite music in the great outdoors. But weather can be unpredictable no matter where you go. Sometimes, it rains, hails, or snows – even in the desert – and it’s easy to forget your beloved speaker on the picnic table when you head out for a hike or climb into your sleeping bag at night. As a precaution, make sure you choose a waterproof Bluetooth speaker if your device has a chance of being exposed to the elements.
These waterproof speakers can also make a great addition to your backyard, blasting your favorite tunes while you splash in the pool or enjoy a barbecue dinner al fresco.