When you are looking for the best sounding portable Bluetooth speaker, you want a speaker that sounds good. Still, it’s portable enough to carry it anywhere you go. You also want a speaker that delivers hours of playtime before it needs to be recharged.
In this post, I present the best-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker in the market today. I will emphasize portability and sound quality in this post, not loudness. If you want loudness instead, read this post for a list of the loudest Bluetooth speaker for your next outdoor party.
The Best Sounding Portable Bluetooth Speakers
- Marshall Stockwell 2
- Anker Soundcore Motion+
- Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
- Bose SoundLink Micro
- Sony SRS-XB32
Marshall Stockwell 2
Since it was founded in 1962, Marshall has become one of the iconic brands worldwide for guitar amplification. Their quality and experience gained during all these years have been translated to the world of portable Bluetooth speakers. As one of the best sounding portable Bluetooth speaker, check out the Stockwell 2.
Sound Performance
Marshall utilizes what is called the Blumlein stereo sound Construction, which delivers a multi-directional experience that will immerse you in your music, indoors or out. Wikipedia defines Blumlein stereo sound as a technique invented by Alan Blumlein for the creation of recordings that, upon replaying through headphones or loudspeakers, recreate the spatial characteristics of the recorded signal.
Marshall uses the same principle for the construction of the speaker so that when you play music through it, the experience is enhanced so that it’s more immersive.
All the sound is produced by one neodymium woofer, two tweeter drivers, and a passive resonator. In the front, you have the woofer and one tweeter driver. In the back, there is another tweeter driver and the passive resonator.
There are three class-D amplifiers inside of this Bluetooth speaker. One 10 W amp for the woofer, and two 5 W amp for the tweeters. The total sound pressure level is 80 dB at 1 meter.
The small cabinet is designed and constructed so that there is a good bass reflex, improving the bass efficiency. This speaker has an excellent frequency response and low distortion.
Features and Overall Design
The Stockwell II comes with a battery pack that offers up to 20 hours of portable playtime on a single charge. Of course, it depends on the volume at which you are playing the music. A 20 minutes quick charge gives 6 hours of playtime at half volume. A full charge can take up to 5 hours depending on how depleted the batteries are when you charge them, and it gives up to 20 hours of playtime.
You can customize and fine-tune the sound to your taste thanks to the analog control knobs for bass, treble, and volume. Also, on the top panel, you have the battery indicator and the Bluetooth connect button.
It has an IPX4 rating, which is water-resistant to withstand splashes of water, not to be submerged in water.
Features multi-host functionality making it easy to switch between two Bluetooth devices, plus it offers wired connectivity thanks to the 3.5mm stereo input.
The design is rugged and durable, featuring a silicone exterior enclosure, steel metal grille for protecting the woofer and tweeters.
The dimensions of Marshall Stockwell II are: 7.09 x 6.34 x 2.76 in or 180 x 161 x 70 mm. It weighs 3.04 pounds or 1.38 kg. It comes in Black, Grey, Burgundy, Indigo.
Anker Soundcore Motion+
To get a big sound, you usually need to have large speakers. Still, the engineers at Anker were able to design a small, portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers excellent sound in this size class of speakers. The Soundcore Motion+ packs lots of sound in a small, easy to carry package.
Sound Performance
The Soundcore Motion+ delivers a rich, crisp sound that outperforms more popular brands in this size range, costing less but providing more sound. It comes with two neodymium woofers, two tweeters, and two passive radiators. Everything is powered with amplifiers that deliver a total of 30W.
As you increase the volume, you’d expect to get distorted sound, particularly in a speaker this small, but that’s not the case. It handles very well at high volumes keeping the music sounding clean and crisp. If more volume is what you need, then pair two Soundcore Motion+ and get better stereo separation and louder volumes.
Thanks to its enclosure design with a 15-degrees upward angle, and the internal signal processing, it delivers an excellent stereo separation, filling up the room with rich sound. For a speaker this size don’t expect to get deep, punchy bass, but worry not, it comes with Anker’s BassUp technology, which ensures a bass that sounds richer than most speakers this size at all times.
