If you want to take your mp3 player, iPhone, or your laptop on the road and convert it to a music system, you would probably want to buy some high quality portable speakers. These little devices are created with the purpose of bringing top quality sound from your smaller devices without using much power. These are usually a system of two speakers combined in one or just one speaker and two speakers combo, either powered by USB or rechargeable batteries. Whether you are going on a beach or just having some burgers outside with your friends, these devices will definitely come in handy. They are of special use on business or vacation trips when you are stranded in your room and just need some music to relax. Some speakers have wireless portability, others are charged in different ways, but there is one common thing for all of them and that is the ability to produce sounds of high quality from your smaller devices. It does not really matter what you are going to use these speakers for; the important thing is that they will at one point in your life be of a great use to you, even if you think that that might not occur.
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Top Portable Speakers
Over the course of a couple of months we have tested around forty products available on the market and we have come up with the list of ten products that have passed them in flying colors. Testing included cranking the volume to the maximum while playing heavy metal, testing the bass ability with some dub step and of course testing their durability at high volumes. And in the end, we compared the price of each device in order to bring you the ten top portable speakers available on the market. When choosing the perfect portable speakers, there are a lot of things you need to consider. It is not just a matter of purchasing ones; you have to check their features, the ability of portability and ease of use. You might think that it could not be complex to use these kinds of speakers, but even the smallest products have some issues. Comparing all of the products out there is certainly time consuming and grueling. That is where we come in, as we have done these things for you, and now the only thing that you have to do is to select one off of our list and enjoy your music on the go.
IHOME iHM79BC Rechargeable Mini Speakers
Let us start off with the iHome product, the iHM79BC portable speakers. These speakers are a nice piece of electronic equipment which will satisfy your needs for sound waves. They are designed in such a way that when you twist them they expand and provide you with the fullest sound that they are able to produce. The cable that comes with iHM79BC is a two-in-one cable for USB charging and the 3.5 mm audio jack. These speakers can easily fit in your hands and therefore they can also easily fit into youe bag pocket. They can be connected to any kind of device that supports the 3.5 mm audio jack. The battery life is not that great, around eight hours, and it is capable of recharging. The sound really distorts at high volumes which can be a problem, but the sound reproduction on the lower volume levels is near perfect. iHM79BC are in the mid price range and are overall good speakers worthy of their spot on the top portable speakers list.
Altec Lansing iM-237
The iM-237 by Altec Lansing is one of the best portable speakers out there. This little device is powered by three AAA batteries that can last for about 24 hours, which is an impressive feat. A single speaker that gives out clear and high quality sound is just what some people need. Although it has no other means to supply power than the AAA batteries, this amazing speaker has won over many hearts. It can be plugged in almost every device that has a 3.5 mm jack output, and even in the 2.5 mm inputs if you buy the optional converter. iM-237 is very small and has the neat feature that enables you to wrap the cable around it, so that it can be fitted in your jacket pocket. The only drawback, at least to some people, is that it only reproduces sound in mono. But, other than that, this is definitely top portable speaker on the market.
iLuv SmashBox
These speakers by iLuv are actually a combo of speakers in one device. They come with this neat feature where you can put your playback device in the box of the speakers, in the protective mesh, so as to protect it from outside conditions. They are powered by two AA batteries and can last up to 12 hours of constant play. These are actually the loudest speakers on the market, as they can reproduce music at an amazing volumes. They are connectable with every kind of a device with 3.5 mm audio jack, the mp3 players, iPods, iPhones, mobile phones etc. The oval shape is really attractive, and a fact that they come in a closable box that you can easily carry around makes them even more appealing.
Plus, the price is amazing for this pair of speakers and it only has one drawback – the controls are on the inside, so you have to open the box to get to them. Other than that this is definitely one of the top portable speakers.
Sony SRS-P7
These passive speakers by Sony are a wonder to behold. They do not need any kind of battery or power supply as they are juiced by the jack input. Taking that into consideration they still provide an amazing quality and volume of sound. These speakers are able to reproduce sound from any device with a 3.5 mm jack output, so basically, they can reproduce from anything. SRS-P7 come with a special bass duct design from Sony to make those bass lines more recognizable in the mash of portable sound reproduction. The speakers can be connected together for more portability. The only real drawback is that these speakers are a bit too big for some people. Nevertheless, they are still one of the best portable speakers out there with a small price.
