Group test Portable speakers

Getting array with it

In what would be an absolutely insane experiment, you can daisychain up to 100 of these speakers. It’d set you back R350 000, but still…

Disco tech

If the Xboom’s mood lighting isn’t hypnotic enough for you, the ring-shaped lights make multicoloured movements when the woofers vibrate.

Cheap grilles

Behold our eclectic pick of the best sub-R5 000 portable speakers to soundtrack the rest of your year

BEST FOR WILD PARTIES What’s the story? The PL7 is part of LG’s Xboom Go range of portable Bluetooth speakers. It’s the largest of the threePL models, meaning it’s the most impressive when it comes to power, battery life and proper low-end power. It comes with the added clout of having hi-fi wizards Meridian providing proprietary tech for the range, as well as some added pizzazz thanks to party lighting at either end. Download the app and you can customise this or turn it off to save battery, as well as accessing party-linking for doubling up with other speakers. It’ll also work with Google Assistant and Siri via a connected phone. And the repertoire of added features doesn’t end there, because you can also use two of these speakers as surround channels with any LG TV from 2020 or ’21, which seems like a genuinely smart application. Is it any good? Considering its name, you may be expecting the Xboom PL7 to put bass above everything else; but while there’s plenty of low-end warmth, the power it’s capable of in the lower registers doesn’t define its character by any stretch.

In fact, if anything, the sound of the PL7 leans towards the bright side, with crisp, controlled treble and expressive mids sitting on top of its solid bass performance. There might not be the soundstage to trouble B&Oor Bose, but this speaker

LG Xboom PL7 still sounds considerably larger than it is. It’s an exciting listen too, with a strong handle on timing and an energetic nature that’s suited to most genres. We’d take a touch more clarity through the midrange, but it’s not muddy by any stretch.

The Sound Boost button does just what it promises, pushing everything louder and more forward. While this might work in outdoor/party situations, for critical listening things get a bit pushed – so best keep it off unless the situation calls for it.

Price R3 500 / lg.com/za

Key specs ● 30W, 2x 2.3in drivers ● Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm ● Up to 24hrs ● IPX5 ● 245x98x98, 1.46kg

STUFF SAYS Not quite the finished article, but fun and feature-packed ★★★★✩

Splash dance

On the back you’ll fi nd a microUSB port for charging, along with the aux input. Both are hidden behind rubber covers for splash-proofi ng. BEST FOR

A TIGHT BUDGET

Roving dual

e TWS function allows for stereo pairing and playing music in sync, but you’ll be paying R1 500 and there’s no support for aptX or AAC fi les.

Urbanista Brisbane

What’s the story? Urbanista has been putting in the work to be seen as a decent affordable audio brand with minimalist Scandi design. The Brisbane is the largest of its wireless speakers and comes wrapped in a choice of black or white fabric, with a smattering of controls along the top.

Fair enough if you like things stripped-back, but dare we say the Brisbane looks a touch drab with its rectangular form… and while portable it’s also pretty weighty – enough to never go missing in the bottom of your bag anyway.

While it’s not the most rugged speaker we’ve generally abused, it does have an IPX5 waterproof rating for added peace of mind, and also has a line-in port for hardwiring your device – which could be great for stretching out the 10hr battery life.

At under R2000it’s playing with the big boys here, but just think how many months of premium music streaming that extra cash could pay for…

Is it any good? The Brisbane is the cheapest speaker on test, and that does show in its performance.

It is an easy listen, though. Some speakers around this price can be harsh and thin, but that’s not the case here. The sound has body and depth, and it’ll go loud without much issue thanks to the two 10W drivers under the hood.

It also times pretty well, so you don’t have to worry about it getting all mixed up and messy with fast-paced pop and dance tracks. There’s confidence here, which goes a long way to producing a comfortable, enjoyable sound.

However, there is a lack of clarity across the board, so detail is missing. Edges to notes are dull, vocals are missing detail and there’s just an overall lack of bite and insight. Even at this price point, that takes away from the performance a little too much to make this a speaker we can truly recommend. For something unusual (and expensive) look out for the Urbanista Los Angeles.

Price R1500 / takealot.com

Key specs ● 20W, 2x 2in drivers ● Bluetooth 5.0, microUSB ● Up to 10hrs ● IPX5 ● 215x98x52mm, 705g

Above the Sonos logo is a tiny LED displaying speaker status. A second LED indicates when mics are active, and a third glows orange if it’s thirsty. BEST FOR

MULTI- ROOM

Season of the switch

Connectivity was solid throughout our testing, as was the switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, though the claimed 10hr battery life is a stretch.

Sonos Roam

What’s the story? The Roam is Sonos’s first proper portable speaker you can sling a satchel. Sensible proportions, Bluetooth connectivity and a reduced reliance on the Sonos app make it perfect for partying anywhere, but with Wi-Fi too it’ll still play nicely with any existing Sonos kit.

A Toblerone-like mini boomer that’s designed to stand either horizontally or vertically, it isn’t exactly eye-catching in the design department, so look elsewhere if you’re after an injection of colour; but the robust Roam does have a lovely metal, plastic and rubberised finish capable of taking a bit of a battering on the road.

