What kind of speaker am I looking for?
February 14, 2021 8:12 PM Subscribe
Usually I listen to music/podcasts/books via pandora/apple music/audible etc. through my phone using a bluetooth speaker. These speakers are usually pretty small, don't last long, and the sound isn't great. If someone calls or I want to record a video, everything stops playing. I would like to be able to listen not through my phone. I am also not interested in a smart speaker like amazon echo or google home. This is a thing right?
I got a sonos one sl speaker (the model with no microphone) and it does exactly this. I have only one in my main room and it’s perfectly fine for podcasts and audiobooks.
Edited to add that by “no microphone” I mean “not a smart speaker,” it is incapable of that.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 8:37 PM on February 14, 2021 [3 favorites]
Edited to add that by “no microphone” I mean “not a smart speaker,” it is incapable of that.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 8:37 PM on February 14, 2021 [3 favorites]
Seconding the Sonos One SL. It does not have assistant capability, it's just a speaker, and Sonos products all sound really good.
posted by pdb at 8:47 PM on February 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by pdb at 8:47 PM on February 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
Depending on your DIY skills and patience: I use bookshelf speakers with a little wired-in Lepai amp. You could rig a Pi up for output, and it has a variety of software bits that would play back sound (including airplay receiver software). Speakers are the sort of thing that would turn up on Craigslist.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:00 PM on February 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:00 PM on February 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
If someone calls or I want to record a video, everything stops playing. I would like to be able to listen not through my phone.
Yeah, then hydra77 is right, you need another device generating the media instead of your phone; ipad or tablet or laptop or desktop. AFAICT the Sonos stuff doesn't do that (although maybe the more expensive products do.)
I got a co-worker who likes to stream from his phone while we set up gigs, so he brings his own portable Bluetooth speaker - for a long time he had a JBL flip which was plenty loud enough and seemed to have good battery life and durability (it was used outside in all sorts of temps & humidity & dirt & dust.) Last time I saw him he had something else that was even louder & cheaper, but I don't remember what it was. I'll text him later & be back - there's a 0% chance he's awake yet.
posted by soundguy99 at 6:02 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
Yeah, then hydra77 is right, you need another device generating the media instead of your phone; ipad or tablet or laptop or desktop. AFAICT the Sonos stuff doesn't do that (although maybe the more expensive products do.)
I got a co-worker who likes to stream from his phone while we set up gigs, so he brings his own portable Bluetooth speaker - for a long time he had a JBL flip which was plenty loud enough and seemed to have good battery life and durability (it was used outside in all sorts of temps & humidity & dirt & dust.) Last time I saw him he had something else that was even louder & cheaper, but I don't remember what it was. I'll text him later & be back - there's a 0% chance he's awake yet.
posted by soundguy99 at 6:02 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
It might be worth your while to look at putting together a basic Hi-Fi system.
You could begin with a stereo receiver with Bluetooth, Airplay 2 (for Mac/iOS), or Chromecast Audio support built-in. Connect a set of ordinary bookshelf speakers—you can get a set for around $100 new.
This would cost more than a Bluetooth speaker, even a smart speaker, but would let you connect a wide variety of devices.
We have our TV, a record player, and an old Mac mini connected to our stereo. When we watch TV, we listen through the stereo, and it makes for much better audio than listening the lousy built-in speaker on our TV. We use the record player for (of course) listening to albums on vinyl. We also listen to some FM public radio stations through the tuner. The Mac mini serves as a jukebox for our digital music collection.
For sending Internet audio streams to the stereo, there are options: you can stream it from your phone, but as you've noticed, walking too far away or receiving a phone call can be disruptive. Streaming devices (like an Apple TV or Roku) can connect wirelessly to your stereo via Bluetooth or AirPlay and work for streaming your podcasts / Internet radio stations, and aren't as susceptible to disruptions. A laptop or desktop computer connected (wired or wirelessly) to your stereo also works great.
Obviously this is more effort than simply buying a Sonos, but a good Hi-Fi system has the benefits of expandability and longevity—we've had our Hi-Fi for years. The stereo receiver we bought 10 years ago, and the bookshelf speakers are seriously from the 80s (but still sound wonderful). If you're interested in putting together one centralized place for audio in your home, a Hi-Fi system is worthy of consideration.
posted by vitout at 6:10 AM on February 15, 2021
You could begin with a stereo receiver with Bluetooth, Airplay 2 (for Mac/iOS), or Chromecast Audio support built-in. Connect a set of ordinary bookshelf speakers—you can get a set for around $100 new.
This would cost more than a Bluetooth speaker, even a smart speaker, but would let you connect a wide variety of devices.
