SOUND BITS
Downsized speakers can pack an aural wallop, with some doing extra calls of duty.
>>> They deliver a ton of sound from packages that can weigh less than a pound: portable wireless speakers, small and light enough to carry in one hand from the kitchen to the patio, or from the car to your favorite beach (as long as music hasn’t been banned along with throwing footballs — and having fun).
We tested the latest models with rechargeable batteries and Bluetooth technology for cord-free music via phone, iPad or laptop. Three of the eight speaker systems double as speakerphones, with built-in microphones for hands-free calls. Most have a carrying case, and one is truly built for travelers, with hard shell and built-in alarm clock.
Letter grades are weighted heavily on sound quality but also take into account features, price and portability. A cool look? Why, that could earn the speaker a little extra credit. 1 Bose SoundLink The Bose SoundLink had the best sound of any of the Bluetooth speakers — and in most cases, it wasn’t even close. The SoundLink is a bit bulkier than the others, but the design is smart, with a nylon cover that flips back to be used as a stand. The nylon can be upgraded to leather for $50. Bose said the SoundLink’s battery lasts up to eight hours, but that might be underselling the playtime. Fully charged, our SoundLink lasted nearly 10 hours at midlevel volume. Bottom line: If your band doesn’t sound great on this speaker, it’s probably not the speaker. Suggested retail: $300. Final grade: A
2 Jawbone Jambox Jawbone’s Jambox is the LeBron James of the compact Bluetooth speaker game: Every time a new kid arrives on the block, pundits proclaim it’s better. If that’s the case, though, why is everyone still using the Jambox as the benchmark? With an enhanced sound feature called LiveAudio, the speaker can handle tremendous bass without sacrificing clarity. The drawback is volume: The Jambox maxes out at a lower level than some of the others. It is, however, the most compact of the bunch and comes with nice features, including one button to answer, ignore or end speakerphone calls. Suggested retail: $200 Final grade: A
3 Jawbone Big Jambox The original Jambox wins fans by its amazing size: just 12 ounces and about the size of two sticks of butter. Which might make some wonder: Why, then, are we seeing the just-released Big Jambox, which weighs 2.7 pounds and is about the size of a box of saltines? The answer comes as soon as you play your first song: sound quality. The Big Jambox was the only speaker to nearly match the Bose SoundLink in audio quality. The Big Jambox also has the speakerphone and one-touch capabilities of the Jawbone original. Of course, it also will set you back an extra hundred dollars. Suggested retail: $300 Final grade: A
4 Soundfreaq Sound Kick The Soundfreaq Sound Kick is the newest offering from the company that makes the well-reviewed Sound Step docking speaker. The Sound Kick delivers clean, undistorted sound — like a smooth, crisp vodka, which is great as along as you don’t prefer a rich bourbon. The back bass chamber, called the XKick, pulls out and doubles as a stand with unobtrusive grips that keep the unit stable, even with rattling bass. The built-in rechargeable battery lasted nearly seven hours during our use, and a USB port let us charge an iPhone, though the volume had to be lowered a few notches to do so. The design is sleek but relatively big — much too big for a pocket, and probably too big for a purse (unless that’s a monster purse). If you’re willing to sacrifice a bit on sound quality and size in order to save money, it’s a great option. Suggested retail: $100 Final grade: B 5 SuperTooth Disco The SuperTooth Disco has a sleek and simple design. It even comes with a nice traveling case. It played the loudest of all the tested speakers and has a bass booster. At lower volumes, it’s a really good product. But the quality of sound was undermined by static that muffled music at medium and high volumes — and held us back from declaring it a great buy. Suggested retail: $150 Final grade: B
6 Geneva Sound System XS Geneva’s Sound System XS was built for those on the go. The tiny speaker flips out of a hard protective case that doubles as a stand, and it works as a travel alarm with digital clock with FM tuner. As a Bluetooth speaker, the sound clarity is great to a certain point. Once the volume entered the top fifth of its range, static started to creep in. That shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for some users. At most volume levels, the quality was as good as some of the other devices, including the Soundfreaq Sound Kick. The typical consumer may not fully appreciate the Swiss manufacturer’s refined engineering and hand-built craftsmanship, and though the clock and alarm are nice, the functions ultimately are redundant to what most people already have on their phones. Suggested retail: $250 Final grade: C+ 7JBL
On Tour IBT At first glance, the JBL On Tour IBT reminded us of the Polycom Soundstation, the ubiquitous office phone-conferencing equipment — and maybe that was the point. On Tour IBT has a built-in microphone so it can be used as a speakerphone with echo cancellation. As a Bluetooth music device, it provides decent sound quality comparable to that of the Soundfreaq Sound Kick and Geneva Sound System XS. Distortion never was an issue, but it lacked the oomph of the top performers. The most glaring drawback is that the On Tour IBT runs on four AA batteries. Traditional akalines will last just four to five hours, so you’ll want to pick up rechargeable AAS. Suggested retail: $150 Final grade: C
8 Tivoli ipal The ipal is the odd one of the bunch. It’s really a wireless radio with an auxiliary input (no Bluetooth) that can play rich yet mono-only music from a digital device. The AM and FM reception is superb. The battery never ran dry during a daylong test, and Tivoli said it can last up to 16 hours of continuous play before needing to be recharged. For the radio lover, it’s a great (albeit expensive) buy. Suggested retail: $220
Final grade: B