Best bluetooth speakers on the market

Budget-minded consumers looking for the right Bluetooth speaker are faced with plenty of good options. They're also in danger of being enticed by cheap, unreliable devices that offer tiny sound and spotty Bluetooth connectivity. Not so of the Ultimate Ears’ Mini Boom, which Popular Mechanics says may be one of the best Bluetooth solutions for big sound on a budget.

"The Mini Boom is surprising in more ways than one. It’s surprising that Logitech was able to deliver a pleasing audio experience in such a small package. It’s surprising how well it handles low ends without any type of subwoofer. And it’s surprising that you actually get more than you pay for — a rare thing in the gadget world," according to the magazine.

"If you want a multipurpose, simple, and portable audio alternative, the Mini Boom is a great solution, and at $99, it may be one of the best."

First published in 1902, Popular Mechanics has covered everything from ballistic missiles to theBatmobile. Their back issues are collector's items, their digital edition is cutting edge, and their reviews are extensive. After testing the Ultimate Ears' Mini Boom, reviewer Darren Orf called it "a strange little device."

"A baby brother to the subsidiary’s wireless, Bluetooth-enabled flagship speaker the Boom, the Mini Boom has a re-imagined, boxy design (unlike the Boom’s cylindrical approach) and is about half the size at half the price. Overall, the small speaker is pretty unassuming, almost cute, but its size doesn’t match its sound. Logitech and Ultimate Ears were able to pack a great audio experience in a very tiny package."

The Mini Boom comes in five different flashy color combinations. Conservative types can opt for black on black. Feeling wild? Try purple and green. Orf likes the Mini Boom's simple design. Volume and Bluetooth controls are found on top of the device. The back houses the power switch, micro USB connector, and a 3.5 mm AUX-in jack.

"You can connect the Mini Boom via Bluetooth, but the device also has NFC [Near Field Communication] — within two seconds, any NFC-enabled gadget can be set up; a blue LED light on top of the grille blinks continuously when it’s ready for pairing. The speaker also uses a collection of tones, which alert users when the Mini Boom is on, successfully synched with another device, or is shutting off to reserve battery."

Unlike many Bluetooth speakers, the Mini Boom rubberized body feels rugged and reliable. Orf tested the speaker for a few weeks and found its compact size and durability ideal for travel. And the Mini Boom’s 10-hour battery life is more than enough. What's most important, however, is that it sounds great.

Logitech"The Ultimate Ears Mini Boom is a little device that could. Synching up the device for the first time, I was impressed with its warm mid-tones, non-muddled highs, and a surprisingly throaty low end. Weighing in at 300 grams with 4.5-by-2.5-by-2.5-inch dimensions, Logitech packed in two 1.5-inch, 4-ohm drivers and 3-by-1.5-inch passive radiator. The result of only a few inches of hardware is impressive sound on all levels."

It has plenty of punch and toughness, is good on the road and runs for hours on one charge. But what else can it do?

"Primarily, I want to use external speakers for two reasons: music and television streaming. At home I usually pipe my computer through an LG display when scrounging Netflix or other streaming services, but my Macbook Pro speakers leave much to be desired when it comes to an immersive home theater experience. The Mini Boom’s easy setup and surprisingly powerful sound enhances the experience."

There's an app which helps users sync devices, edit the speaker’s name and other settings, and give quick-reference for the device. Orf says the app works well. Its UI is straightforward and easy to use.

"However, when synching two Mini Booms, doing it manually (you press down the Bluetooth button and + volume on streaming device, then double tap the Bluetooth button on the second device) was much easier than using the app. Paired Mini Booms can stream both L/R outputs simultaneously or in stereo, and like most speaker systems, two is better than one."

The Mini Boom isn't perfect. In fact, it may be too much of an overachiever. The sound is sometimes bigger than the little box can handle. At full blast the dominating sound actually causes the device to shake. Place the Mini Boom on a high enough ledge and this becomes a serious problem.

"Also, synching could become monotonous. If the audio stops for a few minutes, Mini Boom is designed to shut down to conserve battery life. I rarely sit down and watch something completely without pause, and it gets a little annoying when you have to constantly re-sync the device to get through a movie or TV show, whether from shutting down or inevitable Bluetooth lag."

Those small drawbacks should't dissuade anyone from checking out this inexpensive device from Logitech, a trusted brand in this market. Many products claim to offer big sound from a small package. This one actually makes good on that promise.

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