Speaker for listening to podcasts in shower?

December 1, 2019 6:58 AM

I want to listen to podcasts in the shower. What's a good wireless speaker for this purpose?

I have tried two different well-reviewed bluetooth speakers, but they are too "bass-y" and echo-y for spoken word in the shower - they sound muffled and underwater; I can't really understand what is being said. Propping my iphone up in a corner of the shower with the volume on high sounds great, but it obviously not good for the iphone. I think the higher "trebly" sound of the little iphone speaker is what makes it sound good and the lack of bass cuts down on the echo. These qualities probably make it a bad general use/music speaker, but it's great for podcasts in the shower. So . . . what is a higher/treble-heavy/smaller bluetooth speaker that would work well in the shower and keep my poor iphone out of the shower?

posted by Mid to Technology (10 answers total)

I use this one and have no issues listening to podcasts.
posted by Aznable at 7:08 AM on December 1, 2019

Response by poster: I should have linked to the ones I have tried: AYL Soundfit and Anker Soundcore.
posted by Mid at 7:12 AM on December 1, 2019

I use the Jam Heavy Metal for this purpose. I don't keep it in the shower – it's not waterproof – but I keep it on the towel cabinet, right next to the shower, and it seems unaffected by the damp. It's loud, clear, and solidly built. Mine has lasted a few years so far.
posted by escape from the potato planet at 7:33 AM on December 1, 2019

YMMV but I've started wearing water-resistant headphones for this purpose. Much easier to hear over the water. My favorites have been the Backbeat Fit and some no-name wireless earbuds.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 7:37 AM on December 1, 2019

While I think its name is kinda stupid, the Polk Audio BOOM Swimmer Duo seems to be designed exactly for shower-podcast-listening. I have an older model, and it's worked reliably.
posted by box at 8:21 AM on December 1, 2019

We often joke that, despite all the more expensive gifts my wife has gotten me over the years, the biggest hit was the Gideon Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker she got me for Christmas several years ago. I use it nearly daily for listening to podcasts in the shower. The battery lasts a long time, the sound is good and the interface is straightforward. After nearly 5 years of nearly daily use, the battery wouldn't hold a charge anymore, so I just bought a new one. No regrets.
posted by Betelgeuse at 10:55 AM on December 1, 2019

In a v similar boat. After trying a couple I couldn’t find a better one than the built in iPhone speaker. The recent ones are pretty water resistant. I have a ferromagnetic metal back on the case and a suction magnet mount like this one . Works great, only collects a few drops of water unless I’m typing on it a bunch (and given the water resistance even that’s still fine).
posted by supercres at 11:39 AM on December 1, 2019

I have this one, and I am very happy with it. (I had a Soundbot first, but it wasn't powerful enough for me to hear over my shower.)
posted by Charity Garfein at 8:17 PM on December 1, 2019

I listen to podcasts in the shower with my JBL Charge 4. Sounds great. Waterproof.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:13 PM on December 2, 2019

As an alternative, what I've ended up using is a plastic Ziploc sandwich bag; Phone stays perfectly dry, and as a bonus, the touch-screen works through the plastic.
posted by Marticus at 5:57 PM on December 3, 2019