Urbanista Brisbane
What’s the story?
Urbanista has been putting in the work to be seen as a decent affordable audio brand with minimalist Scandi design. The Brisbane is the largest of its wireless speakers and comes wrapped in a choice of black or white fabric, with a smattering of controls on the top.
Fair enough if you like things stripped-back, but dare we say the Brisbane looks a touch drab with its rectangular form… and while portable it’s also pretty weighty – enough to never go missing in the bottom of your bag anyway.
While it’s not the most rugged speaker we’ve bashed about, it does have an IPX5 waterproof rating for added peace of mind, and also has a line-in port for hard-wiring your device – which could be great for stretching out the 10hr battery life.
At under £100 it’s playing with the big boys here, but just think how many months of premium music streaming that extra cash could pay for…
Is it any good?
The Brisbane is the cheapest speaker on test, and that does show in its performance.
It is an easy listen, though. Some speakers around this price can be harsh and thin, but that’s not the case here. The sound has body and depth, and it’ll go loud without much issue thanks to the two 10W drivers under the hood.
It also times pretty well, so you don’t have to worry about it getting all mixed up and messy with fast-paced pop and dance tracks. There’s confidence here, which goes a long way to producing a comfortable, enjoyable sound.
However, there is a lack of clarity across the board, so detail is missing. Edges to notes are dull, vocals are missing detail and there’s just an overall lack of bite and insight. Even at this price point, that takes away from the performance a little too much to make this a speaker we can truly recommend.
Price £99 / stuff.tv/brisbane
Key specs ● 20W, 2x 2in drivers ● Bluetooth 5.0, microusb
● Up to 10hrs ● IPX5
● 215x98x52mm, 705g
What’s the story?
The Roam is Sonos’s first proper portable speaker you can sling a satchel. Sensible proportions, Bluetooth connectivity and a reduced reliance on the Sonos app make it perfect for partying anywhere, but with Wi-fi too it’ll still play nicely with any existing Sonos kit.
A Toblerone-like mini boomer that’s designed to stand either horizontally or vertically, it isn’t exactly shouty in the design department, so look elsewhere if you’re after an injection of colour; but the robust Roam does have a lovely metal, plastic and rubberised finish capable of taking a bit of a battering.
What sets it apart from the competition is clever stuff like Auto Trueplay, meaning it’ll tune its soundstage to suit the environment whether you’re inside or out; and Sound Swap, which switches audio to the nearest Sonos speaker in the vicinity. Press play/pause and the Roam pings sound around accordingly – especially useful if you’re listening to music indoors but then wish to express your right to Roam in the garden.
Is it any good?
For a Sonos speaker, the sound quality is just OK… but for a speaker of this size and form factor, it’s impressive.
One thing this boombox doesn’t lack is bass. You’ll find anything requiring low-end oomph to come over with incredible impact for a speaker so small – in fact it’s overzealous on certain tracks, requiring a wee bit of wrestling with the EQ.
Everything is well balanced in the midrange, although it does suffer in the higher frequencies, lacking a bit of clarity. That aforementioned low end really is decidedly thumping, though, especially if you jump in the shower with it.
There are better-sounding rivals, but few offer this combination of features, and the fact that it plays nicely with any existing Sonos system is an added bonus.
Price £159 / stuff.tv/sonosroam
Key specs ● Mid-woofer, tweeter ● Bluetooth, Wi-fi, Airplay 2 ● Up to 10hrs ● IP67 ● 168x62x60mm, 430g
What’s the story?
A bit like Sonos letting the Wi-fi shackles off with the Roam, the P5 represents Audio Pro’s first foray into properly portable Bluetooth territory.
The Swedish firm has a fine record for multiroom speakers, but this truly diminutive boomer has no interest in playing with its sonic chums and is going it alone instead, supported by a 1in tweeter, a 3.2in woofer and a 35W amp.
It’s wind/rain-resistant, not fully waterproof, but there is a handy wrist strap to stop it falling in the soup – and to free up your hands for more important things, like holding a continental lager or texting your mate at the bar.
The 18hr battery life is on a par with the more expensive B&O A1 on p65, but at half the size it is also half as powerful. In design terms it’s as inoffensive as the aforementioned Roam – and comes in a choice of black, black or black.
Is it any good?
