Marketing execs will have you believe that portable speakers can be used for picnics, in the garden, on the beach or in the park. While this is all true, you can really get the most out of your portable speakers when on holiday or on a trip.
Decent travel speakers will make all the difference if you are stuck in a hotel room or in front of your PC and would like to marinade in some great tunes before exploring the nightlife. With so many portable speakers on the market, how can you begin to know where to start comparing the different models so that you know you are getting the best value for your money?
Here is a selection of the top 5 portable speakers, arranged by market price at time of reporting:
X-mini II Capsule Speaker
Great for mobile music listening!
Even though it might sell for less than half the price of a Wowee One, the X-mini II Capsule goes way beyond the capabilities of the Wowee on all fronts. With up to 11 hours’ battery life when not connected to a USB port, this portable speaker presents an SD card slot and a 3.5mm jack with which you can easily attach a phone. This will deliver fantastic sound quality which is exceptional in quality. The X-Mini II Capsule is years ahead of a laptop or phone’s built in speakers
iLuv Boom Cubes
Produces amazing sound for its deceptively small stature
The iLuv Boom Cubes produce great sound although they come in adorable little cubes. The sound it produces is much bigger than the way it looks and the price is completely reasonable. Unlike a lot of the options available on the market, this portable speaker is actually a two part stereo system which strongly resembles satellite speakers. It can attach to a PC or laptop using a USB or 3.5mm jack and produces a balanced and detailed stereo sound.
Gear4 StreetParty Size 0
Great portable speaker in the face of small design
This traditional iPod dock has a fantastically slim design and runs of 4 AAA batteries. Slightly annoyingly, it also comes with a small remote control. The slim design is just 16mm deep with a dock connector which can fold up to create an entirely flat and conveniently packable surface. This portable speaker will impress in its own right and can charge your iPhone or iPod as well. This speaker produces the best pound for pound value you are likely to find
Wowee One
Power in a speaker
One of the key design points of the Wowee One portable speaker is its tiny size. While it won’t blow you away with audio quality, it is slightly better than the sound you can expect from a smartphone. However, with its gel like plastic cover which acts as a protective gear between the speaker and hard surfaces, it makes an extremely convenient travel partner. The Wowee One is a great portable speaker which will allow you to enjoy your MP3s wherever you are.
Cycling Speaker MB-S100
Powerful portable speaker in disguise
This portable speaker comes disguised as a water bottle which can easily accompany you on relaxing cycling sessions. The quality of sound from its WMA and MP3 files is great and it is easy to store the speaker when you are out and about. It can either be stored on the bike’s frame or in your bag’s side pocket. The Cycling Speaker MB-S100 comes with a microSD card which adds impressive bass and crisp FM radio to the mix.