{"id":1253127,"date":"2021-06-07T14:09:26","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T11:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1253127"},"modified":"2021-06-07T14:09:26","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T11:09:26","slug":"the-21-best-indoor-bluetooth-speakers-for-every-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1253127","title":{"rendered":"The 21 Best Indoor Bluetooth Speakers for Every Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lists & Guides<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The 21 Best Indoor Bluetooth Speakers for Every Home<\/h1>\n
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Expert-recommended wireless speakers to fill your bedroom, living room, and bathroom with music.<\/div>\n
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By <\/span>Philip Sherburne<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Graphic by Drew Litowitz<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Wireless speakers aren\u2019t just for barbecues and beach hangs anymore. The best Bluetooth speakers used to be relegated to small, portable music players with often subpar sound, but the market has exploded in recent years. Now, you\u2019re as likely to select a wireless audio player for home listening as you are a traditional hi-fi system. Of course, that surfeit of choices also means that selecting the best Bluetooth speakers can be trickier than ever.<\/p>\n

You might want one with a handle, like the Bose SoundLink Revolve+, that you can carry from the bedroom to the basement. Or maybe a multi-room array like the systems Sonos specializes in, so you can wake up, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, and head into your home office, all without missing a single measure of Pharaoh Sanders\u2019 life-giving melodies. Or maybe a pair of Audioengine A1s with a permanent place on the mantelpiece, where they\u2019ll replace the second-hand speakers you had in college.<\/p>\n

These expanded product offerings have everything to do with the way people listen to music these days. Many of us are just as likely to stream music as we are to slap a 12″ on the turntable. And even a serious music aficionado with a serious hi-fi rig to match may want to listen to the occasional podcast in the kitchen, after all.<\/p>\n

Audiophiles will rightly remind you that there\u2019s a tradeoff between quality and convenience, which is true. But wireless speakers don\u2019t just use Bluetooth anymore. For listeners leery of Bluetooth\u2019s audio quality\u2014and it\u2019s true that the technology uses lossy codecs, though many won\u2019t notice the difference\u2014a growing number of products connect directly over your wifi network to utilize Apple\u2019s higher-resolution AirPlay system.<\/p>\n

We spoke to a number of experts and music professionals about the best Bluetooth speakers and wireless systems that keep their homes filled with music.<\/p>\n

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Sonos ($179-699)<\/div>\n
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Sonos One ($199)<\/p>\n

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Sonos has established itself as a leader in multi-room sound over the past two decades, allowing you to stream the same song to every room in the house at once. A single speaker can deliver stereo sound on its own, or you can join two speakers in stereo pairs, and link even more in multi-room arrays. \u201cI have a Sonos system and really enjoy it,\u201d says Dan Deacon, whose setup includes a number of earlier-generation Sonos products: Play:5, Play:1, Play:3, Playbar, and Sub. \u201cHaving it connected to my home studio really helps me listen to works in progress in various rooms of the house easily. Also, with my record player routed through it, I can listen to LPs anywhere in the house, and that’s really changed my listening habits.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Emily Lazar, a Grammy-winning engineer who has mastered records for Haim, Vampire Weekend, Clairo, Beck, and more, likes the Sonos One for its sound and versatility. \u201cWhether you are using one single speaker or incorporating pairs of them in a more complex system, they are big enough to fill even a large room with accurate sound. The Ones are all over my house and make it really easy to have my music everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

A smart speaker, Sonos One features voice control and supports Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. But for users who already have a One and want to pair two speakers\u2014or those leery of allowing voice-recognition technology into their home\u2014the company also offers the One SL, a microphone-free version of the same speaker that retails for $20 less.<\/p>\n

Budget-conscious shoppers might also go the second-hand route. Sonos discontinued its Play:1 last year, though the company says that older models can work alongside their younger siblings on the same network. (One catch: Last year, Sonos phased out software updates for earlier generations of products.) \u201cWe have two Play:1s at our studio in South Williamsburg,\u201d says Tonje Thilesen, a photographer who has shot subjects like Mandy Patinkin and Kool Herc for the New Yorker<\/em> and the New York Times<\/em>, as well as contributed to Pitchfork. \u201cIt’s a pretty big space\u20141300 square feet\u2014but they are surprisingly loud and clear for their size, and we can fill the room without issue. We played Ariana Grande’s latest record on it the other day and it sounded so good\u2014I was impressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anyone craving a wireless replacement for traditional hi-fi speakers might look to the Five, Sonos\u2019 sleek, minimalist flagship home speaker. Like all the company\u2019s speakers, it connects to your music via Wi-Fi and supports Apple AirPlay 2, both of which offer audio fidelity superior to Bluetooth. \u201cThe most important factor in sound reproduction is transparency,\u201d says Tom Elmhirst, a Grammy-winning mix engineer with credits for James Blake, Frank Ocean, and Miley Cyrus. \u201cThe Five combines great sound and design to set the benchmark for the modern home system.\u201d Beyond its three midwoofers (for midrange frequencies) and three tweeters (for high ones), there are other neat bells and whistles too. Set a single speaker horizontally to take advantage of its wide soundstage, or set a stereo pair upright, for even greater coverage. Sonos\u2019 Trueplay technology lets you fine-tune the speaker\u2019s playback to match the acoustics of the room. You can even run a line in from your turntable or CD player. And if you really want to turn your living room into a dance party\u2014once everyone\u2019s been vaccinated, of course\u2014Elmhirst recommends adding the Sonos Sub, for even more oomph.<\/p>\n

