Sonos Move 2: Sonos' Move 2 portable speaker is a pretty straightforward product to review. That's because it improves upon its already very good predecessor in a couple of key ways. In addition to offering more spacious sound thanks to a new dual-tweeter acoustic architecture, it also delivers much improved battery life (up to 24 hours). Sonos also tossed is some modest design updates, including new touch controls. Alas, those upgrades come with a higher price -- the Move 2 with an included a wireless charging dock costs $449 (£449, AU$799), or $50 more than the original. But it's being sporadically discounted to $350, and if you can afford it, it's an excellent portable speaker that makes for a nice addition to your home's Sonos lineup, with the ability to travel more widely thanks to its Bluetooth support. Read our Sonos Move 2 review.
Sonos Roam 2: Sonos's original Roam speaker sounded very good for its compact size, but many users complained that it was tricky to go from Wi-Fi mode at home and Bluetooth mode on the go. With the release of the new Roam 2, which comes in five color options, those connectivity issues go away. The reality is the Roam 2 ($180) isn't much of an upgrade. It has the same acoustic architecture (and the same impressive sound for its size), but now it has two buttons -- one for power and the other for Bluetooth -- instead of a single power button. That Bluetooth button lets you pair the speaker with any Bluetooth-enabled audio device right out of the box. Previously, the setup was more convoluted and required you to connect to your Sonos home Wi-Fi network first.
JBL Flip 7: New for 2025, JBL didn't drastically changed the design of its seventh-gen Flip portable Bluetooth speaker ($150), which looks similar to its predecessor but has a new Push-Lock accessory system that allows you to swap between a carabiner and a loop (both are included). There are also some upgrades on the inside, including a newly developed woofer that helps improve bass performance. Like its big brother, the Charge 6, this fully waterproof and dustproof (IP68) speaker is equipped with something called "AI Sound Boost," which JBL says keeps the speakers from distorting as their drivers are pushed to their "maximum capability." In other words, JBL has improved the speaker's digital processing with upgraded algorithms and the Flip 7 mostly manages to avoid distorting at higher volume levels. (I didn't find it distortion-free, though.) If sound quality is a priority, the large and more expensive Charge 6 is a better option (it does produce bigger sound with bass noticeably more bass). But as I said, the 1.21-pound Flip 7's sound has been leveled up, and it remains one of the better-sounding speakers for its size, improving its standing against Bose's similarly priced SoundLink Flex, which received some small upgrades in 2024. Read our Flip 7 first take.
Tribit Stormbox Blast 2: In 2024, Tribit released a second-gen version of its popular Stormbox Blast Bluetooth boom box speaker. The Stormbox Blast 2 ($260) has an upgraded design -- it's less boxy and generic looking than the original -- along with upgraded speaker drivers and two inputs for wired microphones for karaoke (the microphones are sold separately). The speaker is quite beefy, weighing in at 15.8 pounds, and it's rated for 200W of power, with an 80W subwoofer, dual 45W mid-range drivers and two 15W tweeters. This thing plays loud, has powerful bass (I mainly kept the bass boost mode engaged) and measures up well against more premium Bluetooth boom box speakers from JBL and Sony that cost about twice as much.
LG Xboom Bounce (Core): LG's partnership with Black Eyed Peas' frontman Will.i.am is paying dividends as the company's latest crop of Bluetooth speakers measure up well against key competitors in the space. I tried the Xboom Grab ($140) and the Xboom Bounce ($200) and came away liking both speakers. But the larger Bounce has significantly fuller sound, with a lot more kick to the bass. On both speakers, I appreciated that they seemed well tuned and more natural sounding than many Bluetooth speakers I test, particularly in the midrange where vocals live (vocals are a bit forward, but I liked that). Note that there doesn't seem to be any difference between the Bounce and Bounce Core, so get the cheaper model, which is down to about $120.
Tribit XSound Plus 2: The Tribit XSound Plus 2 is the successor to the similarly priced MaxSound Plus, which was a very good value. The XSound Plus 2 plays a little louder (it has a 30-watt vs. 24-watt power rating) and also has a slightly better battery (up to 24 hours at 50% volume vs. 20 hours). Additionally, this speaker is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 and is able to connect to the Tribit app and link up in party mode with Tribit's XSound Plus 2, StormBox Flow and StormBox 2 Bluetooth speakers.
Sony LinkBuds Bluetooth speaker: Sony made some mistakes with its LinkBuds Bluetooth speaker. First, it launched it in its LinkBuds line with a couple of new LinkBuds, so it kind of got lost in the shuffle. Second, it's a little too expensive at its list price. But ignoring all that, I was surprised how good it sounded for its tiny size. It's easily among the best-sounding micro Bluetooth speakers out there and is equipped with a two-way speaker system featuring a dedicated tweeter and Sony's X-Balanced Speaker unit (woofer), giving it much fuller sound than you'd expect with punchy bass and good clarity. It's still a mono speaker, though you can pair two of them together for stereo sound.
Anker Soundcore Motion X600: Anker's Soundcore Motion X600 mini boom box not only has a premium look and feel with a metal grille and carrying handle, but includes some interesting features like spatial audio and support for Sony's LDAC audio codec. It sounds impressive for its relatively compact size and is a good value. Weighing 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg), it has some heft to it but it's light enough to carry around without feeling like you're getting a workout. The speaker is available in gray, green and blue and is equipped with five drivers, including two woofers, two tweeters and one full-range, upward-firing driver "in a unique speaker array that combined with Soundcore's audio algorithm and DSP helps create a wide (and tall) soundstage for listening to any type of music," according to Anker. It's rated for 50 watts of total power, with two 20-watt amps devoted to the woofers and tweeters and a third 10-watt amp powering the upward-firing driver.
Anker Soundcore Motion 300: Bose makes its excellent SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker that sells for about $150 and sometimes goes on sale for less. The Soundcore Motion 300 is Anker's answer to that Bose speaker. Around the same size as the Bose, it doesn't sound quite as good but it sounds impressive for its compact size and lists for only $80. Like the SoundLink Flex, it can be laid down flat with its speaker firing up toward the ceiling or propped up as shown in the photo above. It's IPX7 waterproof and delivers up to 13 hours of audio at moderate volume levels. There's also support for Sony's LDAC audio codec for Android and other devices that support Bluetooth wireless streaming with LDAC.
Tribit Stormbox Flow: Tribit's StormBox Flow is another Bose SoundLink Flex knockoff for less that shares some similarities with the Soundcore Motion 300, including the same list price. The Tribit may sound slightly better than the Motion 300, edging it out for bass performance by a tad, but the Anker speaker wins on design. Like the Bose SoundLink Flex, the Tribit StormBox Flow can be laid down flat with its speaker firing up. You can also wirelessly pair two of the speakers together for stereo sound. It has an IP67 rating, which means it's dust-resistant and fully waterproof. Tribit says it delivers up to 30 hours of audio at moderate volume levels. That's impressive.
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