OK…Not everything but I’ve just done quite a bit of research and tested a few different speakers and here’s what I’ve learned.
I’ve had bluetooth speakers for years. With an iPhone and a small speaker, I can take my music everywhere. Even on the golf course.
I was in Florida on a golf trip recently and all the carts had a built-in bluetooth speaker so you can play music in the course. No need to charge your own and bring it with you.
Requirements
Most of the time, I just need to hear my music when I’m on the go. And my wife and I have a fleet of speakers. I have an old JBL Flip. We have a Bose Revolve +, and we have an Ultimate Ears Hyperboom. More to come on each.
So why am I shopping?
My wife does a lot of gardening. A few days ago, she came inside irate because the neighborhood was so loud. Lawnmowers, leaf blowers, kids on motorbikes and a neighbor that always has his music turned up to the max.
She said that for her birthday, she’d like a louder speaker system. I suggested noise canceling earbuds, but she’s also looking to inflict some pain.
With all that, here are my requirements.
- The speakers need to be loud…and sound clear at high volume
- I need multiple speakers to cover the whole yard
- I need the ability to stream to them all simultaneously
Pretty simple, but it turned out to be more complicated than I thought.
Streaming
For every bluetooth speaker I’ve owned, I turn on the speaker, put it in pairing mode by pushing the bluetooth button, then I go to my iPhone’s settings app, choose bluetooth, the new device magically appears, I tap connect and off to the races.
What if I want to stream to 2 speakers?
Turns out it can’t be done, at least not without help.
When I choose the 2nd speaker in the settings app, it drops the first speaker. Only 1 per customer.
So speaker manufacturers have started to provide their own phone apps that offer “party mode” where we can add multiple speakers via the app. Bose has it. So does Ultimate Ears.
Party Limitations
And while most manufacturers have a party mode, there are some big limitations that can ruin the party.
None that I have found, work wwith a different manufacturer’s speakers. Bose and Ultimate Ears (UE) both have party mode, but their apps won’t recognize speakers from another manufacturer.
I spent some time trying to get the Bose app to connect to JBL and UE speakers, and I tried to get the UE app to recognize the others. No dice.
And to further complicate this, speaker technology is changing fast. Bose’ newest soundlink line of speakers won’t connect to my older Bose Revolve +. Older Bose speakers like the Revolve + are controlled by the Bose Connect app. The newer speakers are controlled by the Bose app. The 2 apps are not compatible.
I bought the Bose SoundLink Max.
It was not recognized on the Bose Connect app. I scanned the barcode and it lead me to the Bose app, which is a different app. I spent lots of time trying to get each app to recognize the other Bose speaker – no dice.
Hardware Connection
I ended up finding a used Revolve + and ordering that.
But then I got to thinking that since Bose is moving on to a new line of speakers, how long before they stop supporting the Bose Connect app and the old line of speakers?
Will I be left with speakers that can no longe connect because the app is no longer working?
I’ve been told, by Grok, that the older Revolve + can connect to another Revolve + speaker with a series of button presses on the device itself – no app needed. I feel better, but will test this and report back once my 2nd Revolve + arrives.
Signal Strength
Bluetooth is a fantastic technology to send signal from my iPhone in my pocket to my AirPods in my ear. They are also pretty good with sending to my JBL speaker in the golf cart, but I need to remember to leave my iPhone in the cart, otherwise the music gets fuzzy and then stops when I go to the green to putt, or when I head into the woods to find a lost ball.
Bluetooth is typically good for transmission up to 30 feet. And this can drop lower if there is stuff in the way. And even wind and weather can impact signal.
While this is not a problem for my Airpods or for my golf speaker, as long as I remember to leave the iPhone in the cart, it could be a problem for my garden multi-speaker set-up.
If I want to cover the lawn with speakers, each speaker needs to be within 30 feet of the iPhone because the phone sends the signal. The speakers will not send signals to one another (at least in the set-ups I’ve found).
Alternative Tech
Some bluetooth devices support Auracast. This is a new bluetooth low-energy technology that allows a device to broadcast a public signal and for other devices to subscribe. Think of a TV in a crowded bar. The TV could broadcast its signal via auracast and I could tune-in using my auracast-enabled hearing aids.
Not many bluetooth speakers have auracast. The tech is very new, but expect to see more soon.
This could help with adding speakers from different brands to the party, but won’t help my distance problem.
Wi-Fi is another good alternative. Sonos speakers use wi-fi. Wi-Fi travels further and with lots of choices for mesh networks and wi-fi repeaters, it’s easy to get wi-fi to cover our home and yard.
Given this, Sonos is a solid choice if you need speakers throughout the yard.
Note that bluetooth repeaters are available, but there seem to be fewer varieties available, cost is higher, and results seem to be mixed.
