Neither Bose SoundLink Micro nor Jabra Speak 510 were recommended by experts this month
On 3 Jan 2025 (11 months ago) we went through 108 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither Bose SoundLink Micro nor Jabra Speak 510 were included in any of those recommendations. Since neither Bluetooth Speaker received a single endorsement, as far as expert recommendations go, it's technically a tie. We do, however, recommend taking a look at Sonos Roam 2 or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, Sonos Roam 2 received 4 endorsements this month, from WIRED (21 Oct 2024), Tom's Guide (12 Nov 2024) TechRadar (13 Dec 2024) and 1 other.
| Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | TechHive  | PCMag  | SoundGuys  | WIRED  | Tom's Guide  | Popular Mechanics  | Rtings.com  | TechRadar  | What Hi-Fi  | Digital Trends  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | $167 |  Sonos Roam 2 The Sonos Roam 2 is praised for its sound quality, durability, and versatility, but criticized for its battery life, connectivity issues, and high price point, especially for those not fully invested in the Sonos ecosystem. | - | - | - | 2 | 8 | - | - | 1 | - | 4 |
| N/A | N/A | $99 |  Bose SoundLink Micro | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| N/A | N/A | $96 |  Jabra Speak 510 | - | -
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
| Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | TechHive | PCMag | SoundGuys | WIRED | Tom's Guide | Popular Mechanics | Rtings.com | TechRadar | What Hi-Fi | Digital Trends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | $167 | Sonos Roam 2 The Sonos Roam 2 is praised for its sound quality, durability, and versatility, but criticized for its battery life, connectivity issues, and high price point, especially for those not fully invested in the Sonos ecosystem. | - | - | - | 2 | 8 | - | - | 1 | - | 4 |
| 2 | - | $180 |  JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is highly praised for its improved sound quality, robust design, and long battery life, though it faces criticism for lacking an AUX port and having connectivity issues with the JBL app. | - | - | 1 | - | - | - |
- | 6 | 1 | - |
| 3 | - | $100 |  Beats Pill The Beats Pill (2024) is praised for its portability, impressive battery life, and robust design, but criticized for sound quality issues at high volumes, lack of EQ settings, and its price point considering the features offered. | - | 8 | 3 | 13 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 4 | - | $130 |  JBL Flip 6 The JBL Flip 6 is a durable and powerful portable Bluetooth speaker with a long battery life, PartyBoost feature, and water and dust resistance. | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| Show all rows | |||||||||||||
Expert reviews [18]
- with a score: 11
- without a score: 7
| Highest score by Old Time Music | 96 |
| Average score based on 18 reviews | 78 |
| Lowest score by Expert Reviews | 60 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
Expert reviews [11]
- with a score: 2
- without a score: 9
| Highest score by Serious Insights | 94 |
| Average score based on 11 reviews | 84 |
| Lowest score by Phone Arena | 75 |
Score distribution:
| 80-100 | |
| 60-80 | |
| 40-60 | |
| 20-40 | |
| 0-20 |
- BOSE WATERPROOF SPEAKER: Small but powerful, the Bose SoundLInk Micro Bluetooth speaker produces loud, clear sound with shockingly deep bass. It packs a custom-designed transducer and passive radiators for crisp, balanced sound, WATERPROOF AND DUSTPROOF (IP67)
- Read more
- CLEARER CONVERSATIONS – The outstanding sound quality in the Jabra Speak 510 Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker ensures everyone is heard during conference calls, making your meeting more efficient; The 360-degree microphone picks up sound at all angles
- Read more
Speakers range from not being able to handle even a drop of water to being able to be fully submerged in water for several minutes. Do you plan to take your speaker outside? To the beach? To the pool? In the shower? Then you definitely need to verify the level of water resistance before purchasing. You can tell the water resistance by the IP rating—the higher the rating, the more resistant the speaker is to the elements. For reference, the first digit refers to dust protection and the second digit refers to water protection. It reads as: IP68. Anything higher than IP66 will be dust- and splash-proof, meaning it can handle some contact with water, but cannot be fully submerged or soaked.
Battery life for Bluetooth speakers is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). Manufacturers will report the battery life of a speaker in the average number of hours it takes to empty from a full charge. Keep in mind this number is based on medium levels of usage. If you play the speaker on full volume, it will drain the battery faster. Some specialty features like using the speaker to charge your phone or casting an LED light show will also drain the battery faster. The manufacturer reported number is just an estimate, and may be slightly different based on your usage.
It’s also important to consider is the type of battery. Rechargeable lithium-ion (LI-ion) batters are ideal, but some speakers only take standard or rechargeable AA/AAA/C/D batteries. You may even find Bluetooth speakers that recharge via solar power—great for outdoor use!