Listen to the Audio Pro next to one of B&O’S 360° devices (or the Bose on p64) and you’ll hear the difference immediately. The P5 is a forward and authoritative speaker, throwing the full weight of its performance towards the listener in front.
While it might not have the airy separation and insight of its sound-spreading competition, this is still a bigger, wider soundstage than its slender frame would have you guess it to be capable of. Vocals are pushed front and centre, without ever feeling detached from the rest of the track; and there’s a real sense of cohesion to its performance, with all elements of a track sounding equally strong and confident.
The decent bassy punch it serves up ensures a solid sound across the board, although right at top volume it does start to get a bit shouty. It’s at its best around two thirds to max, when dynamics and energy really kick into action to help this speaker get the party started.
Price £140 / stuff.tv/p5
Key specs ● 35W, 1in tweeter, 3.2in woofer ● Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm ● Up to 18 hrs
● IPX4 ● 220x97x53mm, 720g
What’s the story?
The PL7 is part of LG’S Xboom Go range of portable Bluetooth speakers. It’s the largest of the three PL models, meaning it’s the most impressive when it comes to power, battery life and proper low-end welly.
It comes with the added clout of having hi-fi wizards Meridian providing proprietary tech for the range, as well as some added pizzazz thanks to party lighting at either end. Download the app and you can customise this or turn it off to save battery, as well as accessing party-linking for doubling up with other speakers. It’ll also work with Google Assistant and Siri via a connected phone.
And the repertoire of added features doesn’t end there, because you can also use two of these speakers as surround channels with any LG TV from 2020 or ’21, which seems like a genuinely smart application.
Is it any good?
Considering its name, you may be expecting the Xboom PL7 to put bass above everything else; but while there’s plenty of low-end warmth, the power it’s capable of in the lower registers doesn’t define its character by any stretch.
In fact, if anything, the sound of the PL7 leans towards the bright side, with crisp, controlled treble and expressive mids sitting on top of its solid bass performance. There might not be the soundstage to trouble B&O or Bose, but this speaker still sounds considerably larger than it is. It’s an exciting listen too, with a strong handle on timing and an energetic nature that’s suited to most genres. We’d take a touch more clarity through the midrange, but it’s not muddy by any stretch.
The Sound Boost button does just what it promises, pushing everything louder and more forward. While this might work in outdoor/party situations, for critical listening things get a bit pushed – so best keep it off unless the situation calls for it.
Price £170 / stuff.tv/pl7
Key specs ● 30W, 2x 2.3in drivers ● Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm ● Up to 24hrs ● IPX5
● 245x98x98, 1.46kg LG Xboom PL7
What’s the story?
The second generation of the Revolve brings with it some subtle yet welcome refinements. You get an extra hour of battery life, up to 13 hours, and a boost in dust/waterproofing to a full IP55 rating.
Bose has taken an ‘if it ain’t broke’ approach to the design, and that’s no bad thing (well, except for the lack of a USB-C port – it’s still microusb). This is a lovely-looking speaker: a cylinder with a sturdy aluminium body and silicone control panel on the top. All the controls you’d expect are up there, including a multi-function button that beckons your phone’s voice assistant with a long press.
The grille runs seamlessly around the speaker, which helps the Revolve’s 360° sound to do its thing: no matter where you’re standing you’ll get the same audio experience.
You can pair two of these speakers for stereo playback through the Bose app if you wish, but there are no EQ controls to tweak the sound.
Is it any good?
Cor, the out-of-the-box sound doesn’t need much tweaking.
It’s a big, bold voice that has no trouble filling a decent-sized room. The 360° sound works just as it should too, so you get a solid performance in all corners of the room.
There’s a pretty neutral sound profile, swerving the popular bass-heavy presentation of some speakers at this price point for something that’s more balanced. But that’s not to say there isn’t any bass power on tap when it’s needed – this is an authoritative performer that drives tracks forward with punch and excitement.
The all-round sound ensures space in the presentation, so songs never sound congested, and there’s a good amount of detail and dynamism too. You lose a little focus and insight through the midrange, but the airiness it brings to the party makes up for that.
Price £180 / stuff.tv/revolve2
Key specs ● 1x down driver, 2x bass radiators ● Bluetooth 4.1, microusb, 3.5mm ● Up to 13hrs ● IP55 ● 152x82x82mm, 660g