Bluetooth Speakers Review

Continuing my series on accessoriesfor the SamsungGalaxy S4 (casesand screenprotectors were previous installments), let's look at Bluetooth speakers.This installment applies to any cell phone, but I tested with the S4.

Here, there are many choices,and I won't pretend to have surveyed them all. But I'll say this: for a greatspeaker that kicks (b)ass - but not at the expense of bright mids and highs -check out the bem (pronounced "beam") HL2022wireless mobile speaker. It's a sensuous cube with slightly concave surfaces,available in white, black, and vibrant red, green, orange and purple. The unitis made from matte-finish soft-surface plastic, with soft-touch (rubberized)non-physical volume control and play/pause buttons. There are no track skipbuttons. Pairing is easy and subsequently connecting is hassle-free. Power onis announced by a slightly annoying beep. Overall, this device features a fundesign that makes you just want to handle it - and it sounds great.

The bem also includes a 3.5mmaux in jack, in case you want to feed it tunes by wire rather than wirelessly.The charging port is a mini-USB port, rather than the somewhat more commonmicro-USB port. That means that you'll want to be sure to bring the bem unit'sUSB cable with you, since the Samsung's charging cable won't fit. The other endof the cable is a standard full-size USB Type A cable, which will plug intoyour PC, laptop or Sammy charger - or an external battery (power bank) - when it's time to juice up the speaker.

But wait, there's more. The bemwireless also has a 3.5mm aux out jack. Using the jack, you can attachthe speaker to the audio in on your stereo system amplifier. That way, the bemspeaker will be silent and will act simply as a Bluetooth receiver for yourstereo, allowing you to beam tunes from your S4 to your home stereo.

Do you prefer spheres to cubes?Then check out the GOgroove BlueSYNCOR3. It's rubberized black with glossy blue accents. Unlike the bem, itscontrols include track skip forward/back, as well as volume and play/pause.However, I found it slightly less bassy, and more prone to distort at thehighest volumes. The power cable is slightly unconventional: one end is a USBType A, while the end that plugs into the speaker is a round plug. That meansyou'll need to carry the power adapter with you to recharge (and will need tobe near an AC outlet). There are no aux in or out jacks.

Also in the 2QT category, notreviewed but with high ratings on Amazon, are the iHome iDM8R,and Accessorise PortableBluetooth Wireless Mini Speaker.

One thing these units lack is amicrophone that would allow using the speaker as a speaker phone. If you'relooking for this feature, try the DBEST Eiffel 2, a cutespeaker that resembles R2-D2. The bass is decent, though not as deep as the bemcube puts out. Overall sound quality is good, and it's much better for phonecalls than the speaker built into the S4. The Eiffel buttons include track skipin addition to volume control and play/pause - frustratingly, though, all threeof those functions are controlled by a single button. You press down to play orpause, you slide forward to skip ahead, and slide forward while pressing downto raise the volume (and similarly for skip back / volume down). Or maybe youslide forward to raise the volume, and slide forward while pushing down to skipahead. It's easy to forget which is which, and that's the problem.

The speaker can (but need not)be set on an included dish-shaped base - sort of like a flower pot sitting on asaucer, but with a twist: the speaker and base couple magnetically. Inaddition, the base has an adhesive disk on the bottom that can be exposed sothat you can actually mount the base vertically, then pop the speaker in. Theadhesive might peel off paint, so a DBEST reseller recommended it for use onsuch surfaces as metals (refrigerators), glass (windshields) and plastics(dashboards of a car). He said also that it might take a flathead screwdriveror something similar to remove it. I didn't test the adhesive.

The Eiffel has an aux in jack,but no aux out jack. Also noteworthy: the speaker diaphragm mechanism ispartially exposed. That means that if you transport it, you'll want to use theenclosed cloth bag to protect it from damage.

Purists will note that theseare mono speakers, as are most Bluetooth speakers. If you want a stereospeaker, the handsome JBL Flip (available in blackand in white)is a great choice. It really moves air - translation: great bass - and doesn'tdistort even at the shockingly high max volume. Like the iHome, this unit usesa charger with an old-style round plug rather than a USB plug charger; this is frustrating,for the reasons noted above. There are no track skip buttons; a minor point.Still, JBL is noted for high quality speakers, and this unit does notdisappoint in that regard.