The frequency response of this Bluetooth speaker is from 50Hz to 40kHz. Providing you with a wide frequency range which means that you will hear fine details in the music you listen to, thanks to its crisp, clear highs, full, mellow mids, and rich lows.
It will work great for all music genres so that you enjoy a remarkable sound no matter what kind of music you like.
Features and Overall Design
The Soundcore speaker comes with a 6700mAh battery, and according to Anker’s specifications, it can deliver up to 12 hours of playtime. That’s only if you play the speaker at low volume. If you play the speaker at 50%, you should get between 8 – 10 hours of playtime. At maximum volume, the battery can only last between 5 to 6 hours. It takes about 4 hours to fully charge, which is within the range for speakers in this price range.
It can also be used as a charge bank to charge your mobile devices, but be advised that if you charge your phone while playing music, the battery lasts much less than expected.
The device comes with a USB-C socket for charging the speaker and an AUX input for connecting a device using a 3.5mm stereo jack.
The Soundcore Motion+ is waterproof thanks to its IPX7 rating. Its casing provides an impenetrable barrier against liquids; still, I wouldn’t recommend submerging it in water. It is the perfect companion for your next pool gathering.
Thanks to the companion app, you can tweak the EQ directly from your phone, you can even set timers and conveniently turn it off from your device.
It comes in three colors: black, blue, and red. The speaker’s dimensions are 3.20 x 3.10 x 10.10 inches, and it weighs 2.31 pounds.
Denon Envaya DSB-250BT
Denon is a Japanese electronics company that’s been in the market for more than 100 years. Their products are of excellent quality, and the Denon Envaya line of Bluetooth speakers is proof of that. This small speaker delivers superior sound quality comparable to more expensive units of famous brands, making it one of the best sounding portable Bluetooth speakers available at this price range.
Sound Performance
The Envaya DSB-250BT delivers extraordinary sound thanks to the advanced audio processing technology included in it and the proprietary bigger drivers that with larger passive radiators that help expand the sound.
Inside the Denon Envaya DSB-250BT, there are two 40 mm (1.57″) full-range drivers that deliver crisp, clear sounds between 50Hz and 20kHz. The passive radiator is 53 × 135 mm or 2 x 5.3 inches.
To power the full-range drivers, there are two 13 W Class-D amplifiers, for a total of 26 W.
The Denon Envaya is the perfect speaker to listen to music indoors and outdoors because it delivers beautiful superior sound. Plus, it’s small enough to pack it in your bag and take it anywhere to enjoy your tunes on the go.
Features and Design of the Envaya DSB-250BT
With the Envaya DSB-250BT, you will get between 10 to 11 hours of playtime, that’s if the volume is set halfway. If playing at maximum volume, you won’t get more than 5 hours. To recharge the battery, it can take up to 3.5 hours, depending on how discharged the battery is. The battery inside is 3000mAh.
It features the aptX Bluetooth V4.1 connectivity protocol, offering high definition audio streaming without the use of wires. If you want to connect your device with a cable, it comes with an AUX input that uses a 3.5mm stereo jack connector.
Want to have a louder speaker system with excellent stereo separation? Use two Envaya DSB-250BT to sync them to each other, and one will be the left channel and the other will be the right channel delivering enhanced performance. This feature is available for iOS and Android devices.
The Denon Envaya is an IP67 rated dust and waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker. It can be submerged 1 meter underwater for 30 minutes without damage, of course, all connectors should be protected by the caps and gaskets for this to be true.
It offers touch-sensitive buttons on the side of the speaker that control the power, volume control, Bluetooth pairing, and for taking calls. It also features a built-in mic for calls and to send voice commands to Siri and Google.
Bose SoundLink Micro
If portability is what you prefer, you won’t find a speaker as portable as the Bose Soundlink Micro that delivers an excellent sound at this size. It delivers a better sound than several other speakers that are bigger and more expensive. It offers a decent bass response for its size, in contrast to other speakers that sound thin and anemic.
Sound Performance
The sound that the Bose Soundlink Micro delivers is crisp, with the right balance between high, mid, and low frequencies, and a bass sound that is unmatched for a Bluetooth speaker its size. It provides plenty of volume perfect for using it indoors and outdoors on your camping trips or the summer days on the beach.
