Cyber Monday is officially here, and you can save big on everything from smart home tech and soundbars to sought-after Bluetooth speakers—essential for anyone who wants to listen to music with friends and family this holiday season. Many of the deals we’ve found are discounts on Bluetooth speakers that have found themselves in our buyer’s guides. If your current Bluetooth speaker is on the fritz, or you’d like to treat yourself (or someone you know) to an audio upgrade they can appreciate on the go (or with a wireless turntable), don’t miss these limited-time deals.

Sony SRS-XE200 $97.95 (Was $129.99)

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Sony SRS-XE200 is an excellent mid-sized Bluetooth speaker whose Cyber Monday discount brings it down to its lowest price ever. The speaker has a pair of drivers and passive radiators for well-balanced sound, a battery that lasts up to 16 hours per charge, and an IP67 durability rating, which means it’s dustproof and can be completely submerged under water. The SRS-XE200 can also take advantage of Sony’s Wireless Party Connect feature, allowing you to sync up to 100 speakers. A built-in strap makes the speaker easy to carry or hang outdoors. This Bluetooth speaker even has a microphone, so you can use it as a speakerphone.

Sony Bluetooth speaker deals

• Sony SRS-XB100, $38 (Was $59.99)
• Sony SRS-XP500, $298 (Was $399.99)
• Sony SRS-XG500, $298 (Was $499.99)
• Sony SRS-XV800, $498 (Was $549.99)

Sonos Bluetooth speaker deals

• Sonos Roam portable speaker $134 (was $179)
• Sonos Roam SL, $119 (Was $159)
• Sonos Roam (2-Pack), $268 (Was $358)

JBL Bluetooth speaker deals

• JBL Flip 6, $89 (Was $129.95)
• JBL Clip 4, $44.95 (Was $79.95)
• JBL Go 3, $29.88 (Was $49.95)
• JBL Partybox Encore Essential, $179 (Was $299.95)
• JBL PartyBox 110, $249.95 (Was $399.95)
• JBL Boombox 2, $249.95 (Was $399.95)
• JBL Charge 5, $119.95 (Was $179.95)
• JBL Boombox 3, $349.95 (Was $499.95)
• JBL Pulse 4, $129.99 (Was $249.95)

Bose Bluetooth speaker deals

• Bose SoundLink Revolve (Series II), $159 (Was $219)
• Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II), $229 (Was $329)
• Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Speaker, $119 (Was $149)
• Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker, $99 (Was $119)
• Bose S1 Pro+ All-in-one Powered Portable Bluetooth Speaker, $649 (Was $699)

Ultimate Ears Bluetooth speaker deals

• Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3, $59.99 (Was $99.99)
• Ultimate Ears Boom 3, $99.99 (Was $149.99)
• Ultimate Ears Logitech MEGABOOM 3, $149.99 (Was $199.99)

Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speaker deals

• Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore, $144.58 (Was $199)
• Bang & Olufsen Beosound Emerge, $710 (Was $899)
• Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Generation), $179 (Was $250)

Marshall Bluetooth speaker deals

• Marshall Emberton, $99.99 (Was $169.99)
• Marshall Emberton II, $119.99 (Was $169.99)
• Marshall Kilburn II, $179.99 (Was $299.99)
• Marshall Willen, $99.99 (Was $119.99)

TREBLAB Bluetooth speaker deals

• TREBLAB HD-Mini, $19.96 (Was $39.97)
• TREBLAB FX100, $39.84 (Was $89.97)
• TREBLAB HD77, $59.96 (Was $119.97)
• TREBLAB HD-Force, $89.97 (Was $179.97)
• TREBLAB HD-360, $119.97 (Was $189.97)

Tribit Bluetooth speaker deals

• Tribit StormBox Bluetooth Speaker, $54.39 (Was $77.59)
• Tribit Bluetooth Wireless Portable Speaker, $47.99 (Was $79.99)
• Tribit Upgraded MaxSound Plus Portable Bluetooth Speaker, $47.39 (Was $79.99)
• Tribit XSound Go Speaker, $27.19 (Was $49.99)
• Tribit StormBox Blast Portable Speaker, $155.98 (Was $199.99)
• Tribit StormBox Micro, $39.99 (Was $59.99)
• Tribit Upgraded StormBox Pro, $79.99 (Was $119.99)
• Tribit StormBox Flow, $63.99 (Was $79.99)
• Tribit XSound Mega Portable Bluetooth Speaker, $79.99 (Was $129.99)

Soundcore Bluetooth speaker deals

• Soundcore Motion+, $69.99 (Was $99.99)
• Soundcore Motion 300, $63.99 (Was $79.99)
• Soundcore 2, $29.99 (Was $39.99)
• Soundcore Mini 3, $31.99 (Was $40.99)
• Soundcore Motion X500, $129.99 (Was $169.99)
• Soundcore Motion X600, $149.99 (Was $199.99)
• Soundcore Glow Mini Portable Speaker, $31.99 (Was $39.99)
• Soundcore Motion 100, $47.99 (Was $59.99)
• Soundcore Rave Neo 2, $87 (Was $109)

The post The best Cyber Monday deals on expert-approved Bluetooth speakers appeared first on Popular Science.

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If you’ve recently picked a big, new 4K TV, you’ll want to get a soundbar to go with it. These compact speaker systems can pump out louder, higher-quality sound than the audio equipment built into ultra-thin TVs without taking up a tremendous amount of space. Some soundbars come with additional speakers—a subwoofer for more bass or wireless rear speakers for surround sound—while others stand on their own. You can save hundreds of dollars on a wide range of soundbars thanks to an abundance of Cyber Monday deals.

Sonos Ray $223 (Was $279)

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The Sonos Ray is the best Cyber Monday soundbar deal due to its impressive audio fidelity for something of such a diminutive size. At just 22 inches wide, you can easily fit this soundbar beneath any TV or inside an entertainment center. Sonos packed the Ray with a multi-driver audio system, including a pair of woofers and outward-facing tweeters connected to a custom-designed amplifier that guarantees well-balanced sound. This Cyber Monday deal on the Sonos Ray solves both issues if you’ve put off getting a soundbar due to its high price and large size.

Bose soundbar deals

• Bose TV Speaker, $199 (Was $279)
• Bose Smart Soundbar 600, $399 (Was $499)
• Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, $799 (Was $899)

LG soundbar deals

• LG S40Q, $126.99 (Was $196.99)
• LG S95QR, $996.98 (Was $1,799.99)
• LG GX, $349.95 (Was $999.99)

Vizio soundbar deals

• VIZIO M213ad-K8, $144.97 (Was $179.99)
• VIZIO V20-J8, $79.99 (was $119.99)
• VIZIO M512E-K6, $498 (Was $799.99)

JBL soundbar deals

• JBL MK2, $199.95 (Was $299.95)
• JBL Bar 300, $249.95 (Was $399.95)
• JBL Bar 500, $379.95 (Was $599.95)

Samsung soundbar deals

• SAMSUNG HW-S60B, $197.99 (Was $347.99)
• SAMSUNG HW-B550, $177.99 (Was $277.99)

Sony soundbar deals

• Sony HT-S400, $178 (Was $299.99)
• Sony HT-S2000, $298 (Was $499.99)
• Sony HT-A7000, $998 (Was $1,399)

Polk soundbar deals

• Polk Audio React Sound Bar, $169 (Was $269)

Denon soundbar deals

• Denon DHT-S217, $149 (Was $249)
• Denon DHT-S316, $229 (Was $299)

Bang & Olufsen soundbar deals

• Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage, $1,649 (Was $2,199)

Need a top-quality source and/or screen to pair with that soundbar? Pick up a Panasonic 4K Blu-ray player on sale and shop these amazing deals on Samsung TVs.

The post Save big on soundbars from Sonos, JBL, Sony, Bose, Samsung, and more during Cyber Monday appeared first on Popular Science.

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Black Friday is over or ongoing, depending on your understanding of the time-space continuum. And multiroom audio experts Sonos are offering great deals on connected speakers so you can fill the home theater, whole house, or someone else’s heart with cheer this holiday season. Sonos’ speakers and soundbars were designed to work together, and these deals allow you to assemble a full wireless system in a couple of clicks.

Sonos Arc Soundbar $719 (Was $899)

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The Arc soundbar is the centerpiece of the most immersive Sonos system. Pair it wirelessly with either a Sonos Sub (Gen. 3) or Sub Mini and two Era 100 speakers for rear channels and you’ve got a compact 5.1 surround sound system (available in black, white, or a Cruella De Vil-worthy combo if that’s your vibe). The soundbar connects to your TV via eARC HDMI to take advantage of top-tier Atmos material, but you can stream stereo music to it wirelessly from Apple devices through AirPlay 2. And you can add additional speakers throughout the house (assuming your WiFi is up to the task) if you need to hear Vince Guaraldi and other Christmas classics no matter where you roam.

Check out all the Sonos deals that are music to our ears:

• Sonos Sub (Gen 3) $639 (was $749)
• Sonos Sub Mini $343 (was $429)
• Sonos Era 100 powered speaker $199 (was $249)
• Sonos Roam portable speaker $134 (was $179)
• Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) Soundbar $399 (was $499)
• Sonos Ray Soundbar $223 (was $279)

Looking for other soundbar deals? We got you. We’ve also collected deals on some of our favorite speakers for stereo and multichannel setups.

The post It’s not too late to save hundreds on a Sonos sound system appeared first on Popular Science.

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We’re big fans of soundbars here at PopSci. They’re a simple and often-affordable way to seriously upgrade your TV’s sound. Right now, Amazon has pretty absurd deals on JBL soundbars, including $300 off one of our favorites. That’s half-price. Stop reading and go get it.

JBL Bar 5.1 – Soundbar with Built-in Virtual Surround, 4K and 10″ Wireless Subwoofer $299 (was $599)

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This high-end soundbar offers 5.1 surround sound performance thanks to JBL’s clever beam-forming technology, which can chuck sound around the room with impressive accuracy. The 10-inch wireless subwoofer connects easily and booms when you want it to. It supports all sorts of wireless technology, like Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, for playing music. Plus, it looks slick, so you won’t want to hide it in your entertainment center.

More Black Friday soundbar deals

Some of these soundbars are literally half-price, so if you see something you want, grab it because it will probably sell out before Cyber Monday rolls around.

• SENNHEISER AMBEO Max 5.1.4 Soundbar with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X $1,699.95 (was $2,499.95)
• Sennheiser AMBEO Plus Virtual 7.1.4 Soundbar $999 (was $1,495)
• Sennheiser AMBEO Subwoofer wireless reinforcement w/ 8″ woofer & response down to 27 Hz $499 (was $699)
• JBL Bar 2.1 Deep Bass (MK2): 2.1 Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer $199 (was $299)
• Amazon Fire TV Soundbar, 2.0 speaker with DTS Virtual:X and Dolby Audio, Bluetooth connectivity $99 (was $119)
• SAMSUNG HW-C450 2.1ch Soundbar w/DTS Virtual X, Subwoofer Included $137 (was $197)
• VIZIO V-Series 2.0 Compact Home Theater Sound Bar $79 (was $119)
• Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar With Dolby Atmos $799 (was $899)
• Bose TV Speaker – Soundbar for TV $199 (was $279)
• Sony HTX8500 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar $199 (was $398)
• SAMSUNG HW-B650 3.1ch Soundbar w/Dolby 5.1 DTS Virtual:X $207 (was $399)
• VIZIO M-Series 2.1 Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos $119 (was $179)
• Sony HTX8500 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Built-in subwoofer $198 (was $399)
• SAMSUNG HW-S60B 3.1ch Soundbar w/Dolby Atmos $197 (was $347)
• Polk Audio Signa S2 Ultra-Slim TV Sound Bar $149 (was $249)
• Denon DHT-S217 Sleek Home Theater Soundbar $149 (was $249)
• LG Sound Bar and Wireless Subwoofer S40Q $126 (was $196)
• LG S75Q 3.1.2ch Soundbar with Dolby Atmos $296 (was $599)

Want a complete wireless surround sound system? We love the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 Channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Dual 10″ Wireless Subwoofers, and it’s only $1,399 (usually $1,899).

Interested in building a more traditional multi-component surround system or stereo listening station? Check out these other amazing speaker deals before they’re gone.

The post These deep soundbar discounts are still live, but won’t be for long appeared first on Popular Science.

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Apple doesn’t discount its own hardware, and although the company is currently holding a Black Friday promotion in which you get gift cards toward a future purchase, there are deals out there that save you money immediately. We’ve scoured the web to find the best Black Friday discounts on Apple hardware, and have come up with a surprising amount of deals. If you’ve been holding off on getting a new piece of gear for the right price, now is the time to shop. We wouldn’t be surprised if many of these items sell out before the day is done.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) $189.99 (Was $249)

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Apple’s AirPods 2 are the company’s latest true wireless earbuds, and they’re down to their lowest price ever on Black Friday thanks to a $60 discount. The earbuds support active noise cancellation, are IPX5 water-resistant, and last up to six hours per charge. Their included battery case can fully recharge them four times. These earbuds support Spatial Audio, which means they can decode music and movie soundtracks with a Dolby Atmos mix and give you the feeling of listening to music in surround sound on speakers. This feature works shockingly well. Additionally, the processor in each earbud optimizes and adjusts its sound in real-time, so you always get the best EQ setting. No true wireless earbuds are as good for all-around use as the AirPods Pro 2, and this discount makes them even easier to recommend.

AirPods deals

• Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) $79.99 (Was $129)
• Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) $139.99 (Was $169)
• Apple AirPods Max $449.99 (Was $549)

MacBook deals

• 15-Inch M2 MacBook Air $1,049 (Was $1,299)
• 13-Inch M1 MacBook Air $749 (Was $999)
• 16-Inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro $2,299 (Was $2,499)

iPad deals

• iPad (9th Generation) $249.99 (Was $329.99)
• iPad (10th Generation) $349 (Was $449)
• iPad Air $649.99 (Was $749.99)
• 11-Inch iPad Pro $849 (Was $899)
• 12.9-Inch iPad Pro $1,139 (Was $1,199)

HomePod deals

• HomePod Mini $94.99 (Was $99.99)
• HomePod (2nd Generation) $284.99 (Was $299.99)

Mac Mini deals

• M2 Mac Mini $499 (Was $599)
• M2 Pro Mac Mini $1,234.05 (was $1,299)

Mac Studio deals

• M2 Max Mac Studio $1,899.05 (Was $1,999)
• M2 Ultra Mac Studio $3,799.05 (Was $3,999)

Apple Watch deals

• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS) 41mm $349 (Was $399)
• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS) 45mm $379 (Was $429)
• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular) 41mm $699 (Was $749)
• Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS + Cellular) 45mm $749 (Was $799)
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 (GPS + Cellular) 49mm $739 (Was $799)

Need a monitor for that Mac Mini? Samsung has gaming flagships on sale.

Looking for more affordable audio? These headphones and earbuds are all under $100.

The post You can still get the best Apple products at the best prices … if you act fast appeared first on Popular Science.

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Imagine your favorite artist just released a new album, and all you want to do is be surrounded by sound … but maybe not by speakers. Maybe you don’t have the space, budget, or just plain desire for a surround sound system. But you’re worried a two-channel system can’t quite satisfy you. After spending three months with a pair of Dymension DM70 floor-standing speakers, I can say … definitively … that one can. Whether I’m streaming, playing CDs, or enjoying my latest pressing from Vinyl Me Please, these loudspeakers don’t need Atmos to be immersive. If I were buying a music lover an indulgent gift right now (and you can be your indulgent music lover in question), these are what I’d buy. And, at hundreds less than their typical prices, they’ve never been more affordable … if you act fast.

Definitive Technology Dymension DM70 Large Tower Speakers $1,399.00 each (was $1,999.00)

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They may look like the 2001 monolith, but what’s under the minimalist fabric cover makes the DM70 speakers multidimensional. Each three-way tower has a bipolar array, meaning two 5.25-inch long-throw midrange drivers and a 1-inch aluminum oxide dome tweeter on each side. And the reflections of those rear-focused channels mean there’s enveloping energy throughout the room. Anchoring that expansive soundstage is the integrated powered 10-inch subwoofer and two passive radiators within each speaker. That’s a lot of muscularity rounding out pure musicality, and it’s available for $600 off—a total of $1,200 in savings per pair.

The DM70 towers are basically 2.1 systems and don’t need a separate sub to shine (just add wall outlets for the Class D 180W amplifiers and a sturdy floor), but the balanced bipolar arrays do require external power. I’ve been using a Cambridge Audio Evo 150 and NAD C 700 at various times because I’m a fan of compact network players/integrated amps. But if you do end up wanting a 5.1 or 7.1 system, you can use a powerful multichannel AV receiver and expand the system with DM60 mid-sized towers for the rears, a DM20 center speaker, and DM90 height modules (all of which are on sale right now).

Here are additional audio components offering more for less:

• Sony STR-AN1000 7.2 CH Surround Sound Home Theater 8K A/V Receiver $598 (was $899)
• Denon AVR-X3800H 9.4-Ch 8K UHD Home Theater AVR $1,296.71 (was $1,699)
• Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Stereo Network Streamer $899 (was $999)
• Bluesound Node Wireless Multi-Room High-Resolution Music Streamer $448 (was $549)
• Focal Theva No.1 2-Way Bass-Reflex Bookshelf Loudspeakers (pair) $798 (was $998)
• Polk Audio Legend L100 Bookshelf Speaker (Single, Brown Walnut) $849 (was $999)
• Polk Audio T50 150 Watt Home Theater Floor Standing Tower Speaker (Single, Black) $199 (was $249)
• Klipsch R-41M Powerful Detailed Bookshelf Home Speaker (pair) $149 (was $279)
• KEF Q350 Bookshelf Speakers (pair) $499 (was $799)
• KEF LSX II Wireless HiFi Speaker System $999.98 (was $1,399.99)
• Q Acoustics M20 Bluetooth Speakers HD Wireless Speakers Music System $399 (was $499)
• Fluance Ai41 Powered 2-Way 2.0 Stereo Bookshelf Speakers with 5″ Drivers $211.96 (was $249)
• Cambridge Audio ALVA ST Belt Drive Turntable with Bluetooth aptX HD $499 (was $599)
• Fluance RT81 Belt Drive Turntable with Audio Technica AT95E Cartridge & Built-in Preamp $211 (was $249)
• Sennheiser IE 600 Wired Audiophile Earphones $499 (was $699)
• Sennheiser Consumer Audio HD 660S2 – Wired Audiophile Stereo Headphones $399 (was $599)
• Sennheiser HD 800 S Over-the-Ear Audiophile Reference Headphones $1,499 (was $1,699)
• Focal Bathys Over-Ear Hi-Fi Bluetooth Wireless Headphones with Active Noise Cancelation $629 (was $799)
• Focal Clear Mg Open-back over-ear wired headphones $1,199 (Was $1,499)

The post Shop our favorite speakers of 2023 and save up to 30% right now appeared first on Popular Science.

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Samsung’s screens get a lot of attention, but what’s a vivid image without equally detailed sound? The HW-Q900C is the simplest soundbar option at the high end of Samsung’s lineup. This 7.1.2 system provides effective surround sound, punchy bass, and some of the clearest dialog we’ve heard with just one soundbar and a wireless subwoofer. It sets up simply and performs admirably, especially if you’re connecting it to a Samsung TV. But, with so many options out there, is it worth your precious media console real estate?

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Overview

• This is Samsung’s flagship soundbar that ships with a remote and a subwoofer, no satellite speakers.
• The subwoofer connects wirelessly, so it only requires a power cord.
• Q900C attaches to a TV using HDMI (two inputs and one output) or infrared.
• Wireless connectivity includes Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth 5.

Pros

• Excellent overall sound quality
• Some of the best dialog performance we’ve heard
• Very easy setup
• Impressive surround sound performance 
• Fills a big room
• Provides plenty of volume
• Rumbly bass

Cons

• Some niche features only work with a Samsung TV
• Big
• Pricey

Verdict

This high-end component provides some of the best sound we’ve heard out of a soundbar, especially considering that it doesn’t require any satellites (though you can add rear satellites if you want after the fact). This is a worthy upgrade, especially if you have a modern Samsung TV that can take advantage of the extra features. 

Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar build

Samsung offers two higher-end soundbar setups: the HW-Q910C, which features the same soundbar and subwoofer as the HW-900C but packaged with wireless Left/Right rear speakers, and the HW-Q990C, that same soundbar and subwoofer but with a pair of wireless satellites with height channels to make it an 11.1.4 configuration. That makes the HW-Q900C a simplified flagship, which is ideal for users who may have a slightly smaller room or don’t need maximum surround sound effects. 

The bar itself, 17 pounds of mostly sturdy metal with hexagonal angles, houses nine speakers in a 7.1.2-channel arrangement powered by 246 watts of built-in amplification. The bar is 48 inches long, which makes it just about as wide as my 65-inch TV, so it’s not a small device (though there are even heftier all-in-one soundbars out there). The 25-pound subwoofer is also somewhat chunky, but it contains an 8-inch woofer powered by a 200-watt amp. 

The box includes a mounting kit and the necessary hardware to put the soundbar up on a wall. I didn’t install it on my wall (I swap out soundbars too often to mount them), but it uses very standard and simple hardware that should be simple to install. 

Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar setup and design

Setting up the Samsung HW-Q900C is refreshingly simple. The bar sports two HDMI inputs (plus one HDMI out) and an infrared input. The ports don’t support HDMI 2.1 and, therefore, can’t passthrough 4K @ 120Hz. Still, they can handle 4K with HDR10 and HDR10+ and are eARC compatible, so if you’ve got a flagship gaming TV (like Samsung’s own OLED 4K S95C or NEO QLED 8K QN900C), you can just connect your console and soundbar directly to the screen and the setup is extremely simple right out of the box.

I’m testing an LG TV at the moment, and the HW-Q900C immediately worked well with the LG remote without finagling. If you want to stop there, you can with the setup, but more advanced users can dig into tuning and calibrating with the Samsung SmartThings app, and Samsung TV owners can use the automatic SpaceFit Sound Pro option.

Setting up the subwoofer requires little more than plugging it into the wall. It connects wirelessly and instantly. From opening the box to watching a movie (with basic setup), it took me less than 10 minutes. If you plan to tweak and go through the auto calibration, plan for roughly an hour.

Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar performance

Simply put, the Samsung HW-Q900C is one of the overall best-sounding soundbars I’ve heard. It’s solid for streaming music, even though it’s eclipsed in tunefulness by more purpose-built bars like the Sonos Arc, so if you’re ready to take a deep dive into spatial audio, consider that with the Sonos Era 300 speakers. The HW-Q900C, however, is excellent for watching movies and TV shows, in large part because of its ability to render dialog. During testing, I fired up a MAX stream of the woefully awful but sonically dramatic Jason Statham movie Meg 2: The Trench. Despite its nonsensical plot, the movie has a persistent bass rumble that ebbs and flows throughout the movie as the characters putter around under the sea. That lets me hear how granularly a system can modulate that low end while monitoring how well the actor’s voices cut through. The Samsung, aided by adaptive room correction and Active Voice Amplifier (AVA) processing, did outstanding in both cases. 

The subwoofer, with its “acoustic lens” design for deeper extension in a slimmer enclosure, provides true boominess when required for explosions and punchy impacts while deftly producing subtler ripples that add essential mood and ambiance to a movie. 

The HW-Q900C supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound technologies, and it offers an impressively immersive sound considering its lack of stand-alone satellites. Up-firing speakers and the soundbar’s 48-inch width give it physical advantages compared to smaller units. I fired up a Blu-ray player to watch my old standby testing movie, Alien on 4K disc, and found that the surround sound performance was excellent overall. Alarms blared behind my head, and that weirdly wet alien noise sounded like it could have been coming from anywhere in the room. 

I was similarly impressed with the sonic presence in less action-oriented movies. The Wolf of Wall Street, streamed in 4K with Dolby Atmos on Netflix, made the dialog sound as clear and crisp as it ever has. The high-end performance allowed me to keep the volume relatively low while keeping the dialog perfectly intelligible. That’s a big win.

Q900C sound modes

Switching between modes is relatively simple with the included remote, but the display on the front of the bar itself is very low-res and scrolls like the Lotto sign in the window of a bodega. It gives you an idea of what mode you’re in, but digging into the SmartThings app makes it simpler. If you go through the process of calibrating the system to your room, you likely won’t flip through the modes very often anyway. 

The gaming mode is one exception, as it emphasizes the directionality of the sounds to keep you aware of what’s happening around you as you game. Using it with a PlayStation 5, I could appreciate the difference.

Music performance

I’m not a huge fan of soundbars for music playback in general, but the HW-Q900C is perfectly capable. I listened to everything from the sad, twinkly Fiona Apple cover of the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” to the ruthlessly bombastic metalcore “Overthrone” by Judiciary. The bass comes across a bit strong, but the clean highs prevent things from falling into “muddy” territory. 

The real draw for playing music on the HW-Q900C is its simple connectivity. It easily connects via Bluetooth (the SBC codec) or Apple AirPlay 2 via WiFi (the far-preferable method). The soundbar also includes Alexa voice control, so if you use a compatible service, you can just ask the virtual assistant to play your music for you. 

Special features for Samsung users

Samsung would love for you to buy a 2022/2023 Samsung TV to go with your fancy new soundbar, and the company has added some exclusive features to make them more enticing. The Q-Symphony feature allows the HW-Q900C to work in concert with the TV’s built-in speakers to center and sync audio even more tightly to the on-screen action. Current Samsung TVs can also send a Dolby Atmos signal over Bluetooth to the soundbar for a wireless connection (though Q-Symphony requires a wire). That’s very handy, but also probably not worth basing your entire TV choice on. 

So, who should buy the Samsung HW-Q900C soundbar?

The Samsung HW-Q900C currently retails around $1,000, which puts it in the high-end category. But, with excellent surround sound performance, clear bass, and some of the best dialog reproduction I’ve ever heard, it’s a Dolby Atmos soundbar worth the investment if you can swing it. Some more advanced users may prefer the upgraded Q990C with its more immersive wireless surround sound system. Still, Samsung’s bar and subwoofer combo had absolutely no problem filling my very average-sized suburban living room on its own. If you’re already using a newer Samsung TV and can access the extra features of the pairing, it’s an even better value. 

Ultimately, this is a great pick for anyone looking for a high-performance setup that doesn’t take up much space or require a lot of setup. Just plug it in, fire up Meg 2: The Trench, and let the great sound drown out the plot holes.

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The unfortunate reality of rapidly advancing TV tech is that as screens have gotten flatter, so has the sound they output. That leaves flatscreen owners with a choice: find space for a surround-sound setup with bulky subwoofer and satellite speakers, or turn to single-unit soundbars that can simulate an all-around 5.1 or 7.1 speaker setup without the need for threading wires and installing wall mounts. And thanks to the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max, convenience won’t cost you audio quality, though it will cost you $2,499—a major price jump from similar immersion-focused integrated systems like the $999 Vizio Elevate or the Sony HT-A7000. Featuring 13 drivers and the ability to transform any source into 3D audio, this thick slab of sound is for those who want the best soundbar, regardless of price. It’s an investment, but one worthy of the best OLED TVs and best QLED TVs.

The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max’s design

Accommodating all those speakers (two firing upward and 11 outward) and the 500 watts of power to drive them requires considerable size and weight. At almost 41 pounds, 50 inches wide, and more than 5 inches tall (including the rubber feet), the AMBEO Max is considerably larger than the average soundbar. On the same tabletop as a flagship TV, the Sennheiser soundbar may block a portion of your screen unless the TV is mounted upon a wall or has a height-adjustable stand. 

A small display on the AMBEO’s fabric-covered front face shows basic info, such as input source, volume level, and connectivity status when connected to Bluetooth 4.2 or when Chromecasting from the iOS or Android Google Home app. The brushed metal top panel has an embedded row of essential controls. While, on the back, the Sennheiser AMBEO Max soundbar has three HDMI inputs for connecting components like gaming consoles or Blu-ray players, along with an HDMI TV eARC (Audio Return Channel) output for two-way connection to compatible TVs. This means the AMBEO can pass through 4K and HDR (including Dolby Vision) signals from components to the TV. There’s a subwoofer output should you wish to add one to your system, as well as an optical input for digital audio and an RCA audio input. An Ethernet port is there should you prefer a wired connection over the built-in WiFi. The Google Home app performs Chromecasting and any firmware updates, but there is also a USB port solely for performing firmware updates if needed.

Getting started with the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max

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If your primary setup is source-soundbar-TV, you’ll find everything you need in the Sennheiser AMBEO soundbar box to set up quickly: a standard “figure-8” power cable and a high-speed HDMI cable for an eARC connection for two-way comms with the TV, plus a remote control. The AMBEO may seem like a lot of soundbar (and it is), but it is quite simple to connect to your TV. With my Samsung TV connected in this way, the TV remote would power up and down both the TV and the AMBEO, and the TV remote controlled the AMBEO’s volume while the TV’s internal speakers were bypassed. It’s nice and simple. In the rare case that you don’t have an ARC-compatible TV, you’ll just need to connect an optical audio cable from the TV to the soundbar. 

Using the ceiling and walls to reflect sound is key to the Sennheiser AMBEO soundbar’s ability to simulate surround sound, so the “hardest” part of setting up the soundbar is just making sure none of the speakers, including the upfiring ones, are obstructed by anything. Then, before settling in for your new audio experience, you’ll want to optimize the AMBEO’s internal settings for the room with the included stand-up calibration microphone. You plug this into the front of the soundbar, place the microphone where you will most often be while listening to the system (recommended six or more meters away) and, when prompted from the remote, the AMBEO emits a series of loud frequency sweeps to set levels it saves in internal memory. When finished, just store the microphone somewhere so you can repeat the process again if you move the AMBEO—or the sofa. 

Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar key features

Unlike a lot of A/V companies, Sennheiser comes to soundbars from a pro-audio perspective. It is decades of engineering studio microphones and audiophile headphones that give the German company the confidence to ask serious coin for the AMBEO. For comparison, Sonos, a much younger company that started in multiroom audio systems, asks just $899 for the Arc, its fidelity-first flagship soundbar with Dolby Atmos and Amazon Alexa. 

Considering its price and the pedigree of the 75-year-old brand, the Sennheiser AMBEO soundbar must live or die based on its audio quality and the many ways in which it treats incoming signals to sound like a 5.1.4 surround system (representing two left channels, two right channels, and a center channel; a subwoofer; and four rear channels). In order to do this, the soundbar supports all the major 5.1 and 7.1 surround formats found in legacy movies and games, plus all newer 3D audio ones you’re likely to come across on discs or streaming, including Dolby Atmos; DTS:X; MPEG-H; and even Sony 360 Reality Audio (an April 2021 firmware addition, exhibiting Sennheiser’s desire to futureproof your sizeable investment). But you won’t need to worry about formats for the most part beyond initially setting up HDMI devices. For example, when I connected a Sony PS4 to the AMBEO and chose the audio settings for the game console, it knew the soundbar was compatible with DTS 7.1 and defaulted to that setting. 

Virtual reality

Set up via room correction, the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max pumped out detailed, clear audio with excellent definition and separation in the mid- and high-frequency ranges. It also had a very satisfying bass response, reaching down to a thumping 30Hz while maintaining a natural tonality. However, if you’re a real bass addict who needs to feel the kind of guttural quivering inside that you only get from large loudspeakers or subwoofer-reinforced systems, the AMBEO can’t quite compare to that feeling. 

For about two weeks, I ran nearly every piece of visual and audio media I played through the AMBEO, including the Netflix Army of the Dead movie and the John Wick franchise (both with Dolby Atmos), the PS4 Middle Earth: Shadow of War game in DTS 7.1 sound, and a selection of 21st-century music with which I am intimately familiar, including hip-hop, pop, and a range of electronic music such as dubstep, house, and indie-dance.

With film, the dialogue was more intelligible, maintaining its presence even as dynamic atmospheres stretched across the room. And directional cues increased the excitement exponentially. In the bathhouse scene of John Wick (2014), there’s a sequence when Wick’s target Iosef runs across the screen behind a series of glass panels, bullets transforming each into a spiderweb of cracks in turn. Hearing the bullets fly in as the sound of their impact radiated out caused my head to involuntarily turn, generating one of those “wow” moments that are rare from all but the best gear. Games exhibited similar spatial depths—sound pinging and panning and the virtual world feeling even more visceral with the AMBEO’s 13 drivers sending sounds flying in all directions. 

The Sennheiser AMBEO soundbar treated rumbling sound effects and bass-heavy music equally well—presenting plenty of low-end without distracting from or distorting the overall audio. Playing the squelching symphonics of Daft Punk’s TRON: Legacy Reconfigured on the AMBEO Soundbar Max, either from the Bluetooth connection or from streaming apps on the TV or PS4, was a real joy. The soundbar takes two-channel music and parcels it out across its 13 speakers in unexpected and delightful ways. I quickly preferred music through AMBEO virtualization over my dedicated stereo speakers positioned on both sides of the living room. 

The soundbar’s sound presets and three “AMBEO” 3D sound modes also made for some interesting listening experimentation, where none of the settings really sounded bad, just different. The presets—Movies, Music, News, Sports, and Neutral—are guidelines for the material you’re hearing, but I tended to prefer the dynamic and vibrant spread of the Music preset even for Movies. However, the Movies setting did tend to emphasize dialogue more, which can be helpful during cacophonous action flicks. 

The Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max’s 3D modes are where the soundbar really shows off all of its immersive magic. They can be off or on in one of three settings: Light, Standard, and Boost, which determine the intensity of the soundbar’s ability to “upmix” a stereo sound into the illusion of surround. Movie and TV show audio seems to occupy a space from a few feet on either side of the soundbar and even a couple of feet above it due to the top-firing speakers. Different elements of music seem to dance across with audible width. While each setting has its merits, 3D sound is the name of the game here, so I’m fond of the Boost setting, which transformed familiar songs in interesting ways, digitally separating musical elements and stretching them across a tall, wide stage. However, if you’re used to hearing music in a certain way, Standard and Boost may sound somewhat unnatural.

A ’cast of characters

The built-in equalizer, which you can adjust through a companion iOS and Android app, let me crank up the bass for a little extra oomph and to find a personalized sound for my tastes. This is frankly a low-rated app for a number of reasons and the Android app on my Motorola G Stylus phone would not connect to the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max, even though it was recognized and working to Chromecast through the Google Home app. However, the iOS app on an iPad did connect and it was worth the hassle in the end to get the graphic equalizer and the easier toggling of AMBEO 3D sound modes. From the app, you can also power the AMBEO on/off, select its input source, and control the volume, although with a finicky touch slider that makes subtle adjustments not so easy. 

Sennheiser also offers Google Chromecasting through the AMBEO. Setting this up failed several times, but after some dizzying rounds of rebooting the soundbar and the phone, it did connect for successful Chromecasting over WiFi. However, Google Home noted, “This device [the AMBEO] is not optimized for casting,” and when Chromecasting from the phone, the volume was significantly quieter than when paired over Bluetooth. 

So, who should buy the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max?

When you want a strong, sumptuous sound for home theater viewing but also want the “simplicity” of an all-in-one soundbar, Sennheiser’s AMBEO Soundbar Max succeeds. Its mobile app-based functionality still could use some work, but that’s a minor component of the AMBEO setup. Not only would the Sennheiser soundbar be a surround-sound upgrade from TV speakers or other soundbars, but it can easily serve as the primary music speaker for any room in which you place it. There are many all-in-ones that cost less and take up less space, but for the best multidimensional soundbar experience without sacrificing fidelity, the Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar Max has set a high bar.

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Black Friday is still a month away, but that hasn’t stopped Sonos from offering a 20% discount on speaker bundles on its site and through select retailers from now until Oct. 29. Sonos’ speakers and soundbars were designed to work together, and these deals allow you to assemble a full, wireless home theater system in a couple of clicks. Many of these early Black Friday bundles include Sonos’ Era 100 and Era 300 speakers, which impressed us during our reviews.

Sonos Immersive Set with Beam $1,240 (Was $1,426)

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The Sonos Immersive Set is comprised of the second-generation Sonos Beam, Sub Mini, and a pair of Era 100 speakers, which when combined is a compact 5.1 surround sound system. The Beam offers a good sound for its size, which we found in our review, and typically retails for $500 on its own. The system connects to your TV via HDMI, but you can stream music to it wirelessly from Apple devices through AirPlay 2. As a bonus, this set comes with a free, three-month trial to Apple Music, which costs $11 per month.

Check out these other Sonos deals that are music to our ears:

• Sonos Entertainment Set with Beam, $742 (Was $928) (Best Buy)
• Sonos Premium Immersive Set with Arc, $1,756 (Was $2,196) (Best Buy)
• Sonos Entertainment Set with Ray, $566 (Was $708) (Best Buy)
• Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc, $2,211 (Was $2,596) (Best Buy)
• Sonos Premium Entertainment Set with Arc, $1,358 (Was $1,698) (Best Buy)

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Best sounding		Sonos Move		SEE IT	With both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, this pick will stay synced to your tunes wherever you go.
Best for outdoors		JBL Boombox 3		SEE IT	Play your favorite tracks all day without losing power—this waterproof pick has 24 hours of charge.
Best for parties		Bose S1 Pro		SEE IT	For booming audio and built-in sensors for optimal sound, this speaker is perfect for outdoor spaces and your next party.