The Flip is a speakerphone aswell as a speaker, but the sound on the other end is a bit muffled. Also,although you can answer the phone by pressing the phone button on the speaker,I found it was not possible to hang up the phone this way on the S4.(Presumably it will work properly with older phones; the S4 uses Bluetooth4.0.)

JBL also offers a unit at ahigher price with similar sound but fewer features (no speakerphone): the JBLCharge, available in your choice of boring greyor fun lets-go-to-the-beach greenor blue.Unlike the Flip, it charges using a USB charger; it also has a USB out chargingport so you can use the unit to charge your phone. According to the specs, youget 12 hours of listening time from the Charge vs. 5 hours from the Flip.Perhaps that accounts for the price difference. Once again, the unit offersgreat JBL-quality sound.

Both the Flip and the Chargehave aux in jacks, though not aux out.

If you're looking for stereo ina more budget oriented unit, the iHome iBT24will fit the bill. It's a playful looking rubberized neon green brick (alsoavailable in funky purpleand blah! gray).There's an on/off switch but no volume or track skip controls, so you'll needto make those adjustments on the phone itself. It loud and bassy, but instereo. It includes aux in and aux out jacks.

The JBL and iHome speakers areeach single units with two speakers. What if you want some stereo separation?Here, one of a small number of choices is from DBEST, the attractive PS4003BT,available in various colors of soft-touch plastic. The sound isn't as bassy asthe bem or even the Eiffel, let alone JBL's units (which, of course, arehigher-priced), but mids and highs are good. The units connect to each othervia a wire; the wireless part is the connection between the phone and one ofthe speakers.

Perhaps you'd rather listen tomusic through your home stereo. As mentioned above, the bem and iHome speakerscan be used as a bridge for this purpose, but you might prefer a dedicateddevice, such as the Monoprice Bluetoothmusic receiver. It plugs into the RCA line-in connection on your stereousing the included 3.5mm-to-RCA cable. (RCA cables are the old-style standardfor analog audio: two separate plugs, one for Left and one for Right.) You canalso connect it to the Aux input on your stereo using a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable(not included, but readily available). You then easily pair the device to yourphone (or to as many phones as you'd like, according to the manual). Pairingalso connects the device to your phone; each time you want to use the device,you go to your phone's Bluetooth menu and reconnect (but do not need tore-pair).

If you balk at having to returnto the Bluetooth menu each time you want to reconnect), spend a few more bucksand go for the Belkin BluetoothHD Music Receiver. It features tap-and-pair / tap-and-connect technology.If your phone is NFC enabled, as the S4 is, just tap it against the Belkin unitto establish communication without going through any menus. Sometimes it tookme two taps for the tap to register, but other than that, I found the unitperformed as advertised. Another plus: the Belkin unit supports (and includescables for) digital coax as well as 3.5mm-to-RCA.

Another tap-and-pair unit, nottested but highly rated on Amazon, is the HomeSpot NFC-enabledBluetooth Audio Receiver.

Ok, party time's over. Time togo to sleep.

Wow, now it's time to wake up.Morning always comes too soon. Let's take a shower together, shall we? No, notyou and me - we haven't even met. I'm talking about you and your S4. Samsungcalls the phone a "life companion" - hey, I don't make this stuff up - andeveryone likes to take showers with their life companion. Phone+water usually =goodbye phone, so let's consider a shower speaker and leave the phone on thesink where it can stay dry.

Here's my wish list for showerspeakers: a timeout so it will shut itself off if you forget to, volumebuttons, loud volume, decent sound (doesn't have to be great considering thatyou won't hear nuances in the shower anyway), track skip buttons, speakerphone,caller ID (ideally), multipoint (multidevice) pairing (for use in householdswith more than one person, i.e., more than one device), secure hook so it willhang on a shower head, small size so it fits in a shower caddy, andrechargeable batteries.

