The ability to stream audio in your house is a highly sought after ideal. In our last article we covered Bluetooth adapters that plug into conventional stereo systems. In this article we look at some of the cheaper options when you don’t have a stereo system already. This mainly involves Bluetooth speakers. There are hundreds on offer, everything from portable items like the Amazon Tap, all the way up to $400+ Marshalls. This article is about cheap and cheaper items. See our pick below, all below $80:
Price |
$ |
$$ |
$$ |
$$$ |
Speakers |
2x 6W |
2x 5W+ |
2x 3W +sub |
2x 10W +2x subs |
Battery |
10 hours |
12 hours |
24 hours |
8 hours |
Range |
33’ |
33’ |
66’ |
33’ |
Cables |
USB & 3.5mm |
USB & 3.5mm |
USB |
USB & 3.5mm |
Features |
Built-in Mic |
Splashproof |
Spiral Bass speaker |
20W+ sound output |
Comments |
Good looking, solid and cheap |
Small and portable, highly rated |
Excellent sound quality at this price |
Portable, but best fit for large |
Automation Haus Verdict
For our top choice, we’d pick the Anker SoundCore. At that price, the audio quality can’t be beat. The long life battery is a great addition, but does add some weight. We weren’t specifically looking for portable units though, so that shouldn’t play too much of a role. If you’ve got some extra cash to spare though, and want something that’ll look good on a shelf at home, the Anker Premium provides a lot more oomph in the sound department. Still very reasonable as far as electronics go, with excellent quality and reliability that goes with the Anker name.
We’ve got two more articles planned in this series. Next up we’ll discuss options for connecting via Wi-Fi, and our last article will focus on the major home installations, multi-room etc.