Sony SRSM50
The SRSM50 by Sony are two small black boxes that will reproduce sound from almost any kind of device. They are powered by three AAA batteries, but come with an additional AC adaptor for those occasions when you run out of juice. The constant reproduction can last for about 12 hours. When you want to move the SRSM50 speakers around, you just “clip” them together and you are good to go. For speakers that have the additional AC adaptor you would expect them to be very loud, but that is not so. Despite this drawback, the sound that they do reproduce is of an amazing quality that can satisfy anyone’s ears. The price is not that good too, as you would expect more from them for this price range, but still, they are better than most of portable speakers on the market.
Sony SRS-A27
The SRS-A27 speakers by Sony are a pair of grey portable speakers. They can either be powered by 4 AA batteries, or by an AC adaptor which is an optional purchase. SRS-A27 can easily be connected to any kind of devices. Even though they use passive technology, they still need some more juice to crank it up. They are a bit on the bulky side and are probably better off being desktop or laptop speakers, but since Sony markets them as portable they can be found on this list. Do not get us wrong, these speakers are not half as bad as some are on the market. Still, for this price range we expected more from them, as we were hopeful when seeing their size and the fact that you can purchase an AC adaptor for them. That being said, they do offer a broad sound range and the sound that they reproduce is beautiful to say the least.
Here you have one of the best portable speakers produced by Sony – the SRSTP1. These speakers with passive technology do not require any kind of battery or additional power supply, as they take their power straight from the 3.5 mm jack, which in turn enables them to be connected to any kind of device. SRSTP1 are a combo of two speakers in one and they feature a really slim and cool design which makes them very portable. Just pop them in your bag and you are good to go. They are also the loudest portable speakers on the market. Seriously, when we played The Master of Puppets by Metallica on them we almost received serious ear damage. The only drawback that these little guys have is the sound range which is a little on the low side. Other than that, these speakers will bring to you the portability you need and are well worth the money you pay for them, making them one of the best portable speakers out there.
X-Mini MAX II XAM7-B
The X-Mini MAX II are yet another nice portable speaker set that is widely praised and for good reason, as these little killer speakers give out a nice deep and full sound. They use a standard mini USB and charge really quickly, which is a great advantage. You won’t believe the bass treble or the mid tones these portable speakers produce. The most important thing is that these X-Mini speakers are very light and very durable, which will literally enable you to carry them around in a bag or a purse without even feeling them, and without worrying that they will sustain any kind of damage. Basically, these mini portable speakers sound great, cost very little, and your chance of finding something that sounds this good in this price range is almost zero. These are it.
Kinivo ZX100 Mini Portable Speaker
The Kinivo ZX100 Mini portable speaker is very cheap and pretty good for the asked price. We were initially very skeptical before we tried this mini speaker ourselves, but the full sound we got from it dispelled any and all doubts we had about it. While this is hardly a sound system, it is definitely a good thing to keep close by and handy as it will be very practical in scenarios when you want to play some songs using your iPhone, MP3 player, laptop or tablet. Interestingly, and definitely unexpectedly, this thing can definitely crank up some volume and fill up the room, which is, to be frank, amazing considering its size. Another good thing is its durability and lightness, which will allow you to carry it around without really feeling is weight.
Conclusion
There are dozens of instances where we want to play a song for someone and our phone is just not strong enough to do the song justice, so we just give up with a promise to send them a link later. Sometimes, when we are travelling, and generally when we want to take a weekend off, we would like to have some music without taking the whole stereo system with us. Portable speakers are an excellent solution to all these problems, and this is why a lot of people choose to buy them in the first place. It is always awesome to have them at hand, and if they are small enough, you can just put them in your bag or purse and forget about them until you need them. The selection presented to you showed some really good portable speakers in all possible price ranges, and we ensured to include only the ones that are really good and that produce nice, rounded and full sound that fills the room and does the music justice. With one of these portable speakers you are sure to enjoy your music on the go and never have situations where you have to listen to bad quality sound simply because your stereo system is too heavy to tug wherever you go.