A Bluetooth speaker is a great way to listen to the tunes you love anytime, anywhere, and without getting tangled up in an endless maze of cords. With easy portability and quick connectivity, good Bluetooth speakers can elevate any activity. Get better sound during an impromptu movie screening, bust out the backing vocals during a campfire sing-along, and put on the proper playlist for a backyard cookout or trip to the beach. All you need is a Bluetooth-compatible device—like a cellphone, computer, or tablet—and you’re in business. However, not all wireless speakers are created equal; you want to find something with great sound and a sleek design that will also last. We’ve narrowed down the competition to the best Bluetooth speakers so you can spend less time shopping and more time with your favorite playlists.

• Best overall: JBL Boombox 3
• Best ultra-portable: Marshall Emberton II
• Best party speaker: Bose S1 Pro
• Best waterproof: Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3
• Best sounding: Sonos Move
• Best for Android: Sony SRS-XG300
• Best desktop: Edifier S1000W
• Best bookshelf: JBL 4305P
• Best budget: Tribit XSound Go Bluetooth Speaker

How we chose the best Bluetooth speakers

The PopSci writers and editors are serious music nerds. We scoured dozens of different options across many well-known brands to find models that best fit various needs and lifestyles. All the speakers on this list achieve a baseline level of sound quality that will do justice to any music you pump through them. We primarily focused on attainable models that blend value with performance but made sure to throw in some premium options for on-the-go audiophiles. Every speaker on the list is portable, though some may require more effort to move than others. Whichever model you pick, you can be confident that it can rock any party you show up at.

The best Bluetooth speakers: Reviews & Recommendations

As with any electronics, we recommend picking the most important aspect of the device for you and focusing on it. So, if you want optimal sound, pick something with serious audio chops. If you want something that will be ultra-tough, be willing to make some concessions when it comes to pure audio quality. If you’re realistic about your needs, you’ll have a better chance of getting a device that fits your life. Whether you’re looking for an extremely durable portable speaker or an extremely versatile stereo pair, however, our top picks for the best Bluetooth speakers deliver quality sound no matter your setup or budget.

Best overall: JBL Boombox 3

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Why it made the cut: Yes, it’s big, but it pumps out enormous sound, and the battery is truly prolific—lasting a full day on a single charge.

Specs

• Battery life: 24 hours
• Weight: 13 pounds
• IP Rating: IP67

Pros

• Loud
• Great battery life
• Slick look despite its size
• Solid connectivity

Cons

• Heavy
• Expensive

The JBL Boombox 3 has excellent sound quality and boasts 24 hours of battery life. The party quite literally never has to stop; in fact, you might have to stop well before the Boombox 2. It’s a great Bluetooth speaker to power a backyard jam or take a guaranteed party with you. With a convenient handle, an IP67 waterproof rating, and the ability to dual charge other devices, this JBL speaker will keep you going when you want to entertain (or listen to back-to-back podcasts all day). Thanks to the new three-way speaker design and 40 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response, thunderous lows come in seismic waves but with plenty of presence in the mids and highs to maintain sonic composure. Bluetooth 5.3 means the signal stays strong and stable, extending hundreds of feet in open air. With the Boombox 3, you can bring the club home … to your house and, with enough volume, your unsuspecting neighbors, too. Of course, all of that comes at a premium: $449 on average. Crave similar punch without the same price? The JBL Boombox 2 is still a great buy for at least $50 less on average.

Best ultra-portable: Marshall Emberton II

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Specs

• Battery life: 30 hours
• Weight: 1.5 pounds
• IP Rating: IP67

Pros

• Highly portable
• Excellent battery life
• Durable

Cons

• Controls take some getting used to

Marshall’s expansion from amps and other hardware used by iconic bands like AC/DC to consumer-level headphones and speakers has been pretty successful. Its speakers have become popular enough for the company to release revised versions of them, which includes the Emberton II, its latest take on a highly-portable mid-tier Bluetooth speaker. The Emberton II retains the iconic gold and black look of Marshall’s amps, with red LEDs showing its power state and battery life.

In our tests, the Emberton II sounds good for its size and price and, thankfully, wasn’t tuned exclusively for listening to rock music. There’re limitations to the amount of balance you can get from a backpack-friendly mono speaker, but we were pleased that Marshall managed to fit two 2-inch drivers inside instead of one. If you’re looking for a speaker that can sound pretty good when cranked up loud for a trip to the beach or backyard party, but is small enough to take with you while traveling on a plane, the Emberton II is the ideal choice.

While we don’t have any significant nits to pick with the sound, the Emberton II’s buttons can be a little annoying to navigate. There’s a standalone power button (thank goodness), but all of the speaker’s other controls: Play/pause, next track, previous track, volume up, volume down, require you to use the circular, golden controller on top of the speaker. It’s tough to know at a glance what moving the controller in any of these directions will do—there’re small glyphs, but they’re difficult to see and won’t be apparent to someone unfamiliar with the Emberton II.

We hope Marshall addresses that usability with the Emberton III. Still, our complaint wasn’t large enough to keep up from recommending this speaker, which excels at its most important job: playing music.

Best party speaker: Bose S1 Pro Portable Bluetooth Speaker System

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Why it made the cut: This Bluetooth party speaker cranks out huge volume while minimizing distortion.

Specs

• Battery life: 11 hours
• Weight: 15 pounds
• Meant for DJs and party pros

Pros

• Unmatched volume
• Excellent sound quality
• Durable

Cons

• Heavy
• Expensive

If you want the loudest Bluetooth speaker, the Bose S1 Pro will give you concert-level volume without sacrificing quality. This PA-inspired Bluetooth speaker is pretty impressive. There is some extra math to be done regarding maximum decibel output because high-end speakers usually have a range of wattage support that affects the sound output. However, the S1 Pro typically peaks at around 109 decibels. It features a 3-channel mixer, with options for reverb and EQ and a dedicated channel for other music sources. The speaker can last up to 11 hours with a QuickCharge function if you’re in a rush. Though it’s a little bigger (and several hundred more expensive) than other models, this speaker is still quite portable and extremely potent. With unparalleled sound quality, it’s truly perfect for parties and private concerts.

Best waterproof: Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3

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Why it made the cut: Ultimate Ears has an impeccable talent for pumping out small, waterproof speakers that sound great. This little sound sphere is no exception. It’s awesome all around.

Specs

• Battery life: 13 hours
• Weight: 1 pound
• Bluetooth Range: 131 feet 
• IP Rating: IP67

Pros

• Great sound for its size
• Light
• Small
• Totally waterproof
• Attractive design

Cons

• Not as powerful as other models

The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3 is one of the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers. If you are looking for a mini Bluetooth speaker that you can easily take with you on the go, look no further than this $99 wonder. The UE WONDERBOOM 3 comes in multiple fun two-tone colors with a flexible handle at the top that can easily be attached to a backpack, bike basket, or even a belt loop. This UE speaker also weighs less than 1 pound so that your speaker won’t drag you down while the sound lifts you up. The battery lasts a full 13 hours and produces amazing 360-degree sound coverage. With an IP67 rating, this Bluetooth speaker is waterproof, it even floats, and Ultimate Ears suggests trying it out in the shower. It’s small but mighty, measuring just four inches tall but packs a punch when it comes to volume, reaching up to 87 dB (almost concert-level loud).

Best-sounding: Sonos Move

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Why it made the cut: This portable speaker seamlessly ties into the Sonos wireless music system and pumps out excellent audio quality, making it one of the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers.

Specs

• Battery life: 11 hours
• Weight: 6.6 pounds
• Bluetooth Range: 300 feet 
• IP Rating: IP56

Pros

• Works with all other Sonos systems
• Fantastic sounds
• Automatically adjusts sound to its environment
• Burly

Cons

• Expensive
• Requires proprietary charging dock

The Sonos Move has a ton of options when it comes to connectivity. Known for its smart speakers, Sonos gear typically operates over Wi-Fi. It can instantly integrate into an existing multiroom Sonos speaker network, connect to Apple AirPlay, and use a built-in Alexa voice assistant that you can enable and disable as you like. But the Move is also capable of connecting to devices via Bluetooth, making it truly portable. It has up to 11 hours of battery life and a super sleek circular charging base. You can easily control all of the various services and settings like Sonos Radio, Alexa, Spotify, Apple Music, and more using the Sonos S2 singular app, making it easy to change things up at the drop of a hat. That’s a lot of options, though they come at a fair amount of dollars: $400 on average. Looking for a Sonos speaker that’s even more transportable and weather-resistant, while also more affordable? Check out the palm-sized IP67 Sonos Roam, which still sports many features and great fidelity but for less than $200.

Best for Android: Sony SRS-XG300

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Specs

• Battery life: 25 hours
• Weight: 6.6 pounds
• IP Rating: IP67

Pros

• Advanced-resolution codec support
• Portability for its size
• Loud sound

Cons

• Price

It should be no surprise that the best Bluetooth speaker we could find for Android has carried over from our best portable Bluetooth speakers. No speaker has come close to the audio quality, codec support, and aesthetics of the SRS-XG300, and we don’t believe in trying to fix what isn’t broken.

Sony has never shied away from making high-end audio hardware, and the SRS-XG300 is its latest premium portable Bluetooth speaker. After years of refining internal components, Sony gave its portable speakers a much-needed top-to-bottom redesign. The SRS-XG300 is a lot sleeker, with a mesh covering pleasing to the eye and a retractable handle that makes the relatively big speaker easier to carry. Indeed, carrying it from room to room or from the car to the beach never felt like a chore. Sony’s focus on building speakers with lights continues here, but they’re no longer a main focal point; LED rings surround the drivers on both sides of this speaker, but they never look garish. Plus, you can turn them off at the push of a button.

The SRS-XG300 is larger than most of our portable Bluetooth speaker recommendations, but the extra space comes with a couple of big benefits. This speaker lasts up to 25 hours per charge while delivering far better sound than smaller speakers. This was the best-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker I tested this year, with refined-sounding lows, mids, and treble without distortion at high volumes. Sibilance and other audio abnormalities were also absent, though this will always come down to how your music was recorded and mastered.

We can recommend the SRS-XG300 to anyone, but especially Android users whose devices support the LDAC codec. Without getting too into the weeds, devices that support this technology can play higher-resolution audio at a bitrate of 990kbps (kilobytes per second), which is approaching full CD quality (1,411kbps). For reference, aptX (a more commonly used audio codec) compresses audio to a rate of 352kbps. This difference doesn’t matter when you’re streaming music from Spotify (which streams at a maximum of 320kpbs), but it does if you’re subscribed to services such as Apple Music, Amazon Music, or TIDAL, which provide higher-resolution tiers that can take advantage of that LDAC bandwidth. These features come with a steep price tag, and the SRS-XG300’s most technically impressive feature is limited to folks with a handful of devices, which is why we couldn’t definitively label this the best-sounding Bluetooth speaker overall. If you care about audio quality, though, there’s no other portable Bluetooth speaker that deserves your consideration.

Best desktop: Edifier S1000W

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Specs

• Battery life: N/A
• Weight: 36.3 pounds
• IP Rating: N/A

Pros

• Classic look
• Balanced sound
• Multiple inputs

Cons

• Not portable
• Large

Edifier has slowly become one of our go-to audio companies because of its ability to cram a lot of performance into speakers that don’t cost a lot of money. The S1000Ws show off what Edifier is capable of when it’s less budget-constrained, and the result is wonderful. Computer speakers are typically pretty bad—laptops are too thin for premium audio hardware, PC towers have no speakers at all, and all-in-one PCs don’t fare much better. Apple is the exception here, but we wouldn’t recommend setting up a MacBook Pro for your next deep listen of Dark Side of the Moon or Midnights.

On the other hand, the S1000Ws are equipped with everything you could ask for from Bluetooth computer speakers for serious music listening or video watching. Each cabinet features a 5.5-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter, and EQ knobs on the back allow you to fine-tune their bass and treble to your liking. We didn’t find that necessary in our tests, as music, podcasts, and videos all sounded crystal clear at all volume levels. There was no overblown bass creeping up and muddying the mids, or crunchy treble making us wince every time a cymbal was hit. Instead of reinventing the wheel, Edifier took what it learned from optimizing sound for budget audiences and expanded the speakers performance.

In our experience, setting up the S1000Ws only took about five minutes once we had them out of their box. All we had to do was connect the two speakers together with a thick connector cable, and plug one of the speakers into an outlet. To use Bluetooth, we hit the button on the speakers’ remote with the Bluetooth symbol. The S1000Ws went into pairing mode, and we were connected almost instantaneously. Suppose you want to listen to higher-fidelity music. In that case, you can connect these speakers to your computer using a Y-cable (also included) or wirelessly using AirPlay 2 if you’re using an Apple product. These speakers also feature optical audio and coaxial input if you want to use the S1000Ws as stereo speakers for your TV.

Many popular Bluetooth speakers are portable, but if you need a stereo pair on your desk for listening to music throughout the day, the Edifier’s S1000Ws are our choice. Their audio quality, connectivity options, and eye-catching appearance make them a triple threat in the best way possible.

Best bookshelf: JBL 4305P

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Specs

• Battery life: N/A
• Weight: 35.6 pounds
• IP Rating: N/A

Pros

• Plentiful analog and digital inputs
• Subwoofer output
• Intuitive user interface

Cons

• Size
• Price

If you need a Bluetooth speaker and balk and the idea of a budget, look no further than the JBL 4305P Studio Monitors, whose premium design is evident both inside and out. Inside each of the 4305P’s wooden cabinets are a custom-designed 5.25-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter powered by a 300 Watt Class-D amplifier that splits its power between both speakers. Put plainly, the JBL 4305Ps are the speaker equivalent of a muscle car inside a well-crafted wood veneer cabinet.

Bluetooth 5.1 is provided, but it’s the loophole we’re using to include a pair of speakers that’s dear to our heart and a joy to our ears. What you’ll really want to take advantage of with this $2,200 pair of powered speakers is a veritable cornucopia of upscale connectivity options, which includes a pair of XLR inputs, an AUX input, an optical audio input (which could make them the best for TV if you’re not interested in spatial audio), a USB port, and an Ethernet jack, plus network support for AirPlay 2. JBL also built a Chromecast into these speakers, so you can send audio to them easily using an iOS or Android device. The two speakers can be connected using an Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi, which offers convenience at the cost of audio quality. Both connectivity methods allow you to stream high-resolution music to the 4305Ps, but Wi-Fi connectivity tops out at 24-bit / 96kHZ rather than 24-bit / 192kHZ.

Speakers in this price range can feel stuffy and for “audiophiles only,” but JBL managed to make the 4305Ps feel oddly approachable by fully supporting wireless audio in a classic aesthetic. We also like that the source knob on its primary speaker is clearly labeled, and a series of LEDs and glyphs on top allows you to see which input is selected. Most people aren’t going to need the power of JBL’s 4305Ps. Still, these aspirational home speakers prove that serious audio companies can build Bluetooth into some of their most premium-powered speakers. These speakers bust the myth that you must choose between wireless audio and premium sound.

Best budget: Tribit XSound Go Bluetooth Speaker

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Why it made the cut: Our pick for the best small Bluetooth speaker, the Tribit XSound Go brings excellent sound quality and battery life for a very small amount of money.

Specs

• Battery life: 24 hours
• Weight: 13 ounces
• IP Rating: IPX7

Pros

• Cheap
• Long battery life
• Solid sound for the price

Cons

• Other speakers sound better

Tribit’s XSound speaker is designed to withstand drops, dust, dips, and dents. The overall sound quality isn’t as crisp as a higher-end speaker, but you won’t have to worry about damage during an outdoor trip or toddler encounter. It is IPX7 waterproof in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes and has a Bluetooth range of up to 100 feet. The battery lasts up to 24 hours, so it’s perfect for outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, and cycling. It also has an attached strap to take your music on the go. It has improved sound quality and connectivity over the previous model, which was already an excellent value for its price, making it the best cheap Bluetooth speaker.

Things to consider when choosing the best Bluetooth speaker

Sound quality

Larger Bluetooth speakers tend to offer more volume and generally better sound quality. It’s hard to get great sound out of tiny drivers (for more on that, check out our primer on what makes up a speaker). Some smaller speakers, like the Ultimate Ears models, typically punch above their weight when it comes to pure quality, so find a balance between fidelity and utility.

Bluetooth range

Most modern Bluetooth speakers have a connectivity range between 66 and 100 feet, but some can stay connected up to 300 feet. If you plan to cover a big area, it’s worth ensuring you get the maximum range you can find.

Battery life

If you opt for a portable Bluetooth speaker, battery life often coincides with its overall size. Small speakers don’t have much power, but they also don’t have much room inside for battery capacity. Some offer as little as eight hours, while others can promise up to 24 hours on a charge and beyond. Even if you’re not planning to rock out for 24 hours at a time, more battery capacity allows you multiple listening sessions without having to get back on the charger. It’s also worth noting that those estimates are just that. To truly max out battery life, you must keep the volume lower than 50% and other environmental conditions like temperature ideal.

Ruggedness

Some battery-powered Bluetooth speakers are tougher than others. You can determine that durability based on the Ingress Protection (IP) code. If you want a truly tough model, check for an IPX7 rating, which means it can work while fully submerged underwater. IPX6 is still good, but not quite as good. Most portable speakers are fairly rugged, but it’s worth spending a little extra to get something that will last.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best Bluetooth speakers

• Best overall: JBL Boombox 3
• Best ultra-portable: Marshall Emberton II
• Best party speaker: Bose S1 Pro
• Best waterproof: Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3
• Best sounding: Sonos Move
• Best for Android: Sony SRS-XG300
• Best desktop: Edifier S1000W
• Best bookshelf: JBL 4305P
• Best budget: Tribit XSound Go Bluetooth Speaker

The best Bluetooth speaker is well within the realm of possibility if you take into consideration where you want to groove, how long you want to dance the night away without charging, how crisp and clear you need your audio to be, and when you’ll want to take it on the go. We recommend starting with our favorite speakers and best picks to begin building your new, portable sound system. Load up your favorite playlists, gather your friends, and get ready to rock out with one of the best wireless speakers.

The post The best Bluetooth speakers of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Marantz Cinema 70S		SEE IT	Perfect for a multidimensional, multi-room system.
Best gaming		Sony STR-AN1000		SEE IT	4K 120Hz video and Dolby Atmos support in a PlayStation-perfect package.
Best budget		Denon AVR-S570BT		SEE IT	5.1 surround capabilities for just under $350.

If you’re setting up a home theater, a killer game rig, or even a multiroom music system, an AV receiver (AVR) is necessary for tying it all together. It can function as your system’s hub, accepting, decoding, and routing various audio sources and formats, passing through HDMI signals, and providing connection and amplification for all your speakers. In the alphabet-soup world of home entertainment technology, figuring out which AVR is right for you isn’t easy. We aim to inform and demystify your shopping experience by recommending the best AV receivers in various price ranges and for different applications.

• Best overall: Marantz Cinema 70S 
• Best 4K under $500: Yamaha RX-4VA 
• Best 7.2: Denon AVR-X2800H
• Best for home theater: Arcam AVR31 
• Best for gaming: Sony STR-AN1000
• Best low profile: Marantz NR1711 
• Best budget: Denon AVR-S570BT

How we chose the best AV receivers 

We considered dozens of the best AV receivers and amplifiers for this story and focus on those that offer overall excellence in their price range. We also wanted to present products that excel for specific applications, such as gaming or audiophile music listening or multichannel surround sound. All our recommended units are made by solid, reputable companies and should give you years of excellent performance. The PopSci writers and editors have decades of combined experience writing about technology and home theater gear. These recommendations are a mixture of first-hand experience, spec comparisons, user impressions, peer recommendations, and scouring critical AV receiver reviews. 

The best AV receivers: Reviews & Recommendations

The best AV receivers integrate the various components of your home theater and music system. Most offer optical and analog (RCA) inputs in addition to their HDMI ports. That way, AVRs can incorporate digital sources like Blu-ray players, streaming devices, game consoles, smart TVs, analog turntables (although you might need a phono preamp), or older CD or DVD players. AVRs receive audio over the internet (some by WiFi and others Ethernet) and via Bluetooth from your mobile devices; many can provide wireless multiroom audio. A home theater with a music system and maybe a gaming system would be unmanageable without an AV receiver as its nerve center. You can assume that each AVR we mention includes a remote control and a setup/calibration system.

Best overall: Marantz Cinema 70S 

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: Get it for the Marantz sound quality and enough channels for true Dolby Atmos.

Specs

• Channels: 7.2
• Power: 50W per channel (into 8 Ohms, THD: 0.07%, 2-ch driven)
• HDMI ports: 6in/1 out
• Highest Video Supported: 8K    

Pros

• High-quality Marantz audio
• Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, both hardwired and virtual.
• Built-in HEOS

Cons 

• Remote lacks backlight

Marantz’s 70S packs the performance of a full-sized AV receiver into a package compact enough to fit in most media centers. It supports Dolby Atmos audio, can pass through Dolby Vision video at 8K, and even has a built-in phono preamp.

In our tests, the Cinema 70S was surprisingly simple to set up. We plugged in our Q Acoustics 3020i bookshelf speakers and Q Acoustics 3050i towers, connected the receiver to a Sony OLED 55-inch BRAVIA XR A80L Series 4K Ultra HD TV using an HDMI cable, and followed the on-screen instructions, which walked us through testing each speaker to ensure it was connected correctly. We could also connect the receiver to our WiFi network using a pair of included antennas, enabling the ability to stream media from Apple devices using AirPlay 2. There’s also a built-in Ethernet port if you’d prefer to hardwire your setup completely. Within 15 minutes of unboxing the sleek but substantial feeling receiver, we were up and running.

We filled most of the Cinema 70S’ HDMI inputs with all three current-generation game consoles, the latest Apple TV 4K, and connected a Denon DCD-900NE CD player to one set of its RCA inputs. We had no problem using the Apple TV to stream Dolby Atmos tracks, playing Xbox Series X games like Diablo IV with Dolby Vision enabled, and enjoying every bit—pardon the pun—of our CD collection through Denon’s latest player. There were no ticks or dropouts during our hours of playing and listening, either.

Devices connected to the Cinema 70S over HDMI have the ability to wake the receiver and TV using their respective remotes, which makes jumping into a game or using the Apple TV to stream media more convenient. The receiver always recognized when a device was turned on and automatically switched to the correct input. We could tell this was true because the receiver would show the connected device’s name (and its current volume level) on the tiny screen built into its circular portal-like screen.

Overall, we were incredibly pleased with how well Marantz’s Cinema 70S performed under several circumstances, and its variety (and quantity) of inputs mean it’ll likely be your one-stop shop for both analog and digital music listening and video watching. Some nice-to-have features (like backlit buttons on its remote) were missing, but the core functionality far exceeded our expectations, especially given its incredibly reasonable size.

Best 4K under $500: Yamaha RX-4VA 

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It offers a surprisingly rich feature set for the money if you don’t need every bell and whistle.

Specs

• Channels: 5.2
• Power: 80W per channel (into 6 ohms, 0.06% THD)
• HDMI ports: 4 in/1 out
• Highest video supported: 4K currently, 8K upgrade via firmware available soon

Pros 

• Affordable price for a surround-capable receiver
• Supports multiple video and music formats
• Will support 8K and VRR, QMS, ALLM and QFT with a future firmware update

Cons

• Requires (free) HDMI board replacement for 4K/120Hz gaming
• No Dolby Atmos height virtualization or DTS Virtual:X support
• No phono input

This 5.2-channel unit makes a solid centerpiece for home theater, gaming, and music listening. With four HDMI 2.1 inputs and an eARC output—along with optical, coaxial, and analog RCA inputs (but no phono inputs for a turntable)—it’s compatible with a wide range of gear. The unit supports Dolby and DTS surround sound decoding, streaming via WiFi, Apple AirPlay 2, and Spotify Connect, and can be voice-controlled with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. 

The RX-4VA comes with Yamaha’s MusicCast multiroom system (minus the speakers, of course), allowing you to connect with other compatible Yamaha components wirelessly. A USB port lets you play music from an external storage device. 

On the negative side, the RX-4VA doesn’t support virtualized Dolby Atmos or DTS Virtual:X. It’s also one of the receivers whose chipset has an HDMI 2.1 bug that cannot handle 4K/120Hz gaming for Xbox Series X or NVIDIA RTX30. Fortunately, Yamaha offers a free HDMI board update program to fix it. Although it supports HDMI 2.1, it doesn’t support 8K out of the box. However, Yamaha will soon offer a firmware update that will add 8K capabilities as well as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode), QMS (Quick Media Switching), and QFT (Quick Frame Transport), which are HDMI 2.1 features designed to enhance gaming. Together, this makes it a top-value 4K AV receiver that retails for $599 but is typically offered under $500 and is future-proofed for when 8K flatscreens come down to a more approachable price.

Best 7.2: Denon AVR-X2800H

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This mid-priced AVR has a full feature set and is ready for the future.

Specs

• Channels: 7.2
• Power: 95W per channel (into 8 ohms, THD: 0.08%)
• HDMI ports: 6 in /2 out
• Highest video supported: 8K     

Pros 

• Broad multichannel format support
• Lots of connectivity options
• 8K video pass-through

Cons

• Dirac support requires jumping up to a higher-priced model

Surround sound used to be synonymous with 5.1 speaker configurations, but the advent of Dolby Atmos and other “3D” audio formats have helped usher in the era of 7.2 systems. Denon’s AVR-X2800H is well-equipped for this job, serving up a solid 90W of power per channel and supporting Dolby Atmos, Atmos Height Virtualization, DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X surround audio formats. 

Virtual surround sound formats will never be able to usurp or equal the experience of additional physical speakers, but they’re nice to have as you build your setup. Beyond HDMI ports, the AVR-X2800H is stacked with RCA, optical audio, and coaxial inputs. There’s even a built-in phono preamp if you plan on hooking up your turntable to the receiver.

Audio is important when selecting the right AV receiver, but it’s only one-half of the equation. The AVR-X2800H also delivers on the “V” side of things by passing through 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz video and supporting the latest HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG. If you plug in a game console or 4K Blu-Ray player, you will like what you see and hear.

On the wireless connectivity front, the AVR-X2800H stacks up well, too. It supports Apple’s AirPlay, Bluetooth, HEOS, and can be integrated into Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant smart home ecosystems. It feels like the only protocol this receiver doesn’t support is Dirac Live, an optional piece of software that continuously analyzes your room to adjust and optimize your speakers’ output. If that sounds appealing, you’ll need to jump up to Denon’s AVR-X3800H, a 9.4-channel stereo receiver that’s even more immersive (but also pricier).

If you’re looking to expand your surround sound system beyond five channels and a single subwoofer, Denon’s AVR-X2800H should be your first choice.

Best for home theater: Arcam AVR31 

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Why it made the cut: It can process up to 16 channels of multichannel audio.

Specs

• Channels: 7.2
• Power: 120W per channel (into 8 ohms at 0.02% THD, 2-ch driven)
• HDMI ports: 7in/3 out (HDMI 2.1)
• Highest Video Supported: 8K

Pros

• 16 channels of processing
• Broad multichannel format support
• Dirac Live room correction tailors the sound to your room’s acoustics (microphone included)
• Class G amplification provides excellent sound  
• Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, MQA, and Roon support

Cons

• No phono input for turntable two-channel use
• Price

Arcam’s high-end AV receiver offers seven Class G amplification channels, offering better efficiency than the typical Class B or AB designs. It also can process 16 channels simultaneously. Using its preamp-outs to feed an additional power amp, you could configure a 15.2 system. The AVR31 has Dirac Live room correction and a measurement mic to calibrate all those speakers correctly. 

Moreover, it offers broad support of multichannel audio formats: Dolby Atmos, TrueHD, Digital Plus, DTS:X (but not DTS:X Pro), IMAX Enhanced, and Auro 3D. From an HDMI standpoint, it offers seven in and three out, including one eARC output. All HDMI is 2.1, supporting 4K/120Hz and 8K/60Hz signals (but no VRR/ALLM). HDCP 2.3 technology and Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG support even ensure compatibility with 4K and 8K Ultra HD sources and TVs. But there isn’t really 8K content to concern yourself with, so if your goal is a pure signal path and clean power that can convey any soundtrack’s every nuance, you’ll get what you pay for (and you’ll pay around $5,500 on average).

Unlike Arcam’s previous generation, the AVR31 has Bluetooth Audio w/ aptX HD, WiFi, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast support, and an FM tuner. You’ll need a phono preamp to connect a turntable. But overall, if you’re looking to set up a massive multichannel system in a dedicated home theater, especially if you’re installing numerous wall-mountable speakers, etc., the AVR31 makes an outstanding central hub to build around.

More interested in the A rather than the V when it comes to an AVR? If streaming music is your primary pursuit, ARCAM recently unveiled the Radio Series, featuring two-channel integrated amplifiers that can receive audio from every source imaginable except HDMI.

Best for gaming: Sony STR-AN1000

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Specs

• Channels: 7.2
• Power: 165W per channel (into 8 ohms, with 0.9 % THD, 1-ch driven)
• HDMI ports: 6in/2out (eARC)
• Highest Video Supported: 8K

Pros

• Supports 4K video output at 120Hz
• Compatible with Dolby Vision, Hybrid Log Gamma and IMAX Enhanced High Dynamic Range
• Works with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, DTS Virtual: X, and DTS X Pro surround formats

Cons

• No tuner or phono inputs

While many people now associate Sony strongly with the PlayStation 5, the company has a long history in personal audio (well before we could afford AV receivers, we couldn’t live without our Walkman, hello). And its STR-AN1000 is a slam dunk regardless of your preferred next-gen. gaming console. Its most important feature is its ability to pass 4K video at 120Hz courtesy of its HDMI 2.1 ports, which allows you to play games at up to 120 frames per second. Most games still top out at 60 frames per second for technical reasons, but cutting-edge titles that push the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X to their limits can take advantage of it.

Similarly, the receiver can pass through Dolby Vision HDR video, the high dynamic range format supported by the latest consoles. The STR-AN1000 can also pass through 8K video at 60 frames per second, which gives you a nice cushion when it comes to future-proofing your setup alongside a Mini-LED 8K TV. Visuals are the most important factor to consider when choosing an AV receiver specifically for gaming, but that doesn’t mean audio doesn’t count.

Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have titles with a Dolby Atmos mix, and other surround sound formats have been commonplace in games for a couple of console generations. The STR-AN1000 supports all major surround sound formats and can be connected to seven sets of speakers and a pair of subwoofers. You’re covered if you have the space for a 7.2 speaker setup for your gaming rig.

Some of this AV receiver’s shortcomings, like the lack of a radio tuner and phono input, are forgivable, given its eye toward the future. Support for wireless streaming protocols like Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Google’s Chromecast, compatibility with Sonos’ hardware ecosystem, and the ability to control the receiver using a Google Home-compatible speaker more than make up for it.

The STR-AN1000 is an excellent AV receiver whether you’re playing the latest games, or using your console for video streaming or 4K Blu-Ray playback. And if you decide you want more connectivity and current at the heart of your system and you have the expanded budget to match, a January 2023 press event unveiled additional top-tier contenders for AVR receiver of the year.

Best low profile: Marantz NR1711 

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The half-size frame and full feature set will appeal to anyone with a space-limited home theater setup.

Specs

• Channels: 7.2
• Power: 50W per channel (into 8 ohms, with 0.08 % THD, 2-ch driven)
• HDMI ports: 6in/1out (eARC)
• Highest Video Supported: 8K

Pros

• Slimline form factor saves space
• 8K support provides future-proofing
• Comprehensive implementation of Dolby and DTS multichannel formats

Cons

• Only 50W per channel

The NR1711 is a diminutive 3.5 inches in height, about half that of the typical AVR. Yet somehow, Marantz was able to engineer it with a competitive feature set for its $800 price range. Because of its half-sized housing, Marantz had to scale down the amplifier size, so its power output is only 50W per channel. But unless you’re setting it up in a large room, it should still give you plenty of oomph. 

Gamers short on space will appreciate the NR1711’s “Slimline” form factor. They’ll also love its 8K support, which will serve them well for the next generation of gaming consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Home theater buffs will appreciate the impressive list of surround formats supported by the NR1711, such as Dolby Atmos, Dolby Speaker Virtualizer, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Surround. DTS is also well represented with DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X, DTS Neural:X, and DTS Digital Surround, to name just some. 

You can set up and calibrate your system with built-in Audyssey MultiEQ, Dynamic EQ, and Dynamic Volume processors. If you want to spin some vinyl, the NR1711 sports phono inputs alongside its other analog I/O. Additional goodies include Bluetooth, WiFi support, AirPlay 2, HEOS, and Alexa support.

Best budget: Denon AVR-S570BT

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: It offers a low-cost path into the surround-sound world.

Specs

• Channels: 5.2
• Power: 70W per channel RMS at 8 ohms, 0.07 percent THD, two channels driven.          
• HDMI ports: 4in/1out (ARC)
• Highest video Supported: 8K HDR pass-through

Pros 

• Low price for a 5.2-compatible AV Receiver
• 8K video pass-through and Dolby Vision support
• Quality sonics

Cons

• No Atmos support

The Denon AVR-S570BT is an entry-level AVR that can handle Ultra-HD content such as 4K Blu-ray and HDR video, and play audio encoded in most of the latest surround sound formats. It lacks Dolby Atmos support, which will be a sticking point if you’re living on the cutting edge, but beyond that, it’s remarkably capable.

Its most impressive feature is its 8K video pass-through capability, which comes courtesy of HDMI 2.1 ports. It also impresses on the video side by supporting 4K video pass-through at 120Hz and Dolby Vision HDR, which is the format used for the latest video games and 4K video releases. Ultimately, anyone on a budget will find a lot to like about this receiver.

We mentioned the AVR-S570BT’s only audio fault earlier, but its lack of Atmos support isn’t a big deal, given the receiver’s price. It does support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD, so any game or film soundtrack with a 5.1 surround sound mix will sound correct. The AVR-S570BT is also compatible with Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth for wireless music streaming.

Overall, if you’re not trying to keep up with the latest and greatest but want to watch movies or play games in 5.1 surround sound, the Denon AVR-S570BT will get you there for less without sacrificing very much.

What to consider when shopping for the best AV receivers

You have many variables to consider with a product as complex as an AVR. Some essential questions include: Can it support what I have (or want to have) in my system? How many HDMI inputs do I need to cover all my gear and have at least one leftover for expansion? Does it support the main surround format I plan to use? Does it deliver enough power per channel to give me plenty of distortion-free volume, given the size of my room? Does it offer 8K support so that I’m future-proofed? Does it have phono inputs for my turntable? Do I need to match my speakers to an AVR? The best AV receivers cover a pretty extensive range of features and prices. Look for the one that will best meet the needs of your current or planned home theater setup.

Is 8K video capability important in an AV receiver?

Right now, 8K isn’t necessary because there’s precious little 8K content available, even if you have an 8K TV. But that will likely change in the next couple of years, and if it’s important for you to watch shows and movies or play games with the best quality available, you’ll need a receiver that supports it. Fortunately, most of the products that we recommend in this article do.

How many channels do I need if I want a receiver that supports Dolby Atmos?

Atmos is a pretty “hot” format now, offering the dimension of height and the traditional directionality of surround sound to create an even more immersive sonic environment. Many movies now offer Atmos mixes, which can be spectacular. Atmos systems require a receiver with seven channels at the minimum for a hardwired system, consisting of a 5.1 speaker setup with two additional Atmos ceiling-mounted speakers. If you don’t want to mount speakers in the ceiling, you could get Atmos-enabled speakers that fire forward and upward. The latter bounces the sound off your ceiling to simulate having speakers up there. (And don’t forget the speaker wire!)

Another option is an Atmos-enabled soundbar, like the Sennheiser AMBEO or the Sony HT-A7000. Such products create an Atmos-like effect from one multi-speaker device. Finally, several receivers in this roundup support Virtualized Atmos, which simulates Atmos from whatever speaker configuration you have. The soundbar and the virtualized Atmos won’t compare to hardware-based Atmos systems, but you do get some of the effects, and it’s a lot less money. DTS:X is a competitor to Atmos and gives you a similar immersive effect. It also has a simulated version, DTS Virtual:X. Again, it would be best to have a receiver or soundbar that supports it.

HDMI input and output

On the HDMI outputs on AVRs, you’ll see the letters ARC or eARC. ARC stands for Audio Return Channel and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), introduced with HDMI 2.1. Both ARC and eARC allow bidirectional audio. With the emergence of smart TVs, which stream content from the internet, you need a way to get the audio from that content out of your TV and into your AVR or soundbar so that it gets amplified and routed to speakers. If you have eARC, it supports up to 24-bit/192kHz audio, as well as uncompressed audio from 5.1 and 7.1 surround content. In addition, it works with compressed formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio coming from your TV. And don’t forget the HDMI cables!

