Top 5 Best Premium Portable Wireless Speakers – It’s all in the bass
Applying our philosophy on gadgets to speakers, what sounds good must also look good, we visit 5 of the best premium portable wireless bluetooth speakers.
Designed using the highest quality material and finish that we have become accustomed with especially with products from a certain company bearing the fruit logo, these speakers spare no expense.
You can tell that the designers put their best together, from the leather strap to the metallic body, from the curves to the grill, nothing says premium more than the line of speakers showcased here.
NOTE: Not many manufacturer discloses the true power or RMS power of their speaker system. But they do however let you in on the technology, drivers and bass radiator(s) configuration used to power these speakers. Where peak power or true power are mentioned by the manufacturers, these are listed here for your comparison.
There is also the matter or size and weight, as with all portable speakers, you would want to know how heavy or big these are. Only Bang & Olufsen speakers support charging of mobile devices while playing and none of the premium speakers support conference call or speaker phone functions found on cheaper models.
Now, if portability is your primary concern when choosing a wireless speaker, see Best Mini Portable Wireless Speakers.
UPDATE: The premium entries have a newcomer in the form of Bose SoundLink Revolve+ the bigger version of the SoundLink Revolve Water Resistant Speaker with Built-in Speakerphone. Being big meant, big on sound and bass and with it, the weight. But the portable speaker is built to take on not only what the weather throws at it but drops and bumps too. As with some big portable speakers here it comes with a flexible fabric handle for ease of carrying. But what is amazing is the clarity and powerful deep bass that it produces and with the super long 16 hours Lithium-Ion battery you can be sure to enjoy a whole days worth of tunes even in the open spaces such as the outdoors. Available in Lux Grey or Tripple Black (show below).
Top 5 Best Premium Portable Bluetooth Speakers
A quick look at our line-up:
- B&O Beolit 15 Portable Wireless Speaker – 24 hours – BEST BATTERY LIFE, BIGGEST
- Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III – 14 hours – OPTIONAL COVERS AVAILABLE
- B&O Beoplay A2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker – 24 hours – BEST BATTERY LIFE
- Bowers and Wilkins T7 Portable Bluetooth Speaker – 18 hours – STRIKING BEE HIVE DESIGN, GOOD BATTERY LIFE, LIGHTEST
- Marshall Kilburn (black or cream) Portable Bluetooth Speaker – 20 hours – RETRO LOOK, GOOD BATTERY LIFE
BONUS: Vifa Copenhagen Hi-Res Bluetooth and WiFi Portable Speaker – 5 hours
Others Worth A Mention Here
- Harmon Kardon Onyx Studio 2 Wireless Speaker – 5 hours
- Harmon Kardon Onyx Studio Wireless Speaker – 6 hours
Now for a detailed look at each of these speakers:
B&O BeoLit 15 Portable Wireless Speaker (Bang & Olufsen) – 24 hrs – ICE BOX
- Colours Available: Natural Champagne, Polar Blue or Shaded Rosa with carefully positioned full grain leather strap that stops the unit from wobbling when carried. The top of the speaker serves as a tray with dust proof and anti-slip coating for your phone or other gadgets.
- Beolit 15 is powered by two Class D amplifiers. One amplifier channel drives a five-and-a-half-inch long-stroke full-range driver, while the bass performance is enhanced by two four-inch passive bass radiators placed on each side – in perfect balance to avoid vibration. The second amplifier channel drives three 37mm mid-tweeters; two positioned in the front corners, facing outwards at 45 degrees and 15 degrees upwards, and the third one placed on the backside of the speaker. The combination of the positioning and radiation patterns of the drivers, and our use of advanced digital signal processing technology creates our unique True360 sound experience.
- Speakers (Output Power): room filling sound, 2 x 35 watts Dual Class D for bass and treble (2 x 120 watts peak power) · 1 x 5.5” long-stroke Full- Range Driver · 2 x 4” Passive Bass Radiators · 3 x 1,5” Mid-Tweeters.
- Connectivity: aptX support Bluetooth 4.0 (remembers up to 8 devices, connect up to 2 devices taking turns to play), AUX, USB (charge and play 500mA), DC Power In, mini USB for service.
- Dimensions & Weight: 23 x 18,9 x 13,5 cm (9.05 x 7.4 x 5.3 in) 2.7kg (5 lbs) – BIGGEST
Battery Life: 24 hours | Charging: YES | Speakerphone: NO
Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Speaker III – 14 hrs – FLAT RECTANGLE
- Colours Available: Silver on Black, optional purchase soft covers available in different colours, size suitable for carrier bag or backpack. Bose’s best performing mobile speaker to bring out the fullness, clarity and depth of your music.
- Speakers (Output Power): 4 drivers and 2 passive radiators provide full-spectrum audio and clarity at any listening level. Improvements in DSP make up for better bass performance and louder volume.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth remembers 6 recently connected devices for quick reconnect, AUX, microUSB for service, DC Power In
- Dimensions & Weight: 25.6 x 13.5 x 4.8 cm, 1.37kg
Battery Life: 14 hours | Charging: NO | Speakerphone: NO
B&O Beoplay A2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker – 24 hrs – FLAT RECTANGLE
- Colours Available: Grey, Black, Green, Black Copper (new) made of extruded aluminium with complex cross sections and excellent surface finish.
