Although Bluetooth speakers have ceased to be something unusual, and you can buy portable acoustics in a convenience store, but not every device will satisfy your needs. Some speakers are big, some aren’t loud enough, and still, others just sound awful. Therefore, in order not to make a mistake when choosing, study the list of the main characteristics of the column and compare them with the recommended parameters.
What is the power of the column?
The sound volume is directly affected by the power of the wireless speaker. The higher it is, the more space can be immersed in music. Even though we are talking about portable devices, their size differs markedly depending on the number of watts they put out.
There are pocket speakers rated at 2-10 watts. Such acoustics are louder than the average smartphone speaker, but it is only enough for a party alone in a small room. But the advantages are obvious: low price, ease of wearing.
If you need to plunge into the world of music the space of the entire apartment or a large hall of a private house, then you should choose Bluetooth speakers with a capacity of 15-30 watts. And on the street, you cannot do without acoustics of more than 40 watts. Of course, impressive power will negatively affect the portability of the device. Not every backpack will fit a 60-watt speaker, so it’s important to understand your own needs at least roughly.
Wireless speakers with Bluetooth
To connect to a smartphone, most portable speakers use the Bluetooth interface. But Bluetooth is different since today there are more than a dozen different versions of this standard. With each new generation, the range, stability, and quality of music playback increase. In general, the higher the Bluetooth version, the better.
Now you should not consider buying speakers with Bluetooth below 5.0, because they do not receive a signal well at a distance, and the sound sometimes lags the picture, which is bad if you watch a movie with external acoustics. At the same time, there is no big difference between Bluetooth 5.0 and Bluetooth 5.3, and therefore there is little point in overpaying for a newer standard. You also need to understand that to gain access to all the advantages of the latest version of Bluetooth, the smartphone itself must support it.
Column working time
Since we are talking about portable devices that work without wires, it is important to pay attention to speaker autonomy. You should not look solely at the battery capacity, since weak acoustics predictably consume less energy than more powerful ones, and the Bluetooth version plays an important role in this sense.
Fortunately, portable speaker manufacturers list battery life in their specifications. But you should look at the conditions for obtaining the declared indicators. Typically, predicted runtimes are based on music playback tests at 50% volume. Therefore, the louder the speaker plays, the worse the autonomy will be.
What moisture protection?
People often take Bluetooth speakers to nature, where anything can happen to a portable device. For example, drinks are often spilled on acoustics or dipped into the pool with them. How in this case to be sure of the safety of the gadget?
You must find out the waterproof standard, which is indicated on the box of the device or in the specifications on the manufacturer’s website. An example is IP67. The first digit interests us to a lesser extent (responsible for dust protection), but you need to pay more attention to the second, because:
- 4 – splash protection.
- 5 – protection against water jets.
- 6 – protection against strong jets.
- 7 – immersion in water to a depth of 1 meter for no more than 1 minute is allowed.
- 8 – can be kept at a depth of up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.
Thus, a column with IP67 or IPX7 is not afraid of splashes and accidental immersion in water. But for swimming, it is better to take a model with IP68 or IPX8. And do not forget that in the declared characteristics we are talking about fresh and non-hot water.
Speaker functions
A Bluetooth speaker price may range from around $50 to $200, and it may have additional features with the pricing range. It is possible that some of them will be not only useful for you but also irreplaceable:
- MicroSD slot. The ability to listen to music through a memory card without connecting a smartphone.
- AUX socket. Allows you to use not only Bluetooth but also a wired connection.
- Multiroom. The ability to create a stereo pair from two speakers of the same manufacturer for simultaneous playback of music from one device.
- The presence of NFC. Allows you to easily connect wirelessly to your smartphone.
- LEDs. Auxiliary design elements create an atmosphere when playing music.
- Voice assistant. The prerogative of smart speakers makes not only playback wireless, but also control.
No need to chase after the presence of all existing options in the device. As with other stats, you must weigh each feature’s importance to you.