We have our TV, a record player, and an old Mac mini connected to our stereo. When we watch TV, we listen through the stereo, and it makes for much better audio than listening the lousy built-in speaker on our TV. We use the record player for (of course) listening to albums on vinyl. We also listen to some FM public radio stations through the tuner. The Mac mini serves as a jukebox for our digital music collection.
For sending Internet audio streams to the stereo, there are options: you can stream it from your phone, but as you've noticed, walking too far away or receiving a phone call can be disruptive. Streaming devices (like an Apple TV or Roku) can connect wirelessly to your stereo via Bluetooth or AirPlay and work for streaming your podcasts / Internet radio stations, and aren't as susceptible to disruptions. A laptop or desktop computer connected (wired or wirelessly) to your stereo also works great.
Obviously this is more effort than simply buying a Sonos, but a good Hi-Fi system has the benefits of expandability and longevity—we've had our Hi-Fi for years. The stereo receiver we bought 10 years ago, and the bookshelf speakers are seriously from the 80s (but still sound wonderful). If you're interested in putting together one centralized place for audio in your home, a Hi-Fi system is worthy of consideration.
posted by vitout at 6:10 AM on February 15, 2021
Just thirding and confirming that Sonos speakers will do this without a third device like an IPad or a Roku generating the music. The problem with all of the non-Sonos suggestions you’ve received so far is that they might upgrade the listening experience from your cheap Bluetooth speaker, but you still have to either stream from your phone (and be interrupted by calls and video and such) or use another device to play music/podcasts, which you could do already with your existing speaker.
posted by exutima at 6:29 AM on February 15, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by exutima at 6:29 AM on February 15, 2021 [2 favorites]
use another device to play music/podcasts, which you could do already with your existing speaker.
This is true. If you want to go as cheap as possible, and you have a streaming device for Netflix / etc., you should see if it can connect to your Bluetooth speaker.
posted by vitout at 6:35 AM on February 15, 2021
This is true. If you want to go as cheap as possible, and you have a streaming device for Netflix / etc., you should see if it can connect to your Bluetooth speaker.
posted by vitout at 6:35 AM on February 15, 2021
I use my phone with sonos speakers. You send the audio from an app to the speaker and it doesn’t play the other phone sounds. I can listen to a podcast on Spotify, sent to the speaker, while playing a game on my phone and getting text messages, and the podcast is uninterrupted, for example.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 6:44 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by jeweled accumulation at 6:44 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
I personally would use a cheap tablet as your media player. You can get a "dock" for it pretty easily.
Amazon's Fire 8 had an optional charging dock that basically turned it into an Echo Show... IF you turn on the Alexa mode. Just leave it off. Put it back on the dock, and it starts recharging. Just pair it with your Bluetooth speakers and they'll play fine, won't interrupt your phone calls at all. I think Lenovo M10 has a version with a dock as well.
And there are various grades of BT speakers. The cheap $15-25 ones from Amazon are junk, as you've found. Get something premium. Jawbone used to make some good ones, but nowadays, UE (ultimate ears, owned by Logitech), Bose, and various premium sound makers have plenty of BT speakers to choose from too to fit your budget.
posted by kschang at 9:28 AM on February 15, 2021
Amazon's Fire 8 had an optional charging dock that basically turned it into an Echo Show... IF you turn on the Alexa mode. Just leave it off. Put it back on the dock, and it starts recharging. Just pair it with your Bluetooth speakers and they'll play fine, won't interrupt your phone calls at all. I think Lenovo M10 has a version with a dock as well.
And there are various grades of BT speakers. The cheap $15-25 ones from Amazon are junk, as you've found. Get something premium. Jawbone used to make some good ones, but nowadays, UE (ultimate ears, owned by Logitech), Bose, and various premium sound makers have plenty of BT speakers to choose from too to fit your budget.
posted by kschang at 9:28 AM on February 15, 2021
Bluetooth is the reason why your calls go through the speaker, because your phone just thinks of the bluetooth speaker as the output device for everything.
Sounds like you have an iPhone, so what you can look for is a speaker that supports AirPlay, which is Apple's way to send audio and video wirelessly across devices.
The Sonos One SL supports AirPlay, and here's a list of other speakers that support it, including Ikea speakers.
posted by homesickness at 3:32 PM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
Sounds like you have an iPhone, so what you can look for is a speaker that supports AirPlay, which is Apple's way to send audio and video wirelessly across devices.
The Sonos One SL supports AirPlay, and here's a list of other speakers that support it, including Ikea speakers.
posted by homesickness at 3:32 PM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you! I got the Sonos One SL. I primarily use Overcast for podcasts which is not supported but otherwise so far so good!
posted by mokeydraws at 7:10 AM on February 18, 2021
posted by mokeydraws at 7:10 AM on February 18, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by hydra77 at 8:16 PM on February 14, 2021 [1 favorite]