This article was updated on 5/13/2024 to include Edifierâs QR65 speakers and on 5/29/2024 to include Edifierâs D32 Wireless Tabletop Speakers.
If youâre looking to fill your life with beautiful music, thereâs nothing like a good speaker. After thorough testing, we have a reliable list of the best speakers you can buy in 2024. Our list includes everything from $60 portable ones to $450 lounge speakers. It also covers a variety of use cases â from music production to easy listening in the shower.
The editorial staff of Gizmodo independently tests and reviews each product found in our Buyerâs Guides. If you purchase something using our affiliate links, G/O Media may earn a commission. Affiliate linking does not influence our editorial content.
Best Portable Speakers â Sonos Roam
If youâre new to Sonos and unsure about committing to this pricey speaker ecosystem, Iâd say the Roam is the best option to see if the whole Sonos thing is your vibe. The $169 Roam may be the cheapest Sonos speaker. Not only is it relatively affordable, but even if the smart features arenât your jam, at least you still have a great portable Bluetooth speaker.
At 6.6 inches long and 2.4 inches wide, the Roam is small enough to fit in your hand easily. Its triangular shape and matte finish also feel natural when youâre toting it around. It weighs in at slightly less than a pound, which feels substantial enough in your grip, but itâs not so heavy that youâre tempted to leave it at home. When youâre not moving around, you can stack it either vertically to save room or horizontally for more stability.
In terms of durability, the Roam is rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. I stuck it in a bowl of water for 30 minutes, and while it sprayed water all over my kitchen counter, it still worked afterward. Itâll be fine if you get caught in a downpour or accidentally knock it into a pool. Just donât dilly-dally when retrieving it. Read More â Victoria Song
Best Budget Speakers â Sony SRS-XB13
The criteria for portable Bluetooth speakers are not complicated. Theyâve got to be easy to carry, sound decent, and not get trashed if you have butterfingers or get caught in the rain. The Sony SRS-XB13 ticks off all these boxes. Itâs not without flaws, and youâll have to compromise. But considering itâs only $60? Itâs easy to forgive its shortcomings.
The XB13 is actually portable. Itâs a tiny, squat little guy, measuring 3.43 by 3.43 by 4.41 inches. In-person, the speaker is way tinier than I thought it would be when Sony initially sent over the official images. It also weighs a mere 11.7 ounces, which is noticeably lighter than the Sonos Roam (15 ounces). It also has a removable strap so you can easily hook it onto a bag or off a tree branchâwhatever, Iâm not judging. Also, it fits in a cup holder for road trips!
It has an IP67 rating and did not die when I purposefully dropped it into a pool. So thereâs that. This speaker is ideal if youâre on a budget, spend a lot of time outside, or are particularly clumsy. Read Moreâ Victoria Song
Best Speakers for Bass â Sony Ult Field 1
Sonyâs new Ult line is all about that bass. All the speakers in that line are given a brand-new Ult button that increases both bass and sound pressure. I got to check them out at the Sony briefing in a bar in Manhattan that was vibrating with the bass of the biggest, most expensive speakers in the seriesâthe Ult Tower floor speakers. But I certainly didnât expect the same level of ground-shaking bass from the $130 Field 1 portable speakers.
Iâm glad I was proven wrong. The Field 1 is an absolute beast that weighs only around a pound and a half. When the Ult button is pressed, the speakers offer a perceptible difference in low-end and sound pressure, which feels as if the music just got deeper and louder. It isnât for anyone who has doubts about the new button being gimmicky. At this price point, the Field 1 is an insanely powerful speaker.
The speaker sports a beautiful, rugged look. It is IP67-rated, meaning it is the highest level of dustproof and almost the highest level of waterproof (the highest would be IP68). But you can easily use it around a pool or in the rain. The charging port has a flap cover to protect it from splashes of water, too. There is a long strap for easy portability and a hook so you can attach it to your backpack. The Field 1 is as good for adventures as it is for bass.
See Sony Ult Field 1 at Amazon
Best Desktop Speakers â Edifier QR65
Edifierâs QR65 are gorgeous desktop speakers that I would recommend to people who are into bass. First of all, they have a pretty simple and intuitive setup. I prepared myself to get into a bunch of wires and at least consult a manual, but it required none of that. The controls on the speakers are as simple as the setup. There are two dials and a button, thatâs all. One of the dials controls playback and volume, while the other controls lighting.
The QR65 offers a whole light show. There are around 8 different modes of lightshow styles that you can cycle through via one of the two dials. The RGB on these speakers isnât just for aesthetics. They also light up in different colors in different situations and quickly inform you about connectivity status: connected, pairing, etc.
You can connect these speakers using Bluetooth 5.3, USB, and line-in. The cables for the latter two are provided in the box. I like having multiple connectivity options because thereâs room to choose from and because Iâm comfortable with various options for various devices. I connected my laptop to these via the Type-A cable, my phone via Bluetooth, and my TV via the in-line connectors.
These speakers come coated in leather, which gives them a nice, premium finish and makes them look worth their steep $370 price tag. There are metal stands in the box that you can place underneath the speakers to raise them slightly above the surface theyâre placed on. Though the plastic used is solid and high-quality, theyâre fairly lightweight, making me feel good about carrying them around the house. I look forward to using them as my TV speakers for movie nights, so portability is a welcome feature.
Like I said, these are undeniably bass-heavy. The 1.25″ silk diaphragm dome tweeters do bring out some treble, but the 2.75″ mid-low drivers, with the aluminum alloy diaphragm and the long-throw design, overpower the high-end with extremely powerful bass. I experimented with a number of treble-heavy songs and was hoping the high-end would be able to cut through the low-end, but that never happened. They max out to an impressive volume, which I couldnât enjoy for too long because I didnât want to bother my neighbors.
