With its new canister-like design, perfectly sized to fit in a chair cup holder, Sony has created a portable Bluetooth speaker that has a design you're probably familiar with from popular speakers like the UE Boom and JBL Flip, which have been upgraded over the years with improved bass and battery life.Īn Extra Bass model, the SRS-XB23 definitely has a warmer sound. It comes in a couple of color options and can be linked wirelessly with other Willen speakers to augment the sound. The Willen can stand up vertically or lay down horizontally and has a built-in microphone for speakerphone calls. But it's nicely designed, feels rugged and fits in a jacket pocket, weighing in it at 0.68-pound (308 grams). The main strike against it is its $120 price - ideally it would cost around $80, though right now you can pick it up on sale for $100. Its 2-inch full range driver and two passive radiators put out more sound than you'd think it would for its tiny size, and it offers decent clarity as well just enough bass to avoid sounding tinny (you can choose from three preset sound modes).īattery life is good at around 15 hours of playback time at moderate volume levels, and the speaker is IPX67 dust-proof and waterproof. Also like those speakers, it has an integrated strap on its base so you can clip it onto a backpack or even to your bike's handlebars. Marshall's little mono Willen speaker is similar to Bose's SoundLink Micro and other micro speakers like the Tribit StormBox Micro 2. The speaker still charges with a Micro-USB cable, which is a bit of a bummer. That said, while there's some punch to the bass (being short yet squat helps it produce more low end), it can only deliver so much kick.Īlas, Ultimate Ears, which is owned by Logitech, has not upgraded the charging port to USB-C. As far as I can tell, the Wonderboom 3 sounds very similar to the Wonderboom 2 and features very good sound for its small size. This model retains the special Outdoor Boost mode that boosts treble and you can link two together (or pair a Wonderboom 3 to a Wonderboom 2) to create a stereo sound pairing by simply pressing a button on each speaker. Its IP67 rating means that it's not only waterproof but also dust-proof (and able to float). Like its predecessor, the Wonderboom 3 carries a list price of $100, but sometimes sells for a little less. The design has not changed, though the speaker now comes in different color options. We liked Ultimate Ears' Wonderboom 2 and the third-generation model, the Wonderboom 3, offers some small improvements, including slightly better battery life (up to 14 hours instead of 13, at moderate volume levels) and a new Bluetooth chip that allows for extended wireless range of over 130 feet (40 meters). However, if you pair two of them together in stereo mode, the sound gets to a whole other level and indeed fills a larger room with sound. From my tests, I'd say it would have to be a relatively small living room - it can only output so much sound as a single speaker. For some reason, it uses the older Bluetooth 4.2 instead of 5.0, but I didn't have any problems with connectivity.īose says it can fill a living room with sound. ![]() While Bose's SoundLink Micro also delivers impressive sound for its tiny size, this speaker is bigger, weighing just over a pound (0.45 kg) and measuring 7.9 inches wide, 2.1 inches deep and 3.6 inches high (20 by 5.3 by 9.1cm), so the Flex sounds significantly better than the Micro. ![]() The Flex also floats and Bose says it can survive drops and bumps, with a soft silicone back and powder-coated steel grille that "won't peel or flake and is resistant to corrosion and UV light." It's also equipped with Bose's PositionIQ technology to automatically detect the speaker's orientation and deliver optimized sound based on whether it's upright, hanging or flat on its back. Available in three colors - black, white smoke and stone blue (pictured) - the speaker is IP67 dust- and waterproof, and rated for 12 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels. ![]() But it mostly lives up to the hype and is arguably the best-sounding wireless speaker for its relatively compact size. When it launched, Bose made some bold claims about its new SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker, particularly its bass performance.
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