Re-Cap
Before we get into speakers sound quality, let’s recap.
Before diving in, it’s a good idea to understand what our sound goal is. Do we need a single speaker to pop into the golf cart, or are we looking for a whole-home/yard system.
The number of speakers we need and the distance from source will matter.
We’ll also need to take a look at the capabilities of different brands. Some can only sync to 2 speakers whole others have part-modes that allow unlimited speakers to join.
Understanding what we’re trying to accomplish, as well as potential future needs will be important first steps.
Bose
About 10 years ago, I was tearing down my home surround system and throwing stuff onto craigslist. I had some Bose speakers and some Boston Acoustics speakers.
The Bose speakers sold in a day. I had quite a few offers.
Boston Acoustics – which were an outstanding speaker, took weeks to sell. I ended up bundling them with the receiver.
Bose audio is well-known for its high quality.
A few years ago, I bought the Bose Revolve + II.
The sound quality is outstanding. In comparison to my older JBL, my Ultimate Ears Megaboom and Hyperboom, and all the models I’ve owned before, the sound is strikingly clearer and cleaner.
It does not have the thumping base of the Ultimate Ears models, but the sound is crips and clear and I find it the most natural.
And Bose improved on itself with the Soundlink Max. I owned this for 2 days and the sound was fantastic. It had the clarity of the Revolve + with some additional bass and power.
Bose – One Plus, One Minus
Both the Revolve + and the Max have a handle. Sounds silly, but this is incredibly convenient. I’m usually taking my speaker somewhere and I’m carrying a drink or some tools. The handle is a delight.
The 2 different apps is a bummer. The Revolve + uses the Bose Connect App, while the Max and all the newer models use the Bose app. And the Bose app won’t recognize my Revolve +, and vice versa.
It would have been nice if they added capabilities to the app and allowed me to control both speakers from the same app.
And adding insult to injury, both speakers are called “soundlink” speakers. You would think that of they are both part of the soundlink family you could link them. You can’t.
But they do sound fabulous.
Ultimate Ears (UE)
Years ago, I bought the Hyperboom.
It’s really big. And heavy. It has a strap to carry, which is nice, but it is heavy and awkward.
But wow. The sound is unbelievable. It fills the room and the yard. It’s a step up in clarity from the Megaboom, but still not quite a crisp as the Bose models.
Size Matters
The whole idea with bluetooth speakers is to make them portable. We want small and light, but we’re going to have to sacrifice some sound quality.
The Revolve + really nails the tradeoff in my opinion. It is quite light and easy to carry with the strap, and the sound seems like it should be coming from a much larger speaker. It also has 360 degree sound. The speaker is round and sound radiates from all sides. Put it in the middle of the table and everyone gets the same great sound.
But, the step up in size and weight (and cost) to the Bose Max improves the bass and the volume.
Megaboom 4
Price-wise, the Megaboom falls between the pricier Bose models and the more basic bluetooth speakers. The sound quality is a big upgrade from my JBL Flip 5.
But, it costs $100 or so more so that should be expected.
The Megaboom 4 bass is loud and proud. Not a match for the $400 Hyperboom, but noticeably more thumping than the Bose models. Clarity is very good. Not quite Bose Revolve + clarity and crispness but very nice.
You can also throw the Megaboom 4 into the pool. It appears to be almost indestructible. Every speaker I’ve tried has some level of water and dust repellence, but the Megaboom 4 seems to be the winner here.
UE Pairing
My new Megaboom pairs seamlessly in the (single) UE app. The one app controls both and putting them in party mode is a simple drag and drop.
And multiple speakers makes a huge difference. I put the 2 UE speakers about 50 feet apart with the iPhone in between. It covered my whole front yard in sound.
JBL
The JBL Flip 5 was my first high-quality bluetooth speaker. I got it by cashing in a bunch of Emirates Air miles. All my prior bluetooth speakers cost less than $20 each.
The JBL Flip 5 was a huge upgrade and it still sounds good today. It is a step below the Megaboom and several steps below the Bose and the Hyperboom but for $79 it provides very good sound.
And from what I’ve read, JBL has a solid party mode.
Wrap Up
I love taking my music with me. And my wife spends most of the non-winter months in the garden and she likes to have her music, and she likes to battle the neighbors.
So for us, it’s important to have capable bluetooth speakers.
And the cost is far less than a wired system. Even the cheapest wired system would cost well over $1,000 and require wires. Hard-wiring limits flexibility, wires need to be buried, and with constant garden renovation, they are likely to be severed after we forget where they are.
JBL, Bose and Ultimate Ears all offer great choices. Bose seems the highest sound quality but there are trade-offs.
And I’ve experienced multiple speakers playing simultaneously with the Ultimate ears Megaboom and Hyperboom and it is impressive.
Good luck!