Best Smart Lounge Speakers â JBL Authentics 300
Considering this is the first-ever speaker to feature both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, itâs probably the smartest speaker you can get your hands on. Not only does it feature both assistants, it does it incredibly well. Itâs impressive how seamlessly the Authentics 300 manages to juggle both while some speakers struggle to get even a single assistant to work flawlessly.
This speaker is gorgeous and justifies its $450 price tag. You get a premium leather-coated body with subtle golden accents on the front. Thereâs also a helpful handle for easy portability. Though, at around 11 lbs, itâs better suited as a lounge speaker that lives in one place. It lasts around 8 hours on a full charge, though, so if you ever need to move it for an event briefly, you can do that without having an ugly cable sticking out of it.
This speaker means it when it claims that it will fill your space with music. Its sound carries immense power and is always more than enough for my two-bedroom apartment. It never sounds muddy, even at higher volumes, and retains that strength regardless of how much pressure you put it in.
I saved the best for the last. You can (low-key) DJ on this by tweaking your music in real-time. Thanks to a pair of huge bass and Treble dials on the top of this speaker, you can customize exactly how much low and high end you want and on which track. My friends and I sometimes like to constantly play around with them during tracks for a fun and hands-on listening experience. I can promise you that the dials work and arenât just a marketing gimmick. In fact, maxing out the bass will make your entire floor vibrate.
See JBL Authentics 300 at Amazon
Best Wi-Fi Speakers â Edifier D32 Wireless Tabletop
If you want to enjoy one of the top-of-the-line audio codecs, ALAC, Edifierâs D32 Wireless Tabletop Speaker is an excellent option. These gorgeous speakers facilitate Wi-Fi connectivity via Apple AirPlay for iOS devices allowing crisp, lossless audio. Thereâs a bunch of connectivity options on the D32. Apart from Wi-Fi, you get standard Bluetooth V5.3, a 3.5mm AUX port, and a Type-C port.
I listened to quite a few songs and (half) a podcast on Bluetooth, and was impressed by the sound quality. The treble is definitely the star of the show. It is bright, crisp, and clear. It shines bright enough to dim all other elements of the orchestra. If youâre more into low-end, youâre not going to be a fan of these speakers. The dual one-inch silk dome tweeters work harder than the single four-inch long-throw mid-low driver thatâs responsible for producing bass.
I ignored the tabletop part of these tabletop speakers, and enjoyed them on my bed instead. The bass wasnât even sufficient to send vibrations along my tiny twin bed. The D32 doesnât feature any dedicated woofers or passive radiators that would create the kind of deep pitch that youâd feel in your chest.
After checking its Bluetooth capabilities out, I switched to a Wi-Fi connection, and was amazed at the difference in quality that ALAC led to. It was as if someone injected the orchestra with a lot of space. Over Wi-Fi, my music featured more clarity, richness, and depth. The treble gained more personality, and the bass gained some power, too.
Being an iOS device owner, Iâm excited about quickly hooking up the D32 with my iPhone over Wi-Fi, and enjoying brilliant, lossless audio. But Android owners will not be able to benefit from the feature the same way.
Best Speaker for Apple Households â Sonos Era 300
The Sonos Era 300 is an impressive speaker, even at its eye-popping price point. But donât think about it unless youâre in an Apple-dominant household.
It has one forward-firing tweeter routed through what the company calls a âcustom waveguideâ and one tweeter firing upward so that sound bounces off the ceiling. There are also two side-firing tweeters, one on each side, plus two woofers underneath those. I was impressed by the speakerâs ability to thump through deep bass while listening to techno with the volume up high.
I compared the Sonos Era 300 to the discontinued Google Home Max. I also listened to it against the second-gen Apple HomePod, which is not as loud as the Era 300, though it has similar specs (five tweeters and one woofer vs four tweeters and two woofers). In almost all cases, I preferred the way the Era 300 sounded to the aging Home Max and the second-gen HomePod.
But with no Google Cast integration, this speaker doesnât make a lot of sense in a Google-led household. I would have to rebuild my entire smart ecosystem to integrate the Sonos Era 300âand even then, it would only work with the few AirPlay-capable devices rather than the mass of Google cast devices I have throughout my abode. Read More â Florence Ion
Best Shower Speakers â Kohler Moxie Showerhead + Wireless Speaker
Suppose youâre willing to splurge just a little bit or can split the cost with roommates/a significant other. In that case, the Kohler Moxie is actually a convenient way to get a nicer showerhead and a good quality shower speaker in one easily installed package.
Initially, I was nervous about installation, but it was so easy that even a disaster-prone klutz could do it. All you have to do is unscrew your current showerhead and screw this one on. Thatâs it!
The speakerâs sound quality was also pretty good, which, in retrospect, shouldnât have been super surprising as itâs the result of a partnership with Harman Kardon. Once I enabled Amazon Alexa, asking Alexa to play a certain artist or playlist was very easy. Sometimes, it struggled with less common names, but for the most part, Alexa got the job done. It was also nice that I could ask what events were on my calendar or opt for a little news update.
However, if it creeps you out that some Amazon stooge is listening to you in the shower, know you can use this speaker without ever enabling Alexa. Read More â Victoria Song
This list is updated regularly with new recommendations and product forecasts.
Want more of Gizmodoâs latest consumer electronics picks? Check out our guides to the best laptops, best TVs, and best headphones. If you want to learn about the next big thing, see our guide to everything we know about the iPhone 16.
