Really loud portable Bluetooth speaker. No, louder than that.

May 2, 2018 12:07 PM

I'm looking for a very portable Bluetooth speaker that can produce a LOT of sound; it needs to be heard over classes of 45 orchestra kids sawing away. Does anyone have any specific suggestions for a speaker OR suggestions for search terms/specs I might use to find this quality more effectively?

I will use this for blasting recorded piano accompaniments so my big classes of beginners can stay together while I walk around the room and help individual kids. I had a Jawbone BIG JAMBOX that I loved and met all my requirements, but it died after about 6 months and the model has been discontinued (plus- I'm not thrilled about shelling out for another when the first one died suddenly and without cause).

Necessary qualities:

1) really loud

2) picks Bluetooth signals up well enough that it can be used from anywhere in the classroom, even if I put my phone in my pocket.

3) under, say $200, since I'm buying it with my own money because public schools.

4) durable (I am still bummed about the dead Jambox, and would like to be able to get several years out of the next purchase)

Nice qualities

5) small- I really liked how little the Jambox was, since I am schlepping it in and out of multiple classrooms and up small flights of stairs into portable classrooms; I could just throw it in my teaching tote bag.

Thanks!

posted by charmedimsure to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (18 answers total)

This may not meet your portability requirement, but you could grab a bluetooth adapter such as this or this and plug it into any loud-ass sound system of your choice. This might be a good choice if the classroom already has a sound system to plug into.
posted by jclovebrew at 12:28 PM on May 2, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Excellent idea. No existing sound system, sadly.
posted by charmedimsure at 12:33 PM on May 2, 2018

The Sony High-Power Home Audio System with BLUETOOTH® technology is BIG, and $250 but frustratingly they don't quote a power number on the page. Amazon says it's like 470W.

The less powerful GTKXB5BC model is $175 on Amazon and rated at 260W according to a comment so that probably fits the bill. I don't know how great its bluetooth reception is tbh. But these seem LOUD.
posted by GuyZero at 12:38 PM on May 2, 2018

Your JAMBOX had a power output of 36 watts total (18 per channel) so if that one was loud enough you should look for something with similar output. Usually it's listed in the product description.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 1:23 PM on May 2, 2018

You might have luck looking at Bluetooth job site speakers, which are also ruggedised and easy-carry though the fidelity may not be as good as home audio types. But they’re designed to be heard over power tools.
posted by a halcyon day at 1:25 PM on May 2, 2018

I have no direct experience with this, but the reviews are good and the price is right.

Monoprice Bluetooth Party Speaker.

Not small , but it has a luggage-like handle and wheels! You'll be the envy of the kids!
posted by The Deej at 1:28 PM on May 2, 2018 [2 favorites]

Bang and olafsun make what you want although it's extremely expensive. See here
posted by dbx at 1:43 PM on May 2, 2018

That much loud/ volume requires a lot more power. Does it have to be bluetooth? Small, powered speaker that plugs in is likely to be more robust. I find it very difficult to search this, because bluetooth! and USB! take over. I had external speakers that were loud enough for a dance party; they were great but got fried.
posted by theora55 at 2:32 PM on May 2, 2018

I don't know anything about such products, but is it possible there exists some sort of powered, Bluetooth, multi-speaker array that would satisfy your criteria? Maybe a system to which you can add on multiple speakers. That way, you could get, say, four or five small, inexpensive Bluetooth speakers; plug them into the wall at strategic points; and connect them all to a Bluetooth source.

No idea if that is even plausible, but it might help you solve the cost and loudness issues.
posted by Dr. Wu at 2:39 PM on May 2, 2018

I have this one it it meets your 1-4 (got it cheaper from Costco, which doesn't sell it anymore).

I keep it plugged in so can't speak to battery level but it gets LOUD. Cool that it lights up too.
posted by Twicketface at 3:18 PM on May 2, 2018

The Sony High-Power Home Audio System with BLUETOOTH® technology is BIG, and $250 but frustratingly they don't quote a power number on the page. Amazon says it's like 470W.

The less powerful GTKXB5BC model is $175 on Amazon and rated at 260W according to a comment so that probably fits the bill. I don't know how great its bluetooth reception is tbh. But these seem LOUD.

I have heard these big Sony "party speakers" with "party lights" and "EXTRA BASS" and I don't think they would be suitable for "blasting recorded piano accompaniments" in a classroom setting. They may suit a bunch of drunk kids having a home party, but the overall quality of the sound is poor. And I find it hard to believe they pack anywhere near 470W of power (maybe that should be 47W?). They do go loud, but the sound is muddy (and even the bass is not very powerful), and no one with a musical ear will be impressed.
posted by tenderly at 3:21 PM on May 2, 2018

Battery powered sound devices are not going to get super loud.

You need a boombox with Bluetooth capability, and then plug it into a wall outlet (surely you have access to that). i'm sure there are jobsite boomboxes that do this.
posted by intermod at 6:52 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have a JBL Link 10 that gets very loud. It does Bluetooth as well as casting over WiFi. There is also a Link 20 that is bigger and louder if you need more volume.
posted by wierdo at 7:15 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]

I meant to say that the Link series is also water resistant and has a 4-5 hour battery life. It's designed to take a beating, which is the main reason I recommended it over cheaper generic BT-only speakers.
posted by wierdo at 7:17 PM on May 2, 2018

Response by poster: To clarify: it is totally fine if the speaker has to be plugged in; I just want to be able to control it from across the room with my phone.
posted by charmedimsure at 7:23 PM on May 2, 2018

Adding Bluetooth capabilities to semi-pro "portable PA systems" is the current Hot Thing. As in, manufacturer reps are stopping by my work to demo new products and going, "Bluetooth!!!11!! bluetoothbliuetoothbluetooth!" And we're going, "We DON'T care. We're plugging this stuff in with cables."

I had a whole thing written up about stuff I found on Amazon, and then I did a little more poking around and found the

Mackie FreePlay

This or the JBL wierdo suggested are probably your best bets for durability. Or at least they're both serious enough companies to have functional warranty systems - which, bluntly, is probably the most you can hope for at this price point. "Durability" for cheap (in context) audio gear pumped out by the metric ton is not really a thing to be counted on.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:36 PM on May 2, 2018 [1 favorite]

Take a look at the iLoud. It’s closer to $250, but meets your other requirements.
posted by doctord at 9:36 PM on May 2, 2018

The answer is definitely the UE Megaboom. I lived in a community last year where all the cool members had these and any one could play music loud enough to drown out all 15 of us at dinner. Checking the specs to confirm, seems like it's 36 watts and less than 2 lbs in a convenient ultraportable.

I don't even own one (I went with the Oontz Angle3 because I'm forgetful and therefore only do cheap peripherals) but they're LOUD so I knew you needed to know.
posted by saveyoursanity at 6:00 PM on May 7, 2018