Best Outdoor Speakers
Brilliant Bass. Bring your music to life with proprietary Anker BassUp technology. Streamlined Connectivity. Listen for up to 66ft with latest Bluetooth 4.2 technology, while an in-built microphone makes hands-free calling a breeze. Unbelievable Sound: 12W of pure audio power with enhanced bass thunders from dual neodymium drivers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When Anker’s SoundCore 2 went on sale, I immediately made the purchase so that I could compare an Anker Bluetooth speaker with those from other manufacturers. Additionally, the play button can also be used to switch a call between speaker and mobile device. Without any obstruction in between the speaker and my phone, sound didn’t cutoff until both were about 100 feet apart, producing the best Bluetooth range of all speakers I’ve tested to date. The speaker has the ability to put an existing call on hold while answering another incoming call. There is one feature that is common with most speakers I’ve tested but not present with the SoundCore 2 and that is the ability to call the last number dialed on the phone the speaker is paired with. Pros. • Durable and rugged construction. • Good sound reproduction. • Loud. • Comprehensive user guide in 9 languages. • Amazing Bluetooth range. • Advanced phone call answering features. • Ability to enable voice activated software (Siri with iOS). • Anker-branded charging cable. Cons. • Can’t go to previous track. • Can’t call the last number dialed. • No auxiliary cable. Conclusion. Despite the minor quirks mentioned in my review, the pros far outweigh the cons making the SoundCore 2 an excellent choice for a Bluetooth speaker in the $46 (price at the time of review) range. While these two speakers are more accurate in terms of sound quality reproduction, they are not as loud as the SoundCore 2. However, if sound quality reproduction is more important, take a look at the Meidong speakers."
"It seems like a lot of this speaker's power is from resonance with the surface it is sitting on, so if good bass or volume is a concern you should make sure to position it on a solid wood table as opposed to plastic...the sound at the same setting on a beach towel in the grass or sand is noticeably quieter, less clear and punchy than the same setting on a wood stool in my backyard, though still perfectly within my "outdoor background music" range of acceptability. In a "beach" context this actually works out well because this sort of self-limits the projection to only your immediate area of the beach or park, which will bother people who want everyone in the whole world to hear their music but endear the device to people like me who want decent quality sound confined to a small area of the outdoors, and as I said setting it up atop a nice firm block of wood will get you a very noteworthy volume increase."
"If you plan on doing a lot of sharing of this device at get togethers or parties, you should consider these nuisances. Second, my buddy plugged his iPod in using the 3mm adapter and that worked well but it kept skipping and stopping. It does get distorted when you turn it up to high(above 3/4) but that should be expected when you're purchasing a speaker of this caliber. I recently tested out the new one and honestly it still sounds the same when pushed past 3/4th volume."
AM/FM radio with bright, clear display, and 1/8" auxiliary input; microphone and auxiliary cable included.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Update: I downloaded the ion block rocker app and it made a big difference in the sound quality. The EQ has a bass boost button which makes the music sound rich. At full volume is still distorts but with app the sound is 10 times better. The many different light patterns will make up for the poor sound quality."
"I use them on photo shoots and haven't tested the full capacity yet."
"Great sound and features."
"The ultimate party machine."
"Thought you would be able to link this with another but unfortunately this old model is different than my other so the reason I bought it was to link and cannot do it."
"Can't turn all the way up without distortion."
"LOVE this portable speaker and would definitely recommend it."
"LoL this thing solved several problems for us with it's versatility."
4 INCH 3-WAY MULTIPURPOSE SPEAKER SET – your high performance studio quality speakers can be used in an indoor or outdoor setting without compromising sound integrity.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The bracket assembly is solid, with foam / rubber padding either built in or provided for all mounting points which can be critical depending on how you install them."
"They look a bit like a wire wrap but they would not full cover a speaker/other wire so maybe a sort of wire cover or edge cover?"
"I use these outside under a roof overhand to pump sound to my 3000 square foot back yard."
"This is a re-edit of my initial review."
"For under 40 dollars you will not find a better budget friendly pair of outdoor speakers."
"Not outdoor."
"The Bad: The threaded brass piece (located inside to accept the bracket knob) was not attached on one the speakers, making it impossible to fasten/use the speaker to the bracket."
"Even listening to rock, it sounds like someone turned the bass down on my stereo when I use these speakers."
Best Bookshelf Speakers
These speakers have a retro wood case look and grey speaker grills and are an ideal setup for any device that has an AUX or RCA connection. By looking at the back panel you can easily tell one of these is a passive speaker and one is an active speaker. The active speaker has two inputs located on the back. You can adjust the volume and set the speakers to mute when needed without having to reach the speakers. CLASSIC WOOD FINISH - High quality MDF wood build finished with wood effect vinyl serves as a great compliment to any home decor.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Let me start by saying that I purchased these as a hold over until I could justify tube amps and quality passive bookshelf speakers (Okay, I really mean wives approval) but these make me question even going down that road. Yes it may reproduce lows better at lower volumes but I assure you that at 50-100% power it's hardly a noticeable difference and I prefer the warmer natural tweeter in the R1280T over it's more expensive big brother. The R1700BT does have bluetooth and that alone can justify the additional cost, but you are also getting a larger amp as well making it a solid purchase. The R1700BT was basically the same height and width but with a sloped front that brings the base out a bit further."
"I am by no means an audiophile but I also didn't want cheapo junk speakers and I also wouldn't benefit from anything more expensive. I gave myself a budget of $100 as I wanted better quality sound then cheap PC speakers and felt anything more than $100 for me and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. Also the 1280T's have the controls on the side which I like, a elegant aesthetic to them that I think would fit in with more than the green of the CR3's, and they include a simple but useful remote. One of my problems prior with a cheap bullet speaker was that dialog was hard to hear. Not being an audiophile the best I can do to describe the sound is to say its much more lifelike than any other speakers I have in my house or have heard when I'm out shopping. Mediabridge 3.5mm Male to 2-Male RCA Adapter (12 Feet) - Step Down Design - (Part# MPC-35-2XRCA-12 ). I dont think you can go wrong with these."
"I have a small apartment so I don't need a giant sound system."
Best Wireless Multiroom Digital Music Systems
Connects wirelessly to Sonos speakers in other rooms so you can expand your Home Sound System when you’re ready.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"You can play all speakers or just some speakers, but there should be groups you can preset and choose for that event or space without having to add and subtract each time you listen."
"You can choose surround sound or put one speaker in each room and have them play different things. You can have two speakers in one room playing stereo (I think that's one speaker playing half the music and the other playing the other half), or both playing the same thing at the same volume, or the same thing at different volumes, etc.etc."
"I only wish there was an option to run full audio through them instead of just surround when watching the TV."
"This is as close to built in speakers as you can get without having them actually built into your home."
"With a move to a new location I had to leave behind my wonderful "wired" whole home audio system and have been living "in silence" for over 3 years. So I decided to buy myself a belated christmas present to fill the gap, and the PLAY 1 starter kit seemed to be a solution for me especially since I am renting and needed a non-invasive, portable product like this."
"Love that they work over wifi and can have different music if you chose out of each speaker."
"A few concerns of mine are that the SONOS environment won't play some of my FLAC files and that there's no Aux-in capability on the pair - you can get this if you spring for the PLAY:5 at some point - but you can also use your PC media library if you install their desktop application."
"These are great and powerful speakers although I'm disappointed in the Podcast integration."