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best AV receivers

• Best overall: Marantz Cinema 70S 
• Best 4K under $500: Yamaha RX-4VA 
• Best 7.2: Denon AVR-X2800H
• Best for home theater: Arcam AVR31 
• Best for gaming: Sony STR-AN1000
• Best low profile: Marantz NR1711 
• Best budget: Denon AVR-S570BT

As you may have noticed from our roundup, there are a lot of choices and a wide range of prices in the AVR market. To decide which is right for you, you need to consider the price and the kind of system you’re trying to create. Do you want to move from 5.1 to a more complex multichannel format, like a 7.1 or an Atmos system? Will you also have to upgrade your TV and speaker system to achieve your goals? Because AV receivers are multifaceted and encompass or support so many technologies, it helps to be as informed as possible when deciding which one to buy. In this article, we’ve offered you a diverse range of products and information. However, you still have plenty of issues to consider regarding the specifics of your system, the space you’re putting it in, and your goals for the system before you can choose which of the best AV receivers is best for your needs.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best AV receivers in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Adding a soundbar to your TV is a quick and easy way to seriously upgrade your content-watching experience. You typically don’t need to run a bunch of speakers around your house. They’re easy to set up and install. Plus, right now, Amazon has some of our favorite models for several hundred dollars off, including one sale that ends very soon.

• Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Sound Bar Surround Sound Home Theater with DTS:X and 360 Spatial Sound Mapping $698 (was $999)
• Polk Audio Signa S4 Ultra-Slim Sound Bar for TV with Wireless Subwoofer, Dolby Atmos 3D Surround Sound $299 (was $399)
• Nakamichi Shockwafe Pro Bluetooth 7.1.4 Channel Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with 10″ Wireless Subwoofer $699 (was $899)

The post Hurry and grab huge discounts on high-end soundbars during Amazon’s pre-Black Friday flash sale appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Amazon’s October Prime Day is a perfect time to shop if you’ve wanted to elevate your audio without increasing your budget. Whether you want space-filling sound from speakers that won’t crowd your room or to cancel more noise and more cost with discounted headphones and earbuds, Oct. 10-11 offers some sweet-sounding deals. Whether you’re an on-the-go gear connoisseur or setting up a luxurious listening station, you’ll find we’re on the same wavelength with our focus on assembling a more affordable audio oasis with gear offered at its lowest price in months. But act fast, as prices and inventory are highly volatile and could change at any moment.

Note: You’ll have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of most of these deals, so be sure you’re signed up before making a purchase.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Wireless Earbuds with USB-C $189 (was $249)

SEE IT

Apple recently released a version of its AirPods Pro that charge via USB-C instead of the now-defunct Lighting cable. And you can also score $50 off the retail price of this new model right now before Prime Day. These AirPods give you all the Pro features you expect, including active noise cancelation and Spatial Audio, with the added bonus of needing to carry one less cord. On top of that, they’re the only model (currently) that will support lossless audio with the upcoming Vision Pro headset. With the holidays coming up, they’re a fantastic gift, even if you’re giving them to yourself. (Still want the Lightning version? It’s also discounted. Want the AirPods Max instead? Also on sale!)

Earbud deals

• Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless IPX Earbuds $85 (was $179)
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 IPX4 Earbuds $142 (was $279)
• Samsung Galaxy Buds2 $89 (Was $149)
• Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro $169 (was $229)
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II True Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Technology Earbuds $199 (was $279)
• Sony WF-1000XM5 True Wireless Bluetooth Noise-Canceling Earbuds $278 (was $299)
• Sony LinkBuds True Wireless Earbuds with Open-Ring Design for situational awareness $128 (was $179)
• EarFun Air Pro 3 Noise-Cancelling Earbuds $66.39 (was $79)
• EarFun Air S Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds $39.99 ($35.99 w/ coupon PD201PR1, was $59.99)
• Jabra Elite 7 Active Noise Cancellation True Wireless Bluetooth Sports Earbuds $79 (was $179)
• Jabra Elite 7 Pro Active Noise Cancellation True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds w/ MultiSensor Voice Tech $113 (was $199)
• House of Marley Champion 2 True Wireless Earbuds 15% off (was $89)
• TREBLAB X3 Pro Earbuds $49.99 (was $99.97)
• 1MORE PistonBuds Pro ANC Earbuds $39.99 (was $49.99)
• Skullcandy Grind True Wireless Earbuds $45.99 (was $79.99)
• Skullcandy Mod True Wireless Earbuds $36.99 (was $59.99)
• Skullcandy Jib 2 True Wireless Earbuds $27.99 (was $39.99)

Headphone deals

• Sennheiser HD 600 Audiophile Hi-Res Open-Back Dynamic Headphone $284 (was $449)
• Sennheiser HD 650 Audiophile Hi-Res Open-Back Dynamic Headphone $326 (was $499)
• Sennheiser HD 660S2 Wired Audiophile Headphones w/ Optimized Transducer System, Sound $427 (was $599)
• Sennheiser RS 120-W On-Ear Wireless Headphones w/ Transmitter/Charger for TV listening $77 (was $129)
• Beats Studio Pro Bluetooth Noise-Cancelling Headphones $179 (was $349)
• HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Over-Ear Open-Back Planar-Magnetic Headphones with Bluetooth 5.0 R2R DAC Receiver $199 (was $329)
• HIFIMAN HE-R10D Dynamic Topology Driver Close-Back Over-Ear Headphones with Bluemini R2R DAC Receiver $599 (was $1,299)
• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones $248 (was $348)
• Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Over The Ear Headset $98 (was $149)
• Bose Headphones 700 Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Over-Ear Wireless Headphone $279 (was $379)
• Sennheiser HD 450BT Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Headphone with Active Noise Cancellation $94 (was $129)
• beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 wired professional recording/mixing headphones $134 (was $169)
• beyerdynamic TYGR 300 R Gaming Headset $159 (was $199)
• TREBLAB Z2 Over-Ear Headphones $69.95 ($119.97)
• TREBLAB Z7 Pro Hybrid Over-Ear Headphones $119 (was $179)
• 1MORE SonoFlow ANC LDAC Hi-Res Headphones $74.99 (was $99.99)
• Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless Over Ear Headphones  $69.99 (was $104.99) 
• Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless Over Ear Headphones $89.99 (was $134.99) 
• Skullcandy Riff 2 Wireless Over Ear Headphones $34.99 (was $49.99) 
• Skullcandy SLYR Pro Gaming Wireless Over Ear Headphones $75 (was $99.99) 
• Skullcandy PLYR Gaming Wireless Over Ear Headphones $101 (was $129.99) 
• Shure AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones $279 (was $299)

Party speaker deals

• Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Generation) Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker $199 (was $279)
• Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 Portable Bluetooth Speaker $449 (was $599)
• Soundcore Motion X600 Portable IPX7 Bluetooth Speaker w/ 50W Sound, Pro EQ, Aux-In $149 (was $199)
• Tribit StormBox Micro 2 Portable IP67 Speaker w/ Built-in Strap $47 (was $62)
• Sony SRS-XB13 EXTRA BASS Bluetooth Lightweight Travel Speaker, IP67 Waterproof $34 (was $59)
• JBL Charge 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker $129 (was $179)
• JBL Go 3 Bluetooth Speaker $24 (was $49)
• JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth Speaker $89 (was $129)
• JBL Xtreme 2 $199 (was $429)
• JBL PartyBox Essential Encore $199 (was $299)
• House of Marley Bag of Riddim 2 Portable Speaker $149 + 15% off clickable coupon (was $229)
• House of Marley Get Together Bluetooth Portable Audio System $92 w/ clickable coupon (Was $169)
• House of Marley Get Together 2 Portable Speaker with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity $174 w/ clickable coupon (was $249)
• House of Marley Get Together 2 XL Portable Speaker with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity $319 + 15% off clickable coupon (was $399)
• TREBLAB HD77 Premium Bluetooth Speaker $59.96 (was $119.97)
• TREBLAB FX100 Portable Bluetooth Speaker $69 (was $89.97)
• Up to 25% OFF on Positive Grid’s Spark smart guitar practice amp w/ clickable coupons

Soundbars & wireless surround sound systems

• SENNHEISER AMBEO Soundbar Max 13 speaker 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos & DTS:X sound experience $1,699 (was $2,499)
• Bose Smart Soundbar 900 w/ Dolby Atmos, Alexa Built-In, Bluetooth connectivity $699 (was $899)
• Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Dual Wireless 10″ Subs & 4 Rear Surround Speakers $1,049 (was $1,499)
• Sony HTX8500 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Built-in subwoofer $198 (was $399)
• Sony HT-A7000 7.1.2ch 500W Dolby Atmos DTS:X 360 Audio Soundbar $998 (was $1,399)

Smart speakers

• Devialet Mania Portable Bluetooth + WiFi Speaker w/ Alexa Built-in $799 (was $900)
• Echo Pop, $17.99 (Was $39.99)
• Amazon Echo Dot, $22.99 (Was $49.99)
• Echo (4th Gen), $54.99 (Was $99.99)
• Echo Show 5, $39.99 (Was $89.99)
• Echo Studio, $154.99 (Was $199.99)
• Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen), $159.99 (Was $249.99)

In-ear monitors (IEMs)

• Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Linsoul 10mm Beryllium Dynamic Driver Earphone $28 (was $35)
• KZ ZS10 Pro, Linsoul 4BA+1DD 5 Driver HiFi Earphone $39 (was $49)
• KZ AS10, Linsoul 5BA HiFi Earphone $47 (was $59)
• KZ ZAX, Linsoul 1DD+7BA Hybrid Driver HiFi Earphone $55 (was $69)
• Kiwi Ears Quartet, Linsoul 2DD+2BA Hybrid Earphone $87 (was $109)
• TINHIFI P1 Plus, Linsoul 10mm Planar-Diaphragm Driver HiFi Earphone $118 (was $199)
• KZ AS24, Linsoul 12BA Hybrid Drivers Tunable Earphone $126 (was $158)
• THIEAUDIO Legacy 4, Linsoul 1DD+3BA Hybrid Driver Earphone w/ 2 Tuning Switch $159 (was $199)

Music streamers

• WiiM Pro AirPlay 2/Chromecast WiFi Multiroom Streamer $119.20 ($149)
• WiiM Pro Plus AirPlay 2/Chromecast Receiver w/ Premium AKM DAC $175.20 ($219)

Turntables

• House of Marley Stir It Up Wireless Turntable with Bluetooth Connectivity, Built-in Preamp $199 (was $249)
• House of Marley Stir It Up Lux Vinyl Record Player with Wireless Bluetooth Connectivity, Built-in PreAmp 15% off clickable coupon (was $399)

Receivers

• Sony STRDH190 2-ch Home Stereo Receiver with Phono Inputs & Bluetooth $148 (was $199)
• Sony STR-AN1000 7.2 CH Surround Sound Home Theater 8K A/V Receiver $598 (was $899)

Bookshelf & tower speakers

• Polk Audio Signature Elite ES15 Hi-Res Audio Certified Bookshelf Speakers w/ 1″ Tweeter & 5.25″ Woofer $194 (was $299)
• Polk Reserve R100 Hi-Res Bookshelf Speakers w/ 1″ Pinnacle Ring Tweeter & 5.25″ Turbine Cone Woofer $421 (was $649)
• Polk Audio Signature Elite ES50 Hi-Res Audio Certified Tower Speaker w/ 1″ Tweeter & (2) 5.25″ Woofers $269 (was $349)
• Polk Audio Reserve Series R600 Hi-Res Tower Speaker w/ 1″ Pinnacle Ring Tweeter & Dual 6.5″ Turbine Cone Woofers $524 (was $849)

Ear protection

• Vibes High-Fidelity Concert Earplugs $21.71 (was $33.99)

Microphones

• Shure MV7 Podcast Microphone – Silver $199 (was $249)
• Shure MV88 + Stereo USB Condenser Microphone $139 (was $199)

Accessorizing other activities? Take a look at our ongoing list of Big Deal Days discounts.

Want more deals delivered to your inbox weekly? Sign up for PopSci’s Deals newsletter and save money on stuff you’ll really use.

The post Save hundreds on headphones, earbuds, speakers, and more before Amazon’s Big Deal Days ends appeared first on Popular Science.

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For many, finding the time to listen to music can be declared a bright spot in the day. For us yammering music nerds, high frequencies during particularly active tracks may be described in glowing terms. There are far fewer folks, however, who speak about their actual audio components with extremely colorful descriptions—”sleek” is high praise but still a very cold adjective. ARCAM, a member of the HARMAN Luxury Audio portfolio, wants to add vivid details to your listening sesh and your setup’s look.

Revealed at an event held Oct. 3 in London’s Vinyl Factory Soho gallery, the new Radia Series introduces an updated aesthetic to ARCAM’s hardware, still backed by a long heritage of British audio architecture. “Radia Yellow” detailing speaks to the energy that the company—founded in 1976 as “Amplification & Recording, Cambridge,” shortened to A&R Cambridge, succinctly branded ARCAM—imbues through a focus on plentiful power and contemporary connectivity.

The initial Radia flagship family centres on five products: the ARCAM A5, A15, and A25 integrated amplifiers; the CD5 CD player; and the ST5 high-resolution streamer. The new amps feature 2x50W (A5) or 2x80W (A15) Class AB amplification plus new digital circuitry based on the ESS ES9018 DAC, stepping up to 2x100W Class G and an ESS ES9280AQ DAC in the A25 (all driven at 8Ω, but stable at 4Ω). All of them have two-way Bluetooth aptX Adaptive receivers with internal antennas (so you can connect wireless headphones or earbuds), as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for listening solo (RMS into 32Ω/300Ω 2.5V/5V, load range 16Ω – 2kΩ). As for what you can listen to, there are three analog RCA inputs, Coaxial/Optical digital inputs, and an MM phono stage (plus the A25 adds a USB-C, perfect for playing directly off the new iPhone 15). Oh, and the DACs have three selectable digital filters.

The ST5 music streamer supports Google Chromecast, Apple Airplay2, MQA, Roon, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz, Amazon Music Unlimited, UPnP, and more, with an ESS ES9019 DAC and 24-bit/192 kHz resolution. The CD5, meanwhile, can play physical media, including retail CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs—both Redbook and with FLAC and WAV files (which can also be decoded via USB). A “comms” cable between components (which are stackable) allows them to wake one another and sync volume changes from, say, a streaming app to the ST5 to the amp.

We’ve spoken highly of ARCAM AV receivers and their ability to balance clarity and muscularity throughout home theater’s dynamic transitions, so we expected a similar focus on spacious musicality, midrange accuracy, and smooth highs without losing articulate timing. And our first look and listen showed the company’s two-channel refresh to be punchy above its price point. We’ll have more to say about the Radia Series once we’ve had some hands-on time with the hardware. For now, we can share that pricing begins at $699 for the A5, going up to $1,099 for the A15 and $1,499 for the A25, while the ST5 streamer is $799 and the CD5 is $699. The products will be available at retailers in Q4 2023. In the meantime, you can visit www.arcam.co.uk for more details.

The post ARCAM spotlights industrial redesign with new Radia Series appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		KEF LS50 Meta		SEE IT	The proper pick for audiophiles who demand stunning sound.
Best powered		PSB Alpha iQ		SEE IT	Your top choice if you want to fill tight spaces with less wires and more fidelity.
Best budget		Edifier R1280T		SEE IT	The best bookshelf speakers for $100.

An excellent set of bookshelf speakers will enhance your listening experience with a wider stereo image and a more vibrant sound than what you get from a TV, laptop, or the average connected speaker. Whether you’re enjoying the lossless tier of a streaming service or admiring sleeve art as an LP revolves on your turntable, higher fidelity is often accompanied by an appreciation for upgrading your system. Regardless of the source, properly positioned home stereo speakers present audio with a true soundstage—the original immersive audio. Here are some of the best bookshelf speakers to deliver a rich response for any budget. 

• Best overall: KEF LS50 Meta
• Best powered speakers: PSB Alpha iQ
• Best for home theater: Klipsch The Fives
• Best for computers: Audioengine A2+ Wireless
• Best smart speakers: Sonos Era 300
• Best studio monitors: PreSonus Eris E4.5
• Best with a radio: Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2)
• Best budget: Edifier R1280T

How we chose the best bookshelf speakers on any budget

While we here at PopSci love portable party speakers, we spend as much, if not more, time looking through hundreds of choices to find the best true stereo speakers for music—but we don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all the specs and requirements when online comparison shopping. So we combined our decades of collective experience, the impressions of trusted listeners, and the consensus of experts attuned to meticulous details to narrow our core choices. The speakers on this list range in price, but all lean more toward affordable (compared to so many easily recommendable but hardly affordable audiophile options) and present their case for value when it comes to the research, engineering, and, most of all, performance they represent.

The best bookshelf speakers: Reviews & Recommendations

Despite the prevalence of wireless noise-cancelling earbuds and compact Bluetooth speakers, people are rediscovering the high-quality, space-filling audio that can come from bookshelf speakers. While many still listen to music on budget ’buds and battery-powered speakers, there’s a growing appreciation for high-resolution audio formats on digital audio players and streaming services—like Apple’s Spatial Audio—and the analog warmth from vinyl and even cassettes. Don’t get us wrong; we love headphones for a close, critical listen … but even the best headphones can only approximate the visceral thrill of hearing your favorite songs fill the air. Of course, even the best-recorded album will sound like crap on subpar transducers, so the following list identifies the best bookshelf speakers for different situations, desires, and budgets.

Best overall: KEF LS50 Meta

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Why it made the cut: KEF speakers stand out with the impeccable sound that audiophiles revere just as well as they stand out in appearance.

Specs

• Frequency response: 79 Hz-28 kHz
• Power handling: 40-100W amp recommended
• Connectivity: speaker wire binding posts
• Drivers: 12th-generation Uni-Q driver, embedding a 1-inch tweeter within a 5.25-inch woofer
• Dimensions: 12 x 8 x 11 inches each (HxWxD)
• Weight: 17.2 lbs. each

Pros

• Entirely transparent sound
• Extraordinary detail
• Singular style

Cons

• Pricey
• Not as good in the low end as some passive speakers

KEF speakers, particularly 2012’s LS50, have dazzled audiophiles for years, but the updated LS50 Meta two-way bass-reflex speakers take the stunning clarity of sound to an even higher level. A new 12th-generation Uni-Q driver embeds the 1-inch tweeter within the 5.25-inch woofer, giving the LS50 Meta ($1,499 a pair) a stark, single-cone look and stunning off-axis response. New, proprietary Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT) is integrated behind the driver to reduce distortion. The result is a beautiful design and an even more satisfying sound. These hi-fi speakers deliver a frequency response of 47Hz-45kHz and a maximum output of 106dB from a relatively compact enclosure of 11.89 inches (H) by 7.87 inches (W) by 10.94 inches (D).

Because the LS50 Meta is a passive system, you’ll need to supply it with ample power. As a starting point, the NAD D 3045 is an excellent, unobtrusive 60W-per-channel hybrid amp/DAC for building the best-sounding bookshelf speakers system to project powerful audio without taking up much area (it’s also a convenient hub for digital and analog connections, plus adds a subwoofer output). Want more of a connected but still compact home setup? Power the LS50 Meta speakers with a NAD C700 stereo amplifier with built-in BluOS streaming, AirPlay 2, and a 5-inch color display. Plus, because the C700 shares an operating system with our next pick, the PSB ALPHA iQ, you could have the KEF speakers + NAD amplifier in one room and the PSBs in another and play the same audio throughout the house.

If you’d prefer to achieve the same pinpoint imaging as the LS50 Meta in all-in-one self-amplified speakers, the $2,799 KEF LS50 Wireless II setup is the premium pick because it builds in 100W of power; HDMI, analog, and digital audio ports; plus Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, including 24-bit/96kHz wireless streaming and compatibility with AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Roon, HD and Ultra HD music from Amazon Music, and more. And the impact that the sonically and aesthetically complementary KEF KC62 subwoofer can have when it comes to extending the low end and opening up the headroom cannot be overstated.

That’s a lot of options, but KEF isn’t the only Britain-based speaker manufacturer packing value into compact cabinets. If you’re still considering passive speakers, coming in hot are the Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3—a clarity-centered “value” at $900/pair with a newly designed titanium dome tweeter and 5″ midrange/bass driver that uses a highly acclaimed transducer borrowed from the company’s high-end 800 series. We’ll share more about these two-channel champs in the near future.

Best powered speakers: PSB ALPHA iQ

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Why it made the cut: Pint-sized but persuasive, these connected speakers offer a comprehensive hub for expressive audio whether your sources are dusty or digital.

Specs

• Frequency response: 64-20,000 Hz
• Power handling: 180 watts (60 watts/woofer & 30 watts/tweeter)
• Connectivity: Ethernet; WiFi; Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, aptX HD); MM phono input; HDMI eARC port; Toslink optical digital input; 3.5mm auxiliary input; USB port for external drive/files
• Drivers: 4″ polypropylene mid-bass driver w/ steel basket and rubber surround; 3/4″ aluminum dome tweeter w/ neodymium magnet and ferrofluid cooling
• Dimensions: 9.6 x 5.7 x 7.6 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 8.2 lbs. (each)

Pros

• Wireless connection between speakers
• DSP crossover and tuned rear-firing ports for bass extension
• MQA decoding for TIDAL Masters streaming
• Roon support
• BluOS whole-house audio setup compatibility
• Subwoofer output

Cons

• You’re only going to get so much bass out of a 4″ woofer
• While sized to fit any shelf, these speakers are still best for a smaller room

All great things are made up of many small parts. And with the ALPHA iQ, Ontario, Canada’s PSB Speakers has shown that an eye (and ear) for details can mean small things play a great part in a deeply satisfying, space-saving sound system. Compact enough to fit any shelf, tucked between diaries or beside a computer display, the ALPHA iQ speakers offer natural, nuanced playback from any imaginable source. Yes, they’re $1,499 a pair (in satin white or black) and may not look like much for that price, but you’d be mistaken. Packed with class D amplifiers and wirelessly paired together, the primary and secondary speakers only require two wall sockets and WiFi to give you access to AirPlay 2 and countless high-resolution streaming services through the BluOS app (while also allows you to sync/pass off audio between compatible speakers on your home network, such as the Omni-Hybrid PULSE M).

There’s TIDAL Connect with MQA decoding, and Spotify Connect built-in. There’s also Bluetooth 5.0 (SBC, AAC, aptX HD), a Toslink optical input, and you can play files off an external USB drives. If (up to) 24-bit/192 kHz digital isn’t your jam, a moving magnet phono input (or 3.5mm aux-in for preamp-equipped platters) invites analog albums to the party. An HDMI input lets you make it a movie (or gaming) night. No matter how you feed the Alpha iQ, the active, two-way design maintains its composure and delivers full-fidelity finesse. Balance and separation are top-notch, aided by PSB’s signature driver inversion—the woofer on top/tweeter on bottom configuration helps keep frequencies in phase, whether standing or sitting. And the pair’s proportions can be deceiving; the ALPHA iQ speakers push impressive air for their size, capable of reaching a punchy 90 dB without breaking up (not recommended for medical reasons). No, they can’t defy physics, so fans of hip-hop, hyperpop, etc., may wish for more bass, but there’s more than you’d expect and a subwoofer output if you require reinforcement. In a typically sized room (or tighter space), the ALPHA iQ will allow you to fill the space with sound, not cords.

Best for home theater: Klipsch The Fives

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Why it made the cut: The Fives make it easy to set up a big, bold sound for both music and your home theatre.

Specs

• Frequency response: 50-25,000Hz
• Power handling: 160 watts RMS
• Connectivity: HDMI ARC port, optical digital audio input, RCA stereo analog input, USB Type B input, 3.5mm stereo input, RCA mono output for optional powered subwoofer
• Drivers: 1-inch titanium dome LTS (Linear Travel Suspension) tweeter with a 90° x 90° Tractrix horn, 4 1/2-inch long-throw woofer
• Dimensions: 18.5 x 17.5 x 13.5 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 23.60 lbs

Pros

• Generous connectivity, including HDMI ARC for TVs and Bluetooth
• Classic vintage look

Cons

• Larger-than-average bookshelf speakers
• Somewhat lacking bass response for the price

The Fives ($600 a pair) flaunt a retro-chic style in both black and walnut finishes. Still, these speakers also accommodate a technologically diverse modern lifestyle with connections for your turntable (RCA phono/line), mobile devices (Bluetooth and line Aux input), gaming consoles (digital optical), computer (USB), and, more uniquely, your TV (HDMI ARC). Just connect your flatscreen, set the output to PCM stereo, and you’ll get to enjoy video accompanied by rich mids and clarity emanating from the 1-inch titanium dome LTS tweeter and long-throw 4.5-inch woofer. You select the input from a dial on these powered speakers or with the remote control, which can also control your TV’s volume, a rarity for bookshelf speakers. The Fives are somewhat large for bookshelf speakers at 18.5 inches by 17.5 inches by 13.5 inches, but they get loud. Their maximum output reaches 109dB with a frequency range of 50Hz-25kHz. For even more thunderous vibes from movies, games, and music, connect a subwoofer from The Fives’ Sub Out. Two subwoofers that have earned reputations for an all-around excellent low-frequency roar include the $129 Polk Audio PSW10 10-inch subwoofer, which delivers 100W of power and a frequency response of 40-160Hz from a simple, all-black cube design that can fit into most home listening setups. For a step up in power, size, and price, with an appropriate step down into the lowest depths of bass, try the $299 BIC America Acoustech PL-200II 12-inch powered subwoofer, a 1000W behemoth with gut-punching 22-200Hz frequency response.

If you’d like even better performance and have the space required, you can step up to The Nines, Klipsch’s most premium powered speakers, which we reviewed earlier this year. They have the same general design and inputs as The Fives but larger drivers to deliver even more potent sound. If you have more clearance for taller “bookshelf” speakers, or want to keep them on stands, the Nines are an excellent upgrade.

Best for computers: Audioengine A2+ Wireless

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Why it made the cut: The Austin, Texas-based Audioengine manufactures many of its speakers’ own components, such as woofers and tweeters, and its commitment to affordable, quality sound has made its speakers favorites since its founding in 2005.

Specs

• Frequency response: 65Hz-22kHz
• Power rating: 60W peak power (2 x 15W RMS)
• Connectivity: USB input, Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD, stereo RCA I/O, stereo mini-jack input
• Drivers: 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, 2.75-inch aramid fiber woofer
• Dimensions: 5.25 x 4 x 6 inches each (HxWxD)
• Weight: 6.61 lbs. total

Pros

• Warm and clean sound
• Impressively loud for small speakers
• High-quality components and design

Cons

• A little less bass than medium-sized smart speakers and desktop speakers
• Sound cohesiveness gets lost in large spaces

Audioengine combines a non-intrusive footprint of 6 inches by 4 inches by 5.25 inches with versatile connectivity and crisp sound in the A2+ Wireless powered speakers for bookshelves and desktops. This small set ($269 a pair) utilizes ¾-inch silk dome tweeters and 2.75-inch aramid fiber woofers, with a 60W peak power total, max output of 88dB, and a frequency response of 65Hz-22kHz. There are analog RCA and minijack connections, as well as USB for computer audio. But the juice comes from Bluetooth 5.0 for compatibility with high-quality audio streaming codecs like aptX HD for Android users (up to 570kbps) and AAC for iOS users (up to 256kbps, with no additional loss from conversion).

Best smart speakers: Sonos Era 300

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Why it made the cut: Sonos helped popularize WiFi hi-fi, and the company makes great speakers if your preferred source of music is streaming.

Specs:

• Frequency response: N/A
• Power handling: N/A
• Connectivity: WiFi, Ethernet, USB-C port
• Drivers: Two woofers, four angled tweeters
• Dimensions: 6.3 x 10.24 x 7.28 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 9.83 lbs. each

Pros

• Single-speaker Dolby Atmos
• Can be paired with a second Era 300 for even better stereo and Atmos separation
• Can be used as rear speakers with a Sonos soundbar

Cons

• Requires speedy home WiFi

Dolby Atmos (and the term spatial audio) has become a dominant topic in the hi-fi world as streaming services like Apple Music and TIDAL have brought surround sound to a larger audience. Sonos’ Era 300 was designed to meet the moment, with a six-driver audio system that can natively playback Dolby Atmos audio from a single speaker. And it’s no slouch when it comes to delivering stereo from one unit, whether located on a bookshelf or countertop (if tucking it on a shelf, you will want to consider how close the surface above it is in order to maximize effects). Plus, you’ll get better separation and a wider soundstage by pairing two Era 300s together or connecting it to a home theater system with a Sonos Arc soundbar.

While Dolby Atmos support is the Era 300’s flashiest feature, it can also be used to play music in true stereo. In our tests, the Era 300 performs well under both circumstances. The Era 300 is primarily a WiFi-connected speaker, though it also supports Bluetooth 5.0 and has a USB-C port that can terminate into a 3.5mm audio jack via an adapter for wired connectivity. In our review, we found the Era 300’s sound exceptional, with deep bass, clear mids, and reigned-in high frequencies that never made music sound too crunchy. Performance when watching movies was equally engaging when a surround soundtrack was available. It may have fewer drivers than the Sonos Play: 5, but the processing and array arrangement of the Era 300 gives it the edge, especially when decoding spatial content.

Sonos speakers are genius because optimized placement is far less labor-intensive than with some standard speakers, considering there’s no stringing of speaker wire or fiddling with EQs as Trueplay software tunes the Era 300s based on the acoustics of your room. Pioneers of network-connected audio, Sonos speakers can also be synced throughout rooms for whole-house sound. This is true whether you get a system of all Era 300s, or mix and match different Sonos speakers.

If you’d like to experience the Sonos house tuning but want it in a svelter form without Dolby Atmos support, we recommend the Era 100s, stereo-only cylinders that rated very highly in our hands-on tests. Sonos has even brought its new dual-tweeter, custom waveform arrangement to the portable realm with the durable Move 2, which can reside in its loop charger on a bookshelf, happily filling a room with tunes until you head outdoors, where it’s equally adapt.

Want to explore another WiFi multi-room ecosystem? Bluesound offers several speakers, such as the Omni-Hybrid PULSE M, which manage wide dispersion from compact form factors and can sync/pass off audio with other speakers using the BluOS system on your home network (including our powered pick, the PSB Alpha iQ, above).

Best studio monitors: PreSonus Eris E4.5

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Why it made the cut: These monitors allow for studio reference sound even if your workstation space is limited.

Specs

• Frequency response: 70Hz-20kHz
• Power handling: 25X per speaker
• Connectivity: bare speaker wire inputs, RCA inputs, balanced ¼-inch inputs, 3.5mm input
• Drivers: 4.5-inch, woven-composite woofer and 1-inch silk-dome tweeter
• Dimensions: 9.45 x 6.42 x 7.09 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 2 lbs. each

Pros

• Compact and accurate
• Headphone jack

Cons

• Only so expressive because of size limitations
• Not the most bountiful bass

Small-studio musicians, producers, and DJs all love the PreSonus Eris E4.5 powered monitors for their accurate, reference-level sound coming from compact speakers that merge studio monitor and bookshelf speaker attributes. The Eris E4.5 ($200 a pair) has both bare speaker wire inputs, RCA inputs, and balanced ¼-inch inputs, plus a front-facing power switch, volume control, headphone jack, and aux input. Its 4.5-inch, woven-composite woofer and 1-inch silk-dome tweeter pump out a maximum volume of an even 100dB with a frequency response of 70Hz-20kHz. The 9.45 inches by 6.42 inches by 7.09 inches monitors also come in a Bluetooth-equipped model for $30 more, but if you have a little extra space and don’t need the front-panel features, check out options such as the Pioneer DJ VM-50 studio monitors if you’re building a more traditional workstation/listening post. Studio monitors can easily cost costs hundreds of dollars each (see the exemplary but expensive Focal Alpha 80 Evo), so these are a killer deal and some of the best budget computer speakers for music you can buy.

Best with a radio: Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2)

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Why it made the cut: A stylish way to enjoy soundwaves and airwaves, whether they’re FM or streaming from your smartphone.

Specs

• Frequency response: Unknown
• Power handling: 21W x 2
• Connectivity: DAB+/FM Radio Tuner, Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, Optical, 3.5mm Aux-In
• Drivers: Unknown
• Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.7 x 4.5 inches
• Weight: 3.40 lbs.

Pros

• Good for old-fashioned aerial broadcasts, as well as modern streaming services
• Bluetooth, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2
• Optical and 3.5mm Auxillary inputs for TVs and turntables, etc.
• Alarm Clock
• Remote Control Included
• Attractive three wood cabinet finishes

Cons

• Not stereo

This is cheating a little since we’ve talked stereo up so much, but maybe your favorite things to listen to are the radio, or podcasts, or other content that doesn’t necessarily need the separation. The DNA of the Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2) traces back to 2005 and a mid-century-styled tabletop receiver. However, the latest permutation of that analog original adds AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast to increase connectivity and clarity for audiophiles (and others) who have embraced streaming. The Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2) (which we thoroughly reviewed) can still pick up DAB/FM radio broadcasts, but it can also present anything your smartphone throws at it with a rich, detailed response. Admittedly, this speaker differs from the rest because it’s mono and won’t have anywhere near as expansive a presentation as others in this round-up. But not every bookshelf is a big bookshelf, and sometimes you want a convenient concert for one in the living room, kitchen, etc. Perfect for nestling between art books or cookbooks, this is a compact wireless speaker that sounds as good as it looks. And it looks gooooooood. Plus, the Model One is now at least $100 cheaper than it was following the release of the Tivoli Audio Model Two Digital, which updates the look and connectivity but loses the radio function.

Best budget: Edifier R1280T

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Why it made the cut: In a word, price—this set lets you can enjoy every note for around a C-note.

Specs

• Frequency response: 75Hz-18kHz
• Power handling: 21W x 2
• Connectivity: 2 x RCA inputs
• Drivers: 4-inch woofer and 13mm (roughly a half-inch) silk dome tweeter
• Dimensions: 6.9 x 9.5 x 5.8 inches (HxWxD)
• Weight: 10.80 lbs.

Pros

• An inexpensive go-to for two-channel sound
• Clean, retro look
• Bass, treble, and volume dials

Cons

• Limited connectivity
• No subwoofer out

While there are even lower-priced bookshelf speakers, the compact and attractive wood-veneer Edifier R1280T delivers a surprisingly warm and balanced sound for just over $100 so that music lovers on any budget can enjoy a step up in sound. These powered speakers take up only 9.5 inches by 6.9 inches by 5.8 inches of space and come with cables for the two aux inputs, a remote control, and removable cloth grilles. The maximum output is 96dB with a frequency range of 75Hz-18kHz coming from the 4-inch woofer and 13mm (roughly a half-inch) silk dome tweeter. For only a few dollars more, you can score the R1280Ts with subwoofer output to boost that bass. And for a few hundred more, you can pick up the Edifier S1000W—some of our favorite powered workstation-friendly speakers—which for $449 is no longer “budget,” per se, but is still a bargain considering the performance:price it delivers.

What to consider when shopping for the best bookshelf speakers

Bookshelf speakers—sometimes called standmount speakers because they can be isolated and optimized on stands rather than shelves—are smaller and usually less expensive than floorstanding, aka tower, speakers (though there are certainly boutique exceptions). Their relative affordability is because bookshelf speakers may have a more narrow frequency range, less power, and less presence in the low-end than the best floor-standing speakers, but that doesn’t mean their sound quality is significantly less than that of floor-standers, which can be overkill and unimpressive if you don’t have a properly sized, optimized space or won’t play them loudly enough to make them necessary. 

For small to mid-sized rooms at middle-to-mildly loud volumes, bookshelf speakers stand at the locus between price, footprint, and performance, while also presenting an enormous amount of options in the price range, design, and features. That means there’s something for everyone, but also several factors to consider, including size, price, appearance, and compatibility with the devices and electronics you will use with the speakers. 

Bookshelf speakers are not standardized in size to all fit on, say, the average Ikea bookshelf. They vary in dimensions, so figure out where you will put them and measure the height, width, and depth you have available for the speakers. Also, settle on your target price range since bookshelf speakers can cost tens of dollars on the low side and thousands of dollars at the top. 

The devices from which you want to playback on the bookshelf speakers will also inform your decision. If you’re a vinyl lover, you’ll need phono inputs for a turntable with a built-in preamp or a jack for an external preamp. If you want the convenience of streaming from your phone, you’ll need Bluetooth or some other wireless capability, and so on.

The visual style of a bookshelf speaker set may be a priority for some and not as important for others. However, with all other factors being equal, you will still have a variety of speaker aesthetic designs from which to choose, so pick something you’ll be happy to see every day in what’s likely to be a prominent place in the space the speakers occupy. 

Finally, you have to know whether to purchase passive or active (powered) speakers. The last thing you want to do is to buy a set of passive speakers that you thought were active, or vice versa.

Passive vs. powered bookshelf speakers

Before shopping for bookshelf speakers, you must know the difference between passive and active—also known as powered—speakers. Passive speakers require external amplification from an audio/video receiver, digital audio converter (DAC), or amplifier component. Passive speakers tend only to have speaker wire hook-ups that connect to the amplifier, which has inputs for your audio devices and other electronics. 