Sadly, no device seems to haveit all. (Manufacturers, are you listening?) I took a look at reviews ofcompetitive units, and the Hipeis the only one that meets all of these criteria, except for caller ID (so faras I know, no manufacturer's units have this). So the Hipe is the one I tested.The hook flexes disconcertingly, but seems in no danger of breaking and, in anycase, works fine. Alternatively, you can put the Hipe in a shower caddy (it fiteasily in mine - the unit looks wider in pictures than it actually is). Thesound was plenty loud and the quality was perfectly serviceable for a showerspeaker. Pairing was easy, and reconnecting was automatic. All of the buttonsworked as advertised, and the design is attractive. If you're looking forshower tunes, I recommend the Hipe.

Once you're out of the showerand beginning your day, you'll probably be on the move. Let's rock out withsome earphones. (Granted, these don't fit within the review's headline, "BluetoothSpeakers," but, hey, bear with me.) I tested the a-JAYS One+.Available in black or white, it's a fashion-forward choice. The thick, flatcable resists tangling and looks great, though its bulk can create distracting"cable thump" as you move around. The microphone includes a singlemultifunction button that plays or pauses music, or answers or ends a call. Ifyou download a free JAYS Android app, you can control volume and skip tracks bydoing things like double clicking the button or clicking and holding. It's aquirky approach that takes a bit of coordination, as well as memorizing whateach combination of clicks and holds means.

On the subject of sound,perhaps you prefer a Bluetooth earpiece? I love the BlueAntQ3, a new offering that's as light as a feather and quite smart looking.You can wear it without an earloop, which is what I prefer. It pairs easily andreconnects automatically when powered on. I found the sound crisp and clear onboth ends, and the voice guidance ("Your phone is connected," etc.) is helpful.The earpiece easily downloaded my phone's address book after pairing with myS4; when people called, the earpiece read out their name or number and thenasked me say "Answer" or "Ignore."

Oh, another thing about the Q3:it appears to be at least somewhat waterproof. It was in my jeans when I threwthem into the washer, and it still worked when I found it - fortunately beforeputting everything in the dryer. The headset was off at the time, and thebattery was depleted, both of which probably helped. In any case, don't trythis at home (or at the laundromat).

I also like the BlueAntS4 car speaker. It features the same great user interface as the Q3 and thesound is loud and clear. I haven't tried washing it, however, and don't intendto.

Get out of that car and grabyour bike. Now it's time to rock out with the aptly-named Scosche boomBOTTLE.Available in your choice of boring gray or beachy cyan (blue), magenta(pink/red), green and yellow, this tough, weatherproof (e.g., splash resistant,not waterproof) speaker is shaped like a bottle - well, duh - and fits in mostbicycle water bottle cages, the company promises. There's also a carabineer soyou can snap the thing on your backpack, and a captive port cover that protectsthe micro USB (charging) and aux in ports. You can also use the device as aspeakerphone. The 3 buttons (multifunction, and volume up/down) are large andeasy to use, and a female voice acknowledges "power on," excitedly reports "connected!"and glumly informs you "disconnected," as the case may be. The overallaesthetic is very rugged and appealing, as much at home on an urban bikingcommute as a dirt biking adventure.

Oh, and did I mention thesound? With the boomBOTTLE, you can alert passing traffic, annoy pedestriansand terrify wildlife by rocking out at high volumes with little distortion.Overall, the sound is quite good, but not great - mids and highs are a littlemuddy, and the bass is good but not stomach-churning. The speakers areomnidirectional, and as a result, there's no stereo separation at all - you'revery aware that the tunes are coming from within the speaker. That is, there's notas much "presence" as I'd wish. But when you're outside on a bicycle, whocares? The boomBOTTLE is a perfect choice for two-wheeled travel.

Back from our bike ride and theday's still a scorcher. What better way to enjoy global warming than a dip inthe pool? You can take your tunes with you, too, thanks to the Grace Digital EcoxgearECOXBT,available in black, red or industrial orange. It's waterproof, and - yes - itfloats. Indeed, it floats with the speaker side up. It offers volume controlbut, like most of the speakers reviewed here, does not have track skip buttons.It charges using a mini USB port, not micro USB. That port, and the aux in, arebehind a removable port cover. There's a lanyard to save the port cover fromgetting lost, but there's no attachment point on the body of the speaker. That'sa design misstep: it means you have to attach the lanyard to the adjacent (right)handle, which looks unsightly and interferes with using the handle to carry thedevice.

