Along with smartphones, these devices have become the most demanded technological products. They have been a real revolution for listening to music in any environment. You just have to look this summer at any space in nature, beaches, swimming pools or family celebrations. But the great variety of prices and benefits is enormous and it is convenient to know what aspects can be best for you.
Either through Spotify or Amazon Music streaming services or directly in the internal memory of any of our devices, our music no longer usually goes through fixed sound systems . Wireless speakers are a fashionable product loved by the general public both for the added quality that many of them offer and for the freedom they give.
They connect easily with any device and allow us to listen to our music anywhere. At least as long as they have enough battery.
The convenience of pressing a button and getting instant sync has been a big part of the success. Of course, the universe of these speakers is infinite as is their price range.
Size, design, functionalities … Some users are just looking for something that allows them to listen to music while showering or cleaning the house, not caring much about nuances taken to the extreme. Others look for the most precise sound possible in which each bass or treble counts , and even serve us to make a phone call. On the other hand, the most advanced ones are compatible with the Google assistant or Alexa , and can be controlled by voice.
So the question is obliged: what else should we take into account when choosing the best speaker for our needs? To have the best possible answer, it is convenient to attend to several factors that will help to choose the one that best meets what is expected of him.
CONNECTIVITY. Without a doubt, Bluetooth connectivity models are the most popular and popular on the market. However, that does not have to mean that we give up other forms of connection that are more practical even for other times. For example, although Bluetooth has come a long way in recent years, we must not forget that the quality of the cable is still not comparable. If at some point we are going to have it fixed somewhere in the house, the ideal is that it has a jack input , usually 3.5 mm. It is not the only alternative to consider. The same is the case with the USB port that comes in certain models to play music directly and charge the device at the same time.
Those that allow memory cards are also welcome and, of course, those that can exchange signals with different devices connected via WiFi, and that usually have their natural habitat at home and offices. A last alternative would be NFC technology, similar to Bluetooth, but with a short range. We just need to bring the devices closer and that’s it. No downloads or any other additional procedure. One more fact about Bluetooth. It ranges from 1.0 to 5.0 , and the higher the version, the more stable the sound transmission will be, the further the mobile or the computer can be from the speaker, the higher the sound quality and the number of devices that you can connect at the same time.
PORTABILITY. When it comes to wireless speakers designed to give you a lot of jogging, the small size is one of the most sought after features . Of course, you know that the smaller the size, you will have to renounce performance and sound quality. As you look for a smaller Bluetooth speaker, you will have to give up performance and sound quality. In this case, you will have to look for the one that offers the best combination of weight and quality. Whether for those who want to carry it from one place to another constantly or those who seek to give it a more static use, the decision will not be easy. Theirs is to find the balance between these dimensions and qualityWithout this being an impediment to carry it easily in our bag or backpack or to enjoy good materials or good sound.
AUDIO QUALITY. This is undoubtedly an essential aspect, although it depends a lot on the tastes of each user. There are numerous speaker models that offer remarkable sound quality and power despite their small size, as you will see later. Of course, there will be those who pay more attention to the depth of the bass, if they are perceived faithful and resounding , or who pay more attention to how it sounds when the volume is at maximum. If the user has a more eclectic profile and listens to all kinds of music, you may be looking for a Bluetooth speaker with a good balance that balances these aspects without losing richness of sound.
In any case, there are 4 keys that mark the sound level in a speaker of this type:
-Power . It is indicated in W and usually ranges between 3 and 60 watts . This point generates some confusion, since many users look at the peak power that manufacturers tend to highlight. The value that should matter to us is the nominal power or RMS, which reflects the maximum value that the loudspeaker supports in optimal reproduction conditions, and it is the one you should definitely look at, because it is what the device can develop without distorting the music .
-Frequency range . It indicates the maximum and minimum frequency that the speaker is capable of reproducing. Try to find one that is spacious.
-Impedance. It is the resistance that the system opposes to the passage of the current, and it should be as low as possible , as it will be a good symptom of the general quality of the equipment.
-Number of channels and size of the drivers. While it is true that it is not synonymous with quality, it is indicative of the variety it offers us. Under normal circumstances, we usually find 2.0 or 2.1 systems. In this sense, the size of the drivers (and whether they are passive or active) is important when we talk about the subwoofer, for example. In small sizes, there are not many possibilities to offer good bass reproduction and that is where we can find some important differences.
BATTERY LIFE . Cable is a thing of the past. Or at least, the idea is to stop depending on it. But we are not going to make an investment in a device that leaves us stranded in a few hours at that weekend campsite we want to go to or on our beach days. It would be frustrating. About 10 hours is a minimum that we should demand of our laptop , since today there are speakers that can give us up to 25 hours of acoustic fun . It should also be borne in mind that this autonomy figure is usually indicated for use of the speaker at 50% of its maximum volume . So think that you are from listening to Mozart or riding your rave in style, think that the enjoyment time will be less than marked.