On the other hand, active speakers are powered with internal amplification, thus the “powered” label. Active speakers also have all their connections for audio or even video devices. Still, the quantity and variety of those connections are features that differentiate sets of powered speakers and also can affect their price. 

Audiophiles often lean toward passive speakers because they allow the users to try out different amplifiers and DACs and upgrade components as their taste or budget dictates, all while keeping the same speakers. Passive speakers don’t have to plug into a power outlet, which may open up more placement options in your space (though they require speaker wire, which poses its own challenges). Without the internal amp electronics, passive speakers can be lighter and possibly smaller than active speakers while offering comparable sound.  

Active speakers’ advantages include simplicity of setup and fewer overall components and cables. Theoretically, the amplifier within a set of powered speakers should already match the speakers’ capability. 

Whether you opt for passive or active speakers, there are plenty of options at all price ranges to suit various needs. And both passive and powered bookshelf speakers can pump out the satisfyingly spacious stereo sound that single-unit WiFi and Bluetooth speakers, TVs, and laptops cannot match. 

Do you want more bass?

The smaller size of bookshelf speakers imposes some natural limitations on the bass that emanates from them. Woofer sizes in the speaker systems in this round-up range from 4 inches to 5.25 inches. Bookshelf speaker woofers don’t come much larger than that; adding to their challenges, they must take care of mid-range frequencies alongside the low end. Even though some bookshelf speakers exhibit impressive bass response, the physical size of a woofer within a speaker does matter for moving enough air to create the kind of low-end thump that shakes the room while you’re shaking your butt. Boosting the bass through EQ can have some effect but won’t let you exceed a speaker’s inherent limits. Too much EQ boosting in the low end can result in subtle-to-nasty distortions.

Larger floor-standing speakers have larger low-end drivers on average than bookshelf speakers to produce more rumbling responses. However, they also tend to cost more and take up more space. 

Bookshelf speaker users can instead add a subwoofer to their system. Subwoofers are dedicated to low frequencies, usually in the 20-200Hz range. When paired with a bookshelf speaker system, subwoofers almost always extend the system’s frequency range lower and relieve strained bookshelf speaker woofers of the burden of creating all the bass tones. With a subwoofer, you can crank the bass higher without distortion to experience the full power and presence of music, movies, and games that the artists originally intended. And the midrange and treble will benefit from the increased headroom that comes from offloading the lows.

Once you commit to expanding your frequency horizons with a subwoofer, any choice you make will let you enjoy the low-end of your music and other audio, not just in the auditory space but also in the physical space with a bass response you can feel.

FAQs

Final thoughts on choosing the best bookshelf speakers for you

• Best overall: KEF LS50 Meta
• Best powered speakers: PSB Alpha iQ
• Best for home theater: Klipsch The Fives
• Best for computers: Audioengine A2+ Wireless
• Best smart speakers: Sonos Era 300
• Best studio monitors: PreSonus Eris E4.5
• Best with a radio: Tivoli Audio Model One Digital (Gen. 2)
• Best budget: Edifier R1280T

Bookshelf speakers offer a relatively quick and painless way to improve your audio listening experience, beating built-in device speakers and single-unit wireless speakers without giving up the expense and real estate that floor-standing speakers require. Finding the best bookshelf speakers for you comes down to settling on your preferences for size, price, connectivity, and style and then narrowing down the wealth of options that exist as both passive and powered bookshelf speakers.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best bookshelf speakers in 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Anker Soundcore 3		SEE IT	The Soundcore 3 is a solid, standard Bluetooth speaker that will satisfy most listeners for just under $50.
Best waterproof		Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3		SEE IT	The UE WONDERBOOM has been topping our charts for multiple years now, and the new WONDERBOOM 3 model continues the tradition thanks to its portability, sound quality, and water resistance.
Best portable		JBL Clip 4		SEE IT	The JBL Clip 4 is designed to move with you thanks to its carabiner-like design.

If you want to listen to music outside, during some al fresco activity with friends, or even while you shower, etc., headphones aren’t always going to work, and you don’t want to rely on your phone’s unimpressive, built-in speakers. Instead, grab a great Bluetooth speaker designed to deliver solid, portable sound. Many are water-resistant, small enough to clip to a backpack, and/or loud enough to sustain a party. Whatever your listening needs, there’s a speaker to support them. Of course, buying new audio gear can get pretty expensive pretty quickly; from headphones to earbuds, speakers to adapters, we often spend well over $100 bucks. Luckily, a few solid options out there won’t leave you penniless or cringing at distorted audio. The best cheap Bluetooth speakers might not possess fancy features, but they can still deliver when it comes to everyday listening.

• Best overall: Anker Soundcore 3
• Best waterproof: Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3
• Best portable: JBL Clip 4

The best cheap Bluetooth speakers: Reviews & Recommendations

Best overall: Anker Soundcore 3

SEE IT

Specs

• Battery life: 24 hours
• IP rating: IPX7
• Bluetooth range: Up to 66 feet

Pros

• Impressive battery life
• Customizable EQ
• Optional bass boost

Cons

• Voice assistant feature is lacking
• A little distortion at top volume

The Souncore 3 is a stable, solid, inexpensive Bluetooth speaker with great sound from a compact form. Available in four colors, this unit packs a punch with a 16-watt output, driving dual 1.5-inch drivers housing titanium diaphragms, and dual passive radiators to support low-end. You’ll also get BassUp technology, which further lights the lows to try and tackle the problem most Bluetooth speakers have, i.e., flimsy bass. You’ll also be able to select from three EQ presets or customize your own via the Soundcore app. 

Bluetooth 5.0 isn’t the latest in connection technology (5.4 devices are starting to hit the market), but it is stable with a range of up to 66 feet. PartyCast compatibility means you can link up to 100 Soundcore speakers together for even more coverage, volume, and immersion. An IPX7 rating means it’s practically waterproof and can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in a meter of water. Finally, 24 hours of battery means you can quite literally rock out all day (and night). 

Best waterproof: Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 3

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Specs

• Battery life: 14 hours
• IP rating: IP67
• Bluetooth range: 131 feet

Pros

• Easily portable 
• Can be submerged for up to 30 minutes 
• Impressive volume 

Cons

• No microphone 
• No USB-C charging

The WONDERBOOM 3 from Ultimate Ears is a great option for any listener who needs the perfect shower speaker or pool-party pal. The unique design is an immediate eye-catcher, and the sound quality is genuinely impressive for its size. Power by two active drivers and two passive radiators, coverage is pretty great with solid reproduction across the lows, mids, and highs. Granted, it doesn’t have the heart-pounding bass a larger speaker would, but will certainly do for poolside, lakefront, or river raft listening.  Plus, it can be paired with a second WONDERBOOM for even better stereo sound. An Outdoor Boost button at the bottom of the speaker adjusts the sound to suit your environment better.

If you’ve ever seen a picture before of the WONDERBOOM 3, chances are it’s bobbing around in a pool or being sprayed with water from a rogue splash. This is, yes, because of target ads, but also because this tiny but mighty speaker is genuinely well-suited for “aquatic” listening. The IP67 rating means it’s essentially waterproof. Specifically, you can submerge this model in up to 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. It’s okay to accidentally drop this speaker in the pool, bathtub, or ocean. This rating also means it’s also protected from dust and debris. 

Build-wise, you get a stable rubber loop at the top of the speaker that can easily clip to a backpack or make for easier carrying. You’ll also get large, easy-to-use, onboard controls, so you won’t have to get your pruney wet fingers all over your smartphone just to change the volume or skip a song. The WONDERBOOM 3 comes in four fun colors, including “Hot Pink” and “Performance Blue.” (And, if you dig the aesthetic and budget becomes less of a concern, the new, much more expensive EPICBOOM brings a lot more bass and even more battery to the party, while remaining floatable.)

Best portable: JBL Clip 4

SEE IT

Specs

• Battery life: 10 hours
• IP rating: IP67
• Bluetooth range: 32 feet

Pros

• Excellent design
• USB-C charging
• Good volume

Cons

• No fast charge 
• No wired connectivity

The JBL Clip 4 is a small speaker designed to keep you connected wherever your travels take you. Weighing just over half a pound, with an integrated carabiner clip, you can attach this speaker to your backpack, suitcase, bike handle, lunch box, belt loop, etc. There are rubberized grips on the speaker’s backside to increase stability, and the textured wrap covering most of the speaker is easy to hold onto. All in all, this is the easiest speaker to grab and go; plus, it has an IP67 rating, so you can even attach it to your shower rod, beach tent, or foldable kayak (yes, it’s a thing).

Sound quality is pretty solid for such a small unit thanks to an impressive dynamic driver; plus, it can get loud for a 5-watt output (JBL knows how to build a potent party speaker). Yes, it’s a little lacking in low-end, but that’s par for the course. Overall, this little guy sounds great. Sound can be controlled by five onboard buttons and charges via USB-C. 

If you don’t want to play the $80 market price for the Clip 4, check out early models, like the Clip 3, which are still available for just under $50.

Here are other options we think sound like a good investment:

• Best battery life: Tribit XSound Go
• Best compact: JBL GO 3
• Best smart speaker: Echo Dot (5th Gen)
• Best to strap on a bike: Tribit StormBox Micro 2
• Best for conference calls from a campsite: Sony SRS-XB100
• Best with RGB lights: TREBLAB HD-Mini

FAQs 

Final thoughts on the best cheap Bluetooth speakers

• Best overall: Anker Soundcore 3
• Best waterproof: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
• Best portable: JBL Clip 4

The best cheap Bluetooth speakers don’t have to sound dingy. In fact, many options provide solid sound for less. While shopping, consider your top priorities for your budget-friendly speaker. Do you emphasize battery life, portability, water resistance, or sound quality? Once you can answer this question, you can pick out an excellent speaker without spending a fortune.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best cheap Bluetooth speakers for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Pangea Audio DS200		SEE IT	All-steel and delightfully sturdy, these stands deliver audiophile results at consumer-level prices.
Best desktop		IsoAcoustics Iso-Stand Series Speaker Isolation Stands		SEE IT	IsoAcoustics’ unique desktop stands raise and tilt your speakers while reducing vibrations, ensuring excellent sound quality.
Best budget		Perlesmith Universal Floor Speaker Stands		SEE IT	With a rotating top plate and metal and glass construction, these stands perform way above their pay grade.

A good set of speakers is only half the journey; to fully realize your quest for the ultimate sound, you need a great set of stands. There’s just no getting around it—stands can make the speakers. Think of a solid set of supports as the sturdy steed below the questing knight. No matter how heavenly their sonic intentions are, they won’t get far without a robust base. More than just being aesthetically pleasing (although that also counts when making your selection), the best speaker stands will actively improve the sound quality of your speakers. They can reduce resonances, bring the speakers to the correct height for optimal listening, provide a stable foundation, and even help keep untidy cables under control. They are, in a word, essential for your enjoyment of the music you prize so highly. Here are our selections for the best speaker stands of 2023.

• Best overall: Pangea Audio DS200
• Best floor: Echogear Premium Universal Floor Speaker Stands
• Best desktop: IsoAcoustics Iso-Stand Series Speaker Isolation Stands
• Best satellite: Sanus Adjustable Height Speaker Stand
• Best budget: Perlesmith Universal Floor Speaker Stands

How we chose the best speaker stands

To arrive at this list of the best speaker stands, we used our own experience as music lovers driven toward achieving perfection in audio quality. We then cross-referenced our personal picks with those of trusted experts from the larger hi-fi community. Public consensus was another touchpoint in our selection process. We then separated them into a variety of use cases.

Speakers come in all different sizes and weights; therefore, the best speaker stands will not be one-size-fits-all. We also considered factors such as material, load capacity, and sturdiness of the stands to arrive at our final selections. You can feel confident that all the choices here represent the best of the best when it comes to speaker stands.

The best speaker stands: Reviews & Recommendations

Everybody’s speaker stand needs will differ depending on your speaker type, speaker size, room size, and audio setup. Our recommendations considered all of these factors, so be sure to check them all out before making your choice.

Best overall: Pangea Audio DS200

SEE IT

Specs

• Height: 20, 24, 28, 32, 36” 
• Material: Steel
• Load capacity: 100 lbs.

Pros

• All steel
• Heavy duty
• Choice of heights

Cons

• Some assembly required

Our pick for the best overall speaker stand of 2023 is Pangea Audio’s DS200. Extremely heavy-duty with an industrial, all-metal build, Pangea Audio designed these stands to reduce vibrations and improve speaker sound quality. Inspired by the construction industry, they feature a dual-column makeup with the two support piers placed at 90-degree angles to each other. This increases the stability of the top platform in two directions, creating excellent support. Indeed, these are rated to hold bookshelf speakers of up to 100 pounds, making them an excellent choice for owners of heavier speakers.

The features continue. Along with the all-steel construction, they have rubberized speaker supports on each top platform to reduce vibrations further. At the bottom, there are both adjustable carpet spikes to make sure that your stands stay put and padded feet for hardwood floors. If cable management is important to you (and why wouldn’t it be), DS200 also has you covered with a place to thread speaker wires and power cords. Not everyone has speakers of the same size, and accordingly, the DS200 is available in five different height configurations: 20, 24, 28, 32, and 36 inches. 

In use, Pangea’s DS200 stands reduce vibrations and thus distortion, contributing to tight bass and detailed highs, mids, and sound stage. Some assembly is required, although it’s not too complicated. They’re also fairly affordable, making them an excellent addition to your audiophile setup and our choice for best overall speaker stands.

Best floor: Echogear Premium Universal Floor Speaker Stands

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Specs

• Height: 28”
• Material: MDF
• Load capacity: 25 lbs.

Pros

• Solid MDF post design
• Generous weight limit
• Great price

Cons

• No speaker clamps

If you’re looking for a solid set of speaker stands for your bookshelf speakers at a great price, look no further than Echogear’s Premium Universal Floor Speaker Stands. With a solid MDF post design, these will remain sturdy throughout their lifetime while also reducing unwanted resonances and vibrations from your speakers. Rubber pads on the speaker plates reinforce this.

With a set height of 28 inches—ideal for most seated listening environments—these will support speakers of up to 25 pounds. They’re also equipped with a cable management space in the rear to ensure that eye-bothering wires stay tucked away. 

Some light assembly is required, and there are no clamps to hold your speakers to the plates, but the fantastic price more than makes up for this.

Best desktop: IsoAcoustics Iso-Stand Series Speaker Isolation Stands

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Specs

• Height: 210 mm maximum
• Material: Synthetic
• Load capacity: 20 lbs

Pros

• 14 variations of height and tilt
• Unique design
• Improves audio quality

Cons

• Price on the high side
• Prone to wobbling

Designed with recording studios and mix monitors in mind (shown with the Pioneer DJ VM-50 above), but applicable to hi-fi environments as well, IsoAcoustics’ Iso-Stand Series Speaker Isolation Stands are our picks for the best speaker stands in the desktop category. They have a unique design that not only lifts but angles the speakers as you need, providing 14 points of height and tilt. They also effectively reduce vibrations and clean up sound, necessary when mixing or even just listening.

IsoAcoustics offers a variety of different-sized stands, so you’re sure to find a set that suits your desktop needs. They are on the pricey side compared to other desktop stands, and some users report wobbling in heavy traffic areas, but for quiet rooms where listening is at a premium, they can’t be beat.

Best satellite: Sanus Adjustable Height Speaker Stand

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Specs

• Height: Adjustable from 28” to 38”
• Material: Alloy steel
• Load capacity: 3.5 lbs

Pros

• Adjustable height
• Configurable speaker mounts
• Excellent price

Cons

• Tube may be too narrow for cable routing

Standard bookshelf speaker stands just won’t cut it when it comes to mounting surround sound satellites from wireless surround sound systems, which can end up in odd and/or awkward places behind other furnishings. For these, you want a purpose-built set of stands, ideally something light and maneuverable with plenty of height. Sanus’ Adjustable Height Speaker Stands fit the bill perfectly, and they’re easy on the eyes to boot. 

Made from tough alloy steel with a load capacity of 3.5 pounds, these satellite stands will do a superb job of holding up your small speakers. You can vary the height from 28 inches to 38 inches, making finding the sweet spot for your home theater or listening environment no sweat. They’re excellently priced as well, although some users have reported issues with threading audio cables through the tubes.

Best budget: Perlesmith Universal Floor Speaker Stands

SEE IT

Specs

• Height: 28”
• Material: Metal and glass
• Load capacity: 22 lbs.

Pros

• Top plate rotates 45°
• Sturdy
• Easy assembly
• Incredible price

Cons

• No speaker clamps

Perlesmith makes a variety of mounts and stands, so it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing. The American company’s Universal Floor Speaker Stands are sturdy, good-looking, and affordable, making them our choice for the best budget speaker stands.

A good speaker stand will reduce vibrations, and Perlesmith’s Universal Floor Speaker Stands do just that with a combination of a glass top plate and base connected by a metal pillar. The top plate swivels up to 45 degrees to adjust the direction of sound. It can support speakers weighing up to 22 pounds, which should be plenty for most bookshelf drivers. You can even tuck away cables inside the pillar for a clean appearance (shown here with Edifier speakers, some of our favorite affordable powered turntable speakers). Includes rubber feet and carpet spikes for hardwood or carpeted floors.

Being a universal model, the height is fixed at 28”. There are also no fasteners for the speakers themselves, which could be a downside if you plan to place your speakers in a room with a lot of activity. However, the price is excellent for the quality. The company also makes a small satellite speaker stand we can recommend, shown here with the rear speaker from the excellent Samsung HW-Q990C Dolby Atmos system:

What to consider when choosing the best speaker stands

You should consider many factors when choosing the best speaker stands for you. Below are the ones we considered most important when compiling this guide:

Speaker type

When choosing the best speaker stands, you’ll first want to consider what kinds of speakers you’ll be mounting, as weight and size could be determining factors. Large bookshelf speakers will require very different stands than satellite speakers because of their differences in weight, for example.

Speaker placement

Where you plan to place the stands will affect the outcome as well. You’ll ideally be placing your speakers about a foot away from the wall, so you’ll want to consider the width of the stand’s base and your molding—if applicable.

Speaker size

The height at which you plan to mount the speakers is also important. Many so-called universal speaker stands, have a fixed height, so you’ll have to continue getting speakers roughly the same size to continue using them.

FAQs

Final thoughts on shopping for the best speaker stands

• Best overall: Pangea Audio DS200
• Best floor: Echogear Premium Universal Floor Speaker Stands
• Best desktop: IsoAcoustics Iso-Stand Series Speaker Isolation Stands
• Best satellite: Sanus Adjustable Height Speaker Stand
• Best budget: Perlesmith Universal Floor Speaker Stands

Finding the best speaker stands for your listening environment can significantly improve your enjoyment of music. By reducing vibration and distortion, you’ll be gifted with a cleaner, clearer soundstage and tighter lows, mids, and highs. When you take height into account, you’ll also be projecting the audio directly toward your ears, ensuring that you’re sitting in the so-called sweet spot. You’ve already invested in a good set of speakers and high-quality audio equipment. It would be a shame to hobble the whole shebang with a subpar support system.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best speaker stands of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

There are plenty of songs about the month of September that you can stream through your speakers: Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “September Gurls” by Big Star, and the GOAT “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire, to name a few. And all of them sound even better with a subwoofer from British hi-fi purveyor KEF to take over the bass and leave more headroom in your main drivers for all those classic melodies. Some additional low down on this great low-end: Act now, and you can take advantage of KEF’s SUBtember event—running until the end of the month, where you can snag the award-winning audio company’s Kube, KC62, or KF92 and get a free KW1 Wireless Kit—a $200 value—opening up not only your frequency reinforcement but where you can put your subwoofer without stringing cable(s) around the room. That leaves more space for the boom and to boogie.

If you’re looking for slappin’ bass in music, movies, and video game soundtracks, look no further than the Kube 10b, which features a custom-designed 10-inch woofer and 300-watt RMS amplifier to hit 24 Hz depths.

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The Kube 10b also includes an easy-to-use input and control panel on the back. Three placement settings—free-standing, in-cabinet, or corner—allow for peak-performing sound wherever they’re placed, and Intelligent Bass Extension (iBX) digital signaling gives you dynamic bass at any volume level. Recently experienced in a custom home theater by one of our editors, several Kube subwoofers working in tandem propagated wave after wave of bass, impressing him with the way each surge managed to be percussive, not just concussive.

If you’re looking to achieve rock concert-level sounds in your living room, check out the KEF KF92, which uses dual force-cancelling 9-inch woofers to achieve response down to 11 Hz and up to 110 dB. While that sounds like some intimidating rumble, this sub is designed for accurate, musical bass: each woofer is made up of an aluminum skin atop a paper cone for precise, dynamic tones.

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And if you’re looking for sonic depth without a deep footprint, choose the KEF KC62. You heard it here first: this is our top pick for a compact subwoofer. The dual 6-inch woofers in this easily integrated sealed compartment are a perfect complement to one of our top powered speakers, the LS50 Wireless II. Pair them (like in the almost realistically scaled photo above) and you have a customizable connected set-up that uses DSP to optimize enviable audio from any imaginable source in even the tightest spaces. Is overkill your big thrill? Add the KC62 to the LS60 wireless tower speakers and go full-on Maxell Man.

Speaking of September ending, the KEF SUBtember sale ends when spooky season begins, meaning you have five days to get your sound system ready for Halloween hits like Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” or the 1977 “Suspiria” movie soundtrack by Goblin. The right sub will leave you shivering because everything sounds so frightfully good.

The post Wake up before the KEF SUBtember sale ends and get a free KW-1 Wireless Kit appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

It’s autumn, or close enough, and you know what that means: Sweater weather and speaker season! It’s the perfect time of year for all things crisp, whether it’s the air or the airwaves. Leaves are falling, and you can fall in love with a new full-featured connected home speaker from Tivoli Audio.

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We vibe on the Tivoli Audio aesthetic. We have a parent who takes a Tivoli PAL BT portable Bluetooth radio outside with him while he gardens, and we’ve run across a Tivoli Model One Digital (Gen. 2) in the wild while glamping in a Getaway at the base of Shenandoah National Park. In both cases, Tivoli’s retromodern styling and modern connectivity were perfect for maxing and relaxing.

Now, the Boston-based speaker manufacturer has revealed a new entry in its Art Generation family: the Model Two Digital—a design-driven update to fit any interior. Whereas the Model One Digital had a classic tabletop orientation, the Model Two can sit horizontally or vertically, allowing for easier integration in any space. It’s 5 pounds, 5.1 x 9.9 x 6.2 inches of dynamic decor—just add wall socket. And a brushed aluminum grill with ionized finish replaces the previous design’s fabric front, making it easier to clean.

What hasn’t changed in the wood veneer cabinet is the versatility, with Bluetooth 5.2 (SBC and AAC) and WiFi (AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in), supporting streaming services such as Spotify Connect, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal Connect, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn, and more. In addition, a 3.5mm aux input accepts external sources, such as a preamp-enabled turntable. No matter what app or apparatus you feed it, the Model Two Digital’s two-way design, with 3.5-inch full-range driver and .75-inch tweeter, assures you can pump up the jams as you enjoy something pumpkin-spiced. And, with most controls taking place remotely on a smart device, a single sleek dial handles power/source/volume, etc., with an elegant LED strip displaying status. With the Tivoli Audio Model Two Digital, you can fill the room with audio clarity, not components.

The Model Two Digital is available in walnut/gold, white/silver, and black/black finishes and can be ordered now for $449.

The post Tivoli Audio intros its Model Two Digital streaming speaker appeared first on Popular Science.

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Sonos released its latest at-home speakers, the Era 100 and Era 300, in March 2023. Their new name signified the next chapter of Sonos’ journey into connected speakers, and the multi-driver, multi-channel 300 even introduced Dolby Atmos support into its non-soundbar speakers. With the company’s latest speaker—the creatively named Move 2, a successor to its first party speaker—Sonos seeks to bring some of its new audio standards into a device you could take anywhere.

The original Sonos Move was released in 2019, and a lot has happened in the audio world since then, especially in the increasingly competitive world of high-fidelity wireless speakers. Having spent a little more than a week with the speaker, I can confidently say the Move 2 is an excellent addition to Sonos’ lineup, taking everything I really liked about the Era 100 and cramming it into a portable speaker.

The Move 2’s release comes at an interesting time in the portable smart connected speaker world. JBL released its new premium lineup, including the Authentics 300, which is the same price as the Move 2. Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound A5, released this past spring, comes in at a whopping $1,300, which proves premium audio companies are taking portable speakers seriously. The Move 2 keeps pace and even exceeds much of its competition by offering a speaker with an inviting design, great sound, continued advancements in sustainability, and tight integration with the company’s every-growing ecosystem of speakers. Sonos, like Apple, has cultivated an active fanbase, and they’ll find a lot to like about the Move 2. Skeptics may become converts if they give the speaker a chance.

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Overview

• The Sonos Move 2 is the second generation of Sonos’s first portable speaker, released in 2019.
• It inherits many features found on the Sonos Era 100, including stereo sound, a USB-C port for charging and expandability, and a recessed volume slider.
• Music lovers charmed by Sonos’ sound profile, ease of setup, and broader ecosystem should consider the Move 2 before any other mid-sized portable Bluetooth speaker.

Pros

• Excellent sound
• Wireless charging
• Replaceable battery
• Modularity (Via USB-C)
• Built-in handle

Cons

• $50 price increase from the original Move
• Coating can come off

The verdict: The Sonos Move 2 is a big improvement over the original in tangible ways, including better battery life, stereo sound, and even more sustainability features. In a crowded field, it’s hard not to recommend this portable speaker to anyone who cares about ease of use, ergonomics, and great sound.

The build

It seems odd to describe a speaker as inviting, but that’s the adjective that’s continued to come into my mind during my time with the Move 2. From the front, it looks like a standard Sonos speaker: Ovular, brandished with the Sonos logo, and a pinhole-sized LED on top to let you know the speaker’s status. On top of the speaker, you’ll find a recessed well that acts as a volume slider—swiping your finger left turns audio down, right turns it up—as well as play/pause, voice assistant mute, and track selection controls.

Turning the speaker around will reveal a power button, Bluetooth button, a mic switch, and USB-C port. The USB can charge the speaker or connect the Move 2 to a Sonos dongle for additional connectivity options. There are two exposed pins at the very bottom, allowing you to wirelessly charge the Move 2 by setting it atop a charging base (a plastic loop) included in the box. The base feels solid, and the speaker immediately recognized it and began charging. This isn’t the only way to top up the Move 2, but it gives the speaker a sense of additional portability; you feel like you can grab the speaker and go at any time. Sonos more than doubled the Move 2’s battery life compared to the original version, offering up to 24 hours of use per charge instead of 11. You shouldn’t have to plug it in daily—and I certainly didn’t—though you might have to more often if you pump the volume or take advantage of its ability to be a power bank for USB-C devices. Sonos did this without dramatically increasing the speaker’s size or weight, too.

What makes the back of the Move 2 different than any other speaker I’ve tested is that those aforementioned buttons are inside a tapered recess. The top of this control panel cutout is hollow, with enough space for four of my fingers. This acts as a handle, allowing me to transport the Move 2 from place to place easily. It’s the type of industrial design feature that feels immediately natural and nicer than the straps or handles that come with many larger portable speakers. While I really like the Move 2’s sound profile—more on that later—it’s this built-in handle that charmed me the most.

Cutting a chunk out of the back of your speaker could be a recipe for disaster as it leaves less space for audio components (bigger amps and drivers are better) and a battery. Sonos seems to have accounted for this, and I never had any issues with the Move 2’s sound or lifespan. I set it down on its charging stand for testing purposes but could have gotten a week’s worth of daily use from the speaker without running the risk of having it conk out. This is not entirely unique for a speaker in the Move 2’s size class, but still nice to see.

While the Move 2’s physical design impressed, what’s on the inside really counts. Sonos outfitted the speaker with three class-D amplifiers to drive a pair of angled tweets and a single mid-woofer. This driver array allows the speaker to play music in stereo, though you might want to pair it with a second Move 2 if you’re concerned with better channel separation. My only complaint about the Move 2’s build is that part of its finish got scratched while being transported in a backpack, which feels like it shouldn’t happen so easily for a speaker intended to be lugged around. All this doesn’t take away from the Move 2’s ability to perform indoors or out; with an IP56 rating, the speaker is protected from dust and high-pressure water streams so that you can feel confident taking it from the patio to the pool, the backyard to the beach (though don’t submerge it in sand nor surf).

The setup

Sonos has streamlined the setup process to the point of virtual perfection. The Sonos app (available on both iOS and Android) immediately recognized the Move 2 and asked if I wanted to add it to my system. Tapping “yes” on the prompt initiated a setup process that happened entirely in the background. The speaker was added to my home’s WiFi network and integrated as part of the Sonos system in under a minute.

I was prompted to download a firmware update, which was just as simple, and then I was free to begin testing the speaker in earnest. Many wireless speakers have a similarly straightforward setup process, but it’s impressive that Sonos has streamlined it for one that connects over WiFi. It’s tedious to enter your WiFi password into yet another app, and I was pleased I didn’t have to.

If you’re on an Apple device, like I was for testing, you can stream lossless music to the speaker over WiFi using AirPlay 2, Apple’s custom protocol. Non-Apple devices can stream music from both services and their local library through the Sonos app. If you prefer Bluetooth, you can enable this mode by pressing the Bluetooth button on the back of the speaker. The first time you do this, the speaker will enter a pairing mode, and the LED on its front side will flash blue. Once connected, you can use it like a typical Bluetooth speaker, trading more universal connectivity for more limited bandwidth and range. However, it’s important to note that you must go through the WiFi setup before taking advantage of Bluetooth; this is not a speaker intended for anyone who doesn’t have a connected household.

It’s unnecessary, but you can connect the speaker to your Amazon account via the Sonos app to use the Move 2’s microphone to access Alexa, Amazon’s smart home assistant. When connected, you can use the Move 2 to control smart-home devices and play tracks with your voice. The Move 2 ships with Sonos’ more limited smart home assistant mostly designed around music playing. The microphone can be temporarily muted by tapping a capacitive touch control on the speaker’s top.

The sound

If you’ve heard a Sonos speaker before—especially the Era 100 or recently released Ray and Beam 2 soundbars—you’ll be familiar with how the Move 2 sounds. Sonos has its own preferred tuning and makes no qualms about admitting that. The Move 2’s press page goes so far as to say the speaker’s class-D digital amplifiers are “precision-tuned for the speaker’s unique acoustic architecture.” I’m typically very critical of non-flat EQs because I’d like to hear music as close to the artist’s intentions as possible, but I admit to liking the Move 2’s sound profile a lot.

Don’t worry; Sonos hasn’t evoked the infamous “smiley face,” or U-shaped, EQ setting wherein the lowest bass and treble frequencies are jacked up while the midrange is tamped down. The speaker sounds remarkably natural, with a tasteful EQ that you’ll only notice if you’re really listening to it. If you’re listening to tracks you’re very familiar with, you may notice a little extra bass here or a little less treble there, but it’s all in favor of making audio sound pleasing.

There isn’t an identical “one-sound-fits-all” Sonos sheen applied over everything you hear, as tweaks will vary from song to song and room to room. Sonos’ audio profile is backed up with Automatic Trueplay, a software feature that adjusts the Move 2’s sound based on the environment using the speaker’s built-in microphone. This happens in real-time, and it was possible to hear a slight difference in the Move 2’s sound when moving from one location to another. The one caveat, however, is that you need to have the microphone enabled for Automatic Trueplay to work. A physical switch on the back cuts off power to the mics if you’re not into persistent monitoring, but there’s no way to create a Trueplay profile that works with the mics off.

Some speakers, like JBL’s Authentics 300, live up to their name by providing a warts-and-all presentation of music, which is great if you crave music accuracy but does rely on you having higher-quality, better-mastered source material. This was the strategy high-end audio companies employed before the powered, connected, and wireless speaker revolutions. Still, it doesn’t always square with the way people listen to music now, i.e., listening to lossy tracks on streaming services. Both paths work, but Sonos’ path of applying digital processing makes it easier to get a consistent experience.

While listening to podcasts, I noticed the richness in each voice, regardless of its register. There was a lot of detail, while a subtle sheen was placed over the entire recording to buff out some rough edges, which were audible when listening through other speakers. Sometimes, some light processing is good; you want to enjoy a show rather than be distracted by the effects of someone broadcasting from an untreated room. This doesn’t mean poor-sounding recordings will magically sound good; it’s just that good recordings can sound even better.

I had a similar experience when listening to music. I could make out every bass note Chris Hillman played on The Byrds’ cover of Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” as clearly as the snare drum beats laid down by Michael Clarke. Jumping ahead 55 years to Olivia Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?” I was similarly pleased that the bass—turned way up—didn’t drown out the multi-layered vocals or driving guitar solo. I tested the Move 2’s treble performance by listening to The Clash’s “Train In Vain (Stand By Me),” whose intro includes a series of cymbal hits that can sound piercing on speakers with a bright sound profile. If that’s the case, each hit will hurt your ears. The Move 2 walked right up to that line but didn’t cross over. Naturally, the mastering and resolution of the music you listen to will play a factor in your experience. Different versions of the same songs can differ pretty dramatically depending on the musician and engineer’s tastes.

Listening to tracks from different eras and genres, I continued my formal tests by listening to Earth Wind & Fire’s autumnally appropriate “September.” The song, a total bop, has a lot going on. The horns in the background, conga drums, steady drum and bass lines, and those soaring vocals. The auditory menagerie sounded well-kempt on the Move 2, on which each song element was audible if you focused on it. On the whole, the Move 2’s sound profile sounds a little bass-heavy (not uncommon for a speaker that can see outdoor use), with a lot of effort put into making sure sounds in the midrange, like vocals, sound particularly great.

I spent most of my time listening to lossless audio tracks from an iPhone over WiFi, but did pop on Bluetooth mode for testing (the baseline SBC and native-Apple AAC codecs are supported). I didn’t notice any significant quality hit switching to the more compressed format and didn’t even feel limited by its lower range most of the time. In most cases, a track’s mastering will matter much more than its resolution.

While the speaker can play songs in stereo, it can’t recreate as wide a soundstage as a pair of individual speakers or even the football-shaped Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin. If I listen to the lopsided stereo mix of The Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” it still sounds pretty close to the mono mix. On the Zeppelin, I could clearly hear vocals from half the band on my left and the other half on my right. Stereo separation gets better the further away you sit, but a portable Atmos speaker, this is not. Of course, you’re not taking the Zeppelin anywhere with you, no matter how powerfully dynamic it sounds. You can pair two Move 2 speakers together for better separation to the tune of $900, but you should consider other options at that point.

The conclusion

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Specs

• Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 5 inches (HWD)
• Weight: 6.61 pounds
• Battery life: Up to 24 hours
• Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C port
• IP Rating: IP56
• Voice assistants: Amazon Alexa, Sonos Voice Control
• Price: $449
• Release date: September 20, 2023

Sonos has been on a roll since the introduction of its first smart speaker, the One, in 2017. The Move 2 is the latest addition, and it benefits from the improvements Sonos continually makes to its audio infrastructure and product ecosystem. Some features I didn’t test, like the ability to hook the Move 2 to a turntable using an optional dongle or the user-replaceable battery, speak to Sonos’ confidence in this being your go-to portable speaker for a long time and that you may even find new ways to use it. Of course, the Move 2’s $449 price tag will put it out of reach for many people, which is why the Toblerone-shaped Sonos Roam exists for $179. But what you get with the Move 2 is similar performance to the homebound Era 100 wherever you go and a battery that keeps going and going. The Move 2 is a refined speaker that will satisfy existing Sonos fans with its familiarity and audio quality that should convert new fans if their budget allows.

The post Sonos Move 2 speaker review: Welcome to the portable era appeared first on Popular Science.

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Over a decade since it introduced its first Flip, a “party in your palm,” JBL is a titan in the portable party speaker market. The speaker designer now has over a half-dozen popular verticals, so anyone searching for a Bluetooth speaker can find the features that fit their space and lifestyle. When JBL launched its latest wireless speaker line, however, the company introduced three speakers that aim to elevate active at-home listening. The mid-tier model, dubbed the Authentics 300, might be the Goldilocks of the bunch. JBL spared no expense with the speaker’s industrial design, which is top-notch and frankly unmatched. Coupled with a driver array that delivers stereo sound and the ability to connect two smart-home assistants at the same time, JBL took inspiration from the past with eyes on the future. The approach worked, and anyone looking to get a taste of a mobile home-stereo experience should be aware.

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Overview

• JBL’s Authentics 300 is one of the company’s new flagship wireless speakers, launching alongside the Authentics 200 and 500 speakers.
• The speaker offers true stereo sound by way of two 1-inch tweeters, a single 5.24-inch woofer, and a downward-firing 6.5-inch passive radiator.
• This speaker’s audio quality does not degrade when its volume is pushed to 100% and gets loud enough that you’ll never need to push it that far.

Pros

• Superb audio quality
• On-speaker EQ knobs
• Classic, classy design
• Works with both Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant
• Made in part from recycled materials

Cons

• No IP durability rating
• So-so battery life for a large speaker

The Verdict: For music lovers who want “the best” sound quality possible, JBL’s Authentics 300 delivers the goods. The speaker’s price is steep, but it’s aesthetically peerless and makes good on the promise of “room-filling sound.”

