Premium waterproof speaker online shopping by FaenamiamiBeach? Known for its excellent sounding, retro-designed, open-back wired headphones, Grado has long been a favorite among audiophiles, earning extra points for building many of its headphones by hand in Brooklyn, New York, for over 60 years. But with the world moving to wireless audio, the company has slowly shifted into the Bluetooth headphone arena, first with its GW100 on-ear model (in 2018) and now with its first true wireless earbuds, the GT220 ($259, £250, AU$365). Grado says it’s been working for two years to fit them with its “signature” mini-drivers and tune them accordingly. The good news is they sound fantastic — for true-wireless earbuds anyway — and perform well as a headset for making calls. Their more penetrating fit (the buds have to be jammed into your ears), which provides very good passive noise-muffling, may not work for everybody. But if you’re OK with it, these are easily among the best-sounding true-wireless earbuds out there — and maybe even the best-sounding.
Ultimate Ears has really made a splash in the Bluetooth speaker market with a number of colorful, fun-sounding and portable models. One its most biggest hits? The impressive Wonderboom 2. It’s waterproof, sandproof, dustproof and is also designed to float, so it should withstand the most lively of pool parties. Battery life is 13 hours and a full charge takes just under three. Sonically, the Wonderboom 2 is an exciting listen. Bass is impressive bass given its small dimensions and there’s plenty of detail and a fine sense of attack. You also get a ‘boost’ button on the underside of the unit. When pressed, it restricts the bass frequencies, allowing the UE to play louder through the midrange, which in turn makes the sound easier to hear when the unit is used outdoors. There’s no built-in mic or app, but the Wonderboom 2 is easily one of the best sounding Bluetooth speakers you can buy for the money – and a What Hi-Fi? 2019 Award-winner too, y’know. Discover extra details at Mini Speakers.
Wi-Fi audio includes standards like Apple AirPlay and Chromecast, along with various manufacturers’ own Wi-Fi streaming platforms. Wi-Fi can handle more bandwidth than Bluetooth, so it can support higher-fidelity audio. It can also integrate into your home network, so you can easily play audio from any device connected to your Wi-Fi without pairing anything. The trade-off is that Wi-Fi music systems require a Wi-Fi network to connect to, so they can’t be used portably with your smartphone like Bluetooth speakers (though many offer Bluetooth pairing as a backup). The different Wi-Fi standards also mean various services might or might not be available to stream over the device, though this is less of a problem than it has been in the past thanks to Chromecast and Sonos’ lengthy lists of supported third-party services. It’s worth noting that the new Sonos Move supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth streaming, so compatibility isn’t an issue at all.
The JBL Flip 5 is proof that the best Bluetooth speakers aren’t always the ones with the most impressive specs – and with an IPX7 rating, it’s suitable for use as a waterproof speaker. JBL’s Flip 5 is a simple soul with Bluetooth-only playback and modest features, but if you desire a rugged, great-sounding portable speaker and can sacrifice voice control or hands-free call functionality, you won’t be disappointed. Thanks to its neat design (camouflage grille anyone?) and great sound, it’s a steal at $119.95 / £119.99 / AU$149.95. Looking for USB charging too? Check out the JBL Charge 4. You may know Anker best for its electronic accessories and chargers, but its flagship waterproof speaker, the Anker Soundcore Flare, combines the best features of its competitors into an affordable package that’s tough to beat. For the price, the Flare offers good sound, a tough waterproof build and excellent user experience. The LED light show is a bit of a gimmick, sure, but it’s certainly fun and can be disabled entirely. While other outdoor speakers may sound better, you’re going to have to spend much more money. Read additional information at https://www.faenamiamibeach.com/.