Help me find a loud portable speaker for sweet jams
February 19, 2016 1:50 PM   Subscribe

I am looking for a portable speaker to use with an iPhone that has excellent volume and moderate sound quality, in a price range of $100-200. Please help me find one!

Primary use would be for small parties and crowded rooms, with seasonal use outside in larger areas. Doesn't need to be waterproof but would be a great plus. Also doesn't need to be bluetooth - aux cord is okay here.
I bought this one last summer thinking that the features were cool, but it wasn't loud enough for the primary use which left everything else a moot point.
Thanks!
posted by beware the frog person to Technology (9 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I have this one (fixed!). It is loud. The things I like are that it has bluetooth or aux in, holds a charge for a decent amount of time and has SQUARE edges and is not so deep so I can scoot it up against other things fairly easily.
posted by jessamyn at 1:57 PM on February 19, 2016


I have a House of Marley 'Get Together' and I've been really happy with it. It has better sound quality than similar speakers I've heard in action, has 8 hours of battery life, and it's also really aesthetically pleasing as an everyday indoor speaker. The only potential drawback is that it's a bit heavier than the really lightweight portables. I probably wouldn't take this thing hiking, but it's perfect for playing music in the park with friends. Oh, and this thing can get LOUD! It's seriously impressive that something running on a battery can pump out that much noise.
posted by embrangled at 2:04 PM on February 19, 2016


We have this Bose bluetooth (can also use an aux cord) AND IT IS REALLY QUITE LOUD, YES.
posted by rtha at 2:26 PM on February 19, 2016


Pioneer used to make this, but it may be discontinued. We have the version of this that is corded, not cordless/portable, and the sound is very nice and can go loud, when needed. Maybe you can find one used on eBay?
posted by a lungful of dragon at 2:28 PM on February 19, 2016


How portable is portable? We just got the Tailgater for similar purposes and it is pretty darn loud.
posted by too bad you're not me at 3:06 PM on February 19, 2016


I have a UE Mini Boom (now discontinued), which is pretty loud and well-reviewed, although The Wirecutter now recommends the UE Roll, which is also waterproof.
posted by O9scar at 3:14 PM on February 19, 2016


We have the same speaker as rtha and I can confirm that it is indeed quite loud.
posted by ralan at 4:40 PM on February 19, 2016


I'm not generally a Bose fan, but their Soundlink Mini ($200) is significantly better than any of the $50-100 options I've tried.
posted by bradf at 7:01 PM on February 19, 2016


I always check The Wirecutter for my tech gear: The Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker
posted by roll away the dew at 8:12 PM on February 19, 2016


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