A larger concern is that theECOXBT's sound is somewhat tinny and thin. It didn't wow me. But if you wanttunes that will float amidst the fun in the middle of the pool, the ECOXBTfills the bill.

Now it's evening, and time fora more refined look and sound. I ditched the casual attire and checked out theiLuv MobiAria, whose name is a bit confusing since it's neither mobile norquite up to the demands of an aria. It is, however, an elegant sleek blackplastic unit. The other speakers reviewed up to this point are all compact,portable, battery-operated units; not sothe MobiAria, which sports an 8" x 13" front face and plugs into thewall. The controls are all soft-touch regions on the top of the unit, with noindentations or mechanical mechanism; again, classy. The unit would be at homein an adult living room.

Those controls includetrack-skip as well as volume control and play pause; there's an aux in; andthere's also a USB charging port output to keep your phone juiced up as itbeams music to the speaker. Unique among speakers I reviewed, the iLuv includesNFC tap-and-pair / tap-and-connect (like the Belkin music receiver reviewedabove). Pairing and connecting work well, but disconnecting doesn't always.When I disconnected my phone from the MobiAria and attempted to connect toanother speaker, I found myself disconnected from the MobiAria but unable toconnect to the other speaker. I had to shut off Bluetooth on the phonealtogether, then re-enable it, in order to connect to the other speaker.Meanwhile, the MobiAria, which has voice response, kept surreally repeating inan insistent British female voice, "Your phone is connected."

As befits its likely targetmarket, the iLuv is less bassy than most of the other units above, and offers nicemids and reasonably good highs, with little to no distortion even at maximumvolume. It's not the most crisp speaker in the world, but it's not bad either.Part of what you're paying for is the convenience of NFC, which is great whenit works.

Speaking of paying, let's movenow into the terrain of audiophiles, which for many people this will break thebank. But for those lucky enough to be able to spend around $400 on a wireless speaker,there's the Wren V5PF, available in bamboo or rosewood. These are real wood cabinets, not veneer. Adding to the elegance -there's that word again - is a beautiful swoop shape to the unit, sort of likea re-imagined Nike logo, plus handsome gray fabric covering the speakers. TheWren would fit right in on a Mad Mensidetable, next to a decanter of scotch and a set of fine crystal tumblers.

The stereo sound this unitpumps out is delightful: vibrant midtones, crisp highs, and bass that is justright - translation, less bassy than the party hearty speakers reviewed aboveprior to the MobiAria. Also like the MobiAria, this is a plugin unit, not aportable, battery operated one. There's an aux in and a USB charging portoutput.

The buttons are a slightdisappointment. For one thing, there are volume controls but no track skip.Also, the buttons are mechanical. This detracts a bit from the sophisticatedlook of the device. Even more bothersome - to me at least - is the gunmetalgray plastic trim that stands in for brushed metal.

The device omits NFC pairing -and, in fact, omits Bluetooth pairing altogether. Huh? That's because it doesn'tuse Bluetooth at all. This speaker uses a different technology: Play-Fi, atechnology that connects your phone and the speaker via your WiFi network. There'salso an AirPlay version for iPhone and iPad users (it includes a remote, unlikethe Play-Fi version, and is again available in bambooor rosewood),and the company says that a Bluetooth version is coming soon. Wren says that Play-Fiyields higher quality sound than Bluetooth, unless your phone includes aptXBluetooth - which the S4 does, as do the SIII, the HTC One and a number ofother recent smartphones. According to the company, Play-Fi also enablesstreaming to multiple Wren speakers at once.

As advantageous as Play-Fi maybe, it comes with a serious cost: you have to use the free Wren app (or thewired aux in) to get music to your speaker. That app can play any music on yourdevice, as well as only a limited number of streaming sources: Pandora, a couplelesser-known streaming services, and a couple dozen Internet radio stations.This limitation means you may want to wait for the Bluetooth version. Keep aneye out; for those who afford the tariff, this is a wonderful speaker.

Coming soon will be my reviewof the MinxAir 200 by Cambridge Soundworks, a $600 unit.

That's it for speakers andother sound accessories. Look for my next installment, where I examine videoconnections for the S4, such as connecting your cellphone to a TV. Afterwardwill come chargers and external batteries, how to use your cellphone as aportable office, and then miscellaneous accessories. You can find all this at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-handel/.