The Best Bluetooth and Wireless Speakers in 2022
Here Are The Best Bluetooth/Wireless Speakers in 2022
Updated October 10, 2022
This article was updated to ensure the best and most accurate results.
These days, wireless speakers are abundant. The sheer amount of options—large, little, portable, pricey, inexpensive, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi—can seem daunting. But among our top recommendations, there will undoubtedly be at least one speaker who is suitable for you. However, you must first choose your wireless strategy before moving forward with anything else.
Whether they are large soundbars or clip-on speakers for bicycles, the majority of new speakers on the market include some sort of wireless capability. All speakers you buy from an electronics store, with a few exceptions, can transmit audio via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. In fact, your speaker may be capable of using both wireless technologies. To use it while traveling, see if your Wi-Fi speaker has a Bluetooth mode.
In light of this, we’ve chosen the top wireless speakers available right now. Continue reading for our top selections and all the information you need to choose the best wireless speaker for you regarding the many types of wireless speakers.
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Reviews of the Best Bluetooth and Wireless Speakers in 2022
What We Like- Powerful, bass-forward, bright sound signature
- Gets loud for its relatively compact size
- Fully waterproof design
- USB-A port for charging mobile devices
What We Don’t Like
- App lacks EQ
- No speakerphone
The JBL Charge 5 portable speaker is the perfect travel companion since it offers unexpectedly potent Bluetooth audio from a small, waterproof design.
JBL is experienced at producing loud portable audio; the Charge 5 has a 30W woofer and a 20mm, 10W tweeter. Because a speaker this small cannot provide true stereo separation, JBL chose to develop the Charge 5 to provide a fuller-sounding bass experience instead of stereo music (though you can pair two for real stereo audio). The Charge 5 shouldn’t have any problems with pool parties or rainy days due to its powerful sound and entirely waterproof construction.
For people who like a little bass depth on-the-go—something smaller speakers and laptops can’t truly provide—the dustproof, waterproof Charge 5 is a great option. The Charge 5 not only has good low-end for a compact speaker, but it also has a strong volume. Additionally, the speaker is simple to use and should last for 20 hours on a single charge, making it perfect for beach and camping outings.
What We Like- As powerful as the Echo Plus
- Strong bass for the size
- Built-in smart home hub
What We Don’t Like
- High frequencies don’t get quite as much finesse as they could
- Alexa can still be awkward to talk to
The Echo Plus’s audio quality and smart home hub features are carried over to the fourth-generation Amazon Echo speaker, which comes in a redesigned spherical design.
The finest speaker right now for Alexa users who want to listen to audio inside the Amazon ecosystem is the fourth-generation Amazon Echo. The Echo can access Apple Music, Spotify, or SiriusXM in addition to the usual weather reports and Amazon Prime Music streaming. The built-in hub of the speaker also allows it to operate a variety of smart home devices, including those that adhere to the Zigbee standard. Additionally, the Echo produces good bass wallop for a speaker of its size.
This speaker is ideal for you if hands-free Alexa control is your main priority because it provides high-quality music, smooth Amazon integrations, and control over Zigbee smart home devices. With some functionalities running directly on the speaker rather than on Amazon’s servers, the Echo Amazon’s AZ1s Neural Edge processor, a chip made for machine learning, enables more reliable, quick voice recognition.
What We Like- Powerful, bass-forward audio with four drivers and dual passive radiators
- Outdoor-friendly waterproof build
- Can be linked with multiple JBL speakers
What We Don’t Like- Expensive
- No speakerphone function
The JBL Xtreme 3 speaker offers deep, powerful bass in a tough, waterproof design that’s perfect for outdoor events.
The JBL Xtreme 3 ups the ante in terms of power, as suggested by its name. This larger speaker is perfect for outdoor gatherings, unlike the JBL Charge 5, which is a terrific option for camping. Two 25W, 2.8-inch woofers, two 25W, 0.8-inch tweeters, and the passive radiators on either end of the speaker work together with the waterproof, dustproof wraparound grille to produce an astonishing amount of rumbling. Despite its heavy construction, the shoulder strap that comes with it makes it simple to transport.
Whether you’re relaxing by the pool or camping in the mountains, bass aficionados who also enjoy being outside will enjoy the Xtreme 3’s strength and thunder. Although the DSP slightly thins out the bass, it doesn’t distort at maximum levels. You still get strong clarity and more robust bass at somewhat lower volumes than almost any other portable speaker this size or price.
What We Like- Powerful audio performance with rich bass depth and clear highs
- Fully waterproof and dust-tight design
- Solid speakerphone clarity
What We Don’t Like- Mono audio
- Sound signature not for those seeking accuracy
The weather-resistant Bose SoundLink Flex speaker offers strong wireless audio and is designed for outdoor use.