Inside there is a small full-range driver and one passive resonator. The Class-D amp is what powers the driver. These components and the audio processing is what makes this tiny speaker deliver a sound that is bigger itself.
The Soundlink Micro it’s not a stereo speaker. Still, it has the feature of linking two of them together for getting stereo sound, but you’d have to buy two speakers. Just turn them on, and they’ll automatically sync thanks to Bose SimpleSync technology.
Features and Design
With the Sounlink Micro, you’ll get tons of features. For starters, you can use the multi-function button to access your phone’s Siri and Google Assistant voice commands without having your phone close to you.
The Bluetooth speaker can be used as a speakerphone, so go ahead and take a call right through the speaker just by the press of a button. That way, you get better audio, so the words are more transparent and easy to hear.
You can connect up to two devices simultaneously, plus the speaker can remember the eight most recently connected devices. This means that whenever you turn on the speaker, it will pair automatically, no need to go through the pairing process.
If you like to take your Bluetooth speaker to your outdoor adventures, make sure it is waterproof. The Soundlink Micro is waterproof, it can stand up to water from the inside out. It is IPX7 rated thanks to the silicone seal around it.
This speaker doesn’t have the best battery life; it can go up to 6 hours depending on the volume. Still, it delivers better sound and better bass than other speakers out there. Better sound instead of longer battery life is the tradeoff for getting a deeper, full, rich sound.
Take the Soundlink Micro wherever you go by strapping it to your bike, backpack, or clothes. Thanks to the reliable tear-resistant strap, you know it’ll hold anywhere you go.
For accessing and controlling all the features of the Soundlink Micro, use the Bose Connect app. Personalize your settings, so you can spend more time enjoying the music instead of setting it up.
Sony SRS-XB32
The Sony SRS-XB32 is an easy to carry Bluetooth speaker that delivers good sound with multicolor lights and flashing strobes to enliven your party. Let’s take a closer look at the sound performance and features from this portable Bluetooth speaker.
Sound Performance
Inside of the SRS-XB32, there are two 48 mm (1.89″) full-range drivers that are rigid and lightweight thanks to the Mica Reinforced Cellular speaker cone, which contributes to the sound quality it delivers. The drivers have a frequency response that goes from 20Hz to 20kHz.
The speaker delivers a decent bass with balanced mids, highs are a bit harsh, but it can be fixed by equalizing it through the app or your phones EQ. It comes with a “Live” button that enhances the music, giving it a broader stereo separation that allows for the sound to expand more.
The downside of using the live button is that the bass is decreased, and the mid and high frequencies are boosted. By using this speaker with the extra bass feature at volumes about 75%, you’ll get a good sound with plenty of bass. At higher volumes, the bass is suppressed, which makes the music lose its fullness.
Features and Design
The Sony SRS-XB32 is packed with features. You get a couple of apps to control your device. To control the music playing at the party, use Sony’s Music Center app. With it, you can create playlists with your favorite songs, cue the next song, control EQ, volume, and change the lighting patterns and sound modes.
With the Fiestable app, you can use your phone to control other aspects of the speaker. With it, you can take control of the party remotely by using the DJ controls to have fun with the different mixing and sound effects.
Another excellent feature is that the SRS-XB32 has a waterproof design. It comes with an IP67 rating, which means that your speaker can withstand being around water or dusty environment.
This speaker offers a great battery life. With a full charge, you can get up to 24 hours of playtime only if the multicolor lights are turned off, the extra bass feature is off, and the volume is set to medium. With the lights on and the extra bass feature enabled, you can get up to 12 hours of playtime if the volume is set at 75% volume.
For louder sound and better stereo separation, you can use the wireless party chain feature to connect more than one speaker. You can connect as much as 100 wireless speakers and have them sync-up to play the same music and synchronize the light show.
Final Thoughts
In this post, I have presented the best-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker. The selected speakers in this post deliver the best sound possible in a small speaker format. Remember that you can’t ever achieve the same quality sound from a small speaker when compared with bigger ones. But from all the small portable speakers, the ones in this list would deliver excellent sound, and all of them come packed with features to make your experience better.