What sets it apart from the competition is clever stuff like Auto Trueplay, meaning it’ll tune its soundstage to suit the environment whether you’re inside or out; and Sound Swap, which switches audio to the nearest Sonos speaker in the vicinity. Press play/pause and the Roam pings sound around accordingly – especially useful if you’re listening to music indoors but then wish to express your right to Roam in the garden. Is it any good? For a Sonos speaker, the sound quality is just OK… but for a speaker of this size and form factor, it’s impressive.

One thing this boombox doesn’t lack is bass. You’ll find anything requiring low-end oomph to come over with incredible impact for a speaker so small – in fact it’s rather overzealous on certain tracks, requiring a tiny bit of wrestling with the EQ.

Everything is wellbalanced in the midrange, although it does suffer in the higher frequencies, lacking a bit of clarity. That aforementioned low end really is decidedly thumping, though, especially if you jump in the shower with it.

There are better-sounding rivals, but few offer this combination of features, and the fact that it plays nicely with any existing Sonos system is an added bonus. The Roam heads up our Top Ten list of speakers for just these reasons.

Price R4000 / sonos.com

Key specs ● Mid-woofer, tweeter ● Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 ● Up to 10hrs ● IP67 ● 168x62x60mm, 430g

Cut me some FLAC

It’s easy to stereo-pair two P5s and its audio fi le support is impressive: WMA, AAC, FLAC and Apple Lossless are all catered for.

Little black drain

While the P5 is good for up to 18hrs of playback, if you crank it up to full blast that gets zapped down to just 4hrs – so have a power-pack handy. BEST FOR

SHEER SIMPLICITY

Audio Pro P5

What’s the story? A bit like Sonos letting the Wi-Fi shackles off with the Roam, the P5 represents Audio Pro’s first foray into properly portable Bluetooth territory.

The Swedish firm has a fine record for multiroom speakers, but this truly diminutive boomer has no interest in playing with its sonic mates and is going it alone instead, supported by a 1in tweeter, a 3.2in woofer and a 35W amp.

It’s wind/rain-resistant, not fully waterproof, but there is a handy wrist strap to stop it falling in the soup – and to free up your hands for more important things, like holding a continental lager or texting your mate at the bar.

The 18hr battery lifeis on a par with the more expensive B&OA1 on p71, but at half the size it is also half as powerful. In design terms it’s as inoffensive as the aforementioned Roam – and comes in a choice of black, black or black.

Is it any good? Listen to the Audio Pro next to one of B&O’s 360° devices (or anything Bose makes) and you’ll hear the difference immediately. The P5 is a forward and authoritative speaker, throwing the full weight of its performance towards the listener in front.

While it might not have the airy separation and insight of its sound-spreading competition, this is still a bigger, wider soundstage than its slender frame would have you guess it to be capable of. Vocals are pushed front and centre, without ever feeling detached from the rest of the track; and there’s a real sense of cohesion to its performance, with all elements of a track sounding equally strong and confident throughout.

The decent bassy punch it serves up ensures a solid sound across the board, although right at top volume it does start to get a bit shouty. It’s at its best around two thirds to max, when dynamics and energy really kick into action to help this speaker get the party started. The only real issue is finding these in South Africa.

Price R2850 / audiopro.com

Key specs ● 35W, 1in tweeter, 3.2in woofer ● Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm ● Up to 18 hrs ● IPX4 ● 220x97x53mm, 720g

Dance call days

e Beosound A1 doubles as a speakerphone, with three mics for clear hands-free calls when you’re OoO – which might be forever.

TEST WINNER

BEST FOR CLEAR TONES

Bicker conspiracy

As well as 360° sound, the A1 has a feature allowing two people to be connected and controlling the tunes – good luck sorting that one out.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (2nd Gen)

What’s the story? B&O can boast a worldfirst with the new A1: this was the first Bluetooth-only speaker to get Alexa voice control built in, hitchhiking on your phone to link to Amazon’s servers.

Redesigned audio drivers and Bluetooth 5.1 deliver enhanced 360° sound with a 92dB maxloudness when streaming, and if you’re feeling rich you can buy two and pair them for stereo. Sound can be extensively personalised using the B&O app.

Design-wise the secondgen A1 doesn’t look any different to its predecessor; but seeing as there was nothing wrong with the pearlblasted aluminium chassis before, we’ve no qualms about that. Only now there’s a higher IP67 waterproof rating, which extends to the carry string, and a softpolymer base.

Since launch the A1 has had a number of seasonal finishes added to the line-up, and for an extra R2500 you can get a rather fancy Berluti special edition, but you won’t find it anywhere in SA.

Is it any good? The A1 serves up a performance as refined as its design, with toe-tapping punch and confident but not overpowering bass.

The weight that’s served upis impressive from such a petite unit, but it remains controlled, giving you rumble where you want it without weighing down the rest of the presentation.

In fact, clarity is the defining feature in this speaker, with vocals and instruments through the midrange sounding crisp, detailed and expressive. Treble is well handled too, creating an overall sound that blends with absolute cohesion.

Volume can be pushed pretty loud without affecting the airy soundstage, though 360° sound is better-realised.

If your outdoor speaker needs are more garden picnic than trail hike, this is a premium speaker with a sound to match. It sits unashamedly at the top of this group’s budget, but it’s worth the extra cash if you have it.

Price R5100 / amazon.com

Key specs ● 60W, 3.5in tweeter, 3.5in woofer ● Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C ● Up to 18hrs ● IP67 ● 133x133x 46mm, 558g