The build

Take one look at the JBL Authentics 300, and you may find yourself in a bit of a trance. The matte metallic frame, black leather-like enclosure, and hard-padded grille bring to mind grandiosity you don’t typically see in speakers—or most other audio gear—below $1,000. That grid, a callback to the formed Quadrex foam of the L100 (a three-way speaker introduced in 1970), gives the speaker the feel of a vintage hi-fi with a 2020s twist. Though the materials feel—and are, in fact—extremely luxe, they’re also environmentally friendly. JBL says its speaker is made from 100% recycled fabric, 85% recycled plastics, and 50% aluminum. Even its box is made from recycled wood and soy ink.

Ironically, this design looks so good in a home office or living room environment that I was initially hesitant to grasp the solid, swiveling cast-alumminum handle and take it around. That feeling soon abated, and the Authentics 300 took many car trips and walks around different apartments and houses. This speaker isn’t subtle, though, so expect the brushed gold accents to catch people’s eye and for them to ask about it if they’re unfamiliar with higher-end audio.

The Authentics 300’s controls are located on its topside. There’s a power, Bluetooth, and heart-emblazoned “Moments” button alongside knobs for adjusting its volume, treble, and bass. The Moments button lets you immediately access a playlist on your selected streaming service or customize a favorite music track. All of the buttons are concave, which means they’re easy to push even when you’re not looking (the power button is larger, so you don’t accidentally turn the speaker off), and all three knobs move smoothly when turned. One favorite touch was the LED light ring surrounding all three knobs, which visually indicates how high or low they’re set.

The Authentics 300 is a portable speaker outfitted with the latest WiFi and Bluetooth standards—versions 6 and 5.3, respectively. That said, there are still a handful of ports around the back alongside where you plug in the removable power cord. The presence of an AUX input (for a preamp-equipped turntable, perhaps) was a welcome surprise on a speaker this nice, as was the Ethernet port for wired networking. A USB-C port around the back can be used for audio playback, but only on the model shipping in the USA. Authentics 300 speakers sold internationally don’t have this functionality despite having the port. It’s an odd omission but one that most people won’t run into frequently.

While this speaker is totally wireless, you may want to relegate its use to the backyard and different rooms in your house because it has no IP rating, aka dust or water resistance. If you use the speaker outside, we’d recommend checking the weather first. The lack of an IP rating is disappointing if you compare the Authentics 300 to other portable wireless speakers from UE, Sony, or even JBL itself. Still, the company doesn’t seem to be aiming to compete with those directly. This speaker is more of an at-home, connected speaker that happens to run on a battery, so you can take it place to place.

The setup

Setting up the Authentics 300 required making a trip to JBL’s One app, which is available on iOS and Android. An iPhone found and then asked to pair with the speaker, which required entering some WiFi credentials. The process was smooth enough, and music was playing within 10 minutes of unboxing the speaker. You can avoid this process entirely by using the speaker in Bluetooth mode, which only requires you to push the Bluetooth button on the speaker and then search for it in your phone’s settings app.

The JBL app can also be used to set up Moments, adjust a three-band EQ, manage streaming services, and update the speaker’s software. The app is thoughtfully designed and well thought out, so accessing (or all) of these functions is simple. We’re especially happy to see that the text for each section are larger and bolded, which makes them easier to read. There’s even some color coding, which provides an additional visual indicator.

You can also use the JBL One app to set up a voice assistant, which involves one of the features exclusive to the entire Authentics line. These are currently the only smart speakers that integrate Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant simultaneously. Other smart speakers support both hands-free systems but make you choose between one and the other, but with the Authentics speakers, you can use both. If you’re in a home with two people who use separate smart assistants or like some features from one and others from another, this feature will come in handy.

The sound

JBL is no stranger to premium audio gear—the company has been producing live sound reinforcement and stylish home setups for over 75 years. Back in 2014, JBL introduced its first AirPlay-enabled Authentics line, the tabletop L8 and L16 models, and in the last year, it has designed some outstanding high-end powered speakers, the 4305P and 4329P. All of that informs the current releases. Still, it’s surprising just how hard the company went with this portable speaker. The speaker’s larger size allowed JBL to build in a 5.24-inch woofer flanked by two 1-inch tweeters and augmented by a downward-firing 6.5-inch passive radiator, 100 watts of transducers translating to big, bold, crystal-clear sound. Capable of reproducing a frequency range of 45Hz to 20kHz, this is easily the best-sounding portable speaker we’ve tested from a raw performance standpoint, and if that’s what you’re looking for, you won’t be disappointed.

I listened to a variety of music and spoken word audio through the Authentics 300, and I can’t say I found any technical fault with what we heard. There was no sibilance, no overly shimmery highs or blown-out lows. Put on a flat, stable surface, the bass radiator allowed this speaker to punch well above its expected weight where low frequencies were concerned. The opening guitar strings to Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita” rang true, and we could easily hear Jackson Browne’s backing vocals during the chorus. Ditto for the dense mix of perfectly mixed instruments on “Pet Sounds,” the title track from the Beach Boys album of the same name. That song has a lot of ambiance with its classical-meets-contemporary composition, and the Authentics 300 handled them all perfectly.

Listening to older songs on a speaker is always interesting because they weren’t mixed or even necessarily with the idea of what audio equipment would be available half a century later. Sia’s “Gimme Love,” which certainly was, sounded absolutely enormous, with booming bass and incredibly up-front sounding vocals. The lilting, acoustic-guitar-filled “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan (featuring Kacey Musgraves) was a riveting experience not only for the excellent performance but how the speaker presented it. The track came across as almost hymn-like.

Because of its two-tweeter driver array, the Authentics 300 can play music in true stereo, but physics still apply; don’t expect the channel separation of discrete components. We could clearly hear different sounds coming from both sides of the speaker, but the drivers are so close together that the stereo effect was somewhat limited. The biggest benefit here is that stereo tracks (basically any music released after 1968) won’t be folded down into mono, impacting its mix. We’d argue more music made today is mono-friendly due to the explosive popularity of smaller portable Bluetooth speakers, but the point stands. Don’t worry; if you want better stereo separation, you could always pick up and pair two Authentics 300 speakers, spacing them far apart—just be ready to part with $900 to create this setup.

Most of our music listening tests were conducted by playing music from our local library and Apple Music through an iPhone using AirPlay 2. WiFi streaming offers better bandwidth and farther range, so we recommend connecting to the speaker this way if possible. Bluetooth worked, too, and there wasn’t an egregious dip in enjoyable audio when switching to lossy delivery. However, the only codec supported is the lowest-bitrate, plain-vanilla SBC, so we recommend sticking with WiFi, which the speaker was obviously designed for.

One mark of a good piece of audio equipment is that it doesn’t flatten the sound of everything you’re listening to the point that it sounds samey. The Authentics 300 features self-tuning that calibrates and optimizes it whenever you move the speaker, and very few companies can pull off an EQ that’s custom-tailored and tasteful. With this one, however, you may find yourself hearing new elements of older tracks or realize how different two songs by similar artists really are. Listeners with a diverse musical diet will be rewarded for their adventurousness by hearing all the different ways creators make their music.

But the Authentics 300 doesn’t live in a bubble; similarly sized speakers like Marshall’s Kilburn 2 and Sony’s SRS-XG300 are available for under $250, and neither is a slouch. Sonos is about to release its Move 2, which is smaller but targeting the same market for the same price (and if you’re not inclined to, well, move your speaker, the multi-driver multi-channel Sonos Era 300 brings Dolby Atmos to the party). With the Sony IP67 and the Sonos IP56, those are speakers for a pool party. However, none of the speakers we’ve been testing seek to offer the same type of on-the-go hi-fi experience. They sound great, don’t get us wrong, but the Authentics 300 is simply a step above in terms of the detail you can hear in your music, whether inside or out.

The speaker also launches alongside the Authentics 200 and Authentics 500, which share many of the same features but with a little twist. The Authentics 200 is a more compact, more affordable version of this speaker with the same speaker driver layout, but it lacks a rechargeable battery, so it needs to be plugged in at all times. The Authentics 500 is a more expansive, more expensive cabinet of captivation with additional drivers that support virtual Dolby Atmos, and it needs not only a wall socket but also a much larger shelf and understanding neighbors as it pushes some serious air. Get one of each speaker and station them throughout different rooms, and you can play the same song everywhere simultaneously.

It makes sense that JBL designed this new battery-powered new wireless speaker alongside a traditional at-home speaker—one that has to be plugged in all the time—and decided to go portable early enough in the process to avoid any compromises. Few considerations were made to weight—Sony and Marshall’s speakers are roughly half as light— or even battery life; the Authentics 300’s battery also lasts only eight hours compared to a 20- and 25-hour playtime on the Kilburn II and SRS-XG300, respectively. With the Authentics 300, JBL makes the statement that it’s all about sound first, and portability is a bonus.

The conclusion

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Specs

• Dimensions: 13.4 x 7.7 x 7.1 (LWH)
• Weight: 10.8 pounds
• Battery life: Up to eight hours
• Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
• IP Rating: N/A
• Voice assistants: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
• Price: $449.99
• Release date: September 17, 2023

At nearly $500, the Authentics 300 isn’t a speaker for most people, but that higher price tag freed JBL to make choices to suit the most hardcore listener. It would have been easy to blow a majority of the speaker’s development budget on looks alone, but JBL dug deeper. The JBL Authentics 300 isn’t just a great-sounding speaker; it’s an outstanding-sounding speaker, and that makes all the difference. The company did have to make some trade-offs—this speaker is heavier than the competition and only lasts eight hours per charge—for the sake of building in the best audio components. But it made the right choice. The Authentics 300 is an investment well worth making if you want a single speaker with retro-modern appeal and the ability to deliver a powerful rumble in any room of the house.

The post JBL Authentics 300 speaker review: Allowed to be loud appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Sonos Beam (Gen. 2)		SEE IT	Elegant design and beautiful sound within a compact network-connected soundbar.
Best with surround sound		Vizio M Series M512a-H6		SEE IT	When you’ve got the extra space, but don’t want to spend the extra money, you won’t find a better value than this soundbar, subwoofer, rear speakers package.
Best budget		Roku Streambar Pro		SEE IT	Roku’s soundbar offers great sound for its price and doubles as a 4K media streamer.

Every year, TVs find a way to look better but sound worse, so upgrading to a soundbar can get you audio that does those vivid images justice. Soundbars can definitely get expensive, but there are plenty that will still fill up a room with loud, well-defined sound for a more down-to-earth investment. Many of them also provide Bluetooth and/or WiFi connectivity for wireless streaming, as well as voice control from digital assistants. This guide shows you the best soundbars under $500, so you can get everything you want in one modestly priced package.

• Best overall: Sonos Beam (Gen. 2)
• Best with Dolby Atmos: Polk Signa S4
• Best with surround sound: Vizio M Series M512a-H6
• Best 5.1: TCL Q6510
• Best 3.1: Sony HT-S2000
• Best with subwoofer: Yamaha YAS-209
• Best smart: Roku Streambar Pro

How we chose the best soundbars under $500

I have covered and reviewed audio products—both in the pro audio and home audio realms—on and off for most of the 21st century for outlets including Mix, Maximum Tech, DJ Tech Tools, Bob Vila, and some defunct publications printed on paper called magazines. PopSci editors and I chose these soundbars based on their appropriateness for different needs, first-hand experience when available, the value they present, and their consensus reputations based on expert reviews. While a stickler may insist that a soundbar is just the oblong thing that sits under a TV, the fact is that many soundbars on the market also come with subwoofers and sometimes satellite speakers for surround sound. For variety’s sake, we chose picks in several configurations, from single bars to a more expanded setup. However, all of these choices rely on the performance of the main soundbar, which is several speakers integrated into one unit to accompany and enhance a TV, improving the legibility and enjoyment of your content.

The best soundbars under $500: Reviews & Recommendations

When it comes to modern TVs, the best QLEDs or the best OLEDs all still seem to have one thing in common: internal speakers that may not exactly be garbage but that don’t reach far past the lower limits of mediocrity. Permit yourself a bit of excitement because no matter which of the best soundbars under $500 you choose, it will bestow you with a marked improvement over your TV’s built-in speaker audio while perhaps also adding a wireless music streaming solution to your media room. Sure, you could shell out thousands of dollars on a massive wireless surround sound system. But you don’t have to. Just figure out how many audio channels you want, how much wireless/wired connectivity you prefer, and whether you need an additional subwoofer or rear speakers. Then, you’ll be ready to pick from these selections and immediately enhance your TV viewing. 

Best overall: Sonos Beam (Gen. 2)

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Why it made the cut: With its updated design and virtual Dolby Atmos sound, the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) keeps the versatile features, sparkly sound, and expandability that made the first version a hit. 

Specs

• 25.6 (W) x 2.7 (H) x 3.9 (D) inches
• 6.35 pounds (2.88 kg)
• 5.0 channels with one tweeter and four woofers
• Frequency response: apprx. 49Hz-19kHz
• Built-in WiFi and HDMI eARC
• Compatible with Dolby Atmos, Apple AirPlay 2, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant

Pros

• Good sound and spacious audio imaging for its compact size
• Smart speaker features and WiFi streaming
• Pleasant minimalist design

Cons 

• No Bluetooth
• Limited connectivity of 1 HDMI and 1 Ethernet port

If you love the look and features of the Sonos Arc but have a smaller space or budget, the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) is the right choice. The soundbar is effectively a smaller, less expensive version of the Arc with many of the same features.

Sonos outfitted the updated Beam with four midrange woofers, one tweeter, and three passive radiators to ensure the quality of its midrange, treble, and bass performance, respectively. It doesn’t produce as much sound as larger soundbars—including the Arc, an outstanding Dolby Atmos soundbar that we’ve also tested with the stand-out Era 300 spatial audio speakers—but the Beam (Gen. 2) does well for its size. The audio quality of the Beam (Gen. 2) isn’t an issue, but you won’t get quite the same level of stereo separation and oomph at high volumes. These nitpicks have more to do with the laws of physics than a design error on the part of Sonos, though, and the Beam (Gen. 2) shines when you start watching TV shows and movies.

We heard impressive detail during our tests, with clear separation between dialogue and background sounds. When watching Groundhog Day, scenes in the diner stood out in particular. We could hear the protagonists speaking, but the ambiance of their room—people speaking at other tables, the clinking sounds of silverware hitting plates, staff puttering around—were also present and audible. The difference in audio quality between the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) and our TV’s built-in speakers was similar to the delta between HD and 4K video. The former is passable, but the latter is a lot richer.

Much of the Beam (Gen. 2)’s audio quality comes down to custom-designed hardware combined with unique tuning. No soundbar sounds quite like this one because Sonos went out of its way to control every part of its design—inside and out. This advantage makes the Beam (Gen. 2) easy to recommend. We liked how this soundbar sounded out of the box, but you can adjust its EQ through the Sonos app. We don’t think this is necessary, but we recommend turning on TruePlay when setting the Beam (Gen. 2) up. This proprietary feature allows the soundbar to analyze the room and where it’s placed inside it to adjust its sound accordingly. The difference will seem subtle, but optimizing this soundbar is worth taking two minutes.

A lot of hay is made over premium soundbars that can decode and playback mixed using the Dolby Atmos surround sound standard, and the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) is no different. Sonos positioned two of the soundbar’s drivers outward, so sound will bounce off the sides of your room and hit you from multiple angles. Let us be clear: This is a neat trick, but it doesn’t replace or replicate the experience of listening to music or watching movies in true surround sound, with speakers placed all around the room. Luckily, Sonos allows you to pair the Beam (Gen. 2) wirelessly with additional rear-channel speakers and a subwoofer to achieve the surround sound effect with its most compact components.

The Beam (Gen. 2) shines when it’s part of a multi-speaker surround sound system, and while building one costs a lot of money, you can break up the cost over time. We advise starting with a subwoofer to help fill out the soundbar’s bass performance (a big, dedicated speaker makes the biggest difference on the low end and opens up the smaller speaker’s headroom for clearer dialogue and effects). Then, add more speakers as time progresses.

We can’t find much fault in the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2’s) sound, but its connectivity options are pretty barebones. You can only connect it to your TV with an HDMI cable—sorry if you prefer using an optical cord or your TV’s ports are all filled up. There’s an Ethernet port if you’d like to connect it to your network with a cable, but WiFi worked just fine for us. Sonos made up for this by building the Beam (Gen. 2) with support for Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, which makes it easy to use the soundbar as a speaker for music listening. Additionally, you can use the soundbar’s microphone to control it with Amazon’s Alexa or Google Assistant.

If you’re space-constrained or already have a couple of Sonos speakers that can be repurposed for home theater purposes, the Beam (Gen. 2) is the right choice. Its audio performance is rock solid, it’s aesthetically pleasing, and the ability to augment it with other Sonos gear is welcome—if expensive.

Best with Dolby Atmos: Polk Signa S4

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Why it made the cut: It’s a tough ask for a single compact soundbar under $500 to be the audio centerpiece of home theater surround sound, but Polk Audio’s Signa S4 succeeds.

Specs 

• 41 (W) x 2 (H) x 3 (D) inches
• 21.20 pounds (9.62 kg) (Soundbar with subwoofer
• 5.1 channels with dedicated center channel and side-firing channels plus a subwoofer
• Frequency response: 50Hz-20kHz
• Built-in WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, and 4K HDMI eARC
• Compatible with Dolby Atmos

Pros

• Respectable surround sound performance from a two-component system
• Voiceadjust™ technology actually works
• Three connectivity options.

Cons 

• Virtual surround-sound processing is just that

When you have a small space but want to supplement your TV speakers with a compact soundbar to play Dolby Atmos material, your options are starting to get better. Compact soundbars at that price don’t often have top-firing speakers that make the 3D height-oriented Atmos effects special. Still, some utilize Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization, a technology that simulates the Atmos 3D effects from a speaker system without up-firing or overhead speakers.

Like the Sonos Beam (Gen. 2) above, the Polk Audio Signa S4 soundbar uses virtual Dolby Atmos processing to create the illusion of Atmos effects from its L/R stereo and side-firing speakers. Unlike the Beam, the Signa S4 has a wireless subwoofer to fill out the low end, which does very well. Setting up the Signa S4 was a simple affair thanks to its HDMI (ARC port), though you can connect it to your TV using an optical audio cable or AUX cable. Remember that you’ll need to use an HDMI connection to properly play Dolby Atmos content. We were pleased that this system’s wireless subwoofer connected to the soundbar without any configuration.

Once it was hooked up, we started playing video games and streaming videos from a variety of services. We consistently liked what we heard: Clear dialogue, no overmodulation at loud volumes, and some 3D audio effects when listening to content with a Dolby Atmos mix. Clever driver placement and AI can’t replicate the experience of hearing audio coming from speakers placed in front and behind you. Still, the Signa S4 sounds different from a standard stereo soundbar to our ears.

If you’re curious about Dolby Atmos but want a compact audio system rather than a multi-speaker monster, Polk Audio’s Signa S4 is well worth your time.

Best with surround sound: Vizio M Series M512a-H6

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Why it made the cut: Simply put, this soundbar with subwoofer and rear surround speakers offers the most complete home theater audio setup of a level of quality under $500. 

Specs 

• 40 (W) x 2.68 (H) x 4.07 (D) inches (soundbar)
• 8.47 pounds (3.8 kg) (soundbar)
• 5.1.2 channels with 11 total speakers, including subwoofer, two satellite speakers, and two up-firing speakers
• Frequency response: 45Hz-20kHz
• Built-in Bluetooth 5.0 and 4K HDMI eARC
• Compatible with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Siri/Google Assistant/Alexa voice control 

Pros

• World-class value for the price
• Up-firing drivers for surround standards like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
• Transparent sound for intelligible vocals in music and shows

Cons 

• No WiFi streaming
• No room correction or graphic EQ; light on sound enhancement settings
• Rear surround speakers are wired to the subwoofer

A single soundbar can blow the doors off the sound of your TV’s built-in speakers. However, you don’t really get very low bass rumble or truly immersive surround sound from a single soundbar—especially under $500. So when you have a package like the Vizio M Series M512a-H6—including a soundbar with top-firing speakers, a wireless 6-inch subwoofer, and rear satellite speakers for just under the $500 mark—it’s a legitimate cause for excitement. The top-firing drivers in the soundbar make the object-oriented overhead effects from Dolby Atmos or competing DTS:X material more immersive, and the rear speakers provide the depth to your soundstage that true surround sound needs.

Naturally, there are a few limitations at this price level. For one thing, the rear surround speakers are not wireless like in most higher-priced systems; rather, you have to connect them with speaker wire to the subwoofer, making it more challenging to position them well in your space. You also don’t get WiFi streaming or built-in support for smart assistants. However, the M512a-H6 does have Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless streaming, and you can set it up for voice control via the major voice assistants. 

More importantly, the M512a-H6 provides a full-spectrum, immersive sound with deep bass, top-firing and rear channels, and a transparent sound that complements a range of sources from music to visual entertainment well—and all for under $500.

Best 5.1: TCL Q6510

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Why it made the cut: TCL’s Q6510 is a full-on 5.1 surround sound system with wireless speakers that work without latency.

Specs 

• 35.4 (W) x 2.7 (H) x 3.9 (D) inches (soundbar)
• 5.1 pounds (2.31 kg) (soundbar)
• 5.1 channels with nine total speakers and wireless subwoofer
• Frequency response: 42Hz-20kHz
• Built-in Bluetooth and HDMI ARC
• Compatible with Dolby Audio DTS Virtual:X 

Pros

• Low-latency surround sound speakers
• Automatic AI calibration
• Includes wall mounts

Cons 

• No WiFi/Chromecast/AirPlay
• No voice control through Alexa/Siri/Google Assistant

TCL’s Q6510 is a four-piece 5.1 surround sound soundbar that solves our biggest issues with this type of speaker system. The front right, front left, and center-channel speakers are built into the bar itself, while the wireless subwoofer has a pair of ports on the back that supply the rear right and rear left speakers with power. Many 5.1 soundbar audio systems rely on a mix of upward and front-firing drivers to achieve surround sound, but they can’t achieve the same level of performance as a set of discreet speakers.

In our tests, the Q6510 performed very well given its surprisingly modest price tag—$300 normally, $250 at the time of this writing. Our initial test was to listen to the soundbar independently, but it was clear that TCL designed the system with at least the subwoofer connected to fill out its sound. The soundbar and subwoofer paired to one another immediately, and the soundbar’s thinner sound was instantly richer.

If the Q6510 was only the soundbar, it’d still be worth recommending for folks seeking a sizable upgrade over their TV’s internal speakers. The front channels checked all the boxes: dialogue sounded clear, loud sounds like explosions never caused distortion, and it was easy to get great sound at any volume level. But, on top of that (or, more appropriately, underneath it), we were especially pleased with the Q6510’s wireless subwoofer, which provided quite a lot of bass. Part of this has to come down to TCL’s Automatic AI Calibration, which adjusts the speakers based on the room that they’re in. As components get added to the system and moved around, the calibration makes tweaks.

And the Q6510 is not just a 3.1 soundbar system; it’s a full 5.1 surround sound system. Connecting the pill-shaped surround speakers to the subwoofer was simple (their power cable is connected to the speakers themselves), and they instantly synced with the soundbar. Linking the surround speakers to the subwoofer has one major benefit and one downside. On the one hand, your surround speaker placement options are limited to within a few feet of the subwoofer, whose placement options are also somewhat limited for the same reason. On the other hand, you get a 5.1 surround sound system that only requires two outlets, which makes it easier to configure in a greater number of rooms.

TCL made the right call here because the cable connecting the rear speakers to the subwoofer is pretty generous. Once everything was connected, the Q6510 offered an excellent surround sound experience. We used it to watch movies and TV shows with a 5.1 track and could distinctly hear sounds from every direction. Despite their size, the rear speakers included in the Q6510 system sounded full and clear. They added the level of dimensionality you want from a 5.1 surround sound system over a stereo or 3.1 audio setup.

TCL didn’t cut any audio corners when designing the Q6510, but the system doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles you might expect from a modern sound system. There’s no WiFi connectivity or smart assistant access, which may bother you but didn’t hinder our testing experience; we prefer companies focus on audio performance first over additional smart features. The one extra TCL does include is mounting gear for the soundbar and surround speakers, which is genuinely useful if you’d like to make your system look as discreet as possible. If you want a true 5.1 audio system with a small footprint, TCL’s Q6510 is the way to go.

Best 3.1: Sony HT-S2000

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Why it made the cut: When you want a fuller-sounding subwoofer in a pretty small package, Sony’s HT-2000S should be your new go-to.

Specs 

• 31.5 (W) x 2.6 (H) x 5 (D) inches (soundbar)
• 8.16 pounds (3.7 kg) (soundbar)
• 3.1 channels with left/center/right channels and built-in subwoofers
• Frequency response: 48Hz-20kHz
• Built-in Bluetooth 5.2 and HDMI ARC
• Compatible with Dolby Atmos, DTS X

Pros

• Supports hi-res audio up to 24-bit/192kHz
• Built-in subwoofers reduce this system’s overall size
• Bass is surprisingly powerful

Cons 

• External power brick

While 5.1 soundbars offer “true” surround sound by way of dedicated rear-channel speakers, you can still get an immersive experience with a 3.1 system like Sony’s HT-S2000. The soundbar has a center channel and right and left drivers, which offer clearer vocals and stereo sound, respectively. Many 3.1 soundbars have a wireless subwoofer to provide bass, but Sony took a different tactic and built a dual-subwoofer into the soundbar itself. This makes the overall setup a lot more compact, but it required the company to move the power supply outside of the soundbar and onto the cable. This is cumbersome because you’ll have a chunky power brick hanging around your home theater setup, but this is our only real complaint with Sony’s soundbar.

On the sound side, the HT-S2000 performs very well. The internal subwoofers deliver clear lower frequencies well, though we wouldn’t say they’d beat some of the dedicated subs we’ve tried. The tradeoff is that you only need to dedicate one outlet and less than 32 inches of space to your entire home theater. If you’d like to expand your setup, you can augment the HT-S2000 with a Sony subwoofer and rear speakers over time to create a fuller 5.1 surround sound system. We like recommending modular gear so you have the flexibility to make your setup sound sweeter step by step.

Setting up the HT-S2000 was a single-cable affair thanks to its HDMI eARC support. My television immediately recognized the soundbar, and I could start watching movies and TV shows without downloading an app or even touching the included remote. We won’t say this 3.1 soundbar setup was as immersive as the multi-component 5.1 systems we’ve tried, but it’s certainly held its own. For a subwooferless system, we don’t think you can do much better than this. We could detect distinct stereo separation—so long as the movie or show had any to begin with—and sound effects never got too loud to hear the vocals.

Sound effects that typically tax an audio system’s bass (think explosions) came through clearly, too. We’d imagine this performance would be even better with Sony’s additional speakers, but don’t think anyone will have complaints about how the HT-S2000 sounds out of the box. Sony does offer the ability to tweak the HT-S2000’s sound using its Entertainment Connect App on iOS and Android, which lets you switch between a handful of EQ modes, but we never felt the need to make any changes. This soundbar supports virtual surround sound through Dolby Atmos and DTS-X, and while we detected some additional separation, it didn’t stand out.

If you’d like a compact, great-sounding soundbar setup but don’t have the space for a 5.1 setup, you should seriously consider the HD-S2000. This is doubly true if you’d like to build a fuller surround sound system when space, time, and budget allow.

Best with subwoofer: Yamaha YAS-209

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Why it made the cut: A straightforward stereo soundbar with a subwoofer can still have a place in a modern home entertainment room when it sounds this good and has the technological bell and whistles. 

Specs 

• 36.63 (W) x 2.5 (H) x 4.25 (D) inches (soundbar)
• 6 pounds (2.7 kg) (soundbar)
• 2.1 channels with left/right speakers and wireless subwoofer
• Frequency response: 35Hz-20kHz
• Built-in WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, Amazon Alexa, and 4K HDMI ARC
• Compatible with DTS Virtual: X 3D
• 200W total power

Pros

• Remarkable overall sound and low-frequency bass response for the price
• Product Dimensions
• Amazon Alexa integrated

Cons 

• No display screen
• Doesn’t work with Yamaha’s MusicCast surround speakers

The YAS-209 soundbar with subwoofer may be only a 2.1-channel (stereo) system, but it doesn’t skimp on many extra features for a soundbar under $500. It allows Bluetooth and WiFi streaming, an HDMI input with 4K passthrough, HDMI ARC output, and a better-than-nothing virtual surround sound mode. Its built-in Amazon Alexa integration lets you control the soundbar with your voice and includes standard Alexa operation, like asking it questions, setting timers, controlling smart home devices, etc. And you can also combine other Alexa-enabled speakers to build a multi-room audio system. 

Perhaps more importantly, the YAS-209 also sounds very good for this price range. It has a lower-than-average frequency response for deep, contoured bass, very good detail in the high range, and a crisp overall sound that doesn’t suffer when you turn it up. While a center channel might help distinguish vocals and dialog within complex sound mixes, the Clear Voice setting goes a long way to make up for it.

Of course, if you’re not deadset on buying something today, Yamaha announced the launch of the SR-B40A soundbar with wireless subwoofer and the SR-B30A soundbar with built-in subwoofers, expected in August and September of 2023, respectively, and both costing less than $400.

Best budget smart soundbar: Roku Streambar Pro

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Specs 

• 32.2 (W) x 2.8 (H) x 3.9 (D) inches (soundbar)
• 5.5 pounds (3.4 kg) (soundbar)
• 3.1 channels with left/center/right channels and wireless subwoofer
• Frequency response: 40Hz-200Hz
• Built-in Bluetooth 5.0, AirPlay 2, and HDMI ARC
• Virtual Surround Sound 

Pros

• Doubles as a 4K media streamer
• Can be upgraded with additional Roku speakers for true surround sound
• Excellent audio performance and smart streaming capabilities
• Support for AirPlay 2, in addition to Bluetooth
• Works with Amazon’s Alexa and can be managed in Google Home

Cons 

• Best for users who like Roku’s platform

Roku’s Streambar Pro has no right to work as well as it does for its $179 price (which is why it tops our best soundbars under $200 list). The mid-sized soundbar has four 2.5-inch drivers, which approximate the performance of a left, right, and center-channel home theater setup. In our tests, dialogue sounded surprisingly clear, and the Streambar Pro’s bass performance was strong enough to handle loud sounds (think explosions in action movies) without distorting. Don’t get us wrong, you’ll still get better bass performance out of a soundbar system that comes with a dedicated subwoofer—more on that later—but we never found the Streambar Pro’s sound lacking.

Roku says the Streambar Pro supports virtual surround sound, but there’s only so much they could accomplish with four forward-facing drivers. Please don’t get this soundbar hoping it’ll recreate the experience of a true height channel-equipped surround sound system in a compact form, or you’ll be disappointed. That said, other technologies supported by Streambar Pro make using it a lot better. Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 allow you to stream audio—and video in the case of AirPlay 2-compatible devices—directly to the Streambar Pro. If your smart home is built around Amazon or Google’s ecosystem, you’ll appreciate the ability to control this soundbar using Alexa or Google Assistant. It doesn’t support Siri control, but Apple reserves that functionality for its own hardware.

The Streambar Pro can only be connected to a TV with an HDMI cable, which is the default option for soundbars these days, but worth noting in case you’ve used up all your ports. If you were hoping to connect using an optical audio cable, you’re out of luck. Next to the HDMI port, you’ll find an Ethernet jack and USB-A port, which come in handy because this soundbar’s marquee feature: acting as a media streamer for your TV. Yes, this soundbar has a full-powered 4K Roku streamer inside (so you have no excuse not to fire up Weird: The Al Yankovic Story right after plugging everything in). We’re typically skeptical of gadgets that try to accomplish two completely separate tasks, but we can’t help but be impressed at how well Roku pulled this off.

Once you connect the soundbar to your TV, you’ll be walked through the standard Roku setup process: creating or signing into an active Roku account, logging into your home network, and picking your streaming apps of choice. From there, you can use Streambar Pro to access content from almost every major video and audio streaming platform. We’ve used Roku’s standalone media streamers before and found the Streambar Pro to be every bit as performant and easy to use. Roku bundles the Streambar Pro with the same remote as many of its media streamers, so if you’re familiar with its other tech, you’ll feel right at home.

The decision to build a media streamer into its soundbar was shrewd. Roku is counting on the fact that one of your TV’s HDMI ports is being used by a similar device, which you can replace with its own hardware. If you’ve been relying on the streaming apps built into your TV’s operating system, Streambar Pro will upgrade both audio quality and overall usability. Roku’s operating system and remote are the easiest to use in our experience, so in this case, double dipping works.

We mentioned the Streambar Pro’s serviceable bass and so-so surround sound performance earlier, and while neither is a dealbreaker, Roku does offer ways to improve these downsides. This soundbar can be augmented with a subwoofer and up to four speakers to create a true 5.1 surround sound system. The additional speakers and subwoofer connect to the soundbar wirelessly, which is wonderful. The subwoofer adds just the right amount of bass while placing additional speakers all around the room is more immersive than using any soundbar on its own. Roku sells a full surround sound system for around $500, but you can pick up these pieces individually over time if you’d prefer.

The Streambar Pro offers the right mix of audio quality, modularity, and additional features that make it the ideal choice for anyone who wants to upgrade from the speakers built into their TV. Whether you want to start building a home theater or make it easier to find and watch TV shows and movies on your new set, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

Things to consider when looking at the best soundbars under $500 

The No. 1 reason to buy a soundbar is to bask in the improved audio quality. But that improvement requires space immediately in front of your TV, so you must ensure you have room on or above some piece of furniture. The soundbars on this under $500 list aren’t giant like some of the high-ticket soundbars (the amazing but substantial Sennheiser AMBEO, we’re looking at you), but they do vary in size, so it doesn’t hurt to double-check that you have enough space for one. Of course, there are other things to consider as well. 

Audio channels

Some people may look at a group of blocky soundbars and assume that they all have pretty much the same stuff going on inside. But that’s not the case. All soundbars house multiple speakers inside one unit, but their channel configuration varies greatly. There are 2-channel stereo soundbars; 3-channel options that add a center channel for clarifying vocals and dialog; 5-channel soundbars that are better equipped for recreating surround sound; and even larger speaker arrays that add more surround sound channels. Suppose a soundbar states a 7.1.2-channel configuration, for example. In that case, the “7” is the number of standard speaker channels, the “1” indicates a subwoofer, and the “2” is the number of top-firing speakers for producing next-generation surround-sound standards like Dolby Atmos. But you won’t find many under $500, so if that appeals to you, check out something premium like the Sony HT-A7000.

Add-on speakers

If you only want to devote enough space for a single soundbar, there are plenty of standalone options out there for you. However, many soundbars also come with subwoofers for adding some stomach-shaking bass rumble that you won’t get from a soundbar alone. Subwoofers are great, but they are bulky and have to be plugged in. Also, some soundbars either come with additional rear satellite speakers for making surround sound more realistic or can be expanded with compatible rear speakers sold separately. The satellite speakers also need to plug into an outlet and sometimes need to connect with a speaker wire. Additional speakers add to the experience but also usually add to the cost, so think about whether you want just a soundbar or a more complete setup. 

Connectivity

Because soundbars are made to supplement your TV’s audio, all today’s models have an HDMI port to transmit the TV’s sound (some with the HDMI 2.1 standard most desirable to today’s gamer). But from there, the level of connectivity, both wired and wireless, varies greatly. Some have additional HDMI inputs, while others don’t. Some have 4K passthrough HDMI eARC for the most modern TVs, but others do not. On a particular soundbar, you may or may not find analog and digital audio connections, USB drive ports, Bluetooth and/or WiFi for wireless streaming, and even integration with smart-home voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant. If any or all of the above are important to you, plan accordingly while soundbar shopping. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best soundbars under $500

• Best overall: Sonos Beam (Gen. 2)
• Best with Dolby Atmos: Polk Signa S4
• Best with surround sound: Vizio M Series M512a-H6
• Best 5.1: TCL Q6510
• Best 3.1: Sony HT-S2000
• Best with subwoofer: Yamaha YAS-209
• Best smart: Roku Streambar Pro

Oftentimes, with technology, the quality and sheer quantity of what you get increases while the price stays the same. But that’s not always the case, as price fluctuations in today’s market pop up with increasing regularity. Even while writing this guide, I saw price increases that eliminated certain soundbars from consideration. Fortunately for now, however, $500 or less is still enough to buy you some elegant standalone soundbars with many high-tech extras, a boomin’ system with a soundbar and a subwoofer, or even a full Atmos-compatible package with soundbar, subwoofer, and satellite speakers. I’m not one to advocate for conspicuous consumption. Choose prudently for features you want and will actually use, but if you’re considering buying a soundbar for less than $500 and have the budget, you may want to act before the price jump bug bites again. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best soundbars under $500 in 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

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Best overall		Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max		SEE IT	This updated flagship upgrades its audio components and its 3D immersion audio processing.
Easiest setup		JBL Bar 9.1		SEE IT	For an even more cord-cutting wireless system, this large soundbar has rear surround speakers that detach and run on battery power.
Best sound quality		Bluesound PULSE system		SEE IT	This audiophile’s dream has the highest-resolution digital audio and HD Bluetooth streaming, as well as the capability to expand into a multiroom system.

