Best Bluetooth speakers

Introduction

Bluetooth speakers are an easy and convenient way to stream music from a portable device or laptop, and these are the best Bluetooth speakers we’ve come across.

Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes, and this list you’ll see a wide range that includes portable, outdoor and desktop-based speakers. Whatever you want, whether it’s a affordable speaker to one that you can use to take with you, we’ve got plenty of options to suit your needs.

We’ve tested these speakers in comparison to similarly priced efforts, using a range of music and testing across the available connectivity options to see how the speaker performs.

If there’s another type of speaker you’re looking for then you can look at out best outdoor speaker page, or peruse our best smart speaker and best multi-room speaker lists.



How we test

How we test wireless speakers We play a lot of music, and we play it loud. We play it everywhere – in the house, in the garden, and even in the bath if a speaker is waterproof.We don’t just listen to the speakers; if there are special features then we make sure we fiddle with them until we’re satisfied. Recently, some Bluetooth speakers have begun to get smart functionality with the integration of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, and as a result we’ve started speaking to our speakers as well.Of course, it always comes back to the music. Speakers are tested by reviewers who have a love of music, a knowledge of sound quality, as well as a context of the market. We’ll listen to Bluetooth speakers alongside similarly priced rivals, so when we recommend a particular model, it’s among the best you can buy for the money.Obviously, we know not everyone has the same taste in music, so we won’t only test with the same perfectly mastered album, but with a variety of genres and file qualities, from MP3 to Hi-Res FLAC.








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Audio Pro A10



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Pros


Stylish looks
Composed and assured audio performance
Compact design
Easy to use




Cons


Not the widest soundstage
Bass could be stronger






£180$199







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B&W Formation Wedge



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Pros


Big, room-filling sound
Musical performer
Unique design




Cons


App is still bare
Tricky to place





£899$899







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Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen



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Pros


Excellent sound
Portable
Alexa support
Great style
Waterproof design




Cons


Pricey








£200$250







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Dali Katch



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Pros


Loud, full-bodied sound with lots of bass
Terrific detail and composure
Slim-yet-solid aluminium cabinet
Eye-katching design




Cons


Plasticky mesh
Expensive






£329







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Denon Home 350



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Pros


Big room-filling sound
Precise and detailed delivery
Plenty of bass
Extensive functionality
Excellent build quality




Cons


It’s big and heavy
No Chromecast
Fairly pricey






£599$699







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IKEA ENEBY



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Pros


Plenty of power
Good amount of bass
EQ adjustment
Good value
3.5mm input




Cons


Battery pack sold separately (Eneby 20)
No controls to pause or skip tracks







£80







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Linn Series 3



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Pros


Detailed, controlled, immediate and convincing sound
Singular looks




Cons


Pricey
Not the last word in outright scale




£2950$3600







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Marshall Emberton



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Pros


Rugged design
Entertaining sound
Nice control interface
Stylish looks




Cons


Other speakers deliver more precision and clarity
Slightly soft bass






£129$179







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Naim Mu-so 2



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Pros


Lovely materials and build quality
Deft sound, with real reserves of power
Lots of functionality




Cons


Pricey
Not much of an advance visually





£1299







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Naim Mu-So Qb 2



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Pros


Large-scale, detailed and nuanced sound
Extensive specification
That control wheel




Cons


Starting to look properly expensive
Imperfect app





£749$899







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Ruark MRx



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Pros


Lovely design and build
Excellent sound
Wealth of connections
Flexible placement




Cons


The app can be a little sluggish







£399







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Tribit Stormbox Micro



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Pros


Clear and detailed performance
Dust and waterproof
Good, smart design
Affordable price




Cons


Not the most directional sound







£42$49







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Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2



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Pros


Big sound
Easy to use
13-hour battery life
Outdoor Boost mode




Cons


Not much of note







£90$99













Naim Mu-so 2

Upgrades the original



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Pros

Lovely materials and build qualityDeft sound, with real reserves of powerLots of functionality

Cons

PriceyNot much of an advance visually

With the Mu-so 2, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s more of the same. The overall appearance is similar, but the cabinet has been re-engineered, the drivers redesigned and there’s a new processor running the show.And much like the original we like what Naim has done with the sound, producing an at times a ferociously loud performance that doesn’t lose a sense subtlety or deftness with its handling of music. It’s more of the same, but better.Reviewer: Simon LucasFull Review: Naim Mu-so 2













Ruark MRx

A well-equipped streaming speaker



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Pros

Lovely design and build Excellent sound Wealth of connections Flexible placement

Cons

The app can be a little sluggish

The MRx looks fantastic: a stylish meld of retro looks with a modern feel. You can place it portrait or landscape, with the latter orientation producing stereo sound. With the MRx, Ruark has embraced the digital age too, with multi-room, music streaming services and aptX Bluetooth all featured.And the audio? We found it to be a big sound: emitting an articulate, bass rich and powerful sound from its two 75mm full-range drivers. The MRx is another pleasing speaker from the British brand.Reviewer: Ced YuenFull Review: Ruark MRx













