Comparing Bluetooth speakers: four testers, ten speakers
6.8.2019
Translation: Eva Francis
There are so many Bluetooth speakers – let’s look beyond the UE Boom. We’ve put ten speakers to the test, from top-selling to weird and exotic devices. Read on to find out if we agree on what «good sound» is.
Whenever I test Bluetooth speakers, two things bother me. Firstly: I’m missing a direct comparison. To judge the sound of a speaker, I’d have to hear several speakers right there and then – that’s one after the other and under the same acoustic conditions. And secondly: even if a direct comparison is possible, opinions are always subjective. I'm often amazed at what other people call «good sound». My reaction is thinking: they have no clue. But maybe I’m the one who has no clue?!
I’ve decided to tackle these two problems by gathering ten sound systems and four people and getting everyone to test every speaker one after the other.
The test set-up
I’ve ordered a wild mix of speakers. The focus is on bestsellers by UE, JBL, Bang & Olufsen, Marshall and Bose. On top of this, I’ve included a few exotic and curious devices that would usually be ignored.
Bluetooth speakers
−37%
Used
CHF147.– currently CHF231.71 new
JBL Xtreme 2
15 h, Rechargeable battery operated
When I unpack them, I realise there are huge differences in size. Needless to say I expect more power and bass from large speakers than from small ones. We'll see if that proves right.
Two devices aren’t actually mobile Bluetooth speakers: the Three by Klipsch only runs on electricity and is therefore only suitable for home use; the Berlin Boombox doesn’t support Bluetooth and is operated via the audio jack only.
Having said that, the Berlin Boombox is a weird one anyway: it's basically a piece of cardboard that's equipped with speakers and electronics. And I had to assemble it myself. But that was easy and required no tools at all.
Today, all I’m interested in is sound quality. I’ll let you judge the design of the speakers yourself. And as far as features are concerned, here’s a small overview:
| Speaker | Audio transmission | Other |
|---|---|---|
| B&O Beolit 17 | Audio-Jack, BT, AptX | Stereo |
| Berlin Boombox | Audio-Jack | Stereo, has to be assembled by yourself, no rechargeable battery (AA batteries) |
| Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus | Audio-Jack, BT, AptX | Splash-proof |
| Jarre AeroBull XS1 | Audio-Jack, BT, AptX | Stereo |
| JBL Xtreme 2 | Audio-Jack, BT | Stereo, waterproof |
| Klipsch The Three | Audio-Jack, BT, AptX, Wifi, USB, Cinch | Not portable, stereo, multiroom |
| Libratone Zipp 2 | Audio-Jack, BT, AptX, AirPlay, Wifi | Amazon Alexa, stereo, multiroom |
| Marshall Stockwell | Audio-Jack, BT | Stereo, bass and treble controls |
| Teufel Rockster XS 2017 | Audio-Jack, BT, AptX | Stereo pairing, multiroom, splash-proof |
| UE Boom 3 | BT | Stereo, stereo pairing, waterproof |
The test
Livia Gamper, Raphael Knecht and I from the editorial team and our audio specialist Thomas Wüthrich from the category management team are taking part in this test. Each test person listens to their own choice of songs – tracks they know so well that they know exactly what they’re supposed to sound like. Thomas created a special test playlist that covers different music styles and sound aspects. Here’s the list of tracks with a description of what’s tested in each case.
For the evaluation, we’re using this scale that we invented for this very purpose:
1: Not great at all
2: Not great
3: Great
4: Even greater
5: The greatest
This scale and our test are a perfect match – both are neither scientific nor audiophile. Bear in mind, we’re talking about Bluetooth speakers. Forget about uncompressed audio files, special DACs and frequency measurement diagrams, okay?
Our test takes place in our video studio. Why? This room has decent acoustics and it’s sheltered, so we won’t get on anyone’s nerves – well, that’s except for our colleague Philipp Rüegg, who’s preparing the gaming PC for his next episode of «digitec plays». It’s also a quiet place. That’s in those rare seconds when Phil isn't complaining about Raphi's taste in music.
Results and insights
One of my most important findings is that the individual verdicts turn out to be very similar if the acoustic conditions are the same for everyone. We all gave the exact same score to three speakers and on all others, there was never a gap of more than two points.
| Name | Score (David/Livia/Raphi/Thomas) | Average |
|---|---|---|
| B&O Beolit 17 | 4/4/3/3 | 3.5 |
| Berlin Boombox | 1/1/-/1 | 1 |
| Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus | 3/5/4/4 | 4 |
| Jarre AeroBull XS1 | 3/4/3/3 | 3.25 |
| JBL Xtreme 2 | 4/4/4/4 | 4 |
| Klipsch The Three | 5/5/5/5 | 5 |
| Libratone Zipp 2 | 3/4/3/3 | 3.25 |
| Marshall Stockwell | 2/3/2/2 | 2.25 |
| Teufel Rockster XS 2017 | 2/4/2/3 | 2.75 |
| UE Boom 3 | 2/3/1/3 | 2.25 |
So did size matter? The small UE Boom 3 didn't stand a chance against the massive JBL speaker. However, the SoundLink Revolve Plus is Bose's proof that even compact devices can produce a powerful and full sound. This little thing surprised us all and scored better than the much larger Libratone Zipp 2.
In defence of the small speakers that didn't do well in our test, let me add that our studio does favour speakers that produce strong bass. In the end, room acoustics and equipment need to match – along with where you’re using a speaker and what you’re using it for. A small room such as a kitchen or a bathroom might make small speakers sound better than large ones. You don't want powerful bass resonating from your walls.
The Teufel Rockster XS 2017 produces decent bass for its size, but if you turn up the volume all the way, you'll realise there's no avoiding the laws of science: it’s simple physics that the best bass needs a big space. What happens in a small space is that the system lowers high frequencies, resulting in distorted overall sound.
The Marshall Stockwell is the only speaker from the ones we tested that’s equipped with bass and treble controls. Nevertheless, none of us were happy with the bass – no matter which setting we chose. Having said that, this speaker isn’t designed for such large rooms as our studio.
Thomas thought there was too much bass with the B&O Beolit 17, while everyone else was very happy with it. Most of us weren’t impressed with the reproduction of high frequencies.
There isn’t much to say about the Berlin Boombox: it’s very quiet, has no bass whatsoever and just sounds terrible in general. Livia's comment on this speaker was a simple «no».
What about the Jarre Aerobull XS? Well, the sound comes from the pit bull’s sunglasses, the bass from its back. Although we’re only rating sound quality here, I can’t help but mention the design of the Aerobull. There’s even a lamp in the dog’s paw – how cool is that? Again, Livia’s summary is dead on: «Surprisingly good sound for a dog.»
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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