If you just replaced your TV with a flagship flatscreen so you can see every detail, the one thing you don’t want to see is a bunch of cables—and that’s where a wireless surround sound system comes in. When it comes to cinematic magic, you don’t want to be taken out of the moment by a speaker array in disarray. Whether you’re considering upgrading from a single soundbar to enhance dialogue or starting from scratch to build an enveloping home theater setup, our picks for the best wireless surround sound systems don’t compromise on audio quality and create less clutter.

• Best overall: Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max
• Easiest setup: JBL Bar 9.1
• Best sound quality: Bluesound PULSE system
• Best for Samsung TVs: Samsung HW-990C
• Best wireless combination: Enclave CineHome PRO
• Best design: Sonos Arc with Sonos Sub and Era 100 surrounds  
• Best with 4K video compatibility: Sony HT-A7000 with SW3 subwoofer and RS3S rear speakers
• Best budget multiroom-compatible setup: Denon Home Wireless 5.1 Home Theater System

How we chose the best wireless surround sound systems

I have previewed and reviewed products—both in the pro audio and home audio realms—on and off throughout most of the 21st century for outlets including Mix, Maximum Tech, DJ Tech Tools, Bob Vila, and some defunct publications printed on paper called magazines. Between the PopSci staff, we’ve tested variations of these wireless surround sound systems firsthand. Beyond our own favorable experiences, these wireless surround sound systems have all proved popular with expert reviewers. Each of these systems offers something a little different from the others, but they all include rear satellite speakers because we wanted to limit this list to systems that actually surround you with speakers. Some soundbars and soundbar/subwoofer combinations do an impressive job creating virtual surround sound environments (you can read about the best Dolby Atmos soundbars and excellent budget choices that support object-based sound formats if you want some maximized minimalism). Still, this list is for those who want the full experience.

The best wireless surround sound systems: Reviews & Recommendations

From a massively powerful two-subwoofer system to a soundbar that detaches rechargeable battery-powered rear speakers, these wireless surround sound systems address different desires for how deep into the immersive sound you want to go. If filling a single room with sound just isn’t enough, some options also let you expand into a multiroom system. The common thread is no speaker wire but no loss of physical speakers that bring true surround sound to your home.

Best overall: Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max

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Why it made the cut: This 2022 update to an already proven and powerful system piles on hardware improvements and new software processing to make your wireless home theater a literal and figurative blast. 

Specs

• Audio channels: 9.2.4 with 18 total speaker drivers
• Total power/SPL loudness: 1300W/113dB 
• Frequency response: 20Hz-22kHz
• Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 input x3, HDMI 2.1 eARC output x1, optical digital audio input x3, coaxial audio input x1, RCA audio input x1, USB, Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD 
• Format compatibility: Dolby Vision with 4K HDR, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X

Pros

• Loud and clear sound with full-spectrum detail and realism
• New and exclusive audio processing improves the performance of immersive Dolby Atmos and DTS:X playback
• Plentiful HDMI 2.1 connections with eARC for supporting the latest TVs and game consoles

Cons 

• No room-calibration function for setting up
• Extra speakers mean plugging in extra power cords

Even before a March 2022 update, the popular Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 wireless surround sound system (which is still available) would have made this roundup list for its immersive, realistic sound, clarity of audio, and massive bass rumble from its twin 10-inch powered subwoofers. Customers and critics alike have showered it with adoration since 2017. 

But the new Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max system goes further in nearly every conceivable way with hardware and software upgrades. It now has HDMI 2.1 connections with eARC to the TV to enable the highest quality lossless audio, 4K HDR and Dolby Vision video, and features like variable refresh rate (VRR) for next-gen gaming consoles. It also has Bluetooth 5.0 with Qualcomm aptX HD—rare for a soundbar system—and that lets you stream Bluetooth audio at up to 24-bit digital quality.

The SSE Max designation refers to Nakamichi’s new technology—currently exclusive to this system—for creating realistic 360-degree immersive audio in a home theater. It’s the combination of Shockwafe’s three Spatial Surround Elevation audio processing engines for enhancing the sense of spaciousness to the soundstage, balancing the surround-sound mix across all the speakers, and creating audio height effects for object-oriented formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. 

Upgraded hardware includes redesigned extended-range twin-cone drivers in the soundbar, new high-output amplifiers and upgraded drivers in the subwoofers, and 2nd-generation two-way Quad Modular Surround Speakers with new silk dome tweeters and extended-range twin-cone drivers. A new matte-black finish and 2nd-gen backlit remote round out the updates, which Nakamichi based on customer surveys, beta tests, and customer review feedback. The $1,899 MSRP Shockwafe Ultra 9.2 eARC SSE Max requires a lot of space, power outlets, and experimentation to find the right setup for the four surround speakers, but it rewards your effort with a powerful and life-like cocoon of sound. (And an even more intense, more expensive ultra-flagship we hope to try out, the quad-sub Dragon, was announced at CES 2023.)

Easiest setup: JBL Bar 9.1

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Why it made the cut: JBL cuts even more cords out of your life with its Bar 9.1 system, which uses the soundbar to charge detachable battery-powered rear surround speakers that don’t even have to plug into wall outlets. 

Specs

• Audio channels: 5.1.4 with 10-inch wireless powered subwoofer
• Total power/SPL loudness: 820W/103dB 
• Frequency response: 34Hz-20kHz
• Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 input, HDMI 2.1 eARC output, optical digital audio output, USB, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2
• Format compatibility: Dolby Vision with 4K passthrough, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Chromecast, AirPlay 2

Pros

• Detachable battery-powered rear speakers recharge from the base soundbar.
• Dolby Atmos and DTS:X height effects from four up-firing speakers.
• Crisp, balanced sound appropriate for all uses.

Cons 

• Speaker batteries not replaceable

If you’re looking for a wireless surround sound system with a simple setup, it doesn’t get much simpler or more truly wireless than the JBL Bar 9.1. While the wireless component of most systems means you don’t have to attach speaker wire, you usually still need to find a power outlet to plug in all your satellite surround speakers. Not so with the Bar 9.1. Its rear surround speakers detach from the main soundbar unit and work on battery power for up to 10 hours. When you’re finished, dock them in the soundbar so they can recharge in about three hours. (Or you can charge them independently via MicroUSB.) While the rear speakers recharge, you can still use the full system for virtual surround. When you detach them again, they detect their distance to the soundbar to calibrate the sound. But you can also use the auto-calibration tool to optimize the sound mix for your room upon your initial setup or any other time you move the rear speakers. 

For the immersive 3D audio formats that send overhead sounds like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, the Bar 9.1 has two up-firing speakers on the soundbar and one each on the satellite units, which also have front-firing speakers. Combining those surrounds with the subwoofer, the 5.1.4 Atmos performance is very satisfying for a relatively compact system like this, but the Bar 9.1 also has a neutral and balanced sound that works well for the whole gamut of audio, from listening to spoken word material to watching the most explosive of big-budget movies. A mid-2023 refresh of the JBL soundbar line—one of which, the JBL 700, we’ve had a chance to audition—promises to take this expandable all-in-one concept to new, well, heights (and lengths and depths) and introduces the JBL 1300X as the new flagship. That doesn’t mean the JBL Bar 9.1 is obsolete, however.

Best sound quality: Bluesound PULSE system

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Why it made the cut: Audiophile-grade sound combines with powerful internal processing in a system that can expand to multiroom audio. 

Specs

• Audio channels: 7.1 with 11 total speaker drivers
• Total power/SPL loudness: W/ dB 120W soundbar, 25W Flex
• Frequency response: 22Hz-20kHz
• Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 eARC, optical digital audio input, 3.5mm analog audio input1, USB Type-A, Bluetooth aptX HD, WiFi, Ethernet
• Format compatibility: 24-bit/192 kHz audio, Dolby Atmos, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal, Pandora, Amazon Music, MQA high-res audio

Pros

• Supports 24-bit/192 kHz high-res audio, including MQA decoding and Roon Ready
• Can expand to a multiroom audio system
• Excellent preset audio modes for different scenarios

Cons 

• Not sold with bundled pricing

If you’re willing to piece your purchases together, the Bluesound PULSE “by audiophiles for audiophiles” wireless surround sound system is technologically very versatile and the first multiroom system to support the MQA format that “folds” and “unfolds” digital data to stream high-res audio without a ton of bandwidth. With the SOUNDBAR+ as its centerpiece (shown above), combined with a dual-band WiFi 802.11ac-equipped PULSE SUB+ and two equally wireless PULSE FLEX 2i or PULSE M satellite speakers, the system can expand two-channel stereo content into a spacious soundstage thanks to Bluesound’s audiophile-grade drivers, high-performance digital-to-analog converter, and clean, powerful Class D amplification. The eight-speaker forward-facing configuration of a 1-inch tweeter, 2-inch mid-range driver, 4-inch woofer, and 4-inch passive radiator—one set left and one right—is optimized for music streaming thanks to a powerful quad-core ARM processor that handles high-quality audio with blazing speed. The resulting, authoritative sound handles vocals with visceral detail, while the overall tonality is balanced, never artificial. Lows and mids sound warm yet not fuzzy, and the treble is precise without sounding harsh. 

If you have a wealth of advanced-resolution downloads/personally ripped digital music, Bluesound can be used as a Roon endpoint if you’ve set up a compatible music server on your local network. Otherwise, you can stream lossless music directly from iOS devices via AirPlay 2 on WiFi and/or higher-bitrate, though still lossy transmissions via any device that supports Bluetooth (compatible Android devices can even connect via aptX HD). If you subscribe to Spotify and/or TIDAL, both services have a natively supported “Connect” service, so the highest quality stream will go directly via WiFi to the SOUNDBAR+, bypassing your phone. The BluOS app consolidates source control, as well as offers some EQ. Connected to the TV via a single HDMI (e)ARC connection, the dimensionally tall, but aesthetically unobtrusive Bluesound PULSE SOUNDBAR+ decodes Dolby Atmos material directly but with nuance, although with more subtlety in its height rather than in its width due to the lack of up-firing drivers. It presents music compellingly without any processing, although there are some interesting audio modes and upmixing options with which to experiment.

According to our managing editor, who has experienced a complete Bluesound PULSE set-up, adding in a pair of FLEX 2i speakers allows sonic textures to be even more open and expressive—most impactful when watching demo-worthy Atmos films like Mad Max: Fury Road and Baby Driver or while playing a selection of spatial audio from Apple Music on the Apple TV 4K. Music, especially, feels authentic, a well-rounded presentation from a flat facade—the SOUNDBAR+ with surrounds assures every track’s scope is fully conveyed without losing anything granular as it unfurls. And if you have high ceilings or a wider, open viewing space, adding in physical surround speakers makes a world of difference when compared to soundbars that use reflections to convey dimensionality.

On the other end of the spectrum, the SUB+ offers versatile, visceral LFE reinforcement, its 8-inch long-throw driver and 150-watt amplifier taking the 70Hz cap of the SOUNDBAR+ down to 22Hz. Capable of laying flat under a sofa or sitting up against a wall, the sealed enclosure is easily integrated physically into any room layout (wall outlet allowing) and digitally via home network and the BluOS app. As for what the SUB+ adds sonically … it’s tunefulness. It’s a subwoofer that’s far more about nimble pluck than unchecked pump; though it can reach dynamically deep, the SUB+ impressed far more with its dexterity. If you value realism as much as rumble, the SUB+ is another amazing addition to the Bluesound ecosystem.

Not watching anything or wanting to restrict your soundtrack to a single room? You can relocate an ultra-compact mono PULSE FLEX 2i or even more expressive omni-hybrid stereo PULSE M speaker around your home (or just get extras for other zones). As long as they are all on the same WiFi network, you pass whatever music you’re streaming from speaker to speaker if you move to specific areas or have it play simultaneously throughout the house—wherever the action is.

Best for Samsung TVs: Samsung HW-990C

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Why it made the cut: Crystal clear dialog (especially if you have a current Samsung TV) cuts through the ample bass to make movies and TV shows easy to hear without resorting to subtitles or cranked volume. 

Specs

• Audio channels: 11.1.4
• Total power/SPL loudness: N/A
• Frequency response: N/A
• Connectivity: HDMI ARC, optical digital audio input, Bluetooth 5.0 
• Format compatibility: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X

Pros

• Super-crisp voice reproduction makes actors easier to understand
• Samsung TV users can get a wireless Dolby Atmos signal that eschews a cable
• Excellent overall sound quality augmented by wireless side speakers with up- and side-firing drivers
• Very easy setup

Cons 

• Non-Samsung TV users miss out on some features

We rated the Samsung WH-Q900C stand-alone soundbar one of the best we’ve heard to date. The WH-990C ups the ante by adding a pair of wireless satellite speakers that contain both up- and side-firing drivers. They connect easily and wirelessly, just like the subwoofer, but they dramatically improve the system’s overall ability to create immersive 3D sound.

If you have a current (2022 and after) Samsung TV, then you get several notable extra features from this setup that other TVs can’t provide. Samsung TVs can beam a wireless Dolby Atmos signal to the soundbar, which eschews the need for a hardline connection. The Samsung Q Symphony feature integrates the TV’s built-in speakers into the mix in order to create an even more immersive sound with more pronounced center channel performance. Plus, only Samsung TVs get access to the robust automatic room calibration feature, which listens back to the system’s performance and tweaks it to match the space.

Even if you’re not using a Samsung TV, however, this is still one of the best-sounding soundbar systems around. The bass thumps and rumbles with vigor, but it doesn’t drown out the rest of the mix. Emphatic sounds have impact, but they don’t get too harsh in such a way that you need to constantly manipulate the volume. It’s a great system that sets up without much fuss and provides everything most listeners will need.

Best wireless connection: Enclave CineHome PRO

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Why it made the cut: Brilliant sound and an elegant design that puts each audio channel into its own speaker without occupying too much space make the CineHome PRO a joy to use. 

Specs

• Audio channels: 5.1 with 14 total speaker drivers
• Total power/SPL loudness: N/A
• Frequency response: N/A
• Connectivity: HDMI ARC, optical digital audio input, 3.5mm analog audio input, Bluetooth 5.0 
• Format compatibility: THX and WiSA certified, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS 5.1 Digital Surround

Pros

• Lovely, detailed sound, supported up to 24-bit/96kHz high-res digital audio
• WiSA wireless transmission won’t interfere with WiFi or Bluetooth bandwidth
• Eye-catching design with a separate unit for each audio channel

Cons 

• No Dolby Atmos or WiFi streaming
• No firmware update to HDMI eARC yet

The WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio Association) technology may not be a huge buzzword in home audio, but it’s worth your attention. It allows the transmission of up to eight channels of uncompressed 24-bit/96 kHz high-res audio (twice the resolution of CD audio) on wireless frequencies that won’t interfere with Bluetooth or your WiFi bandwidth. And the WiSA audio is so low-latency (5.2 milliseconds) that it will appear perfectly synced with your TV’s picture. The Enclave Cinehome PRO 5.1 wireless surround sound system is the first THX-certified WiSA system with its level of surround-sound support, which includes Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital, DTS Digital surround, Dolby Pro Logic II, and may add Dolby Atmos support at a later date through a firmware update.

While only a 5.1 system, the CineHome PRO puts out beautiful audio with attention to detail. Each audio channel gets its own speaker unit that can sit horizontally or vertically to save surface area. With 3-way center and front left/right units, and 2-way rear left/right units, the system balances the entire frequency range extraordinarily well. It also gets very loud, but the audio stays clean regardless of the volume level. A helpful control app puts different sound modes at your fingertips, including the excellent Whole Room Stereo mode, which makes the CineHome PRO an impeccable system for music listening on top of its immersive surround sound performance for home theater.

Best design: Sonos Arc with Sonos Sub and Era 100 or Era 300 surround speakers

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Why it made the cut: Combining the Sonos Arc soundbar with the Sonos Sub (Gen. 3) and two Sonos surround speakers makes for a stunning ensemble both visually and audibly. 

Specs

• Audio channels: 5.1.2 with 17 total speaker drivers
• Total power/SPL loudness: N/A 
• Frequency response: apprx. 32Hz-19kHz
• Connectivity: HDMI eARC, WiFi, Ethernet 
• Format compatibility: Multiroom audio, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, Apple AirPlay 2, Siri, Amazon Alex, Google Assistant

Pros

• Very spacious surround sound imaging and good Atmos performance
• Smart speaker features and WiFi streaming
• Sleek styling with touch controls on the soundbar and surround speakers

Cons 

• Limited connectivity and no Bluetooth
• Room calibration only works through the iOS app

This intelligent wireless surround sound combination can be purchased as a single bundle for just over $2,000. But if that feels like too much upfront and you want to assemble components piecemeal, it’s worth it to procure the Sonos Arc soundbar, Sub subwoofer, and a pair of Era 100 surround speakers gradually to create a formidable home theater system that you can also easily connect with your TV and any number of Sonos products to make a multiroom audio setup. The Arc gives you Dolby Atmos playback through two top-firing speakers, as well as an HDMI eARC connection (which enables high-resolution audio), Apple AirPlay 2 streaming, and smart speaker features like built-in voice control with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. The Sonos app lets you connect most other streaming services, and the iOS version can run auto-calibration to tune the speakers’ response to your particular space.

The Arc’s minimal aesthetic has limitations, such as a single HDMI connection and an app-only remote control. However, it emits precise mid-range and high frequencies, and the smooth, rattle-free bass from the Sub’s two force-canceling drivers adds weight to the low end while relieving pressure on the other speakers, allowing for more finesse throughout the frequency range. Touch controls for volume, play/pause, and track skipping (by swiping left or right) on both the Arc and the Era 100 surround speakers can come in handy when you’re locked to the couch, and those extra LS/RS channels take the impressive performance of the Arc into the next level of genuine surround sound.

If you’re looking for the absolute best design for Dolby Atmos content, however, upgrade the rear speakers to a pair of the Era 300, which are purpose-built with six multidirectional drivers to unfurl the full immersive potential of spatial audio. Whether it’s an album on Apple Music or Mad Max: Fury Road, the full $2,500 7.1.4 setup lets you experience instant gratification and ongoing exhilaration. (A single Era 300 also works as a standout standalone speaker if you’re just looking to turn any old room into a multidimensional performance.)

Best with 4K video compatibility: Sony HT-A7000 with SW3 subwoofer and RS3S rear speakers

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Why it made the cut: Besides being very well built and good at basically everything, the Sony HT-A7000 has two HDMI 2.1 inputs and an HDMI 2.1 eARC output for ready compatibility with the best 4K TVs and even 8K sets.

Specs

• Audio channels: 7.1.2 with 16 total speaker drivers
• Total power: 900W
• Frequency response: 28Hz-22kHz
• Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 input x2, HDMI 2.1 eARC output x1, optical digital audio input, 3.5mm analog audio input, USB, Bluetooth 5.0
• Compatibility: Dolby Vision HDR, 8K video at 60Hz, 4K at 120Hz, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Sony 360 Reality Audio, Chromecast, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Amazon Alexa

Pros

• Well-balanced, clear, and detailed sound complements both movies and music
• Good Atmos performance and effective Immersive AE up-mixing mode
• Big bass power with the SW3 subwoofer

Cons 

• No custom EQ options.

Many people may assume that any wireless surround sound system they purchase will work great out of the box with any TV, game console, or other devices they have. But, unfortunately, to get everything possible out of your other electronics, you may need to make sure that your home theater sound system has the highest level of HDMI connection, which the Sony HT-A7000 has. Its two HDMI 2.1 passthrough inputs and HDMI 2.1 eARC output support 8K video at 60Hz, 4K at 120Hz, and Dolby Vision HDR, which makes it perfectly suited for the highest-resolution video and audio.

If your content hub is a next-generation game console like the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, you might want a Sony Bravia XR TV and to plug the console directly into that, with the soundbar attached to the eARC port, to take full advantage of game-centric protocols like VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low-Latency Mode). However, no matter how you’ve got everything patched in, what comes out of this soundbar will astound you. The HT-A7000 with SW3 subwoofer and RS3S rear surround speakers is just a highly impressive system with a simple, wireless setup and a moderate-sized footprint. It’s built very solidly and has an auto room calibration tool. The soundbar’s side- and top-firing drivers along with the rear speakers create a large sweet spot for native immersive content in the Atmos or DTS:X formats, and the Immersive AE up-mixing effect does a credible job of making any audio source more 3D. 

It’s also a powerful system for almost any sized living room. Even though the SW3 subwoofer doesn’t dip quite as low into the frequency range as some others, it is very powerful, so keep your picture frames securely attached to the walls and alert the neighbors if you have to. Fortunately, the remote control has dedicated volume controls for both the subwoofer and rear surround speakers.

More invested in the Samsung ecosystem but equally obsessed with high-definition video as you are with immersive audio? You can get a similar setup, with the surrounds and subwoofer, that plays nicely with a new Q-Series TV when you invest in the similarly $1K+ 11.1.4-channel Samsung HW-Q990B.

Best budget multiroom-compatible setup: Denon Home Wireless 5.1 Home Theater System

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Why it made the cut: Denon Home’s wireless, multiroom audio system offers a less-expensive option for starting small but eventually building a whole-home speaker empire. 

Specs

• Audio channels: 5.1 with 11 total speaker drivers
• Total power/SPL loudness: N/A
• Frequency response: N/A
• Connectivity: HDMI 2.1 input x1, HDMI 2.1 eARC output x1, optical digital audio input x1, minijack audio input x1, USB, Bluetooth, dual-band WiFi 
• Format compatibility: 24-bit/192kHz audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby Vision w/HDR 10, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, AirPlay 2,

Pros

• Modular system expandable to as many speakers in as many rooms as you want
• Rear speakers include controls, Bluetooth pairing, and audio inputs
• Good aesthetic appearance with matching cloth speaker coverings
• Clear, balanced sound

Cons

• Some HEOS app setup snafus and instability with the rear speakers
• No up-firing drivers for spatial audio formats
• No Chromecasting for sending Atmos music from mobile devices

When you may not have the funds to purchase the wireless surround sound system you most want responsibly, you could compromise and buy a lower-end system … or you could play the long game, exercise a little patience, and buy components one at a time until you’ve built something great. The Denon Home family of wireless speakers lets you do the latter at lower prices than the other multiroom capable systems. While the Denon Home Wireless 5.1 Home Theater System is available in one fell swoop, you can also pick up the Sound Bar 550, the Subwoofer, and 150 Wireless Speakers individually, or start with a bundle of the soundbar/subwoofer or soundbar/wireless speakers.

“Budget” is in the eye of the beholder. Still, ultimately, the Denon Home components should total around $1,500 and save you several hundred over comparable purchases from the Sonos or Bluesound multiroom systems. Denon Home also has 250 wireless speakers and 350 wireless speakers, which are larger speakers with more driver units inside, better suited for being the sole audio source in their own room, like an office or bedroom.

The Denon Home system uses the HEOS app to link all the speakers together, update firmware, and control what audio or music is playing from which room, if you have speakers in multiple rooms. HEOS also consolidates all the compatible music services and sources available into one place, such as Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, music stored on your phone, and more. In our firsthand testing of the Denon Home Wireless 5.1 Home Theater System, setup caused some frustration with failed firmware updates and the app not pairing at first with the wireless speakers and subwoofer to the soundbar. Unlike many other wireless systems where the soundbar recognizes and pairs with the sub and surround speakers automatically, you have to connect each Denon Home speaker individually to your home network via HEOS and then pair the speakers to the soundbar. After several attempts to do so with HEOS showing that pairing failed, the subwoofer and wireless speakers eventually just started working with the soundbar. After that, the system worked together, but the 150 Wireless Speakers did experience a connection problem where the audio crackled or flickered on and off. However, cycling the power solved that.

The compact Sound Bar 550 measures only 26 inches wide and looks living-room-ready with its attractive fabric-lined enclosure and illuminated touch controls on the top panel for volume, play/pause, and muting the built-in Alexa voice control function. Its small remote has separate level controls for overall volume and bass, audio mode and source, and a Bluetooth pairing button. When tested as a standalone speaker, the soundbar’s forward-facing six drivers and two passive radiators do a decent job of downmixing surround-sound sources into a spatially separated mix. You do get a real sense of separation between, say, the characters and their environment in a movie.

Denon Home doesn’t disclose any wattage or SPL numbers for its units, but the Sound Bar 550 isn’t extraordinarily loud for its size. It can suffice as the TV’s soundsystem in an average-sized living room, but if you like high volume, the Sound Bar 550 distorts some when you crank it up to the max, so it’s better for more modest listening. Its sound, however, is clean and well separated in the frequency ranges. Dialog in movies and TV shows pierced through the mix in most cases, and music shimmered with a stereo soundstage belying the soundbar’s size. In the right sweet spots, it does have more impressive bass power than expected but does benefit greatly from adding the Denon Home Subwoofer.

It is Atmos and DTS:X compatible; however, without up-firing speakers, the object-based immersive audio effects don’t fully translate to your 3D environment the way they were originally intended. Adding the 8-inch, downward-firing subwoofer and two 150 Wireless Speakers to the mix made big improvements both aurally and functionally. Each 150 unit has its own volume and play/pause touch controls that work for the entire system they’re paired to, so it’s quite convenient to reach over the couch to a rear speaker and flick the volume if needed. The 150s also let you initiate Bluetooth pairing and have USB storage inputs and minijack audio inputs, which will also send their audio to the entire system.

While the system as a whole still didn’t reach the decibel levels of many others in this guide, it made watching “event” movies like the Atmos-ready Thor: Love and Thunder an immersive good time, even though the spatial Atmos effects aren’t fully supported with height-based drivers. Switching to the Movie (DTS Virtual:X) preset gives Atmos material a slightly more expansive sound. During PlayStation 5 games like Horizon Forbidden West, the Denon Home system tracked the character movements well, keeping the surround mix believably positioned and clearly representing the mix of sounds from playable and non-playable characters, the natural environment, and the crucial rumblings and fumblings of enemies in the distance.

For music, the full system can become a single stereo powerhouse with all the speakers working together as a stereo system. Pairing various Bluetooth devices was easy and smooth, with no dropouts in our testing. For audio fidelity, however, streaming over AirPlay 2 sounds markedly better (Denon does not list a Bluetooth codec for the system, which could be baseline SBC). When comparing the same audio sources played over Bluetooth and then AirPlay 2, the AirPlay signal sounded much more full and vibrant overall, with deeper, rounder bass.

Overall, the Sound Bar 550 is a wonderful upgrade from internal TV speakers, even if the soundbar can’t pretend to offer anything other than virtual surround sound. The 150 speakers still don’t have any up-firing drivers for Atmos material. However, adding two wireless surrounds and the subwoofer resulted in full-spectrum audio that satisfied the need for a booming surround sound experience. And the ability to keep more rooms full of sound without fully emptying your pockets is attractive, indeed.

Things to consider before buying the best wireless surround sound systems

Maybe you enjoy unspooling many feet of speaker wire across your media room and crawling behind a cabinet to route everything through an A/V receiver. But if you’d prefer to enjoy full-room, real surround sound with speakers behind or beside you minus any messy entanglements, we’ve got you. The best wireless sound systems deliver audio as vivid as that new OLED TV, and they do it without any noticeable latency between sound and image. Many of these systems also include mobile device sharing via Apple AirPlay 2 and/or Google Chromecast and support voice control from smart assistants. They let you stream music wirelessly over Bluetooth and/or WiFi. While wireless surround sound systems still cost a few bucks more than wired equivalents, this guide shows you the best options across a variety of price points and feature sets.

Remember, however, that calling a surround sound system “wireless” means that you don’t have to attach any speaker wire to the speakers. They also let you stream audio and/or video wirelessly from devices over Bluetooth, WiFi, or both. But that doesn’t mean zero cables. To use them with a TV, you need to connect the main soundbar or base unit via HDMI to the TV, and then the rest of the speakers receive an audio signal wirelessly. Each speaker also has to plug into a power outlet, unless they’re battery-powered (as in the case of the JBL Bar 9.1’s rear surround speakers). And you might need to crawl around a little to find the perfect place for your subwoofer.

Budget 

Wireless surround sound systems tend to be more expensive than equivalent wired systems because you still pay a bit of a premium for the extra convenience and tidiness of a wireless system. The systems here range from about $1,100 (JBL Bar 9.1) to about $2,400 (both the Bluesound PULSE and the Sony HT-A7000 system with all their listed components). Prices may fluctuate somewhat from month to month because of chip shortages/supply chain issues, and there are brands like Vizio that make even more approachable budget options, but don’t expect wireless surround sound systems to plummet in price too much anytime soon. 

Sound quality 

Whether a surround sound system is wireless or wired does not really determine its sound quality. Other factors matter, such as the quality of the source audio and the construction and materials of the speakers. Most people will not notice much difference between a modern-day wireless system and a wired alternative. However, connoisseurs of audio quality seeking out a wireless surround sound system may want to ensure that it supports 24-bit digital audio so that it’s compatible with high-resolution formats. The Bluesound PULSE system here supports 24-bit/192 kHz digital audio, a resolution limit so high that you’d have to search specific niches for audio material that maxes it out. The 24-bit/96 kHz Enclave CineHome PRO system meets a high-res audio standard good enough for even the most discerning ears, and the CineHome PRO’s WiSA audio transmission standard also ensures that it won’t interfere with your WiFi network’s bandwidth.

Do you want a multiroom system?

A wireless surround sound system for your TV room may be all you’re into for now. Still, if you’re thinking about expanding to a multiroom speaker system where you can share/pass source audio between different rooms in your abode, there are two options here. Both the Bluesound PULSE system and the Sonos Arc with Sub and Era 300 speakers support building multiroom systems with a variety of different add-on units. 

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best wireless surround sound systems

• Best overall: Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max
• Easiest setup: JBL Bar 9.1
• Best sound quality: Bluesound PULSE system
• Best for Samsung TVs: Samsung HW-990C
• Best wireless combination: Enclave CineHome PRO
• Best design: Sonos Arc with Sonos Sub and Era 100 surrounds  
• Best with 4K video compatibility: Sony HT-A7000 with SW3 subwoofer and RS3S rear speakers
• Best budget multiroom-compatible setup: Denon Home Wireless 5.1 Home Theater System

Due to its powerful and clear sound, its wealth of state-of-the-art technology—like HDMI 2.1, eArc, and Dolby Atmos—and the sheer size of its 9.2.4 speaker configuration for less than $2,000, the Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE Max gets the nod as the best overall wireless surround sound system. It may not be cheap, but it is still a great value compared to some of the competition. However, its dual subwoofers and four surround speakers are a bit of overkill for some people’s needs or available space. 

By contrast, options like the JBL Bar 9.1 or Enclave CineHome PRO accomplish full-room surround sound with smaller footprints. If perhaps you’d like to start even smaller and build from there, the Sonos, Bluesound, Sony, and Denon systems on this list all let you start with an outstanding soundbar and add to it with subwoofers and surround speakers. You really can’t go wrong with any system on this list once you conclude how much power, how many speakers, and which technological extras you want with your wireless surround sound system.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best wireless surround sound systems in 2023, tested and reviewed appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

School is back in session, meaning a pair of noise-canceling headphones is beneficial for ultimate studying focus in the library or for finding some peace while the youngins play a little too ferociously with their Barbies. One of our favorite Bose earbuds—which are more low-profile compared to on-ear or over-ear headphones—are $50 off on Amazon.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II $249 (Was $299)

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Per our review, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II “hold the undisputed ANC championship belt.” That’s perfect for noisy commutes, social portions of the library that are a little too social, and moments where you just want to be engrossed in the fantasy world of your audiobook. A selection of exchangeable silicon ear tips (S, M, L) and stability bands help you avoid a loose fit for running after the bus. IPX4 splash- and sweat-resistance keeps your earbuds protected in case you get caught in the rain/take a run). And a battery life of six hours in the ‘buds plus three additional charges (24 hours) in the case means long flights are covered. 9mm dynamic drivers and Bluetooth 5.3 (supporting the SBC/AAC codecs) give you smooth tunes without forgoing all textured transitions.

In case a pair of cans is more your jam, Bose has those on sale, too. The QuietComfort II’s over-ear cousins, the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, are down to $279 from $329. If you’re looking for something that looks a little more sleek with the same powerful ANC capabilities, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are on sale for $299, down from $379. We took this particular pair to a hardcore show and were able to make a phone call—yet another testament to the power of Bose’s ANC tech.

These deals are part of the company’s Bose Week promotion, so grab them before the week ends. You can get more information on the sale at the Bose website.

Here are more audio deals to tune in to:

• Bose Smart Soundbar 900 $699 (Was $899)
• Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth Portable Speaker $129 (Was $149)
• SHOKZ OpenRun Mini $99.95 (Was $129.95)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds 2 Pro $177.99 (Was $229.99)
• SAMSUNG Galaxy Buds Live $69.99 (Was $149.99)
• JBL Bar 9.1 – Channel Soundbar System with Surround Speakers $699.95 (Was $1,199.95)
• Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones $278 (Was $349.99)
• Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones $348 (Was $399)
• Sony HT-A3000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar $498 (Was $699.99)
• Sony HT-A5000 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos Sound Bar $798 (Was $999.99)
• Sony HT-A7000 7.1.2ch 500W Dolby Atmos Sound Bar $998 (Was $1,399.99)
• Sony LinkBuds S Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds $128 (Was $199.99)
• Sony SRS-XG300 X-Series Wireless Portable-Bluetooth Party-Speaker $198 (Was $349)

The post Our favorite noise-cancelling Bose earbuds are $50 off on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Lava Colormax lamp		SEE IT	The Lava Colormax feels like an old-school lava lamp unearthed from the ’60s.
Best tall		Jambo 16-inch motion lamp		SEE IT	The Jambo 16-inch motion lamp is a retro space-age object d’art.
Best lava-lamp alternative		JBL Pulse 5 Bluetooth speaker		SEE IT	Trippy visuals are all well and good, but what’s a lava lamp without some psychedelic music? This portable waterproof Bluetooth speaker from JBL brings both together.

Our smartphones currently fill the role that humble lava lamps did back in the 1960s with hypnotic blobs of wax. People love to stare at glowing objects. While a solid half-century has passed since the lava lamp’s heyday, these iconic sources of illumination have maintained a level of kitsch that appeals to everyone from boomers who saw Pink Floyd back in ’72 to Zennials who just found the Classic Rock section of Spotify and won’t shut up about it. The best lava lamps are largely a matter of taste, but the selections on this list have everything you need to turn on and zone out for a few hours. 

• Best overall: Lava Colormax lamp
• Best tall: Jambo 16-inch motion lamp
• Best unique: Edier 16.5-inch Lava Lamp with Bluetooth speaker
• Best glass: Schylling Tricolor White and Clear 14.5-Inch Lava Lamp with Aluminum Base and Cap
• Best budget: Schylling Lamp Lava 2179 14.5-Inch
• Best lava-lamp alternative: JBL Pulse 5 Bluetooth speaker

How does a lava lamp work?

Look at a working lava lamp, and you’re witnessing an elegant example of a scientific concept called a convection current. The glass container holds a series of wax blobs suspended in a liquid like water or sometimes mineral oil. The wax and oil/water are immiscible, which means they won’t mix, similar to how oil and vinegar remain separated in a salad dressing bottle.

A simple light bulb sits below the glass enclosure and heats up the contents, but it does so unevenly. Wax sitting on the warm bottom of the jar heats up and becomes less dense, which causes it to travel to the top of the lamp. It cools down as it gets farther from the heat source, which causes it to contract and sink back down to the bottom—where it starts the process all over again. So, if someone calls your lava lamp “stoner decor,” casually inform them that it’s simply a shrine to the elegance of fluid dynamics.

How we picked the best lava lamps

We’re not going to pretend we’re lava lamp experts, but we did go out of our way actually to spend some time staring deeply into these colorful tubes. We chose models that were reliable, attractive, and, most importantly, affordable. In addition to our hands-on experience, we considered user impressions and spec comparisons to pick the best possible models. 

The best lava lamps: Reviews & recommendations

With the specs out of the way, it’s time to dive into our specific picks. As you’ll see, there’s not a ton of variety out there in terms of form factor and price ranges. You can find some extra features floating around if you want them, but again, we recommend you get something simple that you can appreciate for a while without getting bummed if it breaks. 

Best overall: Lava Colormax lamp

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Why it made the cut: It’s truly a classic lava lamp that won’t overwhelm your room with psychedelic nostalgia.

Specs 

• Height: 14.5 inches
• Wax color: White
• Liquid color: Clear
• Color source: Painted glass

Pros

• Classic tri-color design
• Sturdy base
• Easy-to-change 25-watt bulb

Cons 

• Design may be “a bit much” for some people

The Lava Colormax really gives you the classic lava lamp experience. The base, cap, and glass all sport a tri-colored design that would feel right at home in a retro-styled room or maybe the back of a conversion van with a dragon painted on the side of it. At 14.5-inches tall, it’s not overwhelmingly huge, and the 25-watt bulb makes it glow without bathing much of your room in light. I put it in the corner of our living room during our testing and found it less gaudy than I expected. It takes a solid two hours to really get the lava moving around inside the glass container, but that’s standard across pretty much every model we’ve tried. 