Although Bose isn’t known for producing inexpensive products, not all of its speakers are expensive. For instance, the SoundLink Flex is a fantastic portable speaker that is entirely waterproof, dust-tight, and fashionable. Is it the top portable speaker for the money in terms of audio quality? No, but it’s the best Bose speaker you can get for this money, and we won’t condemn you for sticking with one brand over another—it wouldn’t be on our list if it didn’t sound fantastic. A 60mm full-range transducer and two passive radiators are used inside to provide clear, detailed sound.
We already know that this is a speaker for Bose aficionados, but it’s also considerably easier to carry than many rival options, which are frequently bulkier and cylindrical. Although the SoundLink Flex isn’t a powerhouse, it is simple to use, weatherproof, and perfect for camping trips. Its beautiful appearance betrays its resilience to liquid spills and inclement weather.
What We Like- Powerful, bass-forward, bright sound signature
- Gets loud for its relatively compact size
- Fully waterproof design
- USB-A port for charging mobile devices
What We Don’t Like
- App lacks EQ
- No speakerphone
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Speaker: Which Is Better?
The most popular wireless music streaming protocol is Bluetooth, but it’s not the only one. A point-to-point wireless system is Bluetooth. To play music, you pair a transmitter (like your phone or computer) with a receiver (like your speaker). Thanks to recent technical improvements, it’s simple to set up and manage, and it allows you to stream music that is generally of a great quality.
While certain speakers can be set up in stereo pairs with the aid of an app, Bluetooth normally can’t support multi-room configurations on its own. For multi-room audio, others can set up a wireless mesh network among several speakers. However, the outcome isn’t quite as powerful or high-fidelity as Wi-Fi multi-room audio.
Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast are two examples of Wi-Fi audio standards. Other manufacturers also offer Wi-Fi streaming platforms. Since Wi-Fi has a larger bandwidth than Bluetooth, it can enable audio of higher quality. Additionally, it may be integrated into your home network, enabling you to play audio from any Wi-Fi-connected device without having to pair anything.
The disadvantage of Wi-Fi music systems is that they need a Wi-Fi network to function; unlike Bluetooth speakers, they cannot be used as a portable speaker with a smartphone (though many offer Bluetooth pairing as a backup). Various services might not be available to broadcast via a specific speaker due to different Wi-Fi standards, however this is less of an issue now than it was in the past thanks to Chromecast and Sonos’ lengthy lists of third-.party services
Which Is the Best Multi-Room Audio System?
You’ll need more than one speaker if you want sound in every room in your house. A multi-room sound system is preferable than physically moving speakers from room to room or fumbling with Bluetooth connecting with each one. Thankfully, multi-room audio is more widely used and simpler to operate than before. Playing audio in multiple rooms is exactly what multi-room audio does. It denotes the capacity of a system to control many speakers simultaneously, routing audio from one or more sound sources to one or more speakers at a time.
The Sonos app is used by Sonos speakers and Ikea Symfonisk (created in partnership with Sonos), allowing you to access any or all speakers connected to your home network and play music from dozens of different streaming services and local storage.
The multi-room audio solution that is compatible with iOS and macOS is Apple’s AirPlay platform. Apart from the Apple HomePod and HomePod Mini, there aren’t any other first-party AirPlay speakers, but AirPlay is supported by a wide range of Wi-Fi speakers, including those made by Sonos. They make it simple to stream content from your iPhone or iPad at a higher quality than Bluetooth, but if you use Android, they won’t be very useful to you.
Google’s answer to AirPlay, Chromecast, functions similarly. Chromecast is supported by various Wi-Fi speakers and soundbars, including Google Home/Nest devices. In the same app as your Google Assistant speakers and smart home devices, you can add any Chromecast speaker to your Google Home setup and create room-based groupings (if you use Google Home for that).
Although the Alexa voice assistant and Amazon Echo speakers did not initially offer multi-room audio, you can now group and organize the most recent versions of Alexa speakers much like any other multi-room system. The same software that controls your voice assistant and smart home appliances is used to set up multi-room Echo audio much like it is for Chromecast, with the exception that Alexa is being used in place of Google.
Finally, certain Bluetooth speakers allow for mesh, connecting, and chaining networks that link together many speakers. These are typically less sophisticated and durable than Wi-Fi multi-room systems, but they’re still a straightforward solution that can offer an alternative to streaming music over your home network.
Which Portable Speaker Sounds the Best?
A speaker needs to be both tiny and light enough to be carried easily, as well as powered by an internal battery, in order to be considered portable. Of course, “little” and “light” are relative terms; while much larger and heavier speakers might only be intended to be moved from room to room in your home, tiny speakers with carabiners allow you to clip them to your backpack and take them hiking. Although this isn’t a rule by any means, portable Bluetooth speakers are the majority. Naturally, larger speakers sound better than smaller speakers, but they are also more difficult to transport.
Wi-Fi speakers are rarely portable because the ability to play audio across several speakers and rooms requires a separate network. In the end, portability is irrelevant if you require a connection to your home’s hotspot. There are exceptions, though, and Wi-Fi speakers can still be carried around if they have batteries. Ideally, they should also be able to connect your phone to an informal Wi-Fi network.
