Comparison portable Speakers

— Bluetooth. Wireless technology for transmitting sound from mobile phones, tablets, etc. Allows you to connect a device wirelessly at a short distance from the signal source. The quality and overall capabilities of Bluetooth vary depending on the version:

Bluetooth 4. Each version brings improvements relative to the previous one. So in version 4.0, three standards were actually combined: traditional Bluetooth, a high-speed channel and an energy-saving mode for small amounts of data. This allowed us to optimize channel usage and battery consumption. In version 4.1. Noise immunity has been enhanced when working next to 4G LTE modules. And version 4.2 introduced mainly general improvements in speed and security.

Bluetooth 5.0. One of the most important innovations of the Bluetooth 5.0 standard is the expansion of the capabilities of the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) mode: if necessary, the device can increase the range by reducing the speed, or speed up transmission by reducing the range. In addition, a number of improvements have been introduced regarding simultaneous work with multiple connected devices.

- Bluetooth 5.1. A significant upgrade in version 5.1 was the ability to accurately position the signal transmitter (receiver). If previous versions could only determine distance, then version 5.1 can also determin...e direction. Thus, navigation began to function better and more accurately, which improved work with the smart home system, searching for connected devices, etc. In addition to this, the improvements again concerned saving energy consumption and simultaneous work with several connected devices.

- Bluetooth 5.2. The next update, after 5.1, is Bluetooth 5th generation. The main innovations in this version are a number of security improvements, additional optimization of power consumption in LE mode and a new audio signal format for synchronizing parallel playback on multiple devices.

— Bluetooth 5.3 The Bluetooth v 5.3 wireless communication protocol was introduced at the dawn of 2022. Among the innovations in it, they accelerated the process of negotiating a communication channel between the controller and the device, implemented the function of quickly switching between the operating state in a low duty cycle and a high-speed mode, and improved the throughput and stability of the connection by reducing susceptibility to interference. When unexpected interference occurs in Low Energy mode, the procedure for selecting a communication channel to switch from now on has been accelerated. There are no fundamental innovations in protocol 5.3, but a number of qualitative improvements are evident in it.

- Bluetooth 5.4. The version was presented at the beginning of 2023, the range and data exchange speed were increased. Also in Bluetooth v 5.4, the energy-saving BLE mode has been improved. This protocol uses new security features to protect data from unauthorized access, has increased connection reliability by selecting the best channel for communication, and prevents connection losses due to interference.

—Mini-Jack (3.5 mm). Standard Aux audio input for connecting speakers to an audio source, such as a laptop or smartphone.

- USB. The presence of a USB connector allows you to connect a flash drive, mobile phones, MP3 players and other similar peripherals to the portable speakers. Accordingly, such models have a built-in player and allow you to use connected gadgets exclusively as a drive.

- Card reader. Like the USB described above, this item implies the presence of a built-in player in the acoustics. And the card reader allows you to use memory cards as a drive on which songs will be recorded.

— FM receiver. A built-in tuner allows the speaker system to work as a full-fledged FM radio receiver - this is the range that is popular among music radio stations (in particular, due to the ability to broadcast sound in stereo format).

— Mono. The simplest type of acoustics is a single-channel audio system equipped with one speaker. Of course, there is no question of any volume of sound.

— Stereo. Acoustic system equipped with two speakers responsible for the left and right channels. Allows you to create a minimal illusion of "surround" sound by simulating the displacement of the sound source in the space in front of the listener.

— 2.1. A system of two stereo speakers that create a minimal illusion of "surround" sound, and a subwoofer that provides powerful and rich sound at low and ultra-low frequencies.

The total power of all channels of the speaker system. The higher the power, the larger the size of the room in which the audio system can be used, however, more powerful portable speakers usually have larger dimensions and weight.

The range of audio frequencies reproduced by the audio system. The wider the range, the richer the sound, the more details the speakers can convey, especially in the low and high frequencies. At the same time, we note that the average human ear is able to hear sounds in the range of about 16 – 20,000 Hz, and it makes no sense to provide a wider range in speakers — a person simply will not hear it. Also note that a wide frequency range alone does not guarantee good sound quality.

— Microphone for speakerphone. The ability to use portable speakers as a speakerphone system for conversations on a paired mobile phone. In this mode, the speakers connect to the device via Bluetooth, and the speech is transmitted to the interlocutor using the built-in microphone. The voice of the subscriber on the other end of the line is output not to the speaker of the phone, but directly through the speakers of the speaker system. This is often much more convenient than holding the phone close to the ear, or in situations when your hands are busy. In addition, speakerphone can be very useful if several people need to participate in the conversation.

— NFC chip. NFC is a short-range wireless communication technology (about 10 cm). It allows for many different uses, but in portable speakers it is usually used as an addition to Bluetooth, making it easier to set up a communication. For example, a smartphone with an NFC module can simply be brought to a speaker with the same function — and both devices will automatically recognize each other, and the user will only need to confirm the communication.

