It’s worth noting that these are wireless speakers, not Bluetooth speakers. Bluetooth speakers connect directly to mobile devices and you can take them anywhere you want. Wireless speakers tend to be a bit larger and must be connected to a wireless network (and usually an outlet as well), which means they are usually used in indoors.
Sonos Play:5 – $500
The Sonos Play:5 is the speaker for you if you need a top-of-the-line speaker and don’t care how much you have to spend. This speaker comes with six synchronized drivers housed in a single unit and bolstered by “Trueplay” software that adjusts the sound to the room that you’re using the speaker in. Of course, there’s the price to consider. $500 is a lot to spend on a home-based speaker that you can’t take outside of WiFi range. Sure, you have to pay for the best, but we understand you may not want to pay this much. Take a look at other Soros Play speakers in the line if you want to find a cheaper option or take a look at some of our other picks.
Polk Audio Omni S2 – $134
Okay, let’s turn to a speaker that’s a whole lot more affordable. You only get two 2-inch drivers with this unit, but there are passive bass radiators backing it up, which leads to some impressive sound for smaller rooms (large rooms and lobbies make this one sound a little tinny, so be carefully going too large). The Polk Omni app allow you to stream from nearly any music service, while the utility app allows you to download updates and switch between various EQ settings to change how the speaker treats music. It’s not as smart as the SONOS model, but it is very easy to set up, and far more affordable. If you want a desk speaker but don’t like Bluetooth very much, this could be the speaker unit for you.
The speakers aren’t quite as sonically good as some of our other picks, but the 360-degree audio can still easily fill the average room. Plus, most of your current smart devices are probably compatible with Echo – including WeMo, Samsung SmartThings, Wink, Insteon, Nest and other platforms – so you can control them with your voice too. So whether you want to play a Spotify playlist, order pizza, or tell Alexa to turn up the thermostat, the Echo can take care of it. That makes it an ideal device for a smart house.