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Sonos One<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$236<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$199<\/span> at Sonos<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Sonos One SL<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$179<\/span> at Sonos<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$200<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Sonos Play:1<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$310<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Sonos 5<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$499<\/span> at Target<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$499<\/span> at Sonos<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Sonos Sub<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$699<\/span> at Target<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$699<\/span> at Sonos<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Audioengine ($199-399)<\/div>\n
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Audioengine A1 ($199)<\/p>\n

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Bluetooth connections are increasingly a feature of more traditionally-styled speaker systems. Michael Calore, a product editor at Wired<\/em>, recommends the Texas company Audioengine for its bookshelf speakers, which combine Bluetooth connectivity with additional inputs and outputs. \u201cThese A1s are its most compact model, so I recommend them for tighter spaces like desktops and breakfast nooks\u2014wherever the mood can be enhanced by a clear stereo image,\u201d he says. \u201cJust make sure there’s a power outlet nearby; these don’t run on batteries. Connect to them wirelessly with Bluetooth, or plug in a mini cable from your cassette Walkman to listen to your Dead bootlegs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Or, if your Record Store Day haul is gathering dust, opt for Audioengine\u2019s A2+ or HD3 speakers, both of which incorporate RCA analog inputs as well. And if you really want to level up in sound, go for the A5+, which nearly doubles the size of the woofer\u2014a bigger woofer means more bass\u2014 and ramps up the output from from 60W to 150W.<\/p>\n

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Audioengine A1<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$199<\/span> at Target<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$149<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Audioengine A2+<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$269<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$269<\/span> at Guitar Center<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Audioengine HD3<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$349<\/span> at Guitar Center<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$349<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Audioengine A5+<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$399<\/span> at Target<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$399<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Kanto YU4 ($370)<\/div>\n
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Vancouver\u2019s Kanto makes speakers that stand out for both their design and quality. Recommended by Peter Hahn at Turntable Lab, the Kanto YU4 is a powered speaker with integrated Bluetooth connectivity along with RCA analog inputs and a built-in phono preamp, which means that you can connect a turntable directly to the speakers. The remote control lets you tweak the three-band EQ (bass, mids, and highs) on the fly, while a subwoofer output promises extra low end\u2014presuming your downstairs neighbors are chill.<\/p>\n

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Kanto YU4<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$420<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fluance Ai41 ($250)<\/div>\n
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Genevieve Dellinger, managing partner at Los Angeles creative agency Goldie Productions, and her partner, sculptor Dan John Anderson, work out of their home in the California desert, where they use Fluance Ai40 powered bookshelf speakers. \u201cThey were affordable, sound great, and reliably connect\u2014and stay connected,\u201d Dellinger says. (That\u2019s a not insignificant feature\u2014as anyone who has used Bluetooth knows, some devices can be notoriously finicky.) Like its now discontinued predecessor, the Ai41 is a 45-watt powered speaker with a 5″ woofer, a subwoofer output, and RCA and optical ins along with Bluetooth 5.0. (The beefier Ai61 incorporates a 6.5″ woofer and a combined 120 watts of power.)<\/p>\n

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Fluance Ai41<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$250<\/span> at Fluance<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Bose ($164-350)<\/div>\n
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Bose Home 300 ($200)<\/p>\n

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The Bose brand is synonymous with noise-canceling headphones, but the Massachusetts company has been delivering innovations in room-filling sound since the 1960s. Ben Cardew, a Pitchfork contributor and host of Radio Primavera Sound, likes his five-year old Bose SoundTouch 10, which offers both Bluetooth and wifi connectivity and \u201chas the added advantage that you can listen to digital radio stations on it\u2014podcasts, too. When you don\u2019t know what to listen to, having a speaker that you can just press a button on and a digital station comes out is great.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A more up-to-date option is the sleek, no-frills Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II, a portable Bluetooth device that can sit in an optional charging cradle, making it a good best-of-both-worlds option: I keep mine plugged in and charging in the kitchen, then grab the handle to take it outside. The battery life is remarkable, and it has a decently full, punchy sound, though the low end gets a bit woody in certain corners of the room. Alex Knoblauch, of Berlin\u2019s Vakant label, likes the SoundLink Mini, which he says \u201coffers an excellent build and impressive sound quality for the compact size. It works nicely as a portable speaker for travelling but also doesn\u2019t fail to fill smaller rooms without insulting your ears.\u201d Twin Shadow is also a fan: \u201cI tell everyone to spend the extra $100 and get a Bose SoundLink Mini. The battery lasts forever, it gets loud without blowing up, and the sound beats most of your cobbled-together thrift store stereos or your Prius’ sound system.\u201d<\/p>\n