- Speakers (Output Power): 180 W peak power provided by 2×30 W digital class D amplifiers · 2×3” full-range drivers · 2 x 3/4″ tweeters · 2×3” passive bass radiators · Cabinet principle: Balanced passive bass radiators. Two channels on each side create Power Response Enhancement to provide True360 sound experience.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 (remembers up to 8 devices, connect up to 2 devices taking turns to play), AUX, USB (charge and play), DC Power In
- Dimensions & Weight: 4.4 x 14.2 x 25.6 cm (1.7 x 5.6 x 10.1 in) 1.1kg (2.4lb)
Battery Life: 24 hours | Charging: YES | Speakerphone: NO
Bowers and Wilkins T7 Portable Bluetooth Speaker – 18 hrs – FLAT RECTANGLE
- Colours Available: Gray, Black, Green, Black Copper. Polycarbonate enclosure with micro matrix cabinet technology, bee hive design that reduces vibration and distortion from its powerful speakers and high-output twin bass radiators.
- Speakers (Output Power): 2 x 50mm (2 in.) full range drivers (2 x 12W) designed to produce the best possible sound from a small space. Each mounted in a ridged steel basket, keeping movement tight and controlled, while allowing ample air flow. High quality DAC and bespoke DSP keeps the sound clean and balanced even at high volume for room filling sound. 2 x Auxiliary Bass Radiators (ABR).
- Connectivity: aptX support Bluetooth 4.0, Aux, microUSB for service.
- Dimensions & Weight: 114 x 210 x 54 mm, 940grams – LIGHTEST, SMALLEST
Battery Life: 18 hours | Charging: NO | Speakerphone: NO
Marshall Kilburn Portable Bluetooth Speaker – 20 hrs – ICE BOX, VINTAGE LOOK
- Colours Available: Black or Cream with classic Marshall design, with a vintage-looking front fret, gold-coloured metal details, and that iconic script logo.
- Speakers (Output Power): 2X5W+1X15W from 2 x 3/4in Dome Tweeter, 1 x 4in Woofer, (30W RMS)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 EDR, AUX.
- Dimensions & Weight: 242 X 140 X 140mm, 3kg – HEAVIEST
Battery Life: 18-20 hours | Charging: NO | Speakerphone: NO
BONUS: Vifa Copenhagen Hi-Res Bluetooth and WiFi Portable Speaker
When it comes to speakers and fashion statement, Vifa nails it. The Vifa Copenhagen is made with woven textile materia to complement the smooth, matte polished aluminum frame. The discretely embossed logo and embroidered volume buttons competes the look. Make no mistake, this is a big portable speaker, in a suitcase profile similar to 80s portable cassette player with front facing speakers. Available in a choice of 6 different colours.
There are three pairs of drivers; for tweeter 2 X 28 mm Vifa driver unit with soft dome and neodymium magnet. For mid-range: 2 X 50 mm Vifa driver unit with aluminium cone and neodymium magnet. For woofer: 2 X 80 mm Vifa driver unit with flat sandwich cone and neodymium magnet. Mounted mechanically back to back in a force balanced configuration supported by 4 passive radiators.
- Awarded with the IF Design Award and the Red Dot Design Award for best product design
- Wireless Speaker compatible with iOS Devices, iPhone, Windows, Android, Mac/PC
- Connectivity: Apple AirPlay,Bluetooth aptX, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA. 3.5 mini jack cable connection
- Includes: One Vifa Copenhagen Speaker, power supply, AUX cable, 3.5 mini jack cable, optical cable, travel bag, manual, quickguide and warranty
Other more portable speakers from Vifa: Vifa Oslo (smaller version of the Copenhagen) and Vifa Helsinki
Worth a Mention Here
Harmon Kardon Onyx Studio 2 Wireless Speaker – 5 hrs – ROUND DISC
- Bluetooth 3.0 interface with A2DP v1.3 and AVRCP v1.5 support
- Rechargeable 3.7 V, 2600 mAh lithium-ion battery
- 60 W of power (15 W x 4 biamplification) create a robust and dynamic soundscape
- Harman VoiceLogic echo and noise cancellation system allows crystal clear hands free calling through the speaker system
Also Available: Harmon Kardon Onyx Studio 3
Battery Life: 5 hours | Charging: NO | Speakerphone: YES
Harmon Kardon Onyx Wireless Speaker up to 8 hrs – ROUND DISC
- Colours Available: Black or White with chrome ring handles that doubles as a stand when deployed. Premium leather enclosure with stainless steel handle. Set up Harman Kardon Onyx’s Bluetooth, DLNA, or Airplay via the Remote app for a quick, wireless connection to begin streaming music from any mobile device, computer or NAS.
- Speakers (Output Power): 4 channels; 2 x 3” woofers, 2 x ¾” tweeters, 2 x passive radiators, Bi-amplifier with 4 x 15 W output.
- Connectivity: Wireless Bluetooth® 3.0 with NFC, aptX and AAC, DLNA® and AirPlay® – MORE CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS
- Dimensions & Weight: 300mm X 164mm x 275mm
Battery Life: 6 hrs | Charging: NO | Speakerphone: NO
Smaller & Still Very Classy Wireless Speakers
Ultra Compact Premium Wireless Speakers
For more compact mini wireless speakers, see Best Mini Portable Wireless Speakers.