Naim Mu-So Qb 2

A thoroughly entertaining wireless speaker



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Pros

Large-scale, detailed and nuanced sound Extensive specification That control wheel

Cons

Starting to look properly expensive Imperfect app

The first Mu-so Qb was a revelation – a premium wireless speaker shaped like a cube? And the second-gen version has proven to be even better.Like the original it comes in the same distinctive design, but there are upgrades in the all-new driver units, digital signal processor, AirPlay 2 support and new illuminated dial. Compared to the original, we found the performance on tap here to be powerful, but also nuanced; showcasing a broad and well-defined soundstage. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting listen, even in light of its price increase.Reviewer: Simon LucasFull Review: Naim Mu-so Qb2













Bang and Olufsen Beosound A1 2nd Gen

Compact hi-fi speaker with smarts



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Pros

Excellent sound Portable Alexa support Great style Waterproof design

Cons

Pricey

B&O A1 2nd gen is the sequel to the Beoplay A1, and improves upon that speaker’s terrific performance with an even better sonic display.It’s the world’s first Bluetooth-only speaker to support Alexa and a very stylish-looking one at that. It’s primarily designed for the outdoors with its 18-hour battery life, integrated leather strap and water- and dustproof build quality; but if anything we extracted just as much joy from using it in the home, as this speaker can produce a detailed, clear sound, as well as plenty of bass. It’s a stunning sounding effort.At £200 it is pricey, but we find it hard to argue against its quality. It’s a portable speaker with plenty of substance to go with its style.Reviewer: Kob MonneyFull Review: B&O Beosound A1 2nd Gen













Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2

Small gains add up



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Pros

Big sound Easy to use 13-hour battery life Outdoor Boost mode

Cons

Not much of note

The Wonderboom 2 improves upon the original with a number of tweaks. Though it’s almost the same size as the original, new features come in the form of Outdoor Boost and Double Up. The former accentuates the mid-range performance and nubs the bass, so you can hear the vocals better outside. Double Up adds stereo pairing, as long as you have another Wonderboom 2 in your possession.When it comes to its sonic performance, the Wonderboom 2 is another great showcase for Ultimate Ears’ signature sound at an affordable price. It can go incredibly loud for a small unit, and offers plenty of welly in the low end for a speaker of this size. If you favour an energetic performance from your speakers, this has it in spades.Reviewer: Kob MonneyFull Review: Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2













Linn Series 3

A thrilling listen



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Pros

Detailed, controlled, immediate and convincing soundSingular looks

Cons

PriceyNot the last word in outright scale

The Series 3 is Linn’s first foray into the wireless speaker market. Visually it’s unique, shaped like a wine glass (or an egg) with its distinctive curves, and the design reflects the price tag, with the cabinet cast from a natural mineral compound that features integrated touch controls on top.In terms of its specification, it’s well stocked. For connectivity there’s a choice of Bluetooth 5, AirPlay 2 and HDMI ARC, as well as an Ethernet-like socket for connecting to the partner 302 speaker to create a stereo pair. The Linn App has access to the big music apps, along with comprehensive control of the speaker. The audio performance is a sensational and thrilling expressive, precise and dynamic. It’s a speaker capable of handling whatever genre of music you fling at it.Reviewer: Simon LucasFull Review: Linn Series 3













B&W Formation Wedge

An oddly shaped musical speaker



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Pros

Big, room-filling soundMusical performerUnique design

Cons

App is still bareTricky to place

The Formation Wedge is another speaker on this list with an odd design, but considering it’s Bowers & Wilkins, we trust them more than most when it comes to high-end audio.And what you get from the Formation Wedge is a highly musical performance that is brimming full of confidence, expressive and revealing plenty of detail. While its looks are unique – very much earning the ‘wedge’ name – it adds to the Wedge’s sense of individuality. Support for Spotify, Bluetooth 4.1 and AirPlay 2 means you can wring a tune from several sources; and its Roon Ready spec means the Wedge can join an even wider home audio ecosystem. When we first reviewed the speaker, the app was by no means fully featured and still seems to be experiencing issues, so bear that in mind.Reviewer: Kob MonneyFull Review: B&W Formation Wedge













Denon Home 350

A big performer



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Pros

Big room-filling soundPrecise and detailed deliveryPlenty of bassExtensive functionalityExcellent build quality

Cons

It’s big and heavyNo ChromecastFairly pricey

The biggest speaker in the Denon Home range unsurprisingly delivers the biggest performance. Tucked inside its bigger body are high-quality drivers and powerful digital amplification that enable it to really make its presence felt.It has the same solidly constructed, if rather nondescript design that doesn’t wholly endear us. There are physical connections around the back (USB, 3.5mm etc), and in the HEOS app there’s access to streaming services and multi-room set-up. Plus, with AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth connectivity, it offers a number of means to get music to the speaker.The presentation