Because it gets its tint from paint on the outside of the glass, the colors look bright and vibrant. If you want something you can stare at after altering your mind, this will do the trick with aplomb.

Best tall: Jambo 16-inch motion lamp

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Why it made the cut: Make sure you get the big one if you want to make sure everyone who enters your house says, “Hey, is that a lava lamp?” 

Specs 

• Height: 16-inches
• Wax color: Green
• Liquid color: Blue and yellow
• Color source: Dye

Pros

• Stands out in a room
• Silver base has a vintage look
• Unique color combination

Cons 

• Colors may not be as vibrant as painted models

It looks a bit like a trippy missile, but this 16-inch lamp’s size helps it make a statement in a room. Green wax floats around in blue-ish liquid, which gives it a very sci-fi vibe. We know it’s wax in there but if you wanted to pretend it’s some kind of alien ooze, you could likely do so while still moderately sober. 

The wax and liquid inside the chamber contain the dye that gives the lamp its color, so you don’t have to worry about paint flaking off of the exterior. The silver base lets the actual lava part of the lamp take center stage without visually competing. It’s big and relatively cheap, so it’s hard to go wrong here.

Best unique: Edier 16.5-inch Lava Lamp with Bluetooth speaker

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Why it made the cut: One device provides your trippy music and visuals thanks to a built-in speaker and a Bluetooth connection.

Specs 

• Height: 16.5 inches
• Wax color: Orange
• Liquid color: Purple
• Color source: Dye

Pros

• Built-in Bluetooth speaker is good for kids
• Unique shape shirks the typical missile-shaped design
• Pleasant color combination

Cons 

• Speaker quality is as you’d expect (bad)

For just a little more money than you’d spend on a typical lava lamp, you can get this model with a Bluetooth speaker built directly into its base. Despite the 16.5-inch height, the speaker itself is relatively small, so manage your expectations when it comes to sound quality and volume. It has a basic Bluetooth connection that can be a bit finicky, but it’s perfectly capable of jamming out some Hendrix tunes if you don’t have anything more robust. 

The lava aspect of the lamp involves orange globs floating in purple goo, which provides a nice contrast. Despite a rather large light bulb, it’s not overly bright, giving off more of an ’80s feel than a ’60s vibe. You can turn on the light or the music by themselves or keep them both on at the same time. Pairing the Bluetooth is a little clunky since there’s only one switch onboard, rather than buttons or any kind of screen, but it’s hard to demand more for under $50 (plenty of the best budget Bluetooth speakers cost that, or more, sans trippy visuals).

Best glass: Schylling Tricolor White and Clear 14.5-Inch Lava Lamp with Aluminum Base and Cap

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Why it made the cut: Painted glass and a black base make this unique compared to its competition. 

Specs 

• Height: 14.5 inches
• Wax color: White
• Liquid color: Clear
• Color source: Painted glass

Pros

• Perfect if you want a lava lamp, but you aren’t a hippy
• Black base blends into the decor when it’s not turned on
• Vibrant red offset by white

Cons 

• Paint may rub off over time

Red, white, and clear bands adorn the outside of this 14.5-inch lava lamp. It sits on a black base, which makes the colors pop more than they would against a more colorful top and bottom. At 14.5 inches, it’s on the shorter side, which allows it to heat up relatively quickly, though that still means you’ll be waiting a couple of hours for it to reach full glob ballet mode. 

It offers a decidedly volcanic aesthetic that doesn’t seem as dated as some other models that throw off serious retro vibes. This is a solid choice for kids who don’t want something they will get sick of in a few weeks. It also has a very classic lava lamp shape despite its unique colors.

Best budget: Schylling Lamp Lava 2179 14.5-Inch

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Why it made the cut: Your kid wants a lava lamp, and you want one that won’t catch on fire but also doesn’t cost very much. 

Specs 

• Height: 14.5 inches
• Wax color: White
• Liquid color: Clear
• Color source: Painted glass

Pros

• Cheap
• Colorful

Cons 

• Simple in-line power switch

Maybe you want a white elephant gift, but you’re on a budget. Maybe your nephew once mentioned that he liked a Doors song, and that’s all the information you have about him. There are plenty of reasons to want a cheap lava lamp, and this 14.5-inch model fits the bill. 

It has a painted glass container that matches its metallic base and cap. It’s not too big and heats up relatively quickly (two hours or so) despite its tiny bulb. Did we mention that it’s cheap?

Best lava-lamp alternative: JBL Pulse 5 Bluetooth speaker

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Why it made the cut: When the vibe is heating up, but you don’t want to wait for the light show to warm up, the JBL Pulse 5’s 360-degree app-controlled ambiance is available at the press of a button.

Specs 

• Height: 8.5 inches
• Wax color: N/A
• Liquid color: N/A
• Color source: Customizable LED lights

Pros

• Durability (IP67 dustproof and waterproof enclosure)
• 12-hour battery life (USB-C charging)
• Expanded frequency response thanks to an expanded acoustic chamber/passive radiator for the woofer and an added tweeter
• Bluetooth 5.3 for improved signal stability
• Multiple speakers can be paired for bigger, brighter, bolder sights & sounds

Cons 

• Fingerprints and smudges are very visible on the exterior, so make sure to use the integrated rope strap
• While this speaker offers an alluringly lysergic light show, it doesn’t replicate the viscous visuals of a true lava lamp

The history of JBL stretches all the way back to the 1920s, and the company was releasing best-selling hi-fi loudspeakers in the late 1960s/early 1970s—so it knows a thing or two about reproducing trippy sounds. With the Pulse line of portable party speakers, JBL adds trippy visuals to the equation.

The translucent obelisk contains a 360-degree, nearly top-to-bottom surface backed by 140 LEDs—a decorative display only broken up by a logo on one side and a strip of buttons/ports on the opposite side. In addition, a ring-shaped halo projects downward onto the surface the speaker sits on. With the JBL Portable app, various vibrant themes can be selected/adjusted to visualize any style/speed of music with kaleidoscopic accompaniment.

Speaking of sonics, new design elements in this fifth iteration push even more air out from the upfiring 30W woofer, while a newly added 10W tweeter extends crisp treble to help balance the mid-lows. The Pulse 5 outputs a surprising bass volume for a compact Bluetooth party speaker, while maintaining clarity.

As a portable party speaker that can pulse to your playlist’s pace, JBL’s latest aurally and visually bright Bluetooth speaker is worth its $249 price tag. The cycling colors and elevating audio add momentum to the environment that a traditional lava lamp never can. At the same time, part of the appeal of a lava lamp is watching the groovy flow of all that mellow magma—an experience the JBL Pulse 5 can’t recreate. Of course, if you drop a lava lamp, you’ll be cleaning up a spill, while you can toss the IP67 Pulse 5 into a pool, and it will keep kicking like the best waterproof speakers.

Things to consider before buying one of the best lava lamps

We’ll be blunt: Lava lamps aren’t the most sophisticated ambient lighting you can add to your space. For that, you want a useful desk lamp or perhaps the best LED strips to give your room that Twitch streamer vibe. Lava lamps are largely a novelty, and you should keep that in mind when comparison shopping. There are a few things to consider before you decide on the best lava lamp for you, however. 

Height

Lava lamps typically stand between 12 inches and 2 feet tall. Obviously, you want something that fits in your space, but you’ll also want to consider how patient you are when you’re waiting for those globs to start their dance. Larger lamps contain more liquid, which requires more heat to get things moving. 

Most of the time, you’ll find that the height refers to the total height, so the actual glass area (which companies typically refer to as the “globe”) will be shorter than that. 

Color

The phrase “lava lamp” typically evokes an eclectic, psychedelic color pallet akin to what you’d find at that store in the mall that always smells like patchouli. That’s usually correct, but it’s not always the case. Some lava lamps embellish their look even more by adding glitter and other fun pollutants into the mixture to liven up the light show. Others tone it down a bit and give off more of an ’80s Art Deco vibe. None of them are particularly subtle, though, so if you’re looking for something to complement your Kanye-style all-white living quarters, maybe it’s time to get a regular lamp.

It’s worth paying attention to how the companies add the color to the lamp. Some add dye directly to the wax and liquid, while others use neutral substances inside and paint the outside of the container. Those painted on the outside may lose a bit of their luster after regular cleanings, but they’ll look more vivid in the meantime. 

Extra features

Again, these are novelties, so some models will pull out all the stops to keep you entertained and set themselves apart from a sea of similar products. Some play music or even rotate. Generally speaking, we recommend something simple because you might regret spending the extra cash on getting the fancier lava lamp once the novelty wears off.

FAQs

Final thoughts on the best lava lamps

• Best overall: Lava Colormax lamp
• Best tall: Jambo 16-inch motion lamp
• Best unique: Edier 16.5-inch Lava Lamp with Bluetooth speaker
• Best glass: Schylling Tricolor White and Clear 14.5-Inch Lava Lamp with Aluminum Base and Cap
• Best budget: Schylling Lamp Lava 2179 14.5-Inch
• Best lava-lamp alternative: JBL Pulse 5 Bluetooth speaker

While lava lamps may not be the classiest lighting solution to spruce up your home, they’re undeniably fun. When people come over, they’ll say, “Oh, cool, is that a lava lamp? I haven’t seen one of those in forever!” While you can get a ton of different styles, we recommend going with something classic and fun. Just don’t touch it once it’s on. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best lava lamps of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Monoprice 102747 12AWG Speaker Wire		SEE IT	A great option for thicker wire when you need something to travel longer distances.
Best for outdoors		GearIT 14AWG Outdoor Speaker Wire		SEE IT	A rugged casing makes this the best option for in-wall or outdoor installation.
Best value		AmazonBasics 16AWG Speaker Wire		SEE IT	An affordable option that won’t skimp on successful conduction.

Speaker wire doesn’t have to cost a fortune to deliver a $1 million sound. Even the most affordable interconnects can have your speakers pumping in no time. However, many speakers don’t come with wire, making shopping a necessity. So, whether you’re just getting ready to build your system or looking to expand your existing equipment, we’ll explain some of the jargon and guide you toward selecting the best speaker wires for crystal-clear audio.

• Best overall: Monoprice 102747 12AWG Speaker Wire
• Best for car audio: InstallGear 14 AWG Speaker Wire
• Best for home theater: MaxBrite 16 AWG Speaker Wire
• Best bi-wire: Monoprice Access Series 4-Conductor
• Best for outdoors: GearIT 14 AWG Outdoor Speaker Wire
• Best budget: AmazonBasics 16AWG Speaker Wire

How we chose the best speaker wires

To select the best speaker wires, we looked at wire material, gauge, and manufacturer to ensure reliability across the board. We looked at over 25 recommended brands, consulted research articles, and investigated first-hand user reviews, diving deep into the debate regarding the relationship between wire quality and price. We also looked at our personal stereo speakers and home theater systems, recommending wires we used to provide a personal touch. While it’s ultimately up to you to determine whether you hear a significant difference in audio quality using particular wires, each of our picks will provide a strong, sturdy connection for excellent sound. 

The best speaker wires: Reviews & Recommendations

There is much debate about whether expensive speaker wires perform significantly better than lower-priced models. The general consensus is no; listening tests and extensive research led by audio professionals agree that the quality of your speaker wire will likely be the same across the board. We recommend reaching for a speaker cable that is solidly in the middle of the pricing spectrum; the cheapest cable might not be built to last, while the most expensive cable may not improve the quality of your audio. Our recommendations let you save money for more critical pieces of gear that have a greater impact on your sound, such as amps/receivers, interfaces, and more. 

Best overall: Monoprice 102747 12AWG Speaker Wire

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Why it made the cut: The Monoprice 12-AWG cable is a safe, affordable option for at-home and professional systems. The thick gauge is sturdy, and the clear PVC jacket means you can easily identify polarity. 

Specs

• Length: 50 / 100 / 300 feet
• Gauge: 12 / 14 / 16 AWG available
• Wire Material: Oxygen-free copper 

Pros 

• Reputable brand
• Available in multiple lengths/gauges 
• Polarity indicator

Cons 

• Wire may need to be trimmed for at-home systems 
• Slightly more expensive than other mid-range models

This 12-gauge speaker wire is made from 99.95% pure oxygen-free bare copper that creates a low resistance pathway allowing signals to pass through easily. The jacket is made from transparent PVC, which lets you watch the copper wire to look out for any signs of damage and distinguish polarity. 

Best for car audio: InstallGear 14 AWG Speaker Wire

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Why it made the cut: InstallGear 14-gauge wire is thick enough to reduce resistance. It includes features to make installation easy, including a soft, colored jacket and the option for included connectors. 

Specs

• Length: 100 / 500 feet
• Gauge: 14 AWG
• Wire Material: Copper-clad aluminum 

Pros 

• Price 
• Flexible
• Colored jacket makes it easy to identify polarity 

Cons 

• CCA may be less conductive than other materials 
• No short length options 

This InstallGear speaker wire is particularly popular for car speaker systems but can also be used for home systems. The dual-colored jacket makes it easy to identify polarity, and it’s made from soft PVC, so it’s easy to maneuver under carpets, behind side panels, and through small openings (plus you can strip it quickly). You can also purchase InstallGear wires with banana plugs to simplify things even further. If blue and black aren’t for you, InstallGear also offers wires with different jackets so that you can choose your preferred color combination, including clear, solid white, and solid black options.  

Best for home theater: MaxBrite 16 AWG Speaker Wire

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Why it made the cut: The MaxBrite speaker wire comes with features we love, including markings every 2 feet of wire for straightforward measurements and a polarity indicator. 

Specs 

• Length: 50 / 100 / 200 feet
• Gauge: 16 AWG
• Wire Material: Oxygen-free copper 

Pros 

• UL Safety Certified 
• 200-ft length option
• Markings every 2 feet

Cons 

• Not available in lengths greater than 200 feet

This thin, 16-gauge wire is an excellent option for low-impedance speakers and shorter cable runs, like from a receiver to the front stereo and satellite speakers around the TV in a cozy, comfy living room. The OFC conductors are compatible with most available connectors and a visible red stripe helps to indicate polarity. There is a sequential marker every 2 feet, so you can more easily measure out the necessary length. Additionally, this wire is UL safety certified for home and commercial use.  

Best bi-wire: Monoprice Access Series 4-Conductor

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Why it made the cut: This Monoprice cable is a reliable four-conductor speaker wire for additional connectivity made from quality oxygen-free copper. 

Specs

• Length: 100 / 250 feet
• Gauge: 12 / 14 / 16 / 18 AWG
• Wire Material: Oxygen-free copper 

Pros 

• Multiple gauge options 
• Highly rated 
• Four conductors 

Cons 

• Expensive
• Shorter cable lengths are unavailable

Where the other products listed here have two conductors for a one-to-one connection, this wire contains twice as many. Additional conductors can be used for bi-amping, a feature in some speakers that separately power drivers dedicated to specific frequencies. The Monoprice bi-wire organizes four colored conductors encased in a white, CL2-rated PVC jacket, allowing you to link the dedicated high- and low-frequency amplifiers with your speaker while only stringing one length.

Best for outdoors: GearIT 14 AWG Outdoor Speaker Wire

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Why it made the cut: This GearIT wire is our top selection for outdoor use because it has a UL CL3 rating and is approved for direct burial. 

Specs

• Length: 50 / 100 / 250 / 500 feet
• Gauge: 10 / 12 / 14 / 16 AWG
• Wire Material: Oxygen-free copper 

Pros 

• Multiple gauge options 
• CL3 Rating
• Durable 

Cons 

• A little pricey
• Sheathing can be challenging to cut

If you want to run your speaker wires underground, you’ll need a wire designed for direct burial to keep you and your connection safe. This wire from GearIT does just that, with an extra black, UV-resistant PVC jacket to keep things secure. This outer jacket also has sequential markings every foot for more accurate measurement approximations. Each wire has a color-coded jack inside the outer layer for polarity identification. This wire is also approved for in-wall installation and pairs easily with most connectors. 

Best budget: AmazonBasics 16AWG Speaker Wire

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Why it made the cut: The AmazonBasics speaker wire is an excellent budget-friendly option with glowing reviews that espouse its functionality. While it may not be top-of-the-line or feature pure copper, it will get the job done for at-home systems. 

Specs

• Length: 100 feet
• Gauge: 16 AWG
• Wire Material: Copper-Clad Aluminum

Pros 

• Inexpensive
• Highly rated 
• Flexible

Cons 

• Polarity can be harder to identify

If you are putting together a home system and don’t care to weigh in on the CCA versus OFC material debate, then going with this affordable option won’t lead you astray. This 16-gauge wire is wrapped in a clear plastic jacket, with a white line down one side to indicate polarity. While this pick isn’t as visible as color-coded jackets, you’ll still be able to tell how to establish each channel’s symmetry between amp and speaker. It’s compatible with almost any connector and is neatly wrapped around a plastic dispenser. 

Things to consider before buying speaker wire

There are a seemingly infinite number of speaker wires to choose from, but the reality is that when connecting most speakers, most wires are fairly similar. To select the right speaker wire for you, it’s essential to consider and understand the language manufacturers will use to describe them. We’ll walk you through terms like impedance, gauge, and resistance to help you select from our recommendations. 

Function and material

Speaker wire connects speakers to AV receivers and discrete amplifiers and links individual speakers together to deliver the electrical current signal for an accurate, energetic sound. While we refer to a speaker wire as a singular thing, there are actually two independently sheathed conductors (minimum) that connect every speaker. These separate positive and negative strands are typically marked in some way to indicate audio signal polarity so they can properly match the same terminals—designated by + and – or typically colored red and black—on both your amp and speaker. This assures they transmit/receive the correct voltage. 

Standard speaker wires are generally made from copper, copper-clad aluminum (CCA), and oxygen-free copper. The differences are relatively minute; CCA is cheaper with slightly higher resistance, while oxygen-free options come in several grades that suggest higher conductivity or durability. Silver and gold wires are also available, though the difference in efficacy is, once again, minimal. While there can be subtle differences in sound—silver (or silver-plated copper) wire may convey a tighter treble and gold a rounder, warmer lower range—the nuances aren’t worth the increased cost except in the most high-end, specifically tuned systems. Speaker wire is often insulated by plastic like Teflon or PVC. However, some wires are sheathed in rubber (clear casings let you see the red/black polarity, typically indicated on the connectors of a preconstructed wire). 

Resistance 

A speaker wire’s resistance is the most important specification when shopping. Low resistance allows the wire to energize more of the amplifier’s power to activate the speaker’s voice coil, which is wiring underneath the driver that produces a magnetic field when introduced to electricity, moving the speaker’s cone when introduced to a waveform. (If you’re interested in exactly what makes up a speaker, check out our primer.) In simplest terms, more signal equals cleaner, clearer sound.

A few factors can affect a wire’s resistance, including length, thickness, and impedance. Impedance is often listed in speaker product descriptions, measured in ohms (typically 4, 6, or 8). While you don’t necessarily need to understand the science behind impedance other than to know you should make sure the ohms of your amp/receiver and speakers correspond, know that the lower the impedance, the more critical it is to seek out a low resistance in your wire. 

Gauge 

A major difference between speaker wires is gauge, or diameter, also called thickness; the lower the gauge number, the thicker the wire. Measurements are based on the American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard, and you can find 12-, 14-, 16-, and 18-gauge speaker wire, 12 being the thickest. Generally, thicker wires reduce resistance but are only necessary for certain situations. If you have 8-ohm speakers and under 50 feet of cable run to the amplifier, you don’t need a wire thicker than 16 gauge. If you need to cover a great distance or have low-impedance speakers, a thicker 12- or 14-gauge wire will lower resistance and make for a more stable, consistent conduit. If you’re unsure what gauge you need, it is safer to use a thicker option to avoid sound degradation.  

Connectors and wire type 

Speaker wires can come with or without connectors; it’s up to you to decide whether to purchase a package or get a raw wire spool and separately select your own termination. (And if you’re doing that, don’t forget to get a wire stripper/cutter.) A banana plug is best if your speaker has a binding post (circular sockets), but you’ll need a pin connector for a spring clip terminal (square clips that slide up and clamp down on the wire). You can use bare wires for either connection, but they can be a bit of a pain to control.

You don’t need to worry about wire type if you are running speaker wire between bookshelf speakers or studio monitors, for instance. To run wire inside your walls—if, say, you’re building a home studio from the ground up—look for a unit rated CL2 or CL3. If you are running wire outside and/or underground, look for a wire rated for “direct burial.” 

FAQs

Final thoughts on picking the best speaker wires

• Best overall: Monoprice 102747 12AWG Speaker Wire
• Best for car audio: InstallGear 14 AWG Speaker Wire
• Best for home theater: MaxBrite 16 AWG Speaker Wire
• Best bi-wire: Monoprice Access Series 4-Conductor 
• Best for outdoors: GearIT 14 AWG Outdoor Speaker Wire
• Best budget: AmazonBasics 16AWG Speaker Wire

The best speaker wire will efficiently connect your system, deliver the appropriate amount of electricity, and aid in accurate audio reproduction. While there are many cables out there, in most situations, it’s important to remember not to overthink this purchase and go with a mid-range option that will suit the needs of your amp and speakers. The wire should maybe be 5% to 10% of your system’s budget. Of course, if you’re an audiophile ready to test the limits of each type of wire, it might be worth it to conduct a test of your own with higher-end materials; however, many of us won’t notice the difference between premium speaker wires and more affordable options as much as we’ll notice the difference between music and no music. Just ensure you understand the proper length you need, line up your terminals and polarities correctly, and you’ll be ready to pump up the jams in no time. 

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best speaker wires for 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Fall may be imminent, but summer is still in full swing and a great speaker will make you a better party host wherever you are. Plus, a new pair of headphones can help you enjoy your favorite tunes when nobody’s around. Right now, you can score deep discounts on headphones and speakers from JBL, Sony, and Jabra at Amazon, and we found the best deals of the bunch.

Sony SRS-XG500 $328 (Was $499)

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You still have plenty of time to get outside and enjoy some great music while you grill, play pickleball, or just lay in the sun like a lizard. And Sony’s SRS-XG500 is the Rolls-Royce of portable Bluetooth speakers, available now at a Honda price thanks to a $171 discount on Amazon. This party speaker can jam for up to 30 hours on a single charge. Programmable LEDs around its drivers pulse along with your music to create a cool visual element. And an IP66 durability rating ensures that it’s virtually impervious to damage from dust and water. The chunky integrated handle makes it easier to carry—the speaker still weighs 12.3 pounds, so be mindful of that if you’re planning on taking it a long distance.

The SRS-XG500’s huge integrated battery can also double as a portable power bank (courtesy of two USB-A ports on the back). When you’re not charging gadgets, you can plug in a flash drive into one of those inputs to play digital audio files. You can even use the SRS-XG500 as a karaoke machine thanks to a 1/4-inch audio input. While the speaker will sound excellent on your own, you can pair it with other Sony speakers using the Party Connect feature, which will play the same music in multiple places. It’s an investment, but Sony’s SRS-XG500 is worth it—especially at this price.

Other good-sounding deals:

• JBL Vibe 200TWS, $29.95 (Was $49.95)
• JBL Flip 6, $89.95 (Was $129.95)
• Jabra Elite 7, $109.99 (Was $179.99)
• Jabra Elite 4, $69.99 (Was $99.99)
• Sony SRS-XB13, $34.99 (Was $59.99)
• JBL Tune 510BT, $34.99 (Was $49.95)
• Sony WH-CH720N, $98 (Was $149.99)

Want to come back inside to clean floors? Pick up a Roomba j7+ self-emptying robot vacuum while it’s available for just $529 (normally $799), just one of several iRobot limited-time deals.

The post Save on JBL, Jabra, and Sony headphones and speakers on Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Best overall		Roku Streambar Pro		SEE IT	An expandable system, the Roku Streambar Pro can pair with optional wireless speakers and brings the built-in bonus of access to 4K/HDR streaming services.
Best all-in-one		TCL Alto 8		SEE IT	An affordable soundbar that integrates dedicated subwoofers and Dolby Atmos support in a slim package.
Best budget		Roku Streambar		SEE IT	A straightforward soundbar with excellent, customizable audio and an included wireless subwoofer to bring the boom.

If you find yourself straining to hear the rapid-fire dialogue in the latest Sorkin film or feel Howard Shore’s “Lord of the Rings” score lacks a little luster, it might be time to invest in a soundbar under $200. Soundbars bypass underwhelming built-in TV speakers to deliver well-defined, wholly enthralling audio, a simple way to improve your setup. While you may be unable to immerse yourself in the latest spatial audio formats and streaming services that a more expensive model provides, a new soundbar is still a budget-friendly way to increase clarity, volume, and soundstage around your TV. If you’re done settling for mediocre sound, our selection of the best soundbars under $200 can help you strike the right balance between price and functionality so you can reap the eternal rewards of better home audio that fits your budget.

• Best overall: Roku Streambar Pro
• Best compact: Bose Solo 5
• Best all-in-one: TCL Alto 8
• Best with subwoofer: Samsung HW-A450
• Best budget: Roku Streambar

How we chose the best soundbars under $200

We specifically looked at the number of channels provided, frequency response range, connectivity, and expandability to inform picks that increase your experience without exceeding your budget. We consulted other experts, read first-hand user impressions, and looked at some of the soundbars in our homes to whittle down our list of models that let you venture into the world of soundbars affordably. 

The best soundbars under $200: Reviews & Recommendations

When recommending affordable technology, we focus on whether or not the product shines when it comes to basic functions rather than on special features or fancy design. Is that budget-friendly portable Bluetooth speaker actually waterproof? Does that cheap gaming monitor have a reasonable refresh rate? Will even the best soundbars under $200 truly sound better than a built-in TV speaker? The answer to that last one, at least, is yes.

Best overall: Roku Streambar Pro

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Why it made the cut: The Streambar Pro is a great way to expand lackluster TV audio into 2.1, 3.1, even 5.1 as budget allows, with the added bonus of being a streaming device.  

Specs

• Dimensions: 32.2 x 3.9 x 2.8 inches 
• Channels: 2.0
• Connectivity: HDMI ARC, Bluetooth, Optical, Wi-Fi, AirPlay

Pros 

• Very affordable
• Built-in 4K/HDR Roku streaming device
• Voice control, plus AirPlay and HomeKit compatible 
• Expandable with standalone speakers and a subwoofer

Cons 

• Dialog isn’t as clear as with higher-end models
• Just OK bass performance will make you want to buy the subwoofer

As a stand-alone soundbar, the Roku Streambar Pro already punches above its price tag. Four 2.5-inch drivers inside the 32-inch bar create a full, clear sound worthy of Michael Bay marathons. Dolby Audio support provides simulated surround sound effects, and it’s extremely easy to set up via HDMI. 

The Streambar Pro’s talents go beyond its out-of-the-box performance. The device includes a full-featured 4K/HDR Roku streaming device to handle all your streaming needs, providing access to apps including Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, Youtube, Amazon Prime, and more (making it one of our favorite streaming devices). Plus, it seamlessly integrates with Roku’s Wireless Subwoofer and/or Wireless Speakers to make a true 3.1 or even 5.1 system with just a few minutes of automated setup. That makes the Streambar Pro a great starter soundbar for people who want to expand their system later without having to worry about compatibility. Don’t worry, though. Just because the soundbar is designed by Roku doesn’t mean it needs to pair with a Roku TV; it’s compatible with any 4K/1080p television that has HDMI ARC or optical outputs. The Streambar Pro works with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant and is also compatible with AirPlay so that you can share photos, videos, and music from your Apple device. Bluetooth 4.2 rounds out the streaming options.

Its performance isn’t perfect. More expensive models will provide slightly clearer dialogue and deeper bass without a sub. Still, the Streambar Pro is a champ when it comes to versatility and affordability (there are sound modes to add a Bass Boost or Speech Clarity, as well as a volume-leveling Night Mode). You can also toggle the Virtual Surround mode on/off). We also appreciated the upgraded Roku remote, which includes several dedicated streaming app buttons for services like Netflix, as well as voice controls and a built-in headphone jack for solitary stream sessions.

Best compact: Bose Solo 5

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Why it made the cut: Bose’s Solo 5 is a small, inexpensive soundbar that can still pack a punch.

Specs 

• Dimensions: 21.6 x 2.6 x 3.4 inches
• Channels: 2.0
• Connectivity: Optical, coaxial, AUX, USB, Bluetooth

Pros 

• Compact design
• Dialogue enhancement mode
• Bluetooth support.

Cons 

• No HDMI port

Bose’s Solo 5 is a great soundbar for those who want to experience better sound but don’t have enough space for a multichannel audio system or subwoofer. The soundbar has a pair of front-firing woofers so that sound will be directed straight at you. It doesn’t support Dolby Atmos, but the combination of its driver orientation and dialogue enhancement mode means the Solo 5 should offer excellent performance when watching TV shows or movies.

It may not support Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, and other surround sound formats, but that’s to be expected from a soundbar just over 21 inches wide. The truth is these compromises are necessary in a soundbar this narrow, but the Solo 5’s small size is its biggest strength. This is your best option if you’ve been putting off getting a speaker system due to space and budgetary constraints. When it comes to connectivity, however, the Solo 5 is a mixed bag.

On the one hand, the soundbar supports Bluetooth, which is great if your TV is located in a centralized location and you’d like to listen to music. On the other hand, this is the only soundbar we’re recommending without an HDMI port. You can still easily connect it to your TV using an optical, coaxial, or AUX cable, but we’ve always found HDMI to offer the best performance in terms of both audio and reliability. This won’t make a big difference once you’ve set the soundbar up, but it’s a limitation you should be aware of.

If your soundbar needs are basic, and you’re looking for a slim option under $200, the Bose Solo 5 deserves your undivided attention. If you can extend your budget by about $80—and spare an extra couple of inches of media center space—Bose’s TV Speaker offers HDMI connectivity and better audio performance.

Best all-in-one: TCL Alto 8

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Why it made the cut: The TCL Alto 8 is one of the few soundbars that includes subwoofers and supports Dolby Atmos for under $200. 

Specs 

• Dimensions: 39.4 x 2.6 x 5 inches
• Channels: 2.1
• Connectivity: HDMI, HDMI ARC, Aux, Bluetooth, Optical, USB, Airplay 2

Pros 

• Dolby Atmos support
• Built-in subwoofers
• Wall mountable 

Cons 

• Minimal sound enhancement features 

The TCL Alto 8 is a 2.1-channel system with built-in dual subwoofers, bass/treble calibration, and front-firing drivers to support powerful, immersive audio. Its three EQ presets—TCL calls these specialized sound modes—include Music, Movie, and TV to enhance your listening experience across different programs. One of the Alto 8’s key features is its built-in subwoofers, which will deliver better low-end response without needing a separate speaker. The bass performance won’t be as thunderous, but it will be a valuable upgrade from your TV’s built-in speakers. 

The Alto 8’s claim to fame is providing the necessary technology to process Dolby Atmos content via HDMI ARC. While this doesn’t mean this soundbar can deliver magic in the form of hyper-detailed, spatialized audio from just 2.1 channels, it can process Atmos content with additional immersive support from Dolby Virtual Surround mode. Alongside HDMI ARC, you can utilize optical audio, Full HDMI In, Aux, USB, HDMI Out, Airplay 2, and Bluetooth to connect; it is also equipped to passthrough all relevant 4K bandwidth signals with Dolby Vision high dynamic range. It even supports Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant, so you can adjust its settings using your voice.

Finally, the Alto 8’s small-but-mighty gamechanger comes in the form of wall-mounting holes with openings for power and inputs. Unlike many other budget-friendly soundbars, this unit doesn’t have to take up any console or credenza space. This is especially helpful if you’ve wall mounted your TV since your setup will look cleaner with the soundbar seemingly hovering beneath the set.

Best with subwoofer: Samsung HW-A450

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Why it made the cut: What the Samsung HW-A450 lacks in HDMI ports it makes up for in EQ customization and sound quality, particularly for binge-watching your favorite television shows 

Specs

• Dimensions: 33.9 x 2.1 x 3.0 inches
• Channels: 2.1
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Optical, USB

Pros 

• Graphic EQ
• Sound Quality
• Wireless sub
• Expandable

Cons 

• No HDMI ports 

The A450 is a cut above the rest when it comes to bringing to life the rumble of movies, shows, and games. While it’s true that this model does not include any HDMI ports—meaning it cannot support Dolby Atmos, nor can it be used as a hub between different devices—an optical connection can support Dolby Digital and DTS audio (though any surround sound content will be downmixed, true for any 2.1-channel system). What it does include, however, is a wireless subwoofer that gives all content a boost. If you want to experience 5.1 surround sound, optional rear speakers with wireless connectivity are available.

Bluetooth support also means you can easily stream additional content. With a frequency response of 40Hz – 20kHz and a 93 dB SPL, this soundbar supports clean audio, an impressive dynamic range, and a neutral profile that you can customize. Graphic EQ and adjustable bass/treble allow you to customize your listening experience or choose from five EQ presets, including Game, Standard, Surround Sound, Bass Boost, and Adaptive Sound, enhancing dialogue while implementing background music equalization and volume control. You can access these settings via the included remote, which is not universal but does include a “One Remote” feature that will allow you to control compatible Samsung TVs. 

Best budget: Roku Streambar

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Why it made the cut: For under $100, the Roku Streambar is a functional way to improve audio on a budget.

Specs 

• Dimensions: 14 x 2.4 x 4.2 inches 
• Channels: 2.0
• Connectivity: HDMI ARC, Bluetooth, Optical, Wi-Fi, AirPlay

Pros 

• AirPlay and WiFi compatible 
• Integrated Roku player
• Extremely compact

Cons 

• Bass is lacking 
• Volume is a bit limited

Not much larger than some burrito-sized Bluetooth speakers, like the JBL Charge 5, the Roku Streambar is an affordable way to enhance audio and access special features. With a tested frequency response of 93Hz-17kHz, the Streambar is ideal for watching television shows or streaming other dialogue-based programs, like podcasts or audiobooks. This soundbar can get quite loud despite its small stature, delivering a powerful sound from four 1.9-inch full-range drivers. As we’ve mentioned before in Bluetooth speaker reviews, size can impact sound, and it’s unreasonable to expect such small units to deliver heart-pounding bass. However, if you can expand, you can upgrade the Streambar by adding a wireless subwoofer or satellite speakers. 

Connectivity options include optical audio, HDMI ARC, USB, Bluetooth, WiFi, and Apple AirPlay. Even if your television doesn’t have an HDMI input port, you can use the Streambar’s built-in Roku source to access streaming features and apps like Netflix and Hulu. EQ presets include Normal, Bass Reduction, Bass Off, and Bass Boost. You can also access Volume Mode settings, including Leveling and Night Mode, to wrangle raucous commercials and keep things quiet in the evenings. Speech Clarity can help isolate voices, and you can choose from Off, Low, and High settings depending on your needs and taste. 

What to consider when buying a soundbar under $200

From the width of your television to the width of the audio’s frequency range, where are our thoughts on how to approach picking your best soundbar.

Size and space

A good rule of thumb is never to purchase a soundbar that is longer than your television. Try to stick to the screen size as a guide even if you have a smaller TV; many soundbars (like the Roku Streambar) measure well under 18 inches. Your soundbar should sit directly underneath the screen or, if it’s mountable, it can be placed a few inches directly above. Suppose you move the soundbar too far above or below. In that case, you’ll risk messing with directionality, and you might not have an enjoyable experience watching the screen in front of you while hearing dialogue coming from somewhere else. 

You have a little more flexibility when it comes to additional units, like a subwoofer or satellite speakers. Feel free to test out a few different locations based on room dynamics. Still, generally speaking, most listeners place their subwoofers at the front of the room or in a corner to the side of the television and facing viewers. Just leave roughly 6 inches between the sub and the wall. One option for satellite speaker placement is to mount them behind viewers, close to ear level for enhanced surround sound. If you don’t have the room or equipment for that, you can place them next to the soundbar to widen the soundstage. 

Audio channels

When it comes to understanding soundbar specs, the first numbers you’ll encounter will be available audio channels. The best soundbars under $200 will typically offer stereo sound—this means an independent left and right channel, also called a 2.0-channel system. Some 2.0 bars will utilize drivers to create what’s known as a phantom center that virtually creates the illusion of a sound source coming from the middle of a pair of stereo speakers. You may also find an affordable 2.1-channel soundbar, and that .1 indicates it will dedicate speakers solely to bass—either passive radiators or woofers in the main bar or an additional, standalone subwoofer. If you’re willing to spend a little more, consider selecting a 3.1-channel system that will incorporate a left, right, and dedicated center channel alongside the additional sub. 

If you think you’ll want to experience more from your home system at some point, make sure you choose a soundbar that you can add to, like the Samsung HW-A450. That way, you’ll be able to experience 5.1 surround sound, which employs the left, right, and center channels, one subwoofer, and two additional speakers that act as surrounds, rears, or front fills for an even more immersive experience. This is really the way to go if you want to experience Dolby Atmos or DTS audio, which is downmixed by 2.0- and 2.1-channel systems.

