Three of the best
We’ve tracked down three travel essentials — this week, Bluetooth speakers — with three price options
1. Economy: Good tunes can make or break a gathering, whether it’s at a campground, bach or day at the beach. But if it’s just the cricket or a podcast you’re wanting to listen to and the quality of the bass and available volume isn’t too much of a concern, you probably need something petite, such as this Necessities Portable Mini Bluetooth Speaker. About the size of an iPhone Plus, it has a built-in rechargeable battery, aux input, playback time of up to six hours, and hands-free calling. $19 from thewarehouse.co.nz
2. Business: Taking it up a notch is the stylish Marley Mini Get Together Wireless Bluetooth Speaker, which has two 2.5-inch woofers, two 1.5inch tweeters and up to 15W of output. It has aux input, voice-prompt capabilities, can take phone calls, and has a USB port so you can charge your phone while you’re using it. The built-in rechargeable battery provides up to 10 hours of playback time. $139.30 on sale at pbtech.co.nz.
3. First-class: The vintage-style Marshall Acton 2 Bluetooth Speaker in black, cream and gold not only looks cool but it has fantastic sound as well. You can adjust the bass and treble on top and it comes with a coiled double-ended 3.5mm double-ended stereo cable. Specs include a 30W amplifier for the 4-inch woofer and two 10W amplifiers for the ¾-inch tweeters. $391 from harveynorman.co.nz.