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Gone are the days when people spent a fortune on getting a powerful music "system". Bluetooth speakers with their portability and relatively good audio quality are what most people prefer to buy. Having said that, there are far too many choices across the price range when it comes to Bluetooth speakers. Here we simplify the buying process by telling you the things you should look out for before buying a Bluetooth speaker:
Check the Bluetooth version
First things first, check the Bluetooth version the speaker supports. Why is this important? The latest version of Bluetooth will ensure the quality of audio as well as the distance you will keep between a phone and the speaker. Any speaker above Bluetooth version 4 should be good enough for most speakers.
Connectivity options
It’s always nice to have more connectivity options in a Bluetooth speaker. If a speaker has an auxiliary connector then it helps in saving the battery of the speaker as well as of the phone. Having a microphone on the speaker is also a good idea as it can work as a speakerphone. What a microphone does is also allow a phone’s virtual assistant to work well with the speaker. NFC or Near Field Communication is another connectivity feature to look for in a speaker as it eases in the pairing of devices with the speaker.
Technical specifications
There are two critical things you should check for in a speaker when it comes to technical specifications. They are:
Frequency response
In simpler terms, this is the range or frequency response, which is measured in hertz. A Bluetooth speaker can have a range anywhere between 100 Hz to 20,000 Hz. The more the range the better the audio quality generally is though it is dependent on other factors as well. The frequency range — lows, mids, and highs — between 20Hz to 250Hz is where you will hear the bass in a song. Vocals and instruments are usually between 250Hz to 4000Hz whereas the remaining frequency is all about the treble.
Drivers
The drivers are the main part of the speaker and most portable speakers will have at least 40mm drivers. This is a good enough for a mid-sized and price range speaker. Depending on the size of the speaker, the number of drivers may increase. A smallish speaker may just have one driver but a big device could include two drivers as well.
Other features to look out for
Check for the battery life if you are buying a speaker for outdoor purposes. Generally, portable speakers don‘t offer enhanced battery life but the big, bulkier ones do have sufficent battery.
Check for the charging ports on a speaker. Most speakers have a MicroUSB port only on them so you could charge them with a power bank as well.
Check the Bluetooth version
First things first, check the Bluetooth version the speaker supports. Why is this important? The latest version of Bluetooth will ensure the quality of audio as well as the distance you will keep between a phone and the speaker. Any speaker above Bluetooth version 4 should be good enough for most speakers.
Connectivity options
It’s always nice to have more connectivity options in a Bluetooth speaker. If a speaker has an auxiliary connector then it helps in saving the battery of the speaker as well as of the phone. Having a microphone on the speaker is also a good idea as it can work as a speakerphone. What a microphone does is also allow a phone’s virtual assistant to work well with the speaker. NFC or Near Field Communication is another connectivity feature to look for in a speaker as it eases in the pairing of devices with the speaker.
Technical specifications
There are two critical things you should check for in a speaker when it comes to technical specifications. They are:
Frequency response
In simpler terms, this is the range or frequency response, which is measured in hertz. A Bluetooth speaker can have a range anywhere between 100 Hz to 20,000 Hz. The more the range the better the audio quality generally is though it is dependent on other factors as well. The frequency range — lows, mids, and highs — between 20Hz to 250Hz is where you will hear the bass in a song. Vocals and instruments are usually between 250Hz to 4000Hz whereas the remaining frequency is all about the treble.
Drivers
The drivers are the main part of the speaker and most portable speakers will have at least 40mm drivers. This is a good enough for a mid-sized and price range speaker. Depending on the size of the speaker, the number of drivers may increase. A smallish speaker may just have one driver but a big device could include two drivers as well.
Other features to look out for
Check for the battery life if you are buying a speaker for outdoor purposes. Generally, portable speakers don‘t offer enhanced battery life but the big, bulkier ones do have sufficent battery.
Check for the charging ports on a speaker. Most speakers have a MicroUSB port only on them so you could charge them with a power bank as well.