— Multipoint. The technology used in Bluetooth models allows the speaker to connect to several devices simultaneously. Thanks to this, you can, for example, listen to music from a laptop, and when a call comes in on your mobile phone, switch the speakers to a c...onversation. Different manufacturers have their own features of this technology, and therefore, if the multipoint function is critical for you, you should separately clarify the details of its operation in the selected model.

— Bass Boost. A function that provides amplification of low frequencies — for powerful and rich bass. Often implemented as a single button, with which you can actually "turn the bass on and off." Bass Boost is more convenient than adjusting low frequencies using an equalizer; in addition, various special technologies can be used to enhance bass.

— Mobile application. The ability to operate the functions and settings of portable sound system through a mobile application for a smartphone or tablet. The device usually communicates with gadgets via the Bluetooth wireless protocol. The proprietary software may include tools for flexible sound adjustment (equalizer, bass boost, etc.), wireless communication management, sound source selection, etc. Also, the ability to update the firmware of portable sound system is often implemented through a mobile application.

— Light effects. Such effects can be different — from the simplest set of lights flashing at a constant frequency to advanced color music systems that produce multi-colored patterns in time with the music being played. In any case, this function has more of an entertaining meaning and does not affect the sound of the device in any way.

— LCD display. This screen makes device control more visual: it can display the operating mode, equalizer settings, battery charge level, etc.

— Handle/strap. The presence of a handle or strap makes wearing the speaker more comfortable. So the handle is used mainly in large stereo speakers and makes them similar to boomboxes ( cassette recorders) of yesteryear. The strap can be used both for large speakers and for miniature ones, which allows you to hang them on your hand, on elements of a backpack, etc.

- Flashlight. This feature likely won't replace a high-end, dedicated flashlight. The power of the built-in flashlight is usually enough to illuminate at least a distance of 2 - 3 meters, and models with a bicycle mount (see above) can even play the role of a headlight (although, again, they are inferior to specialized bicycle lights).

— Carabiner/suspension A device in the form of a latch that allows you to attach the speaker to items of clothing, backpack straps, etc.

— Bicycle mount. A special device designed to mount the speaker on a bicycle, usually on the handlebars, at the user’s fingertips. Such models are often complemented by a hands-free function, which allows you to communicate on the phone without taking your hands off the...steering wheel.

Theoretically, a higher capacity allows to achieve greater battery life, but in fact, the operating time also depends on the power consumption of acoustics — and it can be very different, depending on the characteristics and design features. So this parameter is secondary, and when choosing it is worth paying attention not so much to the battery capacity, but to the directly claimed operating time (see below).

- microUSB. One of the miniature versions of the USB connector, still popular in portable gadgets, despite the emergence of the more advanced USB C. It has relatively limited capabilities (in particular, it is inferior to USB C in terms of the maximum possible charging power), but this point is rarely critical. At the same time, there are a great variety of cables and chargers for microUSB.

- USB C. A relatively new type of USB connector that is actively gaining momentum. Like microUSB, it has miniature dimensions, but has a more convenient double-sided design and advanced capabilities, in particular the ability to transmit higher power, which has a beneficial effect on charging time.

The main material used in the construction of the hull.

— Plastic. Inexpensive and at the same time very convenient material for portable acoustics. Plastic easily accepts a variety of colours and complex shapes; the latter not only gives space to designers, creating speakers of unusual design, but also allows you to apply various tricks to improve sound quality. In addition, this material is not afraid of moisture. It is believed that the strength of plastic is not very high, but this disadvantage is easily compensated by the large thickness of the material or the use of special impact-resistant grades. Therefore, plastic is found in all categories of speakers, from low-cost to high-end and from "home" to extreme, designed for an active lifestyle and frequent outdoor use.

— Metal. The metal gives the speakers a solid and expensive appearance, and on the practical side, this material is remarkable primarily for its high strength. At the same time, it is much more expensive than plastic — also due to the fact that manufacturers have to use shock-absorbing inserts and other tricks to avoid an unpleasant "metallic" coloration of the sound; and the mentioned strength is most often not critical. Therefore, metal cases are much less common than plastic cases, mainly in rather expensive portable acoustics.

— Silicone. Relatively soft and elastic mate...rial, not afraid of moisture. Suitable for creating dust, moisture and shock-proof speakers; in addition, it is convenient for models with suction cups (see above) — the part of the body that has the appropriate shape can play the role of a suction cup directly. At the same time, silicone has no other noticeable advantages over plastic, so its use is limited to specific models of portable acoustics.

— Rubber. For a number of reasons, rubber is considered well suited for models with dust and water protection, almost all speakers made of this material are protected. In addition, due to the softness of the rubber provides good shockproof properties.

— Wood. Wood is considered the optimal material for speaker cabinets in terms of acoustics. However, the specificity of portable speakers is such that this moment is not decisive in this case, and the main advantage of wooden cases over others (primarily plastic ones) is their aesthetic appearance, with characteristic colours and patterns. In addition, many consider wood a more pleasant to the touch and “natural” material. But this option does not have any special practical advantages, despite the fact that it is quite expensive. As a result, portable speakers with wooden cases are rare — they are mostly designer models created based on the original design.