THE BEST Speakers

Maker King Minhvuong shows off a really sweet design for a tabletop Bluetooth speaker. He built it using hundreds of stacked colored pencils set into epoxy resin, then cut, shaped, sanded, and varnished the resulting block to form an eye-catching enclosure.

Go back to the ’80s with this retro-style speaker that looks like an old-school Walkman. Instead of popping a cassette in, stash your smartphone inside of it, then clip it onto your belt loop for full effect. It has working control buttons and a 3.5mm aux in jack. Why not go all-in and use it with that Bluetooth cassette player?

Audio gear maker Teenage Engineering has a great eye for industrial design. Their minimal Bluetooth speaker continues that trend, and packs a pair of 4″ bass drivers, neodymium magnet tweeters, and a 38w per channel amp. The “Magic Radio” also records everything you play onto a 2-hour loop that you can rewind and time-stretch.

Amazon’s Alexa-powered speaker is now an orb, which not only looks cooler, but improves audio quality. The room-filling speaker can stream music from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, and more, and can control smarthome devices via voice commands. There’s also a spherical Echo Dot and a Echo Dot for kids.

This 2-in-1 device combines Roku’s excellent streaming apps with a 14″ wide, 4-driver speaker that can upgrade the sound on your TV set without taking up a bunch of space. It offers Bluetooth and AirPlay2 wireless connectivity, along with Alexa, Google voice assistant, Spotify Connect, and Dolby Audio support.

This unique spatula integrates a remote control into its handle, so you can adjust volume, play, pause, and skip tracks while cooking. It connects with one or two Bluetooth speakers. The spatula handle is heat- and water-resistant, and the remote can be detached during washing. The spatula also has a built-in bottle opener.

Muzen’s palm-sized Bluetooth speaker has a rugged look and great sound quality for its size. It’s perfect for hanging off of your backpack or tent, and its all-metal case gives it a substantial feel. It also packs a built-in flashlight with three modes, and its IPX-5 rating means it’s water-resistant. Offers 6 hours of playtime per charge.

This tabletop speaker features iconic Marshall amp styling, with the usefulness of a built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant. It has a 30-watt class-D amplifier, Airplay 2, Bluetooth, and Spotify Connect capability, and you use them to create a multi-room audio system. A Google Assistant version is also available.

Next time you’re throwing a party, kick out the biggest and best audio with JBL’s oversize Bluetooth sound system. It cranks out a massive wall of sound via its two 6.5″ woofers and three 2.25″ tweeters, and can run for up to 18 hours on battery. It’s also got mic and guitar inputs, and you can pair two together for true wireless stereo.

Altec Lansing’s rugged Bluetooth speaker is waterproof, snowproof, and shockproof. It has built-in Qi wireless charging and a USB charge port for your smartphone, and LED lighting which can sync with your tunes. It offers 20-hours of playtime per charge, though if you need more, there’s a 30-hour version, the Super LifeJacket Jolt.

This bedside alarm clock uses a matrix of 121 RGB LEDs to display the time. It also works as a Bluetooth speaker, and can display colorful images and animations you program via a smartphone app. Available in white or black plastic, or wood. They also make a mini version.

This waterproof LED lantern doubles as a Bluetooth speaker with 360º sound. Its 4400 mAh battery offers up to 24 hours of light, or can recharge gadgets too. Its 400 lumen light source has 5 modes including bright white, red, color fade, music synced, and emergency.

Marshall’s latest Bluetooth speaker is small, but still packs a punch. Its acoustics are designed to produce an enveloping 360º sound, while its battery offers up to 20 hours per charge. It’s IPX7-rated for water resistance, and at just 2.68″ x 6.30″ x 2.99″, it’s compact enough to toss in your bag for everyday use.

The latest version of Harman Kardon’s Aura Bluetooth speaker features an undulating, wave-like design under its dome that not only helps produce enveloping, 360º audio, but produces beautiful ambient lighting effect. It packs in six mid-high drivers, and a subwoofer, along with two 15W amps and one 100W amp.

Travel the globe without leaving home with this unique device that lets you listen to radio stations from around the world. The portable speaker works with an app and Bluetooth to bring you radio stations from 18 different cities, using swappable buttons to access your nine favorites.

Link up your tunes on the golf links with the Bushnell Wingman GPS Bluetooth Speaker. More than a mobile sound device, the Wingman relays audible distance info when synched with the Bushnell Golf App. A remote button enables tips on the course, and the main unit conveniently mounts magnetically to metal golf cart bars.

This tabletop sound system has a cool retro look, and comes in an easy-to-assemble MDF wood kit. It comes with two 3″ full range speakers, two 4″ passive drivers, and a 20-watt RMS amp. In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, it has an FM radio, USB MP3 playback, and a 3.5mm AUX input. There’s also a Mono version.

This top-rated Bluetooth speaker is perfect for outdoor use – even in the swimming pool. The Barnacle Vibe 2.0 is completely sealed from water, and can play music with or without a sound source, thanks to its built-in 8GB of iTunes-compatible storage. Runs for up to 8 hours on a charge, and mounts just about anywhere.

This useful desktop accessory gives your computer display a 3″ lift, while also boosting your audio. It’s got a USB-powered amplifier, two 2″ high/mid drivers, and a 4″ woofer, all in a single box that costs less than 40 bucks. Holds monitors and all-in-one computers weighing up to 22 lb. It also has headphone and mic jacks on front.

Audioengine’s powered bookshelf speakers crank out 150 watts of power, and feature aramid fiber woofers and silk tweeters for crisp, punchy, and clean audio. They come in wired or Bluetooth wireless versions, with black or white lacquer or natural bamboo finishes. They’re especially awesome as computer speakers.

Milwaukee Tool’s 2951-20 job site audio system features a rugged housing that’s water and dust resistant. It has AM and FM radio tuners, a backlit LCD clock, and Bluetooth connectivity for mobile devices. When plugged in, it doubles as a charger for M12 batteries for Milwaukee’s cordless power tools.

X-Creation likes to put speakers into a kinds of unlikely places. After building a wheelbarrow boombox, he created a stereo sound system by making cutouts in a pair of gas cylinder bottles, and installing speakers, crossovers, wiring, and sound-reactive lighting inside.

At the end of the day, just about any hollow enclosure can serve as the cabinet for a speaker. Whether its acoustic properties are any good is another story, but we’re intrigued by this Bluetooth sound system that X-Creation built into the body of a wheelbarrow. The design certainly makes it easy to move around.

Sonos’ soundbar kicks out immersive home theater audio, with an ultra-wide soundstage and Dolby Atmos support. Its Trueplay tech optimizes it to the acoustics of your room, and it’s got AirPlay 2, Alexa, and Google Assistant built in. Pair it with a Sonos Sub for more boom, and two One SL satellites for even deeper surround.

Marshall’s mid-size wireless speaker kicks out extraordinary sound, and looks good doing it. It packs two 15W and one 50W Class D amplifier, and has Amazon Alexa or Google voice assistant capability, all wrapped up in a wooden cabinet with Marshall’s iconic styling. Save 25% in The Awesomer Shop.

A powerful and durable portable Bluetooth speaker, the DemerBox may be your best bet. Its electronics are installed inside a waterproof Pelican case, so it’s tough as nails, cranks out powerful bass, and doubles as a carrying case for small items. It lasts up to 40 hours per charge and has a USB charging port inside.