Making (sound)waves

Speaking of specs, here are a few other numbers and phrases you can look for to suss out your prospective soundbars: 

Frequency Response

Measured in hertz and kilohertz, this range lets you know the range of frequencies (lows, mids, and highs) the physical parts of speakers will support. You will commonly see a 20Hz – 20kHz range, the limit of human hearing for both highs and lows. This is certainly an ideal range; however, just because the model boasts a wide range doesn’t mean it won’t suffer from dips and peaks around specific frequencies. Most budget-friendly soundbars don’t have the room or power to support frequencies lower than 30Hz to 40Hz, which is why a 2.1-channel system with a separate sub can make a difference. For an in-depth understanding of the speaker’s success at accurately reproducing audio, you can take a look at a frequency response graph for the product, often created with third-party audio testing. (If you want to know more about how sound waves work, check out our primer.)

Sound Pressure Level

Sound Pressure Level (SPL) essentially measures how loud the soundbar can get and is measured in decibels (dB). Generally, 100 dB is the loudest you’ll want to go, and we’d be surprised if you even enjoyed listening at this level (it’s akin to a jet plane flying directly overhead). Most soundbars max out close to 95 dB, and that’s plenty of volume for music listening, binge-watching TV, or immersing yourself in a John Williams “Star Wars” score.

Tuning

When it comes to home audio, customization is key. Every room is different; furniture, surfaces, room size, and more each impact your sound, which is why tuning is key to keeping things sounding good. High wattage mixed with manufacturer-designed tuning can help you listen at loud volumes without distortion, ringing, or over-compression. Tuning requires equalization, which lets you cut and boost specific frequencies to improve clarity and control noise. Some soundbars will come with “EQ Presets” that often include certain modes designed to support specific content, like music, dialogue, movies, etc. An even better soundbar will include graphic EQ or controllable bass and treble so that you can make the adjustments you want based on your space and preferences.

Connectivity

Most soundbars currently on the market have multiple options for connectivity—the most popular being HDMI cables. Before buying a new soundbar, it’s important to understand your television’s connectivity capabilities so that you can ensure easy setup upon arrival. 

HDMI, or High Definition Multimedia Interface, ports are a readily available way to transmit audio and visual information between a television and an external unit, like an A/V receiver or soundbar. When HDMI transmission first hit the scene, you needed one HDMI port and cable to send video and another to support audio. With this in mind, if your TV was made before 2009, it will likely need a soundbar with an optical digital audio port too. Televisions made after 2009 can still utilize optical audio connections if the soundbar you’re looking at doesn’t support HDMI. 

Post-2009, HDMI (e)ARC connections were made available, eliminating the need for a secondary cable creating a more efficient connection. HDMI ARC transmission is what most affordable soundbars rely on and is suitable for many TVs. Note that HDMI ARC can support Dolby Atmos, but an eARC connection through an HDMI 2.1 port/compatible cable is strongly preferred and you will need that eARC support for full Atmos audio encoded with uncompressed Dolby TrueHD audio. Unfortunately, a soundbar under $200 rarely has an eARC port, so even if it supports Dolby Atmos, you’ll need to upgrade if you want to access higher-quality surround sound. An HDMI output port allows you to simultaneously connect gaming consoles and Blu-ray players to your TV and soundbar.

Many soundbars on the market will also offer Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity so you can link to other devices, like your smartphone or laptop, and stream podcasts, audiobooks, or music. Some even offer AirPlay, built-in Chromecast, or Alexa for enhanced connectivity and control. 

Dolby Audio

Dolby Digital is an audio codec that produces high-quality sound across a 5.1-channel scheme. It helps create immersive surround sound and has been used in film and television since 1992. You don’t need a 5.1 system to process Dolby Digital; a 2.1 system can process the audio by mixing down the signal formatting it to fit the soundbar’s channel configuration. You won’t get the full effect, but you won’t run into any streaming problems. 

A step up from Dolby Digital is Dolby Atmos—a surround sound technology designed to create a realistic listening experience that puts you inside whatever movie you’re watching, video game you’re playing, or, in the case of Apple Music, the song you’re listening to. Atmos can process over a hundred sonic “objects,” assigning them not just channels but also heights to make it sound like arrows are raining down, bullets are whizzing past your ears, planes are flying directly overhead, doors are slamming shut right over your shoulder, etc. While true immersion is difficult to produce from a 2.0- or 2.1-channel system, Dolby Atmos-equipped soundbars are designed to process the audio and create a more immersive viewing experience through either physical surround speakers or virtualization that reflects sounds off the ceiling and walls. 

DTS:X, a multidimensional audio codec, can be considered Dolby Atmos’ competitor. Most soundbars under $200 do not support DTS:X but might employ DTS Virtual:X, which attempts to mimic multispeaker surround sound using digital signal processing that simulates directionality and creates a larger, more detailed soundstage impacting music, dialogue, and SFX alike. 

Finding an inexpensive soundbar that supports well-developed surround sound technologies like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X can be difficult without expanding your budget closer to the best soundbars under $500 (or well beyond). So, if you are looking for a mind-blowing 3D audio experience, consider saving a little bit more so you can invest in the necessary technology.

FAQs

Final thoughts on choosing the best soundbars under $200 for you

• Best overall: Roku Streambar Pro
• Best compact: Bose Solo 5
• Best all-in-one: TCL Alto 8
• Best with subwoofer: Samsung HW-A450
• Best budget: Roku Streambar

Upgrading your home theater’s audio doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. With your expectations in the right place, you can easily find a soundbar under $200 that will enhance and improve your favorite movies and shows. Before you buy, consider the size of your television, desired connectivity options, and dealbreaker special features you know you need. From there, turn toward the future to try and anticipate whether or not you’ll want to expand your system to include more speakers for a better experience with DTS:X or Dolby Atmos audio. No matter what, securing a budget-friendly soundbar will instantly up the enjoyment of your at-home viewing.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post The best soundbars under $200 of 2023 appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

It’s summer, and you’re probably spending tons of time outside right now. And that’s great. But cold weather will be here before you know it, and it’ll be time to curl up in front of the TV to consume some content. Be ready when that time comes, thanks to Amazon’s current sale on LG OLED TVs, projectors, and sound systems. These aren’t the basic models you find on sale during Black Friday. This is the good stuff. Here’s what Amazon has for cheap at the moment:

LG C3 Series 65-Inch Class OLED evo 4K Processor Smart Flat Screen TV $1,995 (was $2,599)

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Simply put, this is one of the best TVs you can buy at the moment. You don’t need a qualifier. It’s literally about as good as you can get. The C-series OLEDs have been fantastic for several years now, and the C3 is no exception. You get 4K resolution and a native 120Hz refresh rate. Plus, LG’s integrated brightness boosting technology makes its evo panels up to 70 percent brighter than a typical OLED. It supports the most popular technologies for variable refresh rate, works with the most popular flavors of HDR, and comes toting a powerful image processor that can upscale non-4K footage to make it look great. Yes, there are much cheaper TVs, but this is the lowest price we’ve seen on the best.

More LG TV deals

• LG C3 Series 77-Inch Class OLED evo Smart TV $2,599 (was $3,599)
• LG QNED80 Series 65-Inch Class QNED Mini LED Smart TV $996 (was $1,299)
• LG B3 Series 65-Inch Class OLED Smart TV OLED65B3PUA, 2023 – AI-Powered 4K TV $1,896 (was $2,399)
• LG QNED85 Series 86-Inch Class QNED Mini-LED Smart TV $2,496 (was $2,696)
• LG B3 Series 77-Inch Class OLED Smart TV $2,696 (was $3,250)
• LG 55-Inch Class OLED Objet Collection Posé Series Smart TV $1,696 (was $1,999)

LG S75Q 3.1.2ch Soundbar $296 (was $599)

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A soundbar with a subwoofer represents one of the simplest possible ways to upgrade your TV’s audio. This kit comes with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatibility so it offers impressive surround performance right out of the box. It offers eARC support and 4K pass-through via HDMI, so you can set it up quickly and easily, then control everything with one remote. This is the lowest price we have seen on this system, which retails for twice as much.

LG projector deals

• LG HF65LA 100” Full HD (1920 x 1080) Home Theater CineBeam Ultra Short Throw Projector $896 (was $1,097)
• LG CineBeam UHD 4K Projector HU715QW – DLP Ultra Short Throw Laser Smart Home Theater Projector $1,996 (was $2,999)
• LG CineBeam UHD 4K Projector HU70LA – DLP Home Theater Smart Projector $1,196 (was $1,499)
• LG HU85LA Ultra Short Throw 4K UHD Laser Smart Home Theater Cinebeam Projector $2,996 (was $4,999)
• LG HU915QE Ultra Short Throw 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 3Ch Laser Smart Homer Theater CineBeam Projector $3,501 (was $5,999)
• LG CineBeam Home Cinema PU700R 4K UHD Smart Projector $1,296 (was $1,599)

The post Upgrade your home theater with Amazon deals on LG OLED TVs, projectors, and speakers appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

August’s back-to-school rush makes it a beautiful time for those looking for great-sounding deals. If you’re hankering for some new earbuds to make the walk to an 8 a.m. biology lecture more joyful—or you’re a parent that wants to listen to podcasts while waiting for afterschool activities to end—Amazon has you covered with 25% off personal audio products from 1MORE, Anker, Sony, and more.

1MORE PistonBuds Pro Hybrid Active Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds $49.99 (Was $69.99)

SEE IT

The 1MORE PistonBuds Pro Hybrid Active Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds are 27% off on Amazon, and their impressive features punch above their price point. They include hybrid active noise canceling tech that cancels up to 38 dB of sound. A 10-millimeter dynamic driver gives you bright vocals, well-balanced outputs, and clarity across frequency ranges, while the AAC Bluetooth codec allows premium sound on iOS devices. Twelve studio-grade EQ settings made by Sonarworks give you sound recommended by 45 Grammy sound engineers for genre-specific listening. Calls are also clear thanks to four microphones and built-in deep learning AI. They’re also available on the 1MORE website for the same price.

Here are other 1MORE you can grab before the deal ends Aug. 20:

• 1MORE Aero Wireless Earbuds $82.49 (Was $109.99)
• 1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $85.50 (Was $99.99)
• 1MORE Omthing AirFree Buds $29.99 (Was $39.99)
• 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds $80 (Was $99.99)
• 1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $85.50 (Was $99.99)
• 1MORE PistonBuds Bluetooth Headphones $24.99 (Was $39.99)
• 1MORE Quad Driver in-Ear Earphones Hi-Res High Fidelity Headphones $99 (Was $129.99)
• 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Earphones Hi-Res Headphones $54.99 (Was $68.59)
• 1MORE Piston Fit in-Ear Earphones $11.99 (Was $19.99)
• 1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $85.50 (Was $99.99)

Here are more headphones, earbuds, and speakers on sale at Amazon:

• Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Headphones, Over-Ear Headphones $279 (Was $329)
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II $249 (Was $299)
• Sony WH-XB910N Noise Cancelling Headphones $148 (Was $249)
• Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless Noise Canceling in-Ear Bluetooth Earbud Headphones $98 (Was $119.99)
• Sony-INZONE H7 Wireless Gaming Headset $148 (Was $229.99)
• Sony-INZONE H9 Wireless Noise Canceling Gaming Headset $248 (Was $299.99)
• Sony-INZONE H3 Wired Gaming Headset $78 (Was $99.99)
• Sony SRS-XB100 Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker $48 (Was $59.99)
• Sony SRS-XG300 X-Series Wireless Portable-Bluetooth Party-Speaker $198 (Was $349.99)
• Sony SRS-XV800 X-Series Wireless Portable Bluetooth Karaoke Party Speaker $548 (Was $649.99)
• Soundcore Anker Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $44.99 (Was $59.99)

The post Beat the back-to-school beat with 25% off earbuds and more at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Play Whatever Floats Your Boat, In Or Out Of One		UE Wonderboom 3		SEE IT	A waterproof, floating speaker that’s perfect for a trip to the beach or a soak in the hot tub.
Much Bigger Sound Without A Much Bigger Body		UE Boom 3		SEE IT	The Boom 3 has evolved from the original Boom, which kicked off the Ultimate Ears speaker line way back in 2013.
A Musical Monolith That Brings The Biggest Boom		UE Hyperboom		SEE IT	A powerful low-end, adaptive equalizer, and concert-level sound make this speaker perfect for your next party.

Back in 2013, Ultimate Ears dropped its first Bluetooth wireless speaker, the UE Boom. It was roughly the size of a tall can of Arizona iced tea and it set a high water mark for other portable Bluetooth speaker manufacturers. Thanks to its cylindrical design, it pumped out loud, clear, punchy sound in every direction for the duration of its impressive battery life. It wasn’t fully waterproof, but it was weather resistant, which made it one of, if not the, best when it comes to outdoor Bluetooth speakers. Since then, Ultimate Ears has refined and expanded its line of portable party machines. The original Boom is on its third iteration, the aptly named UE Boom 3. The Ultimate Ears speaker family now includes the pint-sized but powerful UE Wonderboom 3 and goes all the way up to the monolithic Hyperboom. 

We’ve laid hands—and ears—on the full line of Ultimate Ears products and have never been disappointed. But, when it comes to choosing the best UE speaker, comparison shopping is essential. We’ve broken down the different models and done some handy side-by-sides to help you get the Ultimate Ears speaker that fits your needs.

Ultimate Ears speaker comparison

With a variety of models in the current UE speaker lineup, it can be tricky to navigate the options. Here’s a brief overview of each model to point out the most relevant features. The list runs from smallest to largest in both size and price. 

UE Wonderboom 3 $99.99 (or less)

SEE IT

At roughly 4 inches around, this 1-pound Ultimate Ears speaker is shaped like the loudest little grapefruit you’ve ever heard. The Wonderboom 3 is IP67 rated (waterproof and dust-resistant, making it one of our favorite shower speakers), has a dedicated bass boost mode, and promises up to 14 hours of battery life. It offers 360-degree sound coverage, and you can also pair two of them together for stereo sound. A tough, integrated loop makes it easy to attach it with a carabiner to a backpack—or a belt loop if you’re really confident in your ability to keep your pants up. And, in case it’s flung off while over or in water, it floats.

UE Boom 3 $149.99 (or less)

SEE IT

Evolved from the original UE Boom, the Boom 3 has a massive Bluetooth connectivity range up to 150 feet. It promises 15 hours of battery life and sports a pair of giant “plus” and “minus” buttons for easy volume control. Unlike the original Boom, the UE Boom 3 is totally waterproof, so it can blast “Barbie Girl” by Aqua while underwater for maximum irony. 

UE Megaboom 3 $199.99 (or less)

SEE IT

At roughly three pounds, the powerful UE Megaboom 3 speaker pumps more volume and burlier bass than its smaller siblings. Sadly, however, that means it probably won’t fit in your car’s cupholder or your bike’s water bottle holder as easily. It does offer up to 20 hours of battery life and it’s compatible with UE’s Power Up charging dock, so you can set it down and let it juice up when not in use.

UE Hyperboom $449.99 (or less)

SEE IT

This massive UE speaker stands more than 14-inches tall with a base that’s more than 7.5 inches around. All that body gives the UE Hyperboom enough room for features you won’t find in any other Ultimate Ears speaker, including a USB port, an optical audio in, and an auxiliary headphone jack. It’s not as waterproof as other UE speakers, so don’t throw it in the pool, but it does boast up to 24 hours of battery life and sound output that towers over the rest of the lineup in both bass levels and overall volume. If you’re looking for a loud Bluetooth speaker, this is your pal. The built-in handle also makes its substantial 13-pound heft easier to lug around.

What about the Ultimate Ears speakers Blast and Megablast?

While almost all of the Ultimate Ears speakers only connect to devices via Bluetooth (or direct cable connections in the Hyperboom’s case), the Blast and Megablast speakers also include Wi-Fi. That extra connection allow them to work with Amazon’s smart assistant, Alexa. Both the Blast and Megablast are still listed on the Ultimate Ears site, but they can be hard to find for purchase since they’re several years old. If you can get an exceptional price on a Blast or Megablast, they will still work as excellent Bluetooth speakers. Still, the Alexa integration was never that impressive and was somewhat buggy even when they were new.

What makes UE Bluetooth speakers so appealing?

Ultimate Ears has been building out its UE Bluetooth speaker line for over a decade. In that time, it streamlined and smoothed out the UE app, which adds some clever functionality to its speakers. All the current speakers except for the pint-sized Wonderboom 2 can access an equalizer function that allows listeners to tweak the overall sound performance. 

The app also facilitates pairing two speakers together for stereo sound. The Boom 3, Megaboom 3, and Hyperboom all connect interchangeably. In fact, the app allows listeners to connect up to 150 speakers simultaneously in case you want to build a wall of sound or make a really impressive TikTok. The Wonderboom 3, however, requires another unit of the same model for stereo pairing. 

Ultimate Ears speaker comparison: Design

Since the original Boom debuted, UE has made some of the best-looking Bluetooth speakers around. They spare listeners the built-in light show that companies like Sony and JBL typically include with their portable speakers. All the devices in the current lineup share the same outer layer of woven fabric and a design that centers around two oversized volume buttons. 

The Hyperboom only comes in black, but the Boom 3, Megaboom 3, and Wonderboom 3 all come in a variety of colors. If you order directly through the Ultimate Ears site, you can even customize your own Boom 3 with a system similar to Nike’s ID sneaker site. UE lets you choose the color and design on the fabric, the end caps, the spine, and the volume buttons. It will even allow for custom messages down the spine. At $179, it’s not much of a premium over the typical model price. 

Which UE Bluetooth speaker is best for you?

UE hasn’t produced a truly bad-sounding speaker yet, which makes this Ultimate Ears speaker comparison fairly simple. For its $99 price, the Wonderboom 3 is compact and easy to carry (and a perpetual inclusion in the best Bluetooth speakers under $100), but it’s not as compatible with the rest of the UE ecosystem. 

The original Boom 3 will suit the needs of most people. With 15 hours of battery life and plenty of audio oomph to fill a large room or even a typical yard, it’s a very safe bet. If you’re trying to fill a larger space, the Megaboom 3’s extra power may come in handy, just remember that it also brings a larger size and heavier weight. 

The Hyperboom provides the best sound, but it’s also massive. Don’t expect to throw it in a backpack or for it to subtly blend into your decor. Set it in your living room, and you’d half expect apes to start worshipping it like the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. (That’s compared to other Bluetooth speakers, of course.) The Hyperboom has enough output and bass to provide an alternative for people who would otherwise consider a larger PA speaker, which might be overkill. If you have a massive space to crank tunes—or very understanding neighbors—then the Hyperboom might be the best portable Bluetooth speaker for you.  

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post Ultimate Ears speaker comparison: Which model is right for you? appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Play Whatever Floats Your Boat, In Or Out Of One		UE Wonderboom 3		SEE IT	A waterproof, floating speaker that’s perfect for a trip to the beach or a soak in the hot tub.
Much Bigger Sound Without A Much Bigger Body		UE Boom 3		SEE IT	The Boom 3 has evolved from the original Boom, which kicked off the Ultimate Ears speaker line way back in 2013.
A Musical Monolith That Brings The Biggest Boom		UE Hyperboom		SEE IT	A powerful low-end, adaptive equalizer, and concert-level sound make this speaker perfect for your next party.

If you’ve ever seen a concert in a stadium or a movie in stadium seating, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced JBL speakers. The company, founded in 1946, provided sound reinforcement for Woodstock (and countless shows since 1969). Decades later, JBL systems became the basis for the THX standard, which kicked off high-fidelity quality assurances in theaters and established JBL’s presence in many auditoriums. Our point is this: JBL had over half a century of experience pleasing crowds when the company started producing portable Bluetooth speakers, and that tradition continued from the introduction of the first Flip in 2012 until today—over 26 models and 100 million units later (with numbers like that, it’s no wonder we’ve put together this JBL speaker comparison).

The Flip wasn’t remarkable to look at. It was a cylinder, about the same as a tallboy of beer—pretty much what you’ve come to expect from countless brands (such as the Ultimate Ears speaker line). But this “party in your palm” caught on, and JBL’s Bluetooth speakers have become more resonant and resilient with each update. We’ve had the chance to audition the full line of JBL wireless speakers, from the personal-sized Flip 6 and Charge 5 to the party-focused Xtreme 3 and Boombox 3, and can say these wireless outdoor speakers are satisfying across the board. Now we’ll describe all the options to help you determine which party speaker is the top model for you.    

JBL speaker comparison

They say great music can take you on a journey, but sometimes you’ve already booked the trip and just need some tunes for the ride. With many models, JBL’s speaker lineup has options to accompany you, regardless of your space and/or budget constraints. Here’s a brief overview of several models, highlighting their most relevant features. This JBL speaker comparison runs from smallest to largest in size and price.

JBL Flip 6 $129 (or less)

SEE IT

At just over a pound and, thanks to its size and shape, no harder to hold than your canned drink of choice, the JBL Flip 6 is a throw-anywhere go-anywhere speaker with a grippy texture and equally catchy sound. It’s rated IPX7, meaning it can be submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes and survive. The battery life of 12 hours means you’ll need to leave the pool party before the Flip, and it can last on a long bike trip (plus it may fit in your bottle cage). And if you want to enjoy more sound without going up in size or price, you can pair Flip 6 speakers using PartyBoost—a feature shared by all the current-generation speakers shown here that lets you make stereo pairs or have up to 100 speakers play the same thing.  

JBL Charge 5 $179 (or less)

SEE IT

If the Flip 6 can be compared to a 16-ounce beer, then the JBL Charge 5 is an overstuffed burrito. It packs improved Bluetooth (5 rather than 4.2), more dustproofing (IP67), a much larger battery, and increased bass than its smaller sibling. Claiming a 20-hour battery life, as well as a Powerbank feature that lets you charge another device over USB, the Charge 5 has an exclamation point embossed on its bass radiators and the sound to justify that emphatic punctuation. It delivers plenty of thump while removing more fear that it could get ruined rolling around in the sand or falling in the water.

JBL Xtreme 3 $379 (or less)

SEE IT

Unlike more grab-and-go models, the JBL Xtreme 3 is portable in the same way a messenger bag is. It’s a little over 4 pounds and comes with a rugged nylon strap (with built-in bottle opener), so you can sling it over your shoulder. What you’re taking with you, however, is up to 15 hours of hammering peak-hour Bluetooth 5.1 audio, assuming you don’t drain the Powerbank (there’s also 3.5mm aux input, just in case you’ve got a device that doesn’t play nice with wireless). It looks like the Charge 5 on steroids and sounds like it, too. The speaker reproduces thick, rumbling, authoritative basslines, and the IP67 waterproofing means the beats can continue to rain (reign?) down even if the skies do.

JBL Boombox 3 $499 (or less)

SEE IT

The 13-pound 160W JBL Boombox 3 isn’t the biggest speaker in the company’s line. Still, it is the largest we can reasonably call “portable” rather than transportable (such as the similarly powerful PartyBox 110. With a molded, built-in handle, IP67 (surf and sand protection), and 24 hours of battery life, the Boombox 3 can occupy any space where you want to rattle some tectonic (or dinner) plates. Thanks to the new three-way speaker design and 40 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response, thunderous lows come in seismic waves but with plenty of presence in the mids and highs to maintain its sonic composure. There’s Bluetooth 5.3, a 3.5mm aux input, and the same Powerbank and PartyBoost features as other models (though linking two of these might be too intense for anyone save for the most hardcore). However, make sure you book time, and a convenient wall plug, well before transporting the visceral thrills, as the Boombox 3 takes 6.5 hours to charge and uses an AC adapter instead of USB (unlike the models above). 

What about the JBL PartyBox speakers? 

While JBL’s portable Bluetooth speakers are accomplished in their own right, there’s a next level to the company’s party speakers that truly leverages JBL’s history in concert PAs. From the $299 100W JBL PartyBox Encore Essential to the $499 240W JBL PartyBox 310 to the $1,299 1100W JBL PartyBox 1000, the top line of JBL high-power wireless speakers packs in ring lights and strobe effects, plus expanded connectivity you can wheel in to form the centerpiece of an expansive, expressive backyard party. Good for DJs, karaoke, or a small musical performance, these speakers feature Bluetooth 5.1, the ability to play digital files off of USB drives, as well as 3.5mm aux and ¼-inch mic/instrument jacks. You can daisy chain speakers with a cable, or pair two wirelessly for a stereo presentation. While the JBL PartyBox 1000 adds even more inputs, built-in effects, and even a bass boost, in case excessive isn’t enough.

What makes JBL’s portable Bluetooth speakers so appealing?

JBL has over a decade in the portable personal audio market, and each generation of the company’s wireless outdoor speakers keeps them firmly in the conversation for best portable Bluetooth speaker. The company’s speakers get increasingly more durable, the Bluetooth signal gets stronger, and the sound is bigger without becoming unbalanced. If you want to increase the volume but don’t want to replace the speakers you already have, you can use the proprietary PartyBoost protocol to link any of the current models—Flip 6, Charge 5, Xtreme 3, and/or Boombox 3—interchangeably. 

JBL speaker comparison: Design

JBL’s portable Bluetooth speakers share a design language meant to cry out “Excitement!” Emphasis on that exclamation point, which is in the central JBL logo and seen pumping on the bass radiators. The company offers bold colors and patterns on most of its stock speakers, as well as the ability on its website to personalize—for a small surcharge—the Flip 6’s casing color and woven fabric (you can even upload your own image to be wrapped around the speaker). 

The form factor of the Flip 6, Charge 5, and Xtreme 3 can be simply described as “log” … “bulging burrito” if you’re hungry for a more tasty interpretation. This isn’t industrial design; it’s functional but flashy. The Boombox 3, well, markets itself with its iconic silhouette. If you lived through the ’80s or early ’90s or sat through many a movie set in the ’80s or early ’90s, you’ll feel a tinge of nostalgia for the image of grabbing a boombox by the handle on your way to a back-alley dance battle. All models share a set of rubberized buttons for power, pairing, play/pause/skip, volume, and PartyBoost.

As for the PartyBox series, those colorful columns stand out in stature and hue as they sync their lights to the beat.

Which JBL portable Bluetooth speaker is best for you?

Since JBL’s speakers all sound great, determining the one that is right for you ultimately comes down to how big a budget and/or party you have. For just $129, the Flip 6 is budget-friendly and small enough to fit any bag (while sounding good enough to match any mood), but it’s best for an intimate gathering—a few people poolside, fireside, etc. 

The Charge 5 costs a little more and is a little less compact, but packs a lot more sound and battery life, making it a great investment and possibly the best Bluetooth speaker for the beach or casual backyard BBQs. The Xtreme 3 takes up more space in transit but its sound is even more transportive, so it’s certainly in the equation if you’re having the neighbors over, too. And the Boombox 3, well, it adds a lot of bulk but so. much. boom. Its wireless range, without obstructions, is almost as tremendous as its ability to be cranked up without distortion. Unless you really plan to move a crowd, Boombox 3 is more than intense enough for meaty meet-ups in wide yards and warehouses without sacrificing portability like you would when you move up to the PartyBox line (save for the bassy brick that is the PartyBox Encore Essential).  

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The post JBL speaker comparison: Which model is right for your party? appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

If you’ve bought a TV recently (or are about to because Prime Day), you’re probably very impressed by the vivid flatscreen but let down by its flat sound. As TVs have gotten thinner, there’s less room for speakers, which still require physical depth to get the best sound possible. Thanks to a Prime Day deal, however, you can score the Polk Audio Signa S4—a low-profile soundbar and subwoofer combo that’ll complete your home theater setup without taking up too much space or cash.

All of these Prime Day deals require an active Amazon Prime Membership. You can sign up here for a free 30-day trial.

Polk Audio S4 Signa $239.40 (Was $399)

SEE IT

The Signa S4 has an understated look that belies just how good the soundbar is. Setting it up took seconds—all you need is an HDMI cable plugged into your TV’s HDMI (ARC) port—and never cut out. Polk outfitted this soundbar with several forward and upward drivers, allowing it to playback Dolby Atmos audio natively. The effect worked okay in our tests, but your experience will depend on the size and shape of your room. What did get our attention was how clear movies and TV shows sounded. I could easily hear explosions and dialogue happening simultaneously without futzing around with audio settings. Quieter movies and shows benefit just as much as action-packed epics.

Polk designed the Signa S4 with a pretty thin shape, so it offloaded bass duties—the driver that requires the most space on a traditional speaker—to a wireless subwoofer. Again, setting up the subwoofer took seconds as it immediately paired with the soundbar upon being plugged in. It’s impressive how much low-end the subwoofer can crank out without distorting, and a big part of the Signa S4’s ability to play back loud sounds rests on its four feet. We’ll be blunt: You’re not going to find a better soundbar at this price.

More Polk Audio Prime Day deals

• Polk Audio T15 Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers, $89.40 (Was $149)
• Polk Audio Atrium 6 Outdoor Speakers with Bass Reflex Enclosure, $239 (was $399)
• Polk MagniFi Mini AX Sound Bar, $299.40 (Was $499)
• Polk Audio PSW10 10″ Powered Subwoofer, $147 (Was $249)
• Polk Audio Atrium 4 Outdoor Speakers, $119.40 (Was $199)
• Polk Audio Signa S2 Ultra-Slim TV Sound Bar, $139 (Was $249)

The best of the rest home theater audio options

• Roku Streambar | 4K/HD/HDR Streaming Media Player, Includes Roku Voice Remote $89 (Was $129)
• Bose TV Speaker – Soundbar for TV with Bluetooth and HDMI-ARC Connectivity $199 (Was $279)
• Bose Smart Soundbar 300 with Bluetooth Connectivity and Alexa Voice Control Built-In $299 (Was $449)
• SAMSUNG HW-B57C B-Series 4.1ch Soundbar w/Dolby Audio $179 (was $249)
• SAMSUNG HW-Q700B 3.1.2ch Soundbar w/ Wireless Dolby Audio $367 (was $697)
• SAMSUNG HW-S61B 5.0ch All-in-One Wireless Soundbar w/Dolby Atmos $179 (was $348)
• LG Sound Bar and Wireless Subwoofer S40Q – 2.1 Channel, 300 Watts Output $126 (was $196)
• LG S75Q 3.1.2ch Soundbar with Dolby Atmos DTS:X $296 (was $599)
• Sony HT-S400 2.1ch Soundbar with Powerful Wireless subwoofer, S-Force PRO Front Surround Sound, and Dolby Digital $178 (Was $299)
• Sony HTX8500 2.1ch Dolby Atmos/DTS:X Soundbar with Built-in subwoofer $198 (Was $399)
• Sony HT-A3000 3.1ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar Surround Sound Home Theater $498 (Was $699)

And if you’ve got the room and budget to take your home theater audio experience into the most immersive dimension(s), the Nakamichi Shockwafe Wireless Surround Sound Systems are at their lowest price point of the year.

The post Get some of the best soundbars we’ve tested for hundreds off this Prime Day appeared first on Popular Science.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Bookshelf speakers will enhance your listening experience with a wider stereo image and a more vibrant sound than what you get from a TV, laptop, or even the best portable Bluetooth speaker. And powered speakers mean you don’t have to worry about amps and other components—some of them even let you stream audio wirelessly from a phone, tablet, etc., so no more worrying about where to put the CD player, etc. We’ve scoured Prime Day listings to find the best stereo speakers that can deliver you a true soundstage and a rich response for any budget. If you want space-filling sound from speakers that won’t make your room crowded, you’ve come to the right place.

Fluance Ai41 Powered 2-Way 2.0 Stereo Bookshelf Speakers $199 (Was $249)

SEE IT

A Canadian-based company, Fluance designs hi-fi components to deliver rich sound without spending a fortune. The Ai41 bookshelf speakers deliver on this promise thanks to each speaker’s 5-inch woven glass fiber composite driver and a 1-inch silk soft-dome neodymium ferrofluid-cooled tweeter. The 8.52-pound right speaker is active—containing the internal DAC/Class D amp and power cord socket, a rear panel with connections for external sources, and a control knob in the lower right corner of its face. The slightly lighter (7.44-pound) left speaker functions as a passive satellite. One of the advantages of such an arrangement is that you only need one wall socket to drive the 90W of continuous average output—45W RMS per side. For relatively small powered speakers, they got pretty loud without distorting. The Fluance Ai41 supports three different types of connections: Bluetooth (5.0+BR+EDR+BLE), optical (TOSLINK), and analog (via RCA jacks). An RCA output on the right speaker cuts out all the bass below 80Hz from the speakers when you connect it to a dedicated sub. 

During our reviewer’s hands-on evaluation, he was “impressed with the expressive frequency range—a DSP-enhanced 35Hz-20kHz,” and found “the clarity and balance of the speakers to be quite good. The overall output was accurate while enthusiastic, smooth without being overly polished.”

KEF LSX II Wireless HiFi Speaker System, $999.98 (Was $1,399.99)

On the opposite end of the price spectrum is the KEF LSX II, a compact set of connected speakers that proves limited space doesn’t have to mean restricted listening. A scaled-down version of the LS50 Wireless II—one of our top powered speakers—the LSX II’s biggest strength is versatility. You can connect the self-amplified speakers to a TV using its HDMI ARC or Optical port, a computer via USB-C, hundreds of analog devices using its AUX-in jack, or connect to it wirelessly over Bluetooth 4.2 or AirPlay 2—with support for Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Chromecast, Roon, UPnP, and more. A subwoofer output allows you to augment the bass after the fact, too. If you want one set of speakers that can provide vivid sound to match an OLED TV and stay connected to a laptop or turntable, the LSX IIs become cost-effective.

The DAC in the LSX II can process 24-bit digital audio files at resolutions up to 384kHz, playing them back at a resampling rate up to 24-bit/96kHz (with a wired connection between the speakers). Investing in KEF speakers all but guarantees excellent audio (so long as the source material is well-recorded and -mastered) thanks to the magnesium/aluminum Uni-Q driver array that delivers a wide sweet spot. It’s almost as simple as plug them in and hit play. If you’ve been saving up for class-leading sound, don’t skip this sale.

Check out these other powered speaker sets for scintillating sound at approachable price points:

• Edifier R1280T with Auxiliary and RCA Bookshelf Speakers, 2.0 Stereo Active Near Field Monitors Wooden Enclosure 42 Watts RMS Wood $83 (Was $119)
• Edifier R1280DBs Active Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers – Optical Input – 2.0 Wireless Studio Monitor Speaker – 42W RMS with Subwoofer Line Out $111 (Was $159)
• Edifier R2000DB Powered Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers – Near-Field Studio Monitors – Optical Input – 120 Watts RMS $230 (Was $329)
• Edifier M601DB Bookshelf Coaxial Bluetooth with Optical & Auxiliary Speakers with 8 Inch Wireless Subwoofer, 2.1 Computer System Bluetooth 5.1 AptX, 110W RMS, Black $189 (Was $279)
• Positive Grid Spark 40-Watt Combo Practice Guitar Amplifier Electric Bass and Acoustic Guitar Amp with Spark Mobile App $239 (Was $299)

Wondering what to pair with those new speakers? Check out these great deals on turntables and streaming solutions:

• Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB-BK Direct-Drive Turntable with Analog & USB outputs $248 (Was $349)
• Audio-Technica AT-LP3BK Fully Automatic Belt-Drive Stereo Turntable $199 (Was $249)
• House of Marley Stir It Up Turntable with 2 Speed Belt, Built-in Pre-Amp, and Sustainable Materials $159 (Was $199)
• House of Marley Stir It Up Wireless Turntable with Bluetooth Connectivity, 2 Speed Belt, Built-in Pre-Amp, and Sustainable Materials $199 (Was $249)
• Sony PS-LX310BT Fully Automatic Belt Drive Turntable with Bluetooth and USB Output $178 (Was $249)
• WiiM Pro AirPlay 2 Receiver, Chromecast Audio, WiFi Multiroom Streamer $119 (Was $149)
• WiiM Mini AirPlay 2 Wireless Audio Streamer, Multiroom Stereo, Preamplifier $78 (Was $109)
• Sony STR-AN1000 7.2 CH Surround Sound Home Theater 8K A/V Receiver: Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Digital Cinema Auto Calibration IX, Bluetooth, WiFi, Google Chromecast, Spotify connect, Apple AirPlay, HDMI 2.1 $598 (Was $899)

The post These last-minute Prime Day speaker deals elevate your audio while lowering costs appeared first on Popular Science.

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Party hosts, campers, and pure music lovers should immediately take advantage of Sony’s $150 discount on its SRS-XG300 speaker—a great pick for on-the-go audiophiles who want to throw down. This Bluetooth speaker, which we consider one of the best around after hands-on testing, is down to its lowest price ever, thanks to Prime Day. Though this is technically a party speaker—LED light rings around its bass radiators can be synced to the rhythm of your music—that fun feature is secondary to the SRS-XG300’s sound, featuring refined lows, mids, and treble without distortion at high volumes.

All of these Prime Day deals require an active Amazon Prime Membership. You can sign up here for a free 30-day trial.

Sony SRS-XG300 $198 (Was $349.99)