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Neither Bose SoundLink Color nor JBL Xtreme were recommended by experts this month
On 4 Mar 2024 (25 days ago) we went through 113 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither Bose SoundLink Color nor JBL Xtreme 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 JBL Charge 5 or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, JBL Charge 5 received 6 endorsements this month, from Digital Trends (26 Feb 2024), WIRED (18 Feb 2024) Tom's Guide (22 Feb 2024) and 3 others.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | Digital Trends
| TechHive | WIRED | Tom's Guide | Rtings.com | TechRadar | Popular Mechanics | PCMag | SoundGuys | What Hi-Fi |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $130 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 15 | - | 2 | 12 | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
N/A | N/A | $110 | Bose SoundLink Color | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $178 | JBL Xtreme The JBL Xtreme Bluetooth Speaker is a durable and reliable option for outdoor adventures with impressive sound quality, long battery life, and the ability to connect to up to three devices simultaneously. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | Digital Trends | TechHive | WIRED | Tom's Guide | Rtings.com | TechRadar | Popular Mechanics
| PCMag | SoundGuys | What Hi-Fi |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $130 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 15 | - | 2 | 12 | - | 7 | - | - | 1 | 1 |
2 | +4 | $437 | Sonos Move 2 | 4 | 5 | - | 5 | - | 9 | - | - | 2 | - |
3 | -1 | $176 | Sonos Roam The Sonos Roam is a highly versatile and durable portable speaker that delivers excellent sound quality, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, voice assistant integration, and unique features such as Automatic TruePlay and wireless charging. | 3 | - | 10 | 11 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - |
4 | -1 | $60 | Tribit StormBox Micro 2 The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a durable and waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker with powerful sound, long battery life, and versatile connectivity options. | 8 | - | 9 | - | - | 2 | - | - | - | 3 |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [15]
- with a score: 9
- without a score: 6
Highest score by What Hi-Fi | 100 |
Average score based on 15 reviews | 85 |
Lowest score by TechHive | 70 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- Clear, full-range sound you might not expect from a compact speaker
- Voice prompts make pairing your devices easier than ever
- Up to 8 hours of music from rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Wireless connection to your smartphone, tablet or other Bluetooth-enabled device
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- Hear the bass, feel the bass, see the bass. Dual external passive radiators demonstrate just how powerful your speakers are
- Splash proof means no more worrying about rain or spills; you can even clean it with running tap water. Just don't submerge it
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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!
Bose SoundLink Color is a very popular and one of the less expensive options. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Jabra Speak 510 or Bose SoundLink Color II .
Bose SoundLink Color was released in 2014. There are a lot of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
Bose SoundLink Color is $35 less expensive than an average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).
JBL Xtreme is a very popular option on the higher end of the price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus or Soundcore Rave Party 2 .
JBL Xtreme was released in 2015. There are dozens of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
JBL Xtreme is $53.01 more expensive than the average bluetooth speaker ($124.99).