Portable Speaker Considerations

Portable Speaker Buying Guide

I’ve reviewed, purchased and owned many portable speakers. I’d like to offer the following advice that I think may help you when you decide to purchase a travel speaker/ipod speaker.

I like to make a list in regards to the following topics (below), which help to keep me on track while shopping (especially when you will have so many options to choose from).

Size/Portability

Do you want something to use by the pool? Will you use it to travel? If so, will it need to fit in your jacket pocket, purse, backpack, carry on luggage? Maybe you’ll use it to play out front of your local coffee shop, or to enhance the volume on your laptop when you’re working at home. Depending on how you answered these questions will help you determine what dimensions will work best for you. For the most part portable or travel speakers are very small in size, however there are some models that are slightly larger and may be a little harder to travel with. If your dimensions are very specific don’t forget to double check the manufacturers specifications on the box or online for the exact dimensions.

Price Range

Deciding on a price range if nothing else will help to eliminate a lot of models, and help you narrow down your choices. In today’s marketplace there are an overwhelming amount of manufacturers and models to choose from.

Sound Quality

Many of today’s tiny portable speakers are putting out some really good quality sound. However, there are still models on the market, that do have very poor sound quality (I came across a few in my search for before starting this website). Here are a few of the most noticeable things you’ll want to look for when it comes to audio quality.

• At lower volume – can you hear a hissing or static noise? This can be especially annoying if you want to listen to music at lower volumes when you are trying to relax or sleep.
• At higher volume – does the speaker cut out, or crackle? From my own personal experience reviewing many portable speakers these are two things I keep an ear out for.

Features

Not all speakers are created equal – For example, one feature that goes a long way for me is being able to turn the volume up on the speaker and not just the Ipod, Iphone, MP3 player, etc. Decide what is important to you and add it to your list, below are a few examples of some features you may have to make decisions about:

• Connectivity/Compatibility – Docking ports are sometimes not compatible with the newer models of Iphones, and Ipods being released. With this being said I like to make sure that my portable speakers include a 3.5mm output jack. This way my portable speakers don’t become obsolete for the particular Iphone or Ipod models I own. Most laptop computers, MP3 players, and smart phones on in the marketplace today have can connect through a 3.5mm audio jack.
• Power Options – Nowadays most portable speakers come with a built in rechargeable battery. Most are charged through either a wall charger or more likely through a USB cable which can be hooked up to your computer or into a USB wall charger (the kind that comes with many of today’s smart phones). I would avoid non-rechargeable models that take traditional batteries; because in my experience today’s rechargeable batteries are reliable, hold their charge well, and reduce the hassle of needing to replace batteries when they go dead.
• Remote Control – Many models come with remote controls. These definitely ad a level of convenience that is nice, but they are easy to lose while traveling.

Buying a good portable speaker isn’t rocket science, but a little research, and preparation can go a long way to helping you save time, money, hassle & headaches.

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