Why You Should Spend More Time Thinking About speakers for home

How to choose the best speaker for you

Should I buy a fixed or portable speaker?

All speakers require power to operate, but not all of them need to be constantly connected to a power source. Fixed speakers do, and must be plugged into the mains at all times, but portable speakers have internal batteries that can be recharged, allowing them to be taken with you wherever you go. You’ll generally find that fixed options are larger and more powerful than their portable counterparts, while speakers with internal batteries tend to be designed to withstand use outdoors.

Should I buy a wired or wireless speaker?

Both fixed and portable speakers require a way of receiving data from an audio source. Wired speakers rely on a physical connection via an audio cable, while wireless speakers transmit data via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. There was once a time when wired speakers delivered vastly superior audio quality to their wireless rivals, but technological advancements mean the gap is now smaller than ever.

Wired speakers, particularly hi-fi options designed for music professionals and audiophiles, still have a slight edge thanks to the stability a physical connection offers and the amount of data audio cables can transmit. However, a wired connection means your speaker will always have to be tethered to your source and you’ll have to deal with messy cables. As a result, more manufacturers are going wireless while also including the option to connect via a cable.

Wireless speakers require no cabling between themselves and their audio source, and instead connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, with some possessing the ability to do both. Though technically both wireless, we refer to options that use a Wi-Fi connection as wireless speakers, and those that operate over Bluetooth as Bluetooth speakers.

The former are generally mains-powered and some can be incorporated into multiroom setups that allow multiple speakers to communicate over your wireless network and work in tandem. The latter typically house an internal battery and can therefore be carried around freely. Because of this portability, Bluetooth speakers tend to offer some protection from the elements to facilitate outside use.

What size speaker should I buy?

This all depends on how much space you’re working with and what your intended usage is. If you’re planning on creating an immersive home theatre system, you’ll of course require a lot of floor space. But plenty of the best speakers come in compact packages and will sit comfortably on a desktop, slide neatly into a bookshelf or can be tucked away in a backpack. Bear in mind that the larger a speaker is, the more powerful audio it typically produces.

Do I need a smart speaker?

Speakers from Amazon, Google and Apple feature built-in compatibility with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, respectively, allowing you to call out to your voice assistant of choice and control your audio without the need for an app or remote. You don’t necessarily have to buy a branded speaker from one of the above companies, however, as plenty of other manufacturers produce smart speakers featuring built-in voice assistant support.

What other features should I consider?

IP rating: While not applicable to all speakers, an IP rating is key if you intend on using your speaker outdoors. IP ratings are composed of two digits and reflect how dust- and water-resistant devices are.

For example, a speaker rated IP67 is both dust-tight (6) and waterproof (7), so will survive a trip to the beach and can be submerged in a metre of water for up to 30 minutes. IPX4, meanwhile, describes a speaker that has no protection against particle ingress (X) and can only withstand splashes of liquid (4), rather than full submersion.

Battery life: If you plan on carrying your speaker around with you, battery life is something you’ll need speakers for home to consider. Smaller and cheaper portable speakers will naturally have less stamina, usually lasting no more than 15 hours, while heftier options can keep putting music out for anything between 20 and 40 hours.

Built-in microphones: Some speakers have built-in microphones that allow you to use them for calls and video chats or to hail your voice assistant. As with the speakers themselves, the number of microphones and their quality will vary depending on price and size, but they’re a handy inclusion nonetheless.