These days, Bose has put most of their chips on the Home Speaker system, a line of smart speakers compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker, Bose Home 300, and Bose Home 500\u2014as well as various surround speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers\u2014can be connected in multi-room systems via Bose SimpleSync technology. Their round design is meant to bounce audio off nearby walls and surfaces, expanding the 360-degree soundstage\u2014a return of sorts to the surround-sound philosophy that launched the company in the first place.<\/p>\n

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Bose SoundTouch 10<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$177<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$300<\/span> at Target<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$329<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Bose SoundLink Mini<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$164<\/span> at Bose<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Bose Portable Smart Speaker<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$350<\/span> at Target<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$349<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Bose Home 300<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$200<\/span> at Target<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$180<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Bose Home 500<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$300<\/span> at Target<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$349<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Teenage Engineering OB-4 Portable Speaker ($599)<\/div>\n
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Perhaps best known for its OP-1 portable synthesizer, Teenage Engineering is a Swedish company that makes ultra-stylish products that look almost like toys, yet have found their way into the studios of musicians like Trent Reznor and Jean Michel Jarre (not to mention the permanent collection of SF MOMA). The OB-4 is billed as a \u201cmagic radio\u201d\u2014a combination FM radio and Bluetooth device. Like pretty much everything in Teenage Engineering\u2019s product line, the OB-4 Portable Speaker is pricey, but its sound is both clear and hefty, while the bells and whistles are as quirky as the company\u2019s fans might expect. Ambient mode processes snippets of FM radio to generate endless soundscaping; tape mode allows you to rewind, replay, slow, and speed up anything you\u2019ve listened to in the previous two hours. There\u2019s even a metronome.<\/p>\n

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Teenage Engineering OB-4<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$649<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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IKEA ($89-189)<\/div>\n
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IKEA SYMFONISK Table Lamp ($189)<\/p>\n

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For proof that wireless audio has definitively moved indoors, just see the growing trend of furniture pieces equipped with Bluetooth speakers. Amazon is overflowing with vaguely retro-looking end tables and minimalist-hygge bedside stands incorporating Bluetooth speakers, wireless phone chargers, and other high-tech gewgaws. (One side table with a vaguely hospital-chic design even features a \u201cthermoelectric cooler drawer,\u201d the smart-home equivalent of an old-school dorm fridge.) Naturally, IKEA has gotten into the act: The Swedish retailer\u2019s SYMFONISK collection is a collaboration with Sonos meant to integrate minimalist design with killer sound. Mounted horizontally on the wall, the SYMFONISK bookshelf speaker cleverly doubles as an actual bookshelf; there\u2019s also a table lamp whose base incorporates a wifi speaker. In either case, two units can be joined in stereo pairs and added to your Sonos multi-room system. Like most Sonos products, SYMFONISK speakers connect to your home wifi system and stream music over Apple AirPlay (but not Bluetooth). Neither delivers the sound quality of a Sonos One, but for the price, either makes an excellent entry point into the Sonos system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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IKEA offers other Bluetooth units, too. The ultra-minimalist Eneby features surprisingly good sound for its price, can be linked in stereo pairs, and comes in two sizes: 8″x8″ or 12″x12″. The latter, of course, is perfectly sized to sit inside of one of IKEA\u2019s Kallax record shelves, right alongside your vinyl collection.<\/p>\n

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IKEA SYMFONISK Table Lamp with Wi-Fi Speaker<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$189<\/span> at IKEA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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IKEA Eneby<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$89<\/span> at IKEA<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Devialet Phantom ($3,200)<\/div>\n
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IKEA built its business on bringing tasteful design to the masses. French company Devialet, founded in 2007, caters to a significantly smaller market. But for hardcore audiophiles in search of wireless audio solutions, the company\u2019s Phantom speaker is hard to beat. Meant to connect over non-lossy ethernet or wifi, though also supporting Bluetooth, the speaker boasts Devialet\u2019s proprietary Active Cospherical Engine (ACE), meant to create an unusually immersive, multidirectional soundstage. \u201cIt\u2019s exorbitantly priced,\u201d admits Pitchfork\u2019s Seth Dodson, \u201cbut if the house was on fire, after grabbing my husband and dog, I\u2019d grab this.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Devialet Phantom<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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$3,200<\/span> at Amazon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Source URL: https:\/\/pitchfork.com\/features\/lists-and-guides\/best-bluetooth-speakers-home\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lists & Guides The 21 Best Indoor Bluetooth Speakers for Every Home Expert-recommended wireless speakers to fill your bedroom, living room, and bathroom with music. By Philip Sherburne June 7, 2021 Graphic by Drew Litowitz Wireless speakers aren\u2019t just for barbecues and beach hangs anymore. The best Bluetooth speakers used to be relegated to small, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-1253127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-pitchfork-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1253127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1253127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1253127